River Monsters set for Year 4 of Dairyland play

Last year the Rhinelander River Monsters adult baseball team needed some last-inning heroics to make the playoffs and made some noise once they got there, upsetting the top seed in their bracket, Holmen, in the Wisconsin Baseball Association regionals.

With most of that squad returning, and a few new pieces mixed in, the Monsters are looking to remain competitive in the Dairyland League’s large division when the season gets underway tomorrow night at Abbotsford.

“It’s going to be a competitive thing from top to bottom and I think we learned that last year,” manager Todd Johnson said. “We can beat every team, but every team can beat us on a good day, too. It all depends on matchups and what players different teams show up with on a certain day. It should be just as competitive as it was last year.”

Rhinelander went 6-8 in the Dairyland last year, which included a forfeit win over Wisconsin Rapids, and snuck into the WBA playoffs with a 10-9 come-from-behind win over Whittlesey in the regular season finale. To say the Monsters had to piecemeal things together last season would be an understatement. Three players sustained season-ending injuries within the first month of the season and, in all, 26 different players suited up for the team — which is open to any residents who live within 30 miles of Rhinelander’s home park, Stafford Field.

“I think that’s just the nature of the beast with the Dairyland League,” Johnson said. “Not every guy can make it every night or veery weekend. So, yeah, you do sort of piece things together and do the best you can.”

Johnson said the two pitchers who logged the bulk of the innings for the squad last year, Martin Hoger and Lucas O’Brien, are due back. Hoger, a 2019 Rhinelander High School alum, led the club with 52 innings pitched last year. He went 2-3 on the year with a staff-best 3.81 ERA. O’Brien logged a 1-3 record with a 6.61 ERA over 32 2/3 innings.

Johnson noted, 2021 RHS grad Quinn Lamers is not expected back this summer due to other commitments, taking the team’s top reliever out of the mix, but the team is expecting to see more of 2022 RHS grad Joe Schneider, who wrapped up his collegiate career at UW-Stevens Point this spring, going 3-5 in 23 relief appearances for the pointers with a 5.59 ERA. 

A number of the team’s core players are due back. Among the offensive leaders for the team a season ago were first baseman Jacob Dreifuerst (.400, HR, 8 RBIs), utility man Sam Schneider (.391, 8 RBIs), and shortstop Easton Senoraske (.302, 8 RBIs).

“I think the core group that we have is pretty much the same couple new guys. Nick Bolte is playing and Max Kortenhoff. They’ve been around at the (Hodag) Dome practices and they’re definitely going to help us,” Johnson noted. 

Rhinelander has two additional games on its schedule this summer due to a tweak made over the winter in the Dairyland League. In addition to playing the other seven teams in the Dairyland Large — Abbotsford, Everest, Marshfield, Merrill, Minocqua, Whittlesey and Wisconsin Rapids — twice, there will be two crossover games per team between the large and small divisions. Rhinelander will host Westboro in a crossover June 13 and travel to Phillips June 26 in the other crossover match. 

Unlike last year, when the Monsters played only once at home prior to June 22, the team will embark on a seven-game homestand following Saturday night’s opener at Abbotsford. Rhinelander will host Merrill May 17, followed by back-to-back doubleheaders with Wisconsin Rapids and Minocqua May 23 and 31. The Marshfield Chaparrals come to town June 7 and the crossover game against Westboro rounds out the homestand. The Hodags will host only twice over the final seven weeks of the regular season, entertaining Abbotsford June 28 and once again wrapping up the regular season against Whittlesey at Stafford Field July 25. 

All home games at Stafford Field will start at 1:30 p.m., with the exception of the doubleheaders, which will start at noon.

“There’s multiple two-game weekends, and some of that was by design. Like we’re going down to Everest and rather than do a home and away with them, we’re just going to go down there and play two. When Rapids comes up here, we’re going to play two. That eliminates us traveling to Rapids for a game. Some of it was by design just to ease our schedule a little bit,” Johnson said. 

If the Monsters have a solid regular season, they hope to be selected to play in the Wisconsin Baseball Association tournament — an event they’ve qualified for in each of their first three seasons. Regionals are set for Aug. 7-9 this year with the WBA Class A state tournament the following week in Wisconsin Rapids.

“I think it’s pretty much the same thing that happens every year,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be competitive, once every team is back to like full strength. Every team has a collection of college guys that are playing.  It’s certainly not going to be easy. I think if you can grind and stay above .500, I think you’re really accomplishing something.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent    Time

5/9    at Abbotsford    7 p.m.

5/17    MERRILL    1:30 p.m.

5/23    WISCONSIN RAPIDS (DH)    Noon/2:30 p.m.

5/31    MINOCQUA (DH)    Noon/2:30 p.m.

6/7    MARSHFIELD    1:30 p.m.

6/13    WESTBORO*    1:30 p.m.

6/14    at Whittlesey    1:30 p.m.

6/19    at Everest (DH)    6:30/9 p.m.

6/26    at Phillips*    7 p.m.

6/28    ABBOTSFORD    1:30 p.m.

7/5    at Merrill    1:30 p.m.

7/19    at Marshfield    1:30 p.m.

7/25    WHITTLESEY    1:30 p.m.

8/7-9    WBA Regionals    TBA

8/14-16    WBA State (at Wis. Rapids)    TBA

HOME GAMES IN CAPS | * Dairyland crossover games