With how much sweeping the River Falls High School baseball team is doing, it might be time they consider a Swiffer endorsement.

The Wildcats have swept each of their first two Big Rivers Conference series of the 2023 season, including the opener against Eau Claire Memorial and a doubleheader at New Richmond on Tuesday, April 18.

River Falls, now 6-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Rivers Conference games, is the only remaining undefeated program in the league. Chippewa Falls (3-1) holds sole possession of second place in the standings.

No team has played River Falls within eight runs and the Wildcats have outscored conference opponents 41-3 thus far, which is by far the best run differential in the conference through the first four games.

For River Falls head coach Ryan Bishop, the early-season success, particularly in the slate of conference games thus far, is encouraging. However, Bishop acknowledged it’s still early and some tough teams are looming on the upcoming schedule.

“We still know it’s really early in the conference season, but we’re happy with where we’re at,” Bishop said. “We’re not going to get too far ahead of ourselves. We’ve got some really good competition coming up, including some tough pitchers that can beat teams on any given night.”

While Bishop pumped the brakes on prematurely crowning the Wildcats – and rightly so – the numbers bear out that River Falls could have a legitimately special team this season.

River Falls’ aforementioned +38 run differential is 23 clear of second-placed Eau Claire North (+15) thus far. Additionally, the Wildcats have made just one error through the first six games of the season.

The defensive success has been a combination of exquisite play in the field paired with dominant pitching. River Falls’ one-two punch on the mound includes seniors Keenan Mork and Eli Condon.

Mork is the Wildcats’ bona fide ace and has pitched like it. In two starts this season, Mork has tossed 11 innings total, struck out 21 batters and has not allowed a run. Condon has been just as successful. In three starts, Condon has pitched 12 innings, struck out 20 batters and has yet to surrender a run.

“They’re picking up where they left off and they’re picking up where they expected themselves to be,” Bishop said of Mork and Condon. “It’s a bit of a luxury that’s sometimes easy to take for granted at this level. Their consistency has been what is most impressive – they’ve always had the tools. Their consistency puts us in a great position every time we take the field.”

The senior duo put on virtuoso performances in their starts against New Richmond on Tuesday afternoon.

Mork took the mound in the first game of the doubleheader and pitched six innings of shutout baseball. By the time he left the game, Mork had struck out 14 Tiger batters, allowed just two hits and put his team in a position to secure its 11-0 victory.

Condon was on the hill in the second game and tossed five innings of shutout ball. His start included 10 strikeouts, just one hit and zero runs. His success on the mound propelled River Falls to a 9-0 victory over New Richmond to secure the series sweep.

Although it’s just a six-game sample size, River Falls appears to be proficient in all facets of the game. The Wildcats have limited defensive mistakes, the pitching has been lights-out and the offense is producing as well as any team in the conference.

While River Falls has averaged 11.5 runs per game through the first two weeks of competition, coach Bishop isn’t assuming that type of unprecedented offensive production will continue all year, especially against top-tier Big Rivers Conference opponents.

“We’ve done a nice job of taking advantage of opportunities,” Bishop said. “We’re going to see some really good pitching coming up. Scoring double-digits every game isn’t always going to happen, not in the Big Rivers. There are just too many good arms in the conference. We’re doing a lot of things right, but we’re still a work in progress at the plate.”

Perhaps no challenge will be greater than the season series against Hudson, which is slated for Tuesday, April 25, and Thursday, April 27. River Falls enters the contest 4-0 in league play while Hudson enters 2-1.

According to the latest data provided by Prep Baseball Report Wisconsin, Hudson is the No. 6-ranked team in the state while River Falls holds the No. 7 spot. For coach Bishop, the rankings, standings and records all go out the window when the two bitter rivals compete.

“We’re excited because these are always fun, competitive games and either team can win – regardless of rankings and records,” Bishop said. “We’re excited to get into some of those games that will come down to crunch time. There is no doubt it’s set up to be a really fun week.”

River Falls is scheduled to play the first game of the season series on the road against Hudson on Tuesday, April 25. The first pitch for that contest is slated for 4:30 p.m.