After River Falls’ 7-1 win on the road against Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln on Thursday, June 1, the Wildcats hoisted their second Division 1 regional championship trophy in the last three seasons.

River Falls’ 2023 regional title-winning roster joins the 2021 Wildcats as the two most recent squads that punched a ticket to sectionals. River Falls head coach Ryan Bishop couldn’t ask for anything more than a sectional berth and a chance to go to the state tournament.

“We know there are no guarantees in this game, but we’re right where we expected to be coming into the season,” Bishop said of winning a regional title and making it to sectionals. “We are excited about this opportunity in front of us. One day, two games, and a chance to punch your ticket to the state tournament. Could you ask for anything better?”

River Falls’ road to another Division 1 regional championship was anything but effortless. The No. 5-seeded Wildcats hosted No. 12-seeded Wausau East in the first game of the postseason on Tuesday, May 30.

The contest quickly turned into a pitchers’ duel as neither River Falls nor Wausau East could muster a run through the first two innings of the game. River Falls senior Zach Cleveland began the third inning with a single, which proved to be an important spark offensively.

The ensuing batter, senior Thatcher Anderson, moved Cleveland into scoring position with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt. Later in the inning, junior Ben Johnson blasted an RBI double to the gap which scored Cleveland and gave River Falls a 1-0 lead through three frames.

“Thatcher (Anderson) has been a spark plug as of late, and his sac bunt proved to be a game-changer,” Bishop said. “Ben (Johnson) stayed hot and got the job done lacing another hit that proved to be the game-winner.”

River Falls’ lone run in the bottom of the third inning proved to be the difference, as neither team managed to scrape another run across home plate in the final four frames. The Wildcats held off Wausau East in large part because of senior ace pitcher Keenan Mork’s dominance.

The senior star surrendered just two hits, walked zero and struck out 16 Wausau East batters in his six and two-thirds innings of work on the mound. For coach Bishop, Tuesday’s postseason opener was a demonstration of what Mork is capable of on his best day.

“That was Keenan’s first outing in almost a month where he could throw with no limitations,” Bishop said after the game. “There is no hiding what a healthy Keenan Mork can do on the mound. That was on full display as he said, ‘Climb on boys, I got this one.’”

Mork almost single-handedly – with a bit of help from the offense in the third inning – moved the Wildcats into another regional championship game. River Falls advanced to play No. 4-seeded Wisconsin Rapids on the road on Thursday, June 1.

Wisconsin Rapids struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning to go up 1-0. River Falls scored in the top of the third to tie the contest, 1-1, before breaking it open in the last several innings. The Wildcats scored two runs in each of the final three farmers to secure a 7-1 victory and claim the Division 1 regional championship.

Although River Falls tallied just six hits, the Wildcats drew seven walks and put constant pressure on Wisconsin Rapids’ defense until the floodgates opened in the last three innings.

“Our hitters did a nice job again of putting pressure on their pitchers and defense,” Bishop said. “Not a ton of hits on the scoreboard, but a lot of loud outs and traffic on the base paths that kept them on their heels until we finally broke it open.”

Junior Chase McQuade and the aforementioned Anderson led the charge at the plate. Anderson went two-for-three offensively while McQuade finished the game two-for-two with a pair of walks and two runs scored.

Throughout the season, Bishop has spoken about how the biggest questions surrounding his team and their potential success have revolved around offensive production. With a regional title in hand and a trip to sectionals on the horizon, a couple of players have stepped up in the biggest moments for the Wildcats.

“Every team needs a couple more guys to step up if they’re going to make a deep playoff run,” Bishop said. “We needed that, especially offensively. Thatcher (Anderson) continues to put stress on the other team in multiple ways at the plate and on the base paths. Chase (McQuade) has started hitting the ball around the field down the stretch.”

While River Falls’ bats have come alive in the last several weeks, the pitching has been elite since the first day of the season. That remained true on Thursday night. Senior Eli Condon limited an explosive offensive team to just three hits and one run in his complete-game win.

“Eli (Condon) was really good again and pounded the strike zone,” Bishop said. “He continues to just do his thing regardless of the situation. He’s as poised as they come and his steady confidence bleeds over to our entire team every time he takes the mound.”

River Falls is slated to square off against No. 1-seeded Stevens Point in the first game of the Division 1 sectional in Marshfield on Tuesday, June 6. The winner of that contest will face either Hudson or DC Everest for the right to advance to state. The first pitch against Stevens Point is slated for 10 a.m.

“Those are some great teams that are going to battle it out in our sectional,” Bishop said. “No question one of the toughest sectional groupings I’ve seen in my time.”