Five other Wildcats receive BRC recognition

By Reagan Hoverman

Although the 2022 season ended earlier than the Wildcats would have liked, multiple River Falls players earned recognition by the Big Rivers Conference coaches, including junior Keenan Mork, who headlined the meeting by winning Big Rivers Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Mork’s distinction as an elite pitcher earned him recognition alongside fellow Wildcats including senior outfielder Jeffrey Schurman, who made First Team All Conference along with Mork, while juniors Teddy Norman and Eli Condon and seniors Michael Schurman and Ragan Pinnow all received All Conference Honorable Mention.

Mork’s selection as the Pitcher of the Year marks River Falls’ first ever victory in that specific category. The Wildcats have had Player of the Year winners throughout their history, but Mork is the first to earn that pitcher recognition.

“Keenan proved last year’s sophomore campaign was no fluke,” River Falls head coach Ryan Bishop said of Mork. “He has continued to work very hard to get to the level he’s at as a high school pitcher. For the second year in a row, he gave our team instant confidence every time he stepped on the mound.”

The confidence that Bishop spoke of was more than well de served. Mork was the only pitcher in the Big Rivers this season who posted an undefeated starting pitching record. In total, he tallied 85 strikeouts for the year which led the BRC for the 2022 season. He had only 11 walks and had a strikeout to walk ratio of nearly 8:1.

“Keenan has always had the physical tools to be a very good high school pitcher,” Bishop said. “What our coaches are most proud of are the strides he’s made in the mental and emotional part of his game. That addition has taken him from an all conference caliber pitcher to a dominant pitcher of the year in one of the toughest D1 conferences in the state. And he’s only a junior with an unlimited upside.”

Mork’s ability to stay undefeated in games is even more impressive because of the starting pitching he was consistently fac ing. When Mork got the mound, he almost always faced the other program’s ace pitcher – meaning he out-dueled the best of the best all year and never lost.

As Mork grows as a player and individual, he will continue to be one of the best pitchers in the league next year and will con sistently give River Falls a chance whenever he’s given the mound.

“Keenan not only has extremely high expectations for himself, but he also has confidence in those high expectations,” Bishop said. “That’s a combination for success in the mental game of not only baseball, but in life. The skies are the limit for Keenan Mork.”

Jeffrey Schurman, First Team All Conference The lone teammate to join the aforementioned Mork on the First Team All Conference list was senior outfielder Jeffrey Schurman, who made one of the biggest jumps from his junior to senior year in River Falls history.

During his 2021 junior campaign, Jeffrey Schurman was play ing on the JV roster. In one offseason, he transformed himself into the best all around hitter on the Wildcats’ roster and became a staple in an offense that helped get River Falls to a Division 1 Regional Championship game.

“Our coaches are so proud of Jeffrey for sticking with the process this past year. It’s not easy to be a junior on JV, but it gave him the opportunity to be an everyday player and leader that he wouldn’t have gotten on the varsity bench,” Bishop said. “He made the most of his role last year and it turned into results for him this year. Jeffrey also helped set the example for future play ers in his situation – that sticking with things and staying positive does pay off in the long run. That’s the legacy our coaches will remember Jeffrey most for.”

Schurman’s productivity included leading the team in batting average (.375) and finishing top three in notable categories in the Big Rivers Conference, which included a batting average of .414 in league games and an on base percentage of .570.

Michael Schurman, Norman, Pinnow, and Eli Condon – Honorable Mention

In addition to Mork and Jeffrey Schurman’s First Team selections, four other Wildcats received All Conference Honorable Mention accolades.

Starting with junior Teddy Norman, who played multiple important roles this season including an important batting slot in the lineup and serving as the closing pitcher throughout the year, and served as an overall utility player. Norman batted .304 and also tallied two important saves during the year. He finished the year tied with Michael Schurman for most hits and runs scored on the team.

“Teddy was one of our most consistent players all year. That consistency allowed him to be moved around in both our offensive and defensive line up to wherever the team needed him most at the moment,” Bishop said of Norman. “That is something our coaching staff is very appreciative of Teddy for. Not only did he have a solid year offensively, but his defense and pitching both played a huge role in any success we had this year.”

Eli Condon

Junior Eli Condon also received All Conference Honorable Mention for his efforts on the mound this season. It was his sec ond consecutive season as the #2 pitcher on the roster, flanking only Mork.

Condon finished the year with a 3 3 record with a 2.94 ERA while striking out 38 batters and only walking 10. Two of his three losses came against stiff BRC opponents, which included Eau Claire North, a team playing in the D1 state tournament this week, and Hudson, another team that was consistently ranked as one of the best in the state.

In two of his six starts, he pitched complete games, one of which was a shutout that secured one of his three wins for the season. Coach Bishop spoke about Condon and what he is capable of moving forward.

“Eli doesn’t always get the attention pitching behind Keenan, but Eli has proven to be as solid of a starting pitcher as anyone around our league,” Bishop said. “Want to know how confident we are in that statement? Our faith in Eli can be justified by pitch ing him in our first playoff game against one of the top pitchers in the area. Eli competed like an All Conference pitcher and put us in a position to eventually win the game.”

Michael Schurman

Michael Schurman earned his All Conference Honorable Mention as an ultra athlete outfielder for the 2022 season. He finished the year batting .308 and again tied with the aforementioned Norman for most hits and runs scored on the team. He also led the Wildcats with 11 stolen bases.

“Michael has the ability to beat you in so many ways,” Bishop said. “He may have hit a quiet .308 this year, but he made some big noise defensively in centerfield including a couple of high

See WILDCATS, Page B-4

River Falls junior Keenan Mork delivers a pitch during a game earlier this season. Mork finished the season with an undefeated pitching record and was selected as the Big Rivers Conference Pitcher of the Year. His victory in the category is the first in River Falls program history. Photo by Reagan Hoverman