The Wisconsin Baseball Association state tournament takes on a new look this season but will do so with many familiar teams as the Chippewa River Baseball League is once again well represented as the tourney gets underway this weekend with regional play around the state.
Ten of the league's 11 teams are in action across eight regionals with an eye on reaching the second and final weekend of the tournament. This year adds a new wrinkle with the state tournament expanding to two divisions with teams from larger areas making up Division A and the others in Division B.
WBA Finals: Early runs lead Tilden past Everest for state championship
Two runs in the second and third innings carried the Tilden Tigers past the Everest Merchants 7-1 on Sunday in Osseo to win the WBA State Championship.
Tilden (17-4 in CRBL play) won the North Division championship before being upended by the Eau Claire Bears in the playoff semifinals. The Tigers won the WBA state championship in 2023 in the last year of the one-division format and are in Division A competition in River Falls. Tilden will play on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. and again Sunday at 4 p.m. against the Spring Valley Hawks and Rhinelander River Monsters. Which opponents are played when will be determined by who wins the matchup between the two teams earlier in the day Saturday. In the same region but in a different pool the CRBL champion Eau Claire Cavaliers (14-8) face the River Falls Fighting Fish and Everest Merchants at 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The Cavaliers rallied to beat the Eau Claire Bears 6-4 in Saturday's league championship game, the first CRBL crown for the Cavs.
People are also reading…
Elsewhere in Division A, the Jim Falls Sturgeons and Eau Claire Rivermen compete in separate pools of regional competition in Wisconsin Rapids. The Sturgeons (8-12) open play Friday at 8 p.m. versus the Rapids Redhawks and will face the Holmen Features either Saturday at 3:30 p.m. or Sunday at 12:30 p.m. based on Friday's result. The Rivermen (9-11) play the first game of the day Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against the Brill Millers and will take on the Viroqua Sox at either 6:30 p.m. Saturday or 3:30 p.m. Sunday depending on outcome.
The Eau Claire Bears and Cadott Red Sox will both travel to Merrill to compete in separate pools of a Division A regional. The league runner-up Bears (17-5) face the Marshfield Chaparrals at 8 p.m. on Friday and will also face the Hayward Hawks either on Saturday at 3 p.m. or Sunday at noon based on Friday's score. Cadott (10-10) opens competition Saturday at noon against the Hudson River Rats before facing the Lake Superior Sea Dogs at either 6 p.m. on Saturday or 3 p.m. Sunday depending on who prevails in their opener.
In the final Division A regional the Osseo Merchants and Chippewa Falls LumberJacks will make the journey north on Highway 53 to Haugen to play two games each in separate pools. Osseo (18-3) won the South Division title and was the top seed in the CRBL playoffs and will begin play Saturday evening against the loser of a game earlier in the day between the Prescott Pirates and Spooner Cardinals before facing the other team at 3 p.m. Sunday. The LumberJacks (10-10) start play Friday night versus the host Knights at 8 p.m. with a game versus the Washburn Sharptails on tap for either Saturday at 3 p.m. or Sunday at noon based on the result of their opener.
Chippewa River Baseball League All-Star Game grows into celebration of league
The South Division defeated the North Division 2-0 in Sunday's 68th CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls, as the contest has grown into more than just a game. It's become 'an alumni gathering' and a showcase for the entire league and its robust history.
Two teams will compete in Division B regional competition including one playing host. Augusta (5-15) hosts a regional and will kickoff weekend play on its home diamond Friday at 7:30 p.m. versus the Westboro Trojans with a matchup against the New Richmond Millers on deck based on Friday's result for either 4 p.m. Saturday or 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Beef River Bullfrogs (4-16) travel to Rib Lake and will open competition Saturday at 3 p.m. against either the Rib Lake Osprey or Tri-County Timberjaxx before facing the other team at noon on Sunday to conclude regional. Glidden and Ellsworth are also playing host to regional action throughout this weekend.
In total 48 games will be played this weekend with eight teams from each division qualifying for the WBA Finals next weekend where two champions will be crowned by a single elimination tournament of the remaining eight in Division A and B on Aug. 16-18. This year's Division A finals will be hosted in River Falls while Division B takes place in Whittlesey.
Overall the CRBL has won 12 total WBA State Championships led by three apiece from the Tilden Tigers (1995, 2004, 2023) and Eau Claire Bears (2005, 2008, 2009) while the Augusta Athletics (1994), Osseo Merchants (2018) and Eau Claire Cavaliers (2019) each have one amongst active league teams. The Thorp Cardinals (Class A in 1953), Eau Claire Tommy Millers (1961) and Eau Claire Twin Cities Sports (1964) are inactive teams with one title apiece.
IN PHOTOS: Chippewa River Baseball League All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
CRBL All-Star Game in Jim Falls 7-7-24
'); var s = document.createElement('script'); s.setAttribute('src', 'https://assets.revcontent.com/master/delivery.js'); document.body.appendChild(s); window.removeEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); __tnt.log('Load Rev Content'); } } }, 100); window.addEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); }
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Brandon Berg
Chippewa Herald sports editor
- Author twitter
- Author email
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don't have an account? Sign Up Today