out, you’re giving us a ….

out, you’re giving us a chance to make things happen.”

Rib Lake had 12 hits against Shiocton and 10 against Mellen and took advantage of some errors as well in those wins. In all three games, Scheithauer said the team didn’t see the greatest nor the worst pitching it will face this season, which he felt made for a perfect early-season test.

“We’ll see better, but this was a good start,” he said.

Rib Lake, like just about every other area team is stuck in an early-season waiting game with the weather, which isn’t showing many signs of a dramatic warm-up. Rib Lake’s field is under a lot of snow and won’t be playable anytime soon.

AnoldcollegeconnectionofScheithauer’s helped set up a game for the Redmen Friday in the Twin Cities against Minnehaha Academy and Rib Lake has pounced on a couple of chances to play at the new turf facility in Wisconsin Rapids. They’ll play Spencer there Tuesday at 6 p.m. and have planned an April 10 doubleheader there with Chequamegon to start Marawood North play.

As for the North, Phillips is the defending champion after going 8-0 in league play and 16-3 overall last spring. Athens has always been tough to beat and went 6-2, 14-6 last year. Both teams reached WIAA regional finals. Rib Lake and Chequamegon tied for third at 3-5 and Prentice was winless in league play.

As usual, any crossover games Rib Lake gets in with the Marawood South figure to be tough tests and the Redmen have some good non-conference games scheduled with teams like Butternut-Mercer, who has eliminated Rib Lake from WIAA Division 5 tournament play the last two years, Gilman, Colby-Abbotsford and Columbus Catholic.