ALL-MARAWOOD NORTH SOFTBALL - On-field domination extends to awards season for the Redmen

The 2025 season marked a breakthrough for the Rib Lake softball program as the Redmen went 13-6 overall and ended a couple of long trophy droughts, winning a Marawood Conference championship for the first time since 1999 and a WIAA regional championship plaque for the first time since the state year of 2004.

Individual award season has begun, but even that shows a team effort as nine Redmen were rewarded in this year’s voting for the All-Marawood North teams and head coach Craig Scheithauer added a 10th award as he was named the conference’s 2025 Coach of the Year.

Junior catcher Avery Niemi was named the North’s Player of the Year after a monster spring at the plate and behind the plate in league play. She heads a list of four first-team players from Rib Lake. Three more landed on the second team and two more got honorable mention.

There were more all-conference spots available as the North shrunk to four teams this spring with Prentice being unable to field a team. Rib Lake went 5-1 in North games to win the conference title by a game over 4-2 Phillips. Defending champion Athens slipped to 2-4 this spring and Chequamegon went 1-5.

All 10 of this year’s first-team selections were unanimously agreed upon by the conference coaches. Niemi, senior infielder Addison Gumz, junior pitcher/ first baseman Tessa Weik and junior shortstop Tahlia Scheithauer represent Rib Lake on the All-North first team. Niemi and Weik are repeat first-teamers from 2024.

Niemi was a force out of the numberthree spot in the batting order. The lefthanded hitter posted a .609 batting average in league play (14 for 23) with two doubles, 13 runs batted in and only one strikeout in 26 plate appearances. She drew three walks and scored eight runs.

Niemi threw out five of 11 runners attempting to steal bases against her in the six conference games (45%) and averaged just one passed ball per game.

Overall in 19 games, Niemi hit .462 (30 for 65) with six doubles and a team-high 26 RBIs. She tied Gumz for the team lead in hits and average. Niemi scored 23 runs, struck out only five times, stole four bases and drew 11 walks and had a fielding percentage close to .970 with just four errors.

In three of Rib Lake’s key conference wins, Niemi was nearly impossible to retire. She had three hits in each win over Athens and was three for three with two doubles in an 8-3 home win over Phillips on May 5.

Weik went 3-0 in four North pitching appearances and had a 0.79 earned run average with two earned runs allowed in 17.2 innings. She struck out 14 and walked 10 in league play and gave up 17 hits. At the plate in six North games, Rib Lake’s cleanup hitter had a .250 batting average (four for 16) with a double, nine walks drawn, including two intentional, and four runs batted in. She scored seven runs as well.

Overall, Weik’s batting average shot up to .390 (25 for 64) with a team-high 10 doubles, a team-high 38 total bases, a home run and 24 RBIs, two behind Niemi for the team lead. She struck out just three times all year and drew 10 walks. The homer came in a 16-6 win over Spencer on April 14. She was three for four with four RBIs in Rib Lake’s 12-2 regional semifinal win over Elmwood-Plum City and two for four with two doubles and four runs driven in during the team’s 14-3 regional final win over Prairie Farm.

Among her pitching wins were a 10-0 win over Athens on April 17, where she allowed just three hits and struck out four, and the 8-3 win over Phillips where she struck out seven and gave up just one earned run. She finished 8-2 overall with a 2.64 earned run average in 53 innings pitched.

Gumz was the catalyst for Rib Lake’s high-scoring offense. From the top of the batting order, she hit .429 (nine for 21) in the six North games with a double and five RBIs. She scored nine runs, stole two bases and only struck out twice while