Community Support, Family Atmosphere, Help the Fighting Fish Thrive

River Falls, WI – For the 17th consecutive year, the River Falls Fighting Fish baseball team is taking the field, driven by their core values of having fun and building relationships, both with each other and those in the community.

The origins of Fish baseball date back to when college players competed at UW-River Falls. Although the baseball program was discontinued in 2002, many athletes still wanted to play, and amateur baseball provided the ideal opportunity.Former college athletes who transitioned to playing amateur baseball included Josh Eidem, the Fighting Fish’s current manager. Eidem played at UWRF from 1999 to 2002, and soon found his way into town baseball along with a few of his college teammates.

“Several of us as UWRF baseball players started playing amateur baseball in Spring Valley but lived in River Falls. By 2007, our team was half UWRF baseball alumni and half River Falls High School alumni, so we decided to move the team to River Falls and start the Fighting Fish,” Eidem said.

Following the team’s relocation, the Fighting Fish debuted in 2008, finishing with a 23-15 overall record. This was an indication of things to come, as the team won three consecutive St. Croix Valley League championships from 2009 to 2011. The Fish capped the 2011 season by winning their first Wisconsin Baseball Association (WBA) championship and have captured two additional WBA titles since then, in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

“The team has been successful since 2008 because we have been able to maintain high expectations and a winning culture. We expect to compete for the league title every year and go deep into the playoffs because it starts with keeping good baseball players involved but in having good people too,” Eidem said.

Community support has also played an enormous role in the team’s success. While attendance to most home games remains free, hiring umpires and buying equipment for the team does come at a cost. These expenses are covered through fundraisers, concession stand proceeds, and a “pass the hat” campaign done at each home game. This community effort helps the Fighting Fish offset their annual budget, which totals around $8,000.

On top of this, community members volunteer inside of the concession stand at First National Bank of River Falls Field and keep the stadium running. ‘The Bank opened in 2014 and features an artificial turf surface and in-ground dugouts, both common themes at some Major League ballparks. The field also has flip-down seats that came from Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles, according to the official 2016 Fish Magazine.

Amateur players aren’t paid like their Major League Baseball (MLB) counterparts, but the absence of a monetary incentive doesn’t matter.

“Amateur baseball is built on love for the game. That’s probably the deepest core value,” Eidem said. “The other value that drives the team is a sense of family. The players do a lot to build friendships and community with each other, and in an organization that’s going to translate to
success when it’s going well.”