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months when we set the goal in June of ‘why can’t we win another conference championship?’ We’ve got a next man up mentality and they’ve taken to that mentality really well.”

Last year’s co-champion, Rib Lake, will be facing similar challenges after graduating a number of solid seniors last season. Meanwhile, a young Athens Bluejays squad looks to take the next step forward after finishing 5-5 in the conference last year. With so many unknowns heading into the 2025 season, the Marawood-North crown feels open for anyone to secure it.

The co-op had their first test of the season on Tuesday afternoon when they hosted the Northland Pines Eagles.

There were some of the expected growing pains for the young team in their opening game. Walks and lacking a spark on offense turned the game into a one-sided affair as the Eagles dealt Abby/Colby a 15-0 defeat.

With Schreiber on the mound, the co-op was able to keep things somewhat close in the early innings, but the visitors were able to get runs across the board in every frame of the five-inning contest. Meanwhile, Northland Pines starting pitcher Aiden Minx was able to rend the Abby/Colby lineup silent the entire contest, serving up five innings of one-hit ball.

The Eagles started off the scoring by getting a run on the board in the top of the first. The co-op had an opportunity to limit the damage in the second, but a tough play on a dribbler in no-man’s land in front of the mound led to a pair of runs scoring after the throw to first got away into the outfield, leading to an eventual three-run inning for the visitors.

The co-op looked poised to answer in the second as Fernando Perez drew a walk and then promptly stole second. Aguilera then followed with a walk of his own, giving Abby/Colby runners on first and second with one out. However, both were eventually caught on the base paths, Perez getting out in an attempt to advance on a passed ball while Aguilera was tagged trying to get to third on a shallow ball into left-center field hit by Carson Folz.

Northland Pines managed to get two more runs across the board in both the third and fourth innings before blowing the game open with a seven-run fifth inning.

Schreiber was saddled with the loss, surrendering seven runs on four hits and four walks in three innings of work. Only four of the runs were earned. He also struck out four batters. Aguilera gave up seven runs on two hits and six walks while striking out two in his one inning on the mound and Arturo Lopez gave up one run on two hits after pitching an inning.

Hector Lopez had the only hit for the co-op in the contest. Fernando Lopez had two walks and a stolen base.

WHEELING AND DEALING - Payton Schreiber was on the mound for co-op on Monday, striking out four batters in their opening game versus Northland Pines, staffphoto/nathaniel underwood

BARRELING UP THE BALL - Second baseman Carson Folz finds some green out in left field in the second inning of the co-op’s home opener. staff photo/nathaniel underwood