FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders travel to Madison to take on the Mallards in a rematch of the 2021 Great Lakes Sub-Divisional Series at Warner Park. The game can be heard live via the Docks Spiders Radio Network on Mixlr starting with the pregame show at 5:50 before first pitch at 6:08 p.m.
TODAY’S STORYLINES
WELCOME TO THE CAPITAL: The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders travel to Warner Park for the first time this year to take on the Madison Mallards. The Mallards knocked the Dock Spiders out of the playoffs last year in the Great Lakes Sub-Divisional Series. The Dock Spiders are currently riding their best start in franchise history, and are one of two teams in the Northwoods League off to a 4-0 start. The Mallards, meanwhile, sit at 2-2 after they were swept in a two-game series on the road against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
YES, THEY DID IT AGAIN: The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders came back from a 4-2 deficit with four runs in the eighth inning to beat the Green Bay Rockers 6-4 at Herr-Baker Field on Thursday morning. Eight different Dock Spiders tallied a hit, including multi-hit performances from Nick Mitchell, Kyte McDonald and Anthony Frechette. Tyler Tornberg threw three scoreless innings out of the bullpen to get the win, retiring all seven right-handed batters he faced. The win gave the Dock Spiders a fourth straight win to start the year and continued their streak of scoring at least five runs in every game.
MULTI-HIT MAGIC: Through the first four games, Dock Spider’s batters have tallied 14 different multi-hit games, led by Nick Mitchell with four. Every batter who’s appeared in a game except for Luke Novitske has tallied a multi-hit game. Novitske, who’s tallied four hits this year, is one of seven who’s tallied a multi-RBI game.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT ROTATION: Dock Spiders’ starting pitchers have combined to allow just five earned runs in their first four games, including shutout performances from Austin Wagner and Stephen Schissler. The staff has recorded 14 strikeouts in 16.1 innings, and has only walked five batters. Wagner is the only starter, however, to throw at least five innings, doing so on Opening Day against Wausau.
ALUMNI REPORT: Former Dock Spiders catcher Nick Fortes (2017) was recalled by the Miami Marlins on May 27, 2022. In his first three games of the 2022 season with the Marlins, he’s reached base in every game. Fortes became the first Dock Spider to reach MLB last September when the Marlins selected his contract from Triple-A Jacksonville.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHING MATCH-UP
RHP GARNER SPOLJARIC (FDL): The returning Dock Spider makes his first start of the 2022 year after making 18 appearances for Embry-Riddle this spring. The righty struck out 22 in 20 innings last summer for the Dock Spiders. He allowed three runs in three innings against the Mallards in 2021.
RHP KADE LANCOUR (MAD): Lancour makes his 35th Northwoods League appearance and enters his fourth year in the circuit. This spring, he went a perfect 8-0 with a 2.91 ERA and 84 at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
