FOND DU LAC, WI – Herr-Baker Field is set to play host to the second Fireworks Friday of the month as the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (23-21, 4-6) take on the Lakeshore Chinooks (24-21, 6-3). The first 500 fans in attendance are set to receive a commemorative Dock Spiders pint glass and all fans are invited to stay for postgame fireworks presented by Fond du lac Credit Union. Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
TODAY’S STORYLINES
EARLY RUNS ARE THE KEY: The Lakeshore Chinooks took down the Dock Spiders 8-5 at Kapco Park on Thursday night. The Chinooks used four early runs to jump out to a 4-0 lead before holding off the Dock Spiders in the sixth and ninth, when Fond du Lac scored two runs. RHP Noah Magee continued his stellar start to year with a perfect, 14-pitch, seventh inning. Over his first three appearances of the year, hitters are a combined 0-14 off Magee with six strikeouts. At the plate, OF Andrew Sojka extended his hit streak to six straight with an RBI single.
SOJKA’S STREAK: OF Andrew Sojka comes into today with a six-game hit streak, the second-longest active hit streak out of any Dock Spiders player, behind OF Nick Mitchell (10). Sojka has tallied a hit in eight of his nine games played this year, with his only hitless game coming on July 8 at Lakeshore. Over the recent six-game streak, Sojka is 8-19 (.421) with a double, three home runs and five RBI.
HERR-BAKER FIELD… THE LAUNCH PAD?: Coming into today, Herr-Baker Field has seen 20 combined home runs this year through 21 games, the most hit at Herr-Baker Field in a year since 2017. Since 2017, when the field saw 27 home runs hit, there has never been a year when more than 20 have been hit before 2022. The most home runs ever hit at home by the Dock Spiders is 14 during the 2017 season. This year, the Dock Spiders have hit seven at home, including two from C Cole Messina, who was the first Dock Spider to tally multiple homers at home since 1B Tim Elko in 2020.
EASIER ON THE BLOOD PRESSURE: After eight of the first 14 games were decided by three runs or less, just 11 of the last 31 games have been decided by that margin, and none over the last seven games. The last Dock Spiders game to be decided by three or less was on July 8 at Lakeshore in a 5-2 win. Of the first 45 games, 17 have been decided by six or more, while 19 have been decided by three or less.
HERE LIES THE ROAD AHEAD: After today, the Dock Spiders will head on the road for their final road series against a Great Lakes East Division opponent, as they’ll take on the Battle Creek Battle Jacks at MCCU Field on Saturday and Sunday. The Battle Jacks sit at an even .500 record, and take on the Kokomo Jackrabbits in a series finale tonight. The Chinooks will head back home for a two-game series with the surging Wausau Woodchucks starting tomorrow. The Woodchucks are off to a 6-3 start in the second half after going 17-19 in the first half.
TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHING MATCH-UP
RHP DAVID HAGAMAN (FDL) gets the start for the Dock Spiders after a brilliant eight strikeout performance last time out against the Chinooks. Hagaman’s 1.80 home ERA this year is the second best home ERA on the Dock Spiders staff (min. 10.0 IP) behind RHP Luke Vaks (0.75).
RHP SCOTT ROUSE (LAK) makes his seventh start of the year, and second straight start against the Dock Spiders. In his last time out, Rouse allowed one earned run over four innings against Fond du Lac.
