FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (24-22, 5-7) finish up their two-game set with the Battle Creek Battle Jacks (22-24, 4-6) at MCCU Field in Battle Creek. Today’s game can be heard live on the Dock Spiders Radio Network, with coverage beginning at 12:20 p.m. CT before first pitch at 12:35.
TODAY’S STORYLINES
A WHOLE LOTTA HITS (AND RUNS): During Saturday night’s 16-5 win over the Battle Creek Battle Jacks, OF Nick Mitchell and INF Branden Comia both tied career-high marks, and C/INF Parker Noland recorded his fourth multi-RBI game of the season. Mitchell tied his career-high for the second time this summer with four hits and set a new career-high with four RBI. Comia tied his career-high with five RBI and tallied three extra-base hits, including his first home run of the summer. Noland tallied his ninth stolen base of the year and also smashed his first home run, the second three-run home run by the Dock Spiders this summer.
SCORING IN BUNCHES: Saturday night’s 16-5 victory marked the second time this week that the Dock Spiders have scored at least 15 runs. The Dock Spiders set the franchise record with 19 runs on Tuesday night against Madison in a 19-7 victory. It marks the first time in franchise history (since 2017) that the Dock Spiders have scored 16-plus runs in multiple games during a season.
KEEPING UP WITH THE PITCHING: RHP Luke Vaks lowered his ERA to 0.78 during two shutout innings on Saturday and extended his scoreless streak to 20.1 IP on the year. Vaks has not allowed a run since June 19, 28 days ago. RHP Noah Magee continued his hot start to the year. He extended his scoreless streak to 6.1 innings. This summer, Magee has yet to allow a hit and has struck out 10 of the 26 batters that he has faced. RHP Reed Gallant also continued his dominant performance against right-handed bats over a perfect 0.2 innings. Right-handed batters are now hitting .113 (9-80) off Gallant.
That’s… Odd: Saturday night’s win marked the first 11-run win of the summer for the Dock Spiders. The Dock Spiders have now won at least one game by every possible margin from one to 13. The most common winning margin for the Dock Spiders is one, two, three, six and 10, where they’ve won by each margin three times.
HELLO DRAFT DAY: The 2022 MLB Draft is set to begin today with 20 rounds held between today and July 19. Former Dock Spiders INF Chandler Simpson is currently ranked as the 88th-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, the highest out of any draft-eligible Dock Spider. Simpson broke the NWL single-season stolen base record with 55 in 2021 and was named the Great Lakes Division Co-MVP. Former Dock Spiders OF Victor Scott (#191) and RHP Derek Diamond (#209) are also both ranked in the Baseball America Top-500 list. Over the six-year history of the Dock Spiders, 20 former players have been drafted.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHING MATCH-UP
LHP AIDAN McEVOY (FDL) is set to make his first start of the summer after he made 13 this spring at Dyersburg State. McEvoy is committed to play at Charlotte this fall and struck out 96 batters in 63.1 innings this past spring.
RHP JACKSON BRADEN (BC) will make his fifth start of the year this afternoon, and his first home start since June 9 against Kokomo. Over his last three appearances, Braden has walked three batters, struck out 13 and allowed two earned runs over 11.2 innings, a 1.54 ERA.
