FOND DU LAC, WI — The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (29-27, 10-12) are back in Green Bay to take on the Green Bay Rockers (23-33, 13-7) at Capital Credi Union Park on Friday night. The Rockers took the series opener on Thursday, 6-4. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with coverage beginning at 6:20 on the Dock Spiders Radio Network.
TODAY’S STORYLINES
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS: In the fourth inning of Thursday night’s game in Green Bay, C Bennett Thompson drove a triple off the wall in left for the 20th Dock Spiders triple of the year, a new franchise record. The triple broke the previous record of 19, set during the 2017 season, the first in franchise history. This season, the 20 triples are tied for second among all Northwoods League teams with the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. Only the Duluth Huskies (22) have more.
HOMER HAPPY COLE MESSINA: Dock Spiders C Cole Messina smashed his second homer in as many days in the third inning on Thursday, his fifth of the year. The five home runs are the most in a single season by a Dock Spiders catcher in franchise history (since 2017). The home run put him in a tie with OF Ryan Lasko, INF Tate Kolwyck, and OF Caleb Summerhayes for the sixth-most home runs in a single season in franchise history. OF Brandon Wulff and OF Eric Gilgenbach both set the single-season record in 2017 with nine.
PATH TO THE PLAYOFFS: The Dock Spiders enter today in a tie for the second-best overall record in the Great Lakes West Division with the Wausau Woodchucks. If the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters win the second-half division title, then the final playoff spot in the division will go to the next-best overall record in the division. The Dock Spiders can make the playoffs by either winning the second-half division title or by having the Rafters win the division while the Dock Spiders finish with the second-best overall record. The Dock Spiders have made the playoffs three times in franchise history (since 2017) and won a league title in 2018 and 2020.
THE FINAL STRETCH: After today, the Dock Spiders will have 14 games remaining in the 2022 regular season. Over the final stretch, they’ll play the Wausau Woodchucks (4 games), Battle Creek Battle Jacks (2), Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (4), Green Bay Rockers (2), and the Lakeshore Chinooks (2). The Dock Spiders need to win both of their remaining games against the Chinooks and need to win two of their final four against the Woodchucks to own the tiebreakers. The Dock Spiders are a combined 16-20 (.444) against their remaining opponents.
ANOTHER GOES PRO: The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Thursday that they had signed former Dock Spiders RHP Christian Ruebeck as an undrafted free agent. Ruebeck appeared in seven games for the Dock Spiders in 2022 and struck out 18 over 10 innings. He put together one of the best relief appearances on June 19, 2022, at Madison, when he struck out the final five outs of the game to save a 4-3 Dock Spiders win. Ruebeck becomes the ninth former Dock Spider to enter professional baseball this year, a franchise record.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHING MATCH-UP
RHP JOSHUA CULLIVER (FDL) will start his eighth game of the summer after he tied his career-high with seven strikeouts last time out against the Wausau Woodchucks. Today marks his first road start against a divisional opponent since June 16 at Madison in game one of a doubleheader.
RHP BRYCE CRABB (GB) will make his fifth start and 15 appearance of the summer. In 10 innings against the Dock Spiders this year, he’s allowed four runs on 10 hits, including three runs and seven hits in 5.1 innings on June 2.
