FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (34-29, 15-14) are set to begin a four-game road trip with a two-game series at Athletic Park against the Wausau Woodchucks (31-31, 14-12). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., with coverage beginning at 5:50 p.m. on the Dock Spiders Radio Network.
TODAY’S STORYLINES
ALLOW ME TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF: With 19 runs on Friday night against the Green Bay Rockers, the Dock Spiders set a new Northwoods League record for the most runs scored in a single-season, at 476… The Dock Spiders broke the previous record of 475, set by the 2017 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and 2019 Bismarck Larks… This season, the Dock Spiders have scored at least 10 runs in 21 of 64 games (33%)… The Dock Spiders have scored 24 more runs than the Kalamazoo Growlers (452), who have scored the second-most runs in the NWL.
GRAND SLAMMIN’ IT: On Friday night, OF Kemp Alderman and OF Nolan Tichy both smashed a grand slam in a 19-4 win over the Green Bay Rockers… The pair became the first Dock Spiders duo to both tally a grand slam in the game… Prior to Friday, INF Branden Comia had been the only Dock Spider to hit a grand slam this year, doing so on July 27 against the Madison Mallards in a 14-6 win.
WINNING THE SERIES: With a win on Friday against Green Bay, the Dock Spiders won the season series for the third straight year, and the fifth time in franchise history (since 2017)… If the Dock Spiders win today, they will clinch the season series against Wausau for the sixth straight season… The Dock Spiders have never lost a season series against the Woodchucks, and are 39-19 (.672) all-time against them.
AWARD WINNING NIGHT: OF Nolan Tichy was named the Northwoods League Player of the Night on Friday after he went 2-4 with a grand slam and set a career-high with five RBI… In 11 games with the Dock Spiders, Tichy has tallied a hit in 10 games and has reached base in all 11… Tichy has also smashed seven extra-base hits, with five doubles and two home runs… Tichy became the fifth different Dock Spider to earn an NWL nightly award this season, joining OF Nick Mitchell (May 30, July 12), INF Branden Comia (July 27), RHP Reed Gallant (July 3) and RHP David Hagaman (June 9).
PATH TO THE PLAYOFFS: If the season ended today, the Dock Spiders would make the playoffs, as they enter today with the second-best overall record in the Great Lakes West Division, two and a half games ahead of the Lakeshore Chinooks and Wausau Woodchucks with eight games remaining… If the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters win the second-half division title, the final playoff spot in the division will go to the next-best overall record… A Rafters win and a Woodchucks loss would clinch the second-half title for the Rafters.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHING MATCH-UP
RHP GAGE SMITH (FDL) is set to make his first start since May 4, 2022, at Milwaukee Area Tech against Olive-Harvey… In two appearances this year, Smith has yet allow an earned run in 1.1 innings… Smith struck out 50 in 31.2 innings this past spring.
RHP JACK WENNINGER (WAU) will make his 10th start of the summer for the Woodchucks… He makes his first start since he struck out four in two innings at the Major League Dreams Showcase on Tuesday in La Crosse.