FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (34-32, 15-17) travel back to Witter Field after a 10-inning affair on Monday to finish their two-game set with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (53-14, 24-8). First pitch for today is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with coverage starting at 6:20 on the Dock Spiders Radio Network.

TODAY’S STORYLINES

SOMETHING ABOUT THE RAFTERS: Each of the last three meetings between the Dock Spiders and Rafters have been decided by one run, and all three have been decided in extra innings. The Rafters have won two of three, including a walk-off win on Monday night.

JON DOWD NUMBERS: Dock Spiders OF Andrew Sojka hit his sixth home run of the season on Monday night, tying INF Jackson Loftin for the fifth-most in a single season in franchise history (since 2017)… Sojka reached the mark in just 27 appearances… Since joining the Dock Spiders, Sojka has hit a homer once every 17 at-bats, the sixth-lowest AB/HR ratio in the Northwoods League out of all players with at least 100 at-bats… If the season ended today, Sojka would set the single-season franchise record for average (.392), on-base percentage (.488), and OPS (1.174).

BEEN HERE A WHILE: OF Nick Mitchell appeared in his 58th game of the season on Monday night against the Rafters… The start put him one game away from OF Ryan Lasko’s single-season franchise record of 59 games played, set in 2021… Mitchell is the only remaining player on the roster from the Dock Spiders Opening Day against the Wausau Woodchucks on May 30.

THE ROSTER SHUFFLE: In the past week, the Dock Spiders have added eight new players to the roster… This season, the Dock Spiders have used 74 different players in 67 games… The 74 players mark the most ever used in a single season by the Dock Spiders, breaking the previous record of 65 set during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

  • Of the 74 players used, 35 have been hitters… 14 hitters have recorded over 100 plate appearances, led by OF Nick Mitchell with 281… 1B Grant Hussey (152), C/INF Parker Noland (171), INF Daylen Reyes (175), and C Cole Messina (178) have joined Mitchell as the only five with over 150.
  • 39 pitchers have been used this season, with RHP Andrew Pogue (41.2) and RHP David Hagaman (41.0) as the only two to throw at least 40 innings… RHP Garner Spoljaric leads all pitchers with 17 appearances.

PATH TO THE PLAYOFFS: If the season ended today, the Dock Spiders would miss the playoffs, as they enter today with the third-best overall record in the Great Lakes West Division, a game back of the Wausau Woodchucks with five games remaining… If the Dock Spiders and Woodchucks end the season tied, the Dock Spiders own the head-to-head tiebreaker… 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… The Rafters can clinch the second-half Great Lakes West Division title with a win today.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHING MATCH-UP

RHP LOGAN TABELING (FDL) makes his third start of the summer… Last time out, on August 3 against Battle Creek, Tabeling struck out three in 3.1 innings… In both starts, Tabeling has thrown at least 70 pitches, including a season-high 90 in his first start, on July 27.

RHP BEN AMON (WIR) will make his fifth start and his first appearance against the Dock Spiders… Amon’s last start ended after an inning of work and 35 pitches on August 5 against Madison, his shortest start of the year.

PHOTO VIA A FLASH OF SUNSHINE PHOTOGRAPHY