WAUSAU LOSES AT HOME TO ROCKERS FOR FIRST TIME IN 2026 SEASON

WAUSAU, WI- The Woodchucks were hoping to keep their strong form rolling at the beginning of an important nine-inning doubleheader on Thursday at Athletic Park, but the Green Bay Rockers ended up taking the first game of the day, 5-2.

Keagen Jirschele (South Dakota State) made his debut in his second season in Wausau in the defeat, and had a strong 2-4 day at the plate with an extra base hit. Logan Waldschmidt (LSU-New Orleans/Transfer Portal) put together a strong start, allowing just three runs on four hits in four innings of work. Brayden Mazzacano (Illinois/Northern Illinois) came out of the bullpen and kept up the strong pitching, tossing five innings and striking out four while surrendering just two runs.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Early on, it looked like the offense would control the game. After the Rockers opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first, Wausau answered with two runs to tie the game in the bottom half. Ryan Chase (Santa Fe CC/Kansas) earned his 39th RBI of the summer with a sacrifice fly that scored Noah Malone (Loyola Marymount), and Max Soliz Jr. (Kansas) scored in the inning after a Green Bay error.

The Rockers, however, reclaimed the lead on a home run in the third inning to make it 3-2. Later on, in the seventh, Green Bay hit another homer, this time a two-run blast that gave them key insurance runs late in the game.

The Woodchucks offense had its chances, but it was difficult to string hits together. Wausau would strand three runners in scoring position in the final four innings at the plate. Even though the Chucks got the tying run in the on-deck circle in the ninth, the game ended when Wausau hit into a double play.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• The defeat was just the fifth for Wausau at Athletic Park in the 2026 season. The two runs that Wausau scored were the joint-lowest in a home game this summer.
• Max Soliz Jr. and Lane Walton extended hit streaks in the defeat, with Soliz now picking up a hit in eight straight games, and Walton in six straight.
• Brayden Mazzacano’s five innings of work in the bullpen helped him record the longest outing on the mound in his collegiate career.

WHAT’S NEXT

Wausau drops to 34-16 on the summer, but still holds first place in the Great Lakes West second half standings. The Lakeshore Chinooks also play a doubleheader on Thursday, and they fell at home in game one of their two-game set against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, meaning they still sit behind Wausau in the second half division standings on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams are currently sporting a 13-7 record in the second half.

However, there is still one more nine-inning game to played on Thursday between the Woodchucks and the Rockers, and that game will begin at 6:35 p.m. It’s the “Aspirus Diving Woody Bobblehead Giveaway” night, where the first 500 fans through the gate will receive a Diving Catch Woody Bobblehead, courtesy of Aspirus. In addition, it’s the fundraiser night for the Merrill Baseball Association, and “Thirsty Thursday,” continues at Athletic Park, as fans can enjoy $4 Domestic 16 oz Draft Beer during both games! Tickets for the remaining home games in the 2026 season for Wausau can be purchased exclusively on woodchucks.com.