Written by Dain Solberg
Photo Courtesy of Dennis Benson
After playing in front of the home fans at Bill Taunton Stadium, the Stingers (8-2) will travel South to take on divisional opponent Waterloo (4-8). This series will be a two game weekend series at Riverfront Stadium.
For Willmar, they will look to continue their three game winning streak after beating Saint Cloud and Mankato at home and on the road.
As a team, the Stingers are batting .298. The player to watch for the Stingers is Kevin Fitzer who leads all Willmar hitters in offense batting a .375, including 12 hits, 10 RBI, and two home runs. Not only is Fitzer hitting the baseball he also leads the team in OBP (.459).
On the hill, fans will see Ryan Wiltse. Last spring, Wiltse pitched at Saint Mary’s- California where he posted a 6.84 ERA in 50.0 innings, struck out 38 batters and allowed 24 free passes.
Waterloo will look to get in the win column after dropping four of the last five games. The Bucks have been led offensively by Christian Smith who posts a .500 batting average. Smith, who is a University of Illinois product, made 16 appearances for the Fighting Illini this spring collecting five extra base hits.
On the hill, Bucks fans will see Aaron Savary. Last spring, Savary pitched at the University of Iowa where he posted a 3.22 ERA in 22.1 innings, struck out 25 batters and allowed 12 free passes.
First Pitch for Game 1 will be at 6:35 and Game 2 will be a matinee starting at 2:35.
If you would like more information on tickets for the 2023 season, or more information regarding this news story, please contact the Willmar Stingers front office by calling 320-222-2010. More information can also be found at www.willmarstingers.com.
The 2023 Stingers season is presented by J.D. Kreps Financial Group, empowering investors with powerful financial advice.
For more coverage of the Stingers, visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com.
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The Willmar Stingers is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 300 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.comand on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.willmarstingers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Stingers as your favorite team.
