Written by Dain Solberg

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Benson 

The Matchup: The Willmar Stingers (39-14) will travel to Joe Faber Field to take on the Saint Cloud Rox (33-20) for the second time this week. This week’s series will be a three-game series.

Players To Watch: Drey Dirksen (Augustana University) will be the player to watch for the Stingers. Dirksen currently has a .331  batting average and has collected 41 hits in 30 games this season.

Oscar Serratos Jr. (Biola University) will be the player to watch for St. Cloud. Serratos went 2-for-4 in the last series against the Stingers. Serratos Jr. currently has a .529 batting average and has tallied nine hits in four games this season.

Tonight’s Pitchers: Hunter Magnuson (Valley City State) will make his fourth appearance. Magnuson has totaled a ERA of 4.05 and has struck out eight batters and has allowed ten free passes this season.

Tyler Hemmesch (University of Minnesota) will make his sixth appearance. Hemmesch posts a 3.86 ERA and has struck out 18 batters and has allowed 14 free passes this season.

Last Meeting: The last time these two teams took the field took place at Bill Taunton Stadium in Willmar, MN. The Rox went on a 7-0 route early in the game and found green after every  Stingers pitcher Sam Malec fired to the plate. The final score was 13-3

Keys To The Series:

•  Score First

•  Consistent Pitching (Bullpen completing game)

•  Power bats (Sojka, Fitzer and Rimmer)

First Pitch: After the Great Lakes All- Star break, the Stingers and the Rox will take the field on July 26 and July 27 at 6:35. Game three will be played at 6:35. The three game series will be played at Joe Faber Field at the Municipal Athletic Complex in Saint Cloud, MN.

For more coverage of the Stingers, visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com.

The 2023 season is presented by J.D. Kreps Financial Group, empowering investors with powerful financial advice.

##
The Willmar Stingers are 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 24 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, over 325 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.com and 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.