Written by Dain Solberg

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Benson

The Matchup: The Willmar Stingers (47-16) will finish the home regular season with a two-game series as they welcome the Thunder Bay Border Cats (27-37) to Bill Taunton Stadium at Baker Field on August 9th and August 10th.

Players To Watch: Aidan Byrne (Minnesota State-Mankato) will be the player to watch. Byrne posts a .321 batting average tallying 45 hits and 25 RBI in 41 games (159 at-bats). Byrne led the Mavericks to the 2023 NSIC Conference Tournament and the NCAA super-regional where he played with teammates Zach Stroh and Aidan Hansen. He faced Augustana University which included Stinger teammates J.D. Hennen, Drey Dirksen, Jack Hines and Tom Sun.

Logan Johnstone (Washington State University) will be the player in the spotlight for the Border Cats. Johnstone has a .296 batting average collecting 45 hits and 25 RBI in 41 games (152 at-bats). Johnstone transferred to WSU from Division I Gonzaga where he made 25 appearances hitting .273 through 44 at-bats driving in six runs with 12 knocks.

Playoff Implications: Willmar will look to take the second half Great Plains West Division. The Stingers will take on the Saint Cloud Rox at Joe Faber Field on Sunday August 13th for the first series in the Great Plains West Playoffs.

Tonight’s Pitchers: Ethan Stade (Minnesota State-Mankato) will get the call from pitching coach Josh Teichroew. Stade (1-0) will make his seventh appearance. This season, Stade posts a 2.33 ERA and has struck out 15 batters and surrendered 15 walks.

Riely Hunsaker (Texas A & M University Corpus Christi) will be on the hill for Thunder Bay. Hunsaker (1-0) will make his fourth appearance. This season, Hunsaker posts a 4.40 ERA and has struck out 14 batters and has allowed six free passes.

Last Meeting: Willmar swept the Border Cats at Bill Taunton Stadium during a two-game series on July 22-23 by scores of 12-2 and 4-2.

Keys To The Series:

• Power Bats In Lineup (Fitzer, Sojka, Dirksen, Rimmer)
• Sound Defensively.
• Shut Down The Top Of TB Order.

First Pitch: Both games will be played at 7:05 at Bill Taunton Stadium.

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.

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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.