Wisconsin Rapids Will Begin Season On The Road Against Green Bay

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.-The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters will open their seventh season against the Green Bay Bullfrogs on Tuesday, May 31st at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay. The home opener at historic Witter Field will be the following night finishing up a home-and-home series with the Bullfrogs. The Northwoods League released its complete schedule today for the 2016 season. The 23rd season will once again feature 18 teams, Inter-Division play, an All-Star Game, a Major League Dreams Showcase and 72 regular season games.

Fans may CLICK HERE for the full 2016 Rafters Schedule.

The Northwoods League, which plays two halves to determine playoff participants similar to most professional minor leagues, will end the first half of play on July 5th with the second half beginning on July 6th.  Four teams from both the North and South divisions will meet in the Divisional Playoff Series on August 15th-16th. The North and South Division Champions will then meet in a best-of-three series for the Summer Collegiate World Series from August 18-20.

Information surrounding the 2016 Northwoods League All-Star Game will be announced at a later date.

Highlights of the 2016 Rafters schedule include:

• A wide assortment of dates to choose from: The Rafters will play four games on Mondays; four games on Tuesdays; eight games on Wednesday; nine games on Thursdays; six games on Fridays; two games on Saturdays; and three games on Sundays.
• The Rafters final home game of the regular season will be Friday, August 12th against the Kalamazoo Growlers for the always popular “Fan Appreciation Night”. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
• The schedule also features a pair of inter-divisional series against North Division members the Thunder Bay Border Cats, and the Eau Claire Express. Thunder Bay will once again make a return trip to Witter Field on June 8th and 9th, after traveling to Wisconsin Rapids each of the past two seasons. The Rafters will head north to Canada for a series on July 23rd and 24th. Similar to the 2014 and 2015 seasons, The Rafters and Express will participate in two day-night doubleheaders on June 29th and August 1st. Wisconsin Rapids welcomes Eau Claire to Witter Field on Monday, August 1st, with the first game beginning at 12:05 pm and the night cap slated to start at 7:05 pm.
• The Major League Dreams Showcase event, featuring the top 100 prospects in the Northwoods League as chosen by a panel of major league scouts will return to Warner Park in Madison, WI for the fourth consecutive year on August 9th. The first game will begin at 4:05 pm, with game two set for 7:35 pm.

Founders Club Season Tickets, all-you-can-eat 9-Game Packages, and Group Tickets are on sale NOW. There will be three 9-game packages to choose from in 2016, and the dates for those packages will be released soon. Please call the Rafters Front Office at 715-424-5400 for additional information.

Single game ticket prices for the 2016 season will be $8 for a reserved bleacher seat, $7 for standing room only tickets and will go on sale Friday, April 22nd of next year. The full promotional schedule for the 2016 Rafters season will be released in the Spring as well.

If you’re still looking for a gift for the holidays, make sure to stop into the Rafters office at Witter Field.  Ticket packages, merchandise and gift cards are all available.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (KC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.