(Pictured: IF Luke Pettersen, University of Minnesota. Photo courtesy Minnesota Athletics)

The Rafters Team Report will be your weekly update on the Spring season's of your 2016 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. Be sure to check back each week for a new update.

April 11 – April 17: Schilling, Busby Continue Stong Seasons Out of the Bullpen

By: Cooper Perkins

With each passing week, the countdown to opening day ticks further and brings us closer to the long-awaited first pitch that will set in motion another summer of Rafters baseball and a renewed journey through the Northwoods League. Beginning in the Pacific Northwest, we begin our weekly expedition across the nation to investigate the progress of each face of the Rafters.

The Washington Huskies returned home after last weekend’s successful road trip to Arizona State to meet their four-game slate with growing momentum at their backs. Catcher Joey Morgan wasted no time in re-asserting himself as a force in the Pac-12 by registering a two-for-four outing against Seattle, punctuated by an RBI and a run scored. The sophomore from Oregon continued his tear into the weekend by hitting safely in all three games against UCLA, aiding the Huskies to a series victory over the Bruins. At the week’s close, Morgan finished with six base hits, including a pair of doubles and his third home run of the season. Additionally, the Johnny Bench Award Watchlist member drove home five runs, while also scoring twice throughout the four games. Morgan’s strong week propelled him to the top spot on the ball club with his .323 batting average leading all regulars. Joey, a true sophomore, has supplemented his batting average with three home runs, a team-leading nine doubles, 16 runs scored, and 18 RBI.

Turning to the road, Grand Canyon traveled to Husky territory to square off with Seattle in a three-game weekend series that ended with the Lopes salvaging the final outing to go 1-2 on trip. Rafter signee Jake Repavich was superb in a losing effort on Saturday and held Seattle to just one earned run over 6.1 innings, while also striking out five. The tough-luck loss dropped Repavich’s record to a respectable 3-2, while his ERA descended further to 2.53, pairing nicely with his 31 punch outs in 53.1 innings on the bump. Still on the mend, returning Rafter lefty Ethan Evanko did not see the field this past week.

In the Southwest, Dixie State received a visit from California-based Azusa Pacific and split their four-game tilt. Much to the dismay of Storm fans, reigning PacWest Freshman of the Year Dylan File watched his unbeaten record fall by the wayside in Friday’s 8-1 loss. Despite a solid performance from File, the Storm’s lack of scoring and untimely defensive blunders proved to be their undoing as they wasted File’s seven-inning, three-earned run showing. Following the defeat, File’s record dropped to 4-1 on the season, pairing with his 2.97 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 69.2 innings.

Another spotless week, including four more wins for NAIA Sterling College, ran their winning streak to 11 games. Their latest crusade ended with a four-game sweep of McPherson College on the road as they dominated consecutive double-headers. Pitching once in each twin bill, John Jaeger finished his weekend having tossed a pair of innings, surrendering just one unearned run, and notching a strikeout. With his role largely confined to the bullpen of late, Jaeger has been devoid of opportunities to build on his impressive 5-1 record, instead focusing on lowering his ERA to 3.50 and demonstrating pin-point command of the strike zone to the tune of 35 strikeouts compared to just six walks in 36 innings.

A few states to the south, Texas A&M Corpus Christi limped through their four-game slate, managing to win only Friday’s road date with Abilene Christian. Despite the Islanders’ struggles, right-hander Chris Cooper enjoyed a successful week as he appeared twice and turned in 7.1 innings across the two appearances. In the process of baffling hitters from both Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian, Cooper piled up five strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs on four hits and no walks. In 13 appearances, including five starts, the versatile Cooper has navigated 33.1 innings on the hill to the tune of a 1-1 record, one save, a 3.78 ERA, and 24 strikeouts.

After out-lasting Chicago State on the road on Wednesday night, the Milwaukee Panthers boarded the bus yet again to visit the University of Illinios-Chicago for a three-game Horizon League series. The result was not as desired for the Panthers as they followed their series-opening win with a pair of defeats, relegating them to 2-2 on the week. Returning Rafter pitcher Jay Peters toed the rubber for Milwaukee on two separate occasions, offering mixed results. Following a scoreless two-inning relief appearance on Wednesday, Peters was saddled with the loss after finishing four innings, surrendering five earned runs, and issuing three walks. The decision dropped Peters’s record to 3-4 on the season, with his ERA still a respectable 3.56 through 48 frames.

Trudging through arguably the thickest portion of their calendar, Valparaiso traveled around the midwest like group of nomads, playing weekday road contests at Western Michigan and Notre Dame before settling in for a three-game Horizon League series at Oakland. In its totality, the week proved to be a success for the Crusaders as they finished 3-2, including a series win over their conference foes from Oakland. For freshman catcher Scott Kapers, the week proved to be quiet at the plate as he notched just a pair of hits and drew a walk. Kapers, however, handled the Valpo pitching staff like a veteran while they pitched well throughout, highlighted by a shutout of Oakland on Saturday. Kapers’s fellow Rafter signee Montana Quigley did not see the field in any of the five games, instead observing from the dugout.

In West Lafayette, Indiana, the Purdue Boilermakers finally returned home after seven consecutive games on the road, burdened by the weight of a back-breaking losing streak. Purdue sought to reverse course against Eastern Michigan and Michigan State, but the answers evaded them through their first three games, dropping an extra-inning marathon on Tuesday to Eastern Michigan and falling twice to their in-conference foes from East Lansing. Finally on Sunday, the Boilermakers bested Michigan State by a count of 5-3 to salvage one-of-three in the series and snap their losing streak at 16 games. Despite earning starts in the first two games of the week, true freshman Jacson McGowan was held to just a walk in nine plate appearances. As a result of his hitless week, McGowan continues to flirt with the Mendoza line in his inaugural collegiate season.

Joining the weekly Rafters Report for the first time after their introduction last week are Minnesota teammates Jeff Fasching and Luke Pettersen, who enjoyed a fruitful week shared by all of Gopher Nation. With four games on the schedule, Minnesota ran through a Tuesday night matchup against visiting South Dakota State before swiping two-of-three from Big-10 opponent Maryland. The strong season for Minnesota continues to get incrementally more impressive as the have won seven of their last eight games, sporting an overall record of 21-11. Fasching, who appeared only once, had a week to forget for the Gophers as his only foray into competition ended abruptly after one-third of an inning in which he was tagged for two earned runs. The appearance was Fasching’s sixth of the season, leaving him still 1-0 in the record department and lifting his ERA to 6.35 on the year. The week was much sweeter, however, for Fasching’s fellow Rafter signee Luke Pettersen. The infielder started all three games against Maryland and registered at least one hit in each outing. At the close of the week, Pettersen was hitting .311 with six runs batted in and 10 runs scored.

A gaggle of future Witter Field tenants took the field in Richmond, Kentucky for a matchup of future teammates, with Eastern Kentucky hosting SIU-Edwardsville for a conference showdown. The Colonels got the best of the Cougars, paced by strong performances from both Rafter signees on the Eastern Kentucky squad. First baseman Ben Fisher posted hits in every game of the week, finishing 7-for-16 with a home run, three RBI, and three runs scored. In the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, Fisher has elevated his batting average to .279 and couples it with a career-high five home runs and 23 RBI in 36 games played. Sunday proved to be a showcase of Rafter talent on the Colonels’ side as fellow signee Hunter Dunn dominated SIU-Edwardsville for five innings, scattering three hits, a walk, and a run in route to earning the victory in a 12-1 shellacking. The win was the third of the season for Dunn, lifting his record to an even 3-3 and dropping his ERA to 5.36 across 42 innings. As with all contests, one result trumps the other and, on this occasion, returning Rafter Dustin Woodcock joined his SIU-Edwardsville squad on the losing end of the conference bout. A bright spot on a dull team, the sophomore outfielder continued his encore to last season’s Freshman All-American selection by piling up five hits, including two doubles and a triple, to hoist his season average to .317. Woodcock also drew a pair of walks, drove in two runs, and scored three times, bringing his season totals to 14 runs scored, 15 RBI, and two home runs.

In the wake of a disappointing series defeat to fourteenth-ranked Lander, Georgia College braved the road as they sprinted through their four-game slate, including a Tuesday matchup with West Georgia and a three-game weekend series at Armstrong State. After losing to West Georgia in a shootout on Tuesday, the Bobcats straightened their path by sweeping Armstrong State in a key conference series. At the plate, the Bobcats enjoyed an explosive week, with Logan Mattix making a forceful impact at the top of the lineup. The outfielder scored eight runs, collected four RBI, and stole four bases in the quartet of games. Mattix, a sophomore from Georgia, now boasts a .314 batting average, 10 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 36 RBI through 39 games. Perhaps the most striking statistic belonging to Mattix, however, pertains to the outfielder’s unique ability to manufacture runs, represented by his team-leading 50 runs scored. No stranger to eye-popping statistics, Mattix’s teammate Cameron Busby flashed his durability by pitching in three of the team’s four games. Following a brief and unspectacular appearance on Tuesday, Busby rebounded to pick up wins in consecutive games, totaling seven innings of shutout ball in which he struck out six, while allowing just two base runners. Despite all 22 of Busby’s appearances coming in a relief capacity, the workhorse stands second on the Georgia State staff with 62.1 innings of work and leads the team in wins with a record of 8-2. The right-hander’s stat line doesn’t end there as he also is the owner of a 3.47 ERA and 47 strikeouts, compared to just 10 walks.

The University of Virginia continued its strong season by winning three-of-four games, including a Wednesday affair with Longwood before ushering conference rival North Carolina into Charlottesville for a three-game weekend tilt. Virginia’s successful week ran their record to 23-15 overall and has positioned them for a postseason run to defend their 2015 NCAA Championship. In spite of the squad’s recent success, the week was quiet for both future Rafters Doak Dozier and Jon Meola, with the only action between the two coming in the form of a pair of hitless Dozier at-bats. Without much to add to either player’s season statistics, Dozier’s batting average sits at .222, accompanied by a couple of home runs and five RBI. After spectating all week, Meola’s average stood pat at .286 in limited exposure.

It was an uncharacteristically light week for Alabama State as the Hornets had just one game on their schedule—a Tuesday night road game against Samford. The Hornets will be forced to wait a full week to seek redemption as they were forced to palate the frustration of a 13-3 drubbing at the hands of Samford. With only one game on the schedule, Rafter signee Joseph Estrada did not log any time for the Hornets.

Bethune-Cookman took the field in the Sunshine State for four games as they met Florida International in Miami on Wednesday before welcoming Florida A&M to town for a three-game conference clash. While the week ended in a split, the important victory for the Cougars came in their series win over Florida A&M, pushing their despised rivals down the conference standings. Returning Rafter infielder Demetrius Sims ended a prolonged stretch of difficulty and broke through by reaching base in all four games, including four hits and a pair of walks, in addition to two runs scored and two RBI. The strong performance from Sims boosted his batting average to .244, which is accompanied by 11 RBI, 21 runs scored, and six stolen bases over the span of 36 games.

Xavier closer Garrett Schilling provided further reason for excitement among Rafter fans this past week as the right-hander tallied two more saves and amassed four strikeouts across three appearances. Schilling, a sophomore, closed out both of the Musketeers’ wins, each by a score of 8-5, as they went just 2-3 in their five games spread across three different opponents. For Schilling, this week was merely the latest in a string of formidable outings that have seen him emerge as the undisputed closer for Xavier. In 20 innings on the rubber, Schilling has surrendered just three earned runs, amounting to a sharp 1.35 ERA, in addition to 18 punch outs and just five walks. With respect to future Rafters, Schilling will be joined by fellow hurler Damien Richard, who did not see action in the past week. This left his record to hold steady at 2-2, and allowed his 3.94 ERA to remain unchanged.

Rounding out the week’s action, Canisius College participated in a quartet of ball games and salvaged a split by sweeping the final two after succumbing in the front half of the week’s play. Despite the team’s collective result falling short of a sweep, junior infielder Jake Lumley enjoyed yet another productive stretch, reaching base eight times in the four games and highlighting the weekend with a three-hit outing on Sunday. Additionally, Lumley asserted himself as an annoyance on the base paths, stealing four bases and scoring four runs. Lumley’s latest productivity nudged his batting average to .289 and lifted his on-base percentage to an outstanding .388 as he continues to lead the team with 27 runs scored and ranks second on the squad with eight stolen bases. For Lumley’s current and future teammate Josh Shepley, the week was considerably less enjoyable, characterized by the right-hander’s four-inning, five-run showing that culminated in a loss. The loss sank Shepley’s record to 1-4 and the five runs inflated his ERA to 5.36 in eight starts, totaling 40.1 innings of work. A notable strength of Shepley’s, however, has manifested itself in the form of his stellar 34-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The home opener for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters is June 1st at 7:05 against the Green Bay Bullfrogs. Solarus Founders Club, bleacher 9-Game ticket packages, and group outing packages are on sale now. Call 715-424-5400 or stop by the Rafters Front Office Monday-Friday from 9-5 to purchase a ticket package or book a group outing.