First meeting of season kicks off second half schedule

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – With the first half division crown already in hand, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (24-12) return to action on Wednesday night against the Kenosha Kingfish (16-20) at Witter Field. The game marks the beginning of the second half of the season, meaning that records are reset and divisional races are renewed. As first-half champions, the Rafters have already clinched a playoff berth.

The Rafters will hand the ball to right-handed starter Jay Peters (UW-Milwaukee), who is in line to make his sixth start of the season. To this point in 2016, Peters owns a 1-0 record and a 5.76 ERA in 25 innings on the hill, coupling 21 strikeouts with 12 walks. In the right-hander’s most recent start on June 27 against the Wisconsin Woodchucks, he picked up his first and only win of the season by working four innings in a seven-inning game and allowing five runs (all earned) on five hits and four walks, while striking out five. In his five starts, Peters has lasted at least five innings four times, and the Rafters own a record of 4-1 in games pitched by Peters.

Debuting for the Kingfish will be left-handed starter Grant Spranger, who pitches for the first time as a member of the Kingfish. Originally from the state of Iowa, Spranger attends Southeastern Community College. Kenosha’s pitching staff enters play with the second-highest ERA in the South Division at 4.90, ahead of only the Wisconsin Woodchucks.

The meeting marks the first clash between the Rafters and Kingfish in 2016, a scheduling anomaly that resulted in the teams missing each other across the entire first half slate. First pitch at Witter Field is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with gates opening to the general public at 6:05 p.m.

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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, 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 150 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 (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Rafters as your favorite team.