Stroh, Rafters look to hold down struggling Rivets
Rockford, Ill. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (40-21, 16-9) will continue their traveling act into Thursday night, as the club heads to Northern Illinois to square off with the Rockford Rivets (29-33, 12-14) in the first of a two-game series. The Rafters, who snapped Lakeshore’s five-game winning streak on Wednesday night, now meet the struggling Rockford Rivets, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games.
The Rafters will turn to left-handed thrower Gareth Stroh (Coffeyville CC) to make his team-leading tenth start of the summer, boasting a 3-2 record and a 3.99 ERA on entrance. A rising sophomore, Stroh has worked 47 1/3 innings this summer, racking up 40 strikeouts, while walking just 12 batters and surrendering 55 hits. After a brief mid-season lull, Stroh has re-located his rhythm and has posted a 2.38 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings combined between his two most recent starts. Thursday night marks Stroh’s second meeting with the Rivets, as he hopes to rekindle the same form that lifted him to his third victory of the season on July 22. In a 15-3 route of Rockford at Witter Field, Stroh pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits and two walks, while matching his season-high with eight strikeouts. In his most recent turn through the rotation, Stroh demonstrated peak form against the Lakeshore Chinooks, firing six innings of one-run work.
Rockford, who has featured a primarily left-handed lineup this season, will counter with right-hander Max Frederick from Lackawanna Community College in Pennsylvania. Expecting to make his first start of the season, Frederick has pitched in three games out of the bullpen to date, posting an ERA of 9.00 in two innings on the mound. A right-hander, Frederick has struck out one hitter and walked a pair, while allowing three base hits. As a club, the Rivets have grown thin on their pitching staff, now owning only 11 total arms—five pitchers below the league’s maximum.
First pitch at Rivets Stadium is slated for 6:35 PM with coverage beginning on WFHR 1320 AM 15 minutes prior at 6:20 PM.
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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.
