Wisconsin Rapids will play their final series at Kapco Park in 2018 starting tonight

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (18-21, 3-1 2^nd half) head to Kapco Park for the final two games of the five-game road trip facing the Lakeshore Chinooks (20-19, 4-0 2^nd half). The Rafters are 1-3 against the Chinooks in the four games played thus far between the two clubs. Last night, the cranberry and gold defeated the Dock Spiders 5-3, holding a lead throughout the entire game.

Victor Carlino (Long Beach State) scored from second base on a Dock Spiders error and Mitch Mallek (St. Cloud State) then followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0 Rafters in the top of the fourth. The Rafters scored twice in the fifth with a base hit from Jack-Thomas Wold (UNLV) and an RBI double from Jake Dunham (Northern Illinois). With a two-run lead 4-2 in the sixth, Matt Schmidt (Michigan) nailed a leadoff home run, his first homer of the year. The bullpen locked it down from there to ensure a 5-3 win over Fond du Lac.

On the mound for the Rafters this afternoon is Josh Winkler (0-1, 4.80 ERA). This will be Winkler’s second start of the year and seventh total appearance. In 15 total innings pitched, the righty from Northeastern has struck out nine and walked nine.

Lakeshore will give the ball to Austin Jones (1-3, 7.14 ERA). The senior from UW Whitewater is making his seventh start and second against the Rafters. In his last start facing Wisconsin Rapids on June 20^th, he was finished after just an inning at Witter Field as the cranberry and gold won the game 13-0. In 22.2 innings pitched, Jones has allowed 18 runs on 20 hits, walked 19 and struck out 20.

First pitch from Kapco Park is scheduled for 5:05 pm CT.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR).  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 or on Google Play and set the Rafters as your favorite team.