Pair of California Pitchers Join Rafters Roster

Wisconsin Rapids- Right-handed pitchers Cody Turner and Nick Garcia, both from Chapman University, will be heading to Wisconsin Rapids for the 2019 season, the team announced Thursday.

Cody Turner

Nick Garcia

During the 2018 season, Turner’s stellar work out of the bullpen for the Panthers earned him the team Rookie of the Year Award. The 5-11 righty recorded 20.1 innings of work and boasted a 1.77 ERA with a team-high four saves. He finished his freshman season with a 1-0 record in 16 appearances and striking out 27 batters. A Valencia, California native, Turner attended Hart High School where he had a 1.93 era in 50.1 innings pitched and earned All-League honors as a senior.

“I am so excited to play this summer with the Rafters, as a member of Chapman Baseball I have heard great things about the program ran there in Wisconsin,” said Turner. “After playing in the West Coast League I knew I wanted to take a step up and this seemed like a great fit.”

Originally from San Carlos, California, Garcia drove in six runs as an infielder at Chapman in his freshman campaign. The 6-3 utility player had 11 hits and a .268 batting average over 24 games. In high school Garcia was selected with post season All-League Honorable Mention at Junipero Serra. Pitching 12.1 innings, Garcia compiled a 2.27 ERA and a 1-1 record his senior year. Off the field, Garcia was named to the All-Academic Team for the SCIAC. This season Garcia will be showing his versatility as he is switching from his role as an infielder to one as a pitcher.

Turner and Garcia combined to help Chapman to a 26-14 overall record in 2018. The pair are coming off a successful season as the Panthers won their first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in program history and punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which they ended their run in regionals. The Panthers have high expectations this season as they are the current pick to win the SCIAC. Chapman kicked off their season earlier this week against Hope International.

The Rafters open the 2019 season on Friday, May 31, against the Madison Mallards. Want to attend a Rafters game next season? Rafters 9-Game Ticket Packages are on sale now! For more information on all Rafters ticket offerings visit Raftersbaseball.com, call the Rafthouse at 715-424-5400, or come visit us over at historic Witter Field. The Rafthouse is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at Witter Field, 521 Lincoln Street in Wisconsin Rapids.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 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.