Rapids travels to Lakeshore to close regular season

With a playoff berth on the line, the first-place Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (21-13) begin a decisive two-game series against the Lakeshore Chinooks (16-18) to close out the regular season.

After dropping a dramatic 4-2 game against the Madison Mallards, the Rafters now sit in first place with just a half-game lead on the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. Wisconsin Rapids controls its own destiny as it can lock up a playoff spot with a sweep of Lakeshore.

The Rafters and Chinooks have played ten times this season, with Wisconsin Rapids taking five of the contests. The Rafters hold the best overall record in the Great Lakes West Division and the second-best overall record in the Northwoods League.

Jack Sinclair is expected to start for the Rafters. In 11 starts, Sinclair has a 2-3 record and a 2.91 ERA. The sophomore righty also has 37 strikeouts this summer. Aaron Winkler gets the start for Lakeshore with one appearance under his belt. Winkler gave up five runs in four innings against Traverse City on Monday.

Wisconsin Rapids closes out the regular-season portion of their 10^thAnniversary Season with a 5:05 p.m. matchup against the Chinooks on Sunday. If the team can secure a playoff spot, they would play at Historic Witter Field on Monday.

As the Rafters gear up for a late-season run, you can experience the postseason action firsthand. For more information on playoff ticket offerings visit Raftersbaseball.com, call the Rafthouse at 715-424-5400, or visit historic Witter Field. The Rafters ticket office is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at Witter Field, 521 Lincoln Street in Wisconsin Rapids.

###

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.