Ernie Clement to play for Mesa Solar Sox

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The first pitch for the Arizona Fall League was thrown last night and the season is underway. The AFL brings together the top 180 players in Minor League Baseball to play against one another. Roughly 60 percent of players that play in the AFL make a Major League Roster, including 321 All-Stars, 19 MVPs, six Cy Young Award Winners, seven World Series MVPs, 99 Silver Sluggers, 88 Gold Gloves, and 30 Rookies of the Year. This year the Rafters are represented by 2015 shortstop, Ernie Clement.

In his time with the Rafters, Clement played in 33 games hitting .311 and notching 41 hits. He only struck out five times throughout the season and totaled 17 stolen bases. Clement helped lead the Rafters to the most wins in a season up to that point.

In 2017, Clement was drafted by the Cleveland Indians and he has since then worked his way up the ladder. Most of the 2019 season was spent with the Akron RubberDucks, the Indians AA team. Clement totaled 103 hits and 46 runs this season with the RubberDucks. He was assigned to the Indians AAA team, the Columbus Clippers, on August 31^st. In his 3 games with the Clippers, Clement had six hits, four RBIs, and held a .545 batting average.

Clement was one of twenty-three former Northwoods League players who are playing in Arizona over the next two months. The former Northwoods League players and their AFL Team are as follows:

 

 Glendale Desert Dogs

Vince Arobio                                      Madison 2015

Marshall Kasowski                           Lakeshore 2015-2016

 Peoria Javelinas

Nick Mears                                         Willmar 2017-2018

Penn Murfee                                     Thunder Bay 2015

C.J. Chatham                                      Wisconsin 2014

Owen Miller                                       Lakeshore 2016-2017

Jared Oliva                                          Wisconsin 2015-2016

Salt River Rafters

Simon Rosenblum-Larson             Madison 2016-2017

Alex Vesia                                           Mankato 2016

Luke Raley                                           Lakeshore 2015

Mesa Solar Sox

Jonathan Teaney                              La Crosse 2016

Erich Uelmen                                     Eau Claire 2015

Ernie Clement                                   Wisconsin Rapids 2015

Greg Deichmann                              Lakeshore 2015

 Scottsdale Scorpions

Mike Ellenbest                                  Green Bay 2014-2016

Graham Spraker                               La Crosse 2015-2016

Cullen Large                                       La Crosse 2016

Garrison Schwartz                            Mankato 2017

Surprise Saguaros

Nick Raquet                                        La Crosse 2016

Sterling Sharp                                    Madison 2014-2015

Mason McCoy                                   La Crosse 2015-2016

Nick Banks                                          Wisconsin 2014

Josh Stowers                                      Madison 2016

More information on the Arizona Fall League can be found here: Arizona Fall League

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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.