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Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.- Today, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters continue to announce talented additions to the 2020 Roster, with LSU outfielder Wes Toups and Penn State outfielder Cole Bartels.
Thibodaux, Louisiana native Wes Toups is the third LSU Tiger expected to crash Witter Field this summer. In his first taste of college baseball, Toups was 2-9 with two doubles and three walks over seven games. At E.D. White Catholic High School, Toups played varsity baseball from eighth grade onward. During his time at E.D White, the Commanders were 142-31, winning five district titles in a row. Toups was a major player in the Commanders dynasty, posting a .428 batting average with nine home runs, 93 RBIs, and 91 stolen bases in his high school career.
Out of high school, Toups was ranked as the No. 129 player in the nation by Prep Baseball Report and gathered an All-State selection for the third consecutive year. Last summer, Toups played for the Danville Dans of the Prospect League and was the only high school player among the 12 teams in the league.
Rafters head coach Craig Noto speaks highly of Toups: “Wes will give us a huge injection of premium speed from the left side, as well as high end defense in centerfield. Coach Mainieri at LSU always send us quality young men who are well coached. From a managerial standpoint it’s settling to know that you’re bringing in players who can hit the ground running.”
Cole Bartels is a two-way talent homegrown in Belmont, Massachusetts. The Penn State redshirt-junior is coming to the Rafters as an outfielder for the 2020 season. In the abbreviated 2020 college baseball season, Bartels took to the field for the first time as a college player and succeeded, hitting .316 with seven walks and two doubles in seven games played. As a pitcher, Bartels appeared in 24 games in 2017 and 2019, striking out 27 batters and allowing only two home runs.
At Belmont High School, Bartels was a two-time team captain. Bartels wrapped up his career with over 250 strikeouts on the mound, a school-record 107 hits, and an All-State selection.
The Rafters Home Opener is slated for 6:05pm on Wednesday, May 27th against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. For more information on the different ticket packages visit Raftersbaseball.com or call the Rafthouse at 715-424-5400. Due to the current statewide shutdown the front office at Witter Field is closed to the public indefinitely.
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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 proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 26th season, 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 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. 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.
