Rafters Look to Clinch Home-Field Advantage in Playoffs with Win on Monday

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters embark on the final four days of the regular season on Monday, hosting the last-place Wisconsin Woodchucks. The Cranberry and White are on pace to set the team record for winning percentage, coming into the final series with Wisconsin at 31-11, three games ahead of the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in the Wisconsin-Illinois Pod standings. With a win on Monday night, the Rafters clinch the regular-season championship and home-field advantage for the playoffs.

Pitching has been the name of the game for the Rafters all season long. After setting the record for team ERA in 2019, the Rafters are on pace to shatter the ERA record, entering the series with Wisconsin with a 2.91 ERA, one of the lowest marks in team history.

Another Rafters record that may fall is the player ERA record of 1.61 by Gareth Stroh last season. Chris McElvain and Travis Adams are on pace to break the record, with five more innings. Adams has a 1.45 ERA and McElvain has an ERA of 0.57, the best ERA from a starter in the Northwoods League.

Chris McElvain, in search of the ERA record, gets the nod for the Rafters. McElvain is third on the Rafters with 38 strikeouts on the season. McElvain has allowed just one run over his last ten innings on the mound, as he starts versus the Woodchucks for the first time in 2020.

McElvain is opposed by Nate Madej, who has a 2.50 ERA and 45 strikeouts in nine games this year for the Woodchucks. Madej’s 45 strikeouts are fourth in the league. The South Alabama lefty has pitched four times against the Rafters this year, striking out eighteen and allowing only three runs.

First pitch for the Rafters and the Woodchucks is tonight at 6:35pm and coverage begins at 6:20pm on AM 1320 WFHR.

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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’ 26^th 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.