Rafters Sign a Trio of Strong West Coast Position Players  

 

The Rafters are excited to welcome another trio of  west coast players to the  Wisconsin Rapids in Wyatt Bush, Chris Conniff, and Jacob Igawa.

Bush is a freshman at UC Irvine. He had a very decorated high school career, including being named a three-time All-League selection and to the Riverside All-Star team as a senior. Bush was also ranked by Perfect game as the 32nd ranked shortstop and 129th player in the state of California. He is a big fan of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Atlanta Falcons, and Giants shortstop, Brandon Crawford.

“Playing in college so far has taught me to not take plays or pitches off and hustle all of
the time,” said Bush. “I am looking forward to playing in new places, new stadiums and
in front of and with new players. I am excited to get to play in Wisconsin Rapids and I couldn’t think of a better place to spend this upcoming summer.”

Chris Conniff is entering his sophomore season at St. John’s. He had a solid freshman campaign in which the shortstop hit .270 with 6 RBIs and scored 6 runs. Conniff also was very dependable with the glove, as he recorded a .925 fielding percentage. His favorite moment in sports is when he got to play at Dodger Stadium for the CIF Finals.
“I am looking forward to seeing the high-level competition in the Northwoods League,” said Conniff. “I have always heard great things about the league and how it helps players prepare for what’s next whether it’s the next year of college baseball or Minor
Leagues. I’m just excited to see what the Northwoods has in store for me and my teammates.”

Jacob Igawa is a junior at the University of Hawaii. His 2021 season was his first year at Hawaii, and the utility player made the most of it as he hit .321 with three homers and
23 RBIs. Igawa has also attended Pacific University and the University of Hawaii-Hilo. He has played college baseball at all three levels, from Division-III to Division-I, and was named the valedictorian of his graduating high school class.

“I am looking forward to playing against some of the best college talent in the nation,”
said Igawa. “I have learned that college baseball is a relatively short period in my life,
and I have been learning to enjoy and appreciate everything that comes with playing
college baseball. While playing for the Rafters, I want to soak in and enjoy this once-in-
a-lifetime experience. Aloha from Hawaii and see you this summer!”

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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’ 27 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 an

y league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and
front office staff, over 245 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 Awa

rd 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.