Highlighted by the return of Malakai Vetock, three Creighton Blue Jays will play for the Rafters this season.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI – Right-handed pitcher Malakai Vetock will be returning for his second season in Wisconsin Rapids. Vetock is a junior out of Elkhorn, Nebraska. He made 11 appearances out of the Blue Jays bullpen in 2022, earning a 1-0 record and racking up eight strikeouts in 11 total innings pitched. Vetock earned his first win of the season after tossing a crucial scoreless frame in a 3-2 victory over Nebraska on March 29. During his 2022 Rafters season, Vetock pitched 27 innings, earning a 6-0 record. He recorded 26 strikeouts, and had an ERA of 3.67. 

The second player out of Creighton for the Rafters is Sophomore catcher, Hogan Helligso. Hogan is from Omaha, Nebraska. Helligso played in 41 games in his first season of collegiate baseball, starting at catcher 31 times for the Blue

Jays. Hogan threw out 10 runners on the base paths, while batting .283. Helligso got stronger as the season went on, closing 2022 with seven multi-hit games. Four of those performances came in the final ten games.

Nolan Sailors is the last signing from Creighton and also joins the Rafters from Omaha, Nebraska. He is a  junior who is an outfielder/ infielder pushed into the starting role in center field due to an injury. Sailors appeared in 47 games, starting 44 of them. Sailors batted .247 at the dish, with two home runs. Sailors’ best performance of the season came in a February 26 clash with Loyola Marymount where the Omaha native reached base four times, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.

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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. Now in its’ 29th 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, 300 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 (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. 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 Rockers as your favorite team.