Three players from the Golden State will make their way to Wisconsin Rapids for the summer.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – With the success the Rafters had with west-coast players like Brendan Bobo and Nate Nankill in 2022, it is no surprise that Manager Kirk Shrider signed two new players from Cal State Fullerton, and another from UC Irvine.

Mattox Latta, infielder for Cal State Fullerton is the first Titan coming to Wisconsin Rapids to play in the Northwoods League. Latta is a sophomore from Granada Hills, California and previously attended LA Valley College where he hit .360, and earned conference MVP as a freshman. The right handed batter has played in 16 games in 2023 so far, batting .371 with 10 RBIs. On the defensive side of the field, Latta has recorded no errors, and has turned 12 double plays this season.

The other Titan joining the Rafters in 2023 is right-handed pitcher Seth Tomczak. The 6’4 pitcher is a sophomore out of Ione, California. Before attending Cal State Fullerton, Tomczak appeared in 10 games for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and appeared in 17 games last season for San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs. Out of high school, Tomczak was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 26th round of the 2019 MLB Draft with the 782nd overall pick. So far in his first season with the Titans, he has pitched in 10.1 innings, recording a 6.75 ERA, with a 1-0 record. 

Last season from UC Irvine, the Rafters signed Cooper Robinson and Chase Call, who both made an impact in the historic season. This season, freshman James Castagnola will spend his summer in the midwest playing for the Rafters. Originally from San Diego, California, Castagnola had a strong senior year of high school hitting .358, two HRs, and 19 RBIs. He has yet to see the field in his freshman season at UC Irvine.

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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’ 27th 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 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 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.