Last game of regular season offers chance to join 50-win club
Battle Creek, Mich. – Sunday marks the final day of the regular season and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (49-22, 25-10) will meet the Battle Creek Bombers (38-33, 20-15) for their seventy-second and final ballgame of the regular season. Owning 49 wins entering play, the Rafters have the opportunity to become just the fourth team in Northwoods League history to win 50 games in a single season, as both the 2006 Rochester Honkers and 2014 Lakeshore Chinooks won 50, while the 2013 Waterloo Bucks hold the league record with 51 victories.
Taking the ball for the Rafters will be left-hander Cal Giese (St. Cloud State), who is slated to appear for the twelfth time, starting his seventh game. A native of Plover, Wisconsin, Giese owns a record of 3-2 and a 5.00 ERA in 36 innings of work, notching 30 strikeouts compared to 16 walks. Since returning to the starting rotation on August 1, the southpaw has struggled somewhat, as he has been tagged for nine runs (eight earned) in 7 2/3 innings of labor, compiling seven strikeouts, while walking four. Giese has pitched twice against Battle Creek this season, once in a starting capacity. His head-to-head work against the Bombers has included 7 1/3 innings of work with a 6.13 ERA and three strikeouts without a walk. In his most recent outing, Giese fought through five innings against the Kenosha Kingfish at home, allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits and two walks, while striking out five. For the third time in as many starts Giese was limited to a no-decision, extending his winless streak that began following a July 8 victory over Green Bay.
Right-hander Dylan Givens is expected to start for Battle Creek, as the freshman from Southeast Missouri State is in line for his third start of the season, entering play with an 0-1 record and a 10.12 ERA. In 10 2/3 innings on the mound, Givens has been tagged for 12 earned runs and has managed just three strikeouts compared to seven walks. Battle Creek has gone winless in the right-hander’s first two outings of the campaign, falling to both Lakeshore and Mankato. A native of Kentucky, Givens will presumably be asked to eat innings for the Bombers, as the club attempts to preserve its bullpen in preparation of Monday’s opening of the Northwoods League Playoffs.
First pitch at C.O. Brown Stadium is scheduled for 4:05 PM CT (5:05 PM local time) and will be carried on WFHR 1320 AM.
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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 150 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). 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 and set the Rafters as your favorite team.
