The Rafters Team Report is a weekly update of your 2018 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters players in their spring seasons. Stay tuned each week for news and stats on players.
By: Ray Jensen
Only 36 days till the 2018 Northwoods League season begins for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. NBA and NHL playoffs thrilled (or disappointed if the case may be) fans across the nation and college baseball playoffs are just around the corner with conference matchups beginning next month, including the NCAA Division I Tournament starting up in June. See how the 2018 Rafters did as their 2018 college seasons reach the home stretch.
Charlie Ruegger pitched in back to back games for the Stevens Institute of Technology (20-14, E8 11-3) this week. Ruegger threw 3.2 scoreless innings in relief with five punchouts on Wednesday in a win over Misericordia University. The junior earned his fifth win of the season in the outing. Ruegger pitched in relief again on Saturday in game one of a doubleheader hosting SUNY Oneonta. The righty tossed two innings, allowing one run and striking out two. Across his last five outings, Ruegger sports an ERA of 1.46. Chandler Brierly did not make an appearance.
Jonathan Hernandez pitched a total of 6.2 relief innings this week for Chapman University (27-10, SCIAC 12-9). Hernandez only allowed one run and six hits in his two outings. The junior has kept scoring to a minimum this season giving up only 13 total runs in 34 innings pitched.
Josh Campbell netted a pinch-hit RBI single and a double this week as Stephen F. Austin (14-25, Southland 6-12) went 1-3 in four games with the sole win coming in game three of three-game series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Trayson Kubo pitched 2.2 scoreless relief innings across two appearances while fanning four and allowing just one unearned run.
Dixie State (20-22, PacWest 16-16) split its four-game series at Biola University. Chandler Greenfield pitched 2/3 innings in game one, fanning two while Brecken Lewis pitched a third of an inning in the finale on Saturday. The Trailblazers are in the midst of an eight-game road trip in California with the next stop being the Concordia-Irvine Eagles.
UCF (27-14, American 6-6) also split their four games this week, beating Bethune-Cookman 7-1 and losing two out of three to University of South Florida in the War on 1-4 series. Tyler Osik doubled, singled, scored a run and walked this week. Brody Wofford did not make an appearance.
Mason McReaken did not allow a run in three appearances this week for SIU Edwardsville (10-28, OVC 4-17). The senior earned a save and struck out four in three total innings as the Cougars went 3-2 in five games. Bret Fehr did not record an at bat during the week.
Jack-Thomas Wold just kept mashing for the UNLV Rebels (29-14, Mountain West 10-8) as the team took three out of five games. Wold collected seven hits including two home runs and drove in five. Seth Mullis collected a double, an RBI and a walk.
No. 22 ranked Texas A&M (29-11, SEC 9-9) went 2-2 in four games this week defeating Texas State 7-5 at home on Tuesday but then dropped two out of three on the road at Tennessee. Will Frizzell scored twice, collected three hits including a double, and batted in a run in the series vs. the Volunteers.
Payton Robertson did not see action this week cheered on his fellow Lamar University (13-27, Southland 8-13) Cardinals to 3-1 week with a win over Northwestern State and a home series win over Abilene Christian University.
It was a busy week for the Indiana State Sycamores (19-16, The Valley 4-8). The Sycamores split a home and home series against Purdue and then faced Dallas Baptist in a three game home series losing two out of three. Jarrod Watkins was excellent per usual at the plate. The junior collected eight hits, a double, scored a run, batted in a run, stole a base and was hit by a pitch during the week. Watkins is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, his second longest of the season. He recorded at least one hit in the first 14 games of the year.
Ty Duvall got the start behind the dish in three out of the four games played by the No. 17 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores (24-16, SEC 10-8) this week. Duvall got two hits, worked three walks and stole a base in nine at bats. Vanderbilt split its four games with wins over Evansville and Missouri.
Steven Rivas saw a pinch hitter appearance and a start in right field this week for Long Beach State (16-24, Big West 3-6). Rivas was subbed in at right field in the fifth inning of Saturday’s game at Cal Poly. The freshman snagged a base hit and a walk. In his start in right on Sunday also against Cal Poly, Rivas batted in two runs with a single to right field in the sixth.
The 2018 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters will begin their season on the road against the Madison Mallards on Tuesday, May 29th. The Home Opener is slated for Friday, June 1st against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. The entire 2018 Rafters schedule is available at www.raftersbaseball.com.
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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). 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.
