For the Rapids City Times

Mulvihill

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters have signed returning Northern Illinois (NIU) catcher Jake Dunham and fellow Illinois native Dylan Mulvihill, a right-handed pitcher at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dunham, a junior catcher at NIU, has started all eleven games for the Huskies this season, hitting .278. In 36 at-bats, Dunham has driven in five runs and posted a .422 on-base percentage. He compiled 26 RBIs through 55 starts in 2018 as a sophomore. Additionally, he hit .268 and threw out 20 runners stealing.

Dunham started 42 games as a true freshman, tallying 21 RBIs and a team-high three home runs. As a high school junior, he hit .385, won a sectional championship, and was named all-conference at Plainfield North High School. Dunham graduated as Prep Baseball Report’s No. 7 catcher in Illinois.

Dunham

In the summer of 2018, Dunham appeared in 60 of the Rafters’ 71 games. The 6-0 right-hander hit .291 with 20 RBIs on 52 hits, including 12 doubles and a homer on July 26 against Lakeshore.

“I’m very excited to get back out in Wisconsin Rapids. I had an amazing time out there last year,” Dunham said. “The coaching staff plus the fan experience made it the best summer of my life and I’m grateful to God that I get the chance to come back out again.”

Originally from Evanston, IL, Mulvihill pitched 22.2 innings of relief in 2018 as a sophomore at Penn. He boasted a 3-0 record and a 1.99 ERA, striking out 23 batters out of the bullpen. He has only appeared one of Penn’s first for four games this season, but he hopes to continue his success from last year into the new season. In high school, Mulvihill was named All-Area Honorable Mention twice, won a sectional championship as a sophomore and earned all-conference honors as a senior.

“I could not be more excited to be a part of such a well-respected organization in the Rafters,” Mulvihill said. “I’m looking forward to being close to home as well as the high level of competition day in and day out.”