Wisconsin Rapids Rafters prepare for an exciting 2025 season

WISCONSIN RAPIDS--The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters have been a community staple for fifteen years, with their near decade and a half in the Northwoods League, and the rich history of Witter Field backdropping their home games—their 2025 summer season is shaping up to be memorable for both the devoted season fanatic and casual baseball fans.
The Rafters have played in Wisconsin Rapids since their introduction to the community in June of 2010, and as Ken Day, Rafters General Manager, describes, “We’re not a major league, but we’re pretty close. We bring the exciting intensity of the game with a more hometown, local feel.”
That hometown local feel is established from within, with each player living with a host family in the area during their time on the Rafters. Collegiate level baseball players finish up their spring season at their respective colleges and universities, and then move right into their summer season with the Rafters. Athletes join the Rafters from all across the country, coming to Wisconsin Rapids and joining the community with a host family. Jake Adams, Assistant General Manager, says, “We’re always looking for host families. It’s a great opportunity and it makes lifelong connections for both the player and the family.”
For the upcoming 2025 season, new head coach Coach Thomas “Ziggy” Zieglowsky is already building an impressive roster. With an emphasis on the community’s support and involvement, Coach Thomas’ saying will carry the Rafters into a successful 2025 season, “We are riding the Raft together this summer, be ready to Grab an Oar.”
With a packed 72 game schedule (36 games at home and 36 games away), the Rafters give plenty of opportunities for the community to come support and see a thrilling game of baseball. For avid fans and casual viewers alike, a Rafters game has something for everyone.

“Even if someone has been to a Rafters game over a dozen times, each game promises something new and exciting to see.” General Manager Ken Day explains, “We have something for everyone, from first time fans to season ticket holders, there’s something for everybody.”
The Rafters promise a devoted and committed team, with players rolling in straight from the spring season into the Northwoods League. The players come to the Rafters to learn new skills and be seen by scouts who frequent the games to recruit new talent into the major leagues. Several Rafters players have gone onto the major leagues, including Kyle Teel of the Chicago White Sox and Bryson Stott of the Philadelphia Phillies. Former Rafters players have also gone onto coaching positions in the major leagues. Going to a Rafters game could mean watching future major league stars in their early days, something that excites their loyal fan base.
Assistant General Manager Jake Adams explains, “We have an extremely loyal fan base. We have 1500 fans at each home game that bring the energy and excitement to the field the minute the gate opens.”
Though the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters have been around since 2015, their home games are played on Witter Field which has been around for nearly 100 years, built in 1928. Witter Field and its historic backdrop provide a vintage and nostalgic feel to lifelong baseball fans that have watched the game and its fields evolve over the decades. Witter Field has stayed true to its roots with improvements embellishing the stadium over the last century. More recent additions to the field include the “Rat Trap”—a private deck above the third baseline that has made for comfortable private outings since 2013. Also in 2013, the Rafter’s added the “Home Plate Club” right behind home plate, with tables making it a prime spot to watch a Rafter’s win, and 2021 saw an addition to the “Home Plate Club” due its’ popularity. In 2015, a “Craft River” was installed beneath the “Rat Trap” where you can watch your drink float to you down a water stream. In 2017, the Rafters added accessible seating with the ability of a grant, making a comfortable spot for wheelchair users to watch right by the first baseline. Witter Field has evolved with the generations and provided comfortable and exciting new features, but remains a historic hotspot for the community.
General Manager Ken Day explains, “I have fans who still come in and talk about the history of the field and the nostalgia it brings. The history of the field has impacted the fan base in such a neat way.”
The Rafters have seamlessly tied history together with the future, promising a nostalgic and vintage feel to the game that is hard to find in 2025, paired together with modern features like the Craft River. The Rafters are proud to support their community and offer a place to unwind each summer, however, the Rafters are always looking for support in the form of host families to host their players. Host families not only become closer to their community and Rafters family, but create unique connections with their player that last a lifetime.