Written by Raptors Broadcaster Patrick McColl

Just over a couple of months ago, the Raptors brought players to Ridgefield from colleges all over the country to compete in the West Coast League (WCL). Now, the Raptors regular season journey that feels as if it just started will end at Borleske Stadium this week when the ‘Raps play the Walla Walla Sweets on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

With a 19-3 win in Yakima on July 30, The Raptors clinched a playoff spot for the fourth year in a row. Ridgefield will play at least one more game at home in the divisional round of the playoffs, but the ‘Raps concluded their regular season home schedule with a sweep of the Springfield Drifters. 

The ‘Raps offense put up 36 runs in three games against the Drifters, earning the team wins on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Extending his hit streak to 10 games, outfielder Hunter Katschke hit two home runs in the series. Katschke is second in the WCL with a .366 batting average. On the hill, Lower Columbia reliever Ryan McClaskey picked up a scoreless save in four innings of work on Friday. Starter Carson Revay tossed a quality start in Game 2, allowing only one earned run in six innings pitched.

Walla Walla (19-32) will close its season with the series against Ridgefield. The Sweets failed to qualify for the postseason for the fourth year in a row but did sweep the Cowlitz Black Bears over the weekend.

Out of Texas A&M Corpus Christi, infielder Stephen Hom continues to produce for Walla Walla. With a .302 batting average and nine doubles this season, the senior added to his achievements by hitting his first home run of the year against Cowlitz on Sunday. On the flip side, UCLA pitcher Rex Solle pitched a scoreless inning in Game 3, helping lower his ERA to 2.53 in eight appearances and five starts. The 5-foot-11 right-hander has struck out 28 hitters and only walked 15.

The Sweets appeared in Ridgefield from July 9 to July 11 and left the series a victim of the Raptors 13 game win streak in the WCL to start the second half. Walla Walla lost by four runs in Game 1, six in Game 2 and just one run in Game 3.

All games in the series are scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. at Borleske Stadium. Ridgefield’s last trip to Walla Walla took place from August 1 to August 3, 2023. The Raptors beat the Sweets in Game 1 and dropped the last two games of the series.

Tickets to the playoff home game at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex (RORC) are available on ridgefieldraptors.com. The live stream to listen to the games against Walla Walla will be available on ridgefieldraptors.com/stream. #GoRaps