Ridgefield Raptors
| Ridgefield Raptors | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | West Coast League |
| Location | Ridgefield, WA |
| Ballpark | Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Colours | Maroon, black, silver, white |
| Ownership | Tony Bonacci |
| Manager | Chris Cota |
| General Manager | Gus Farah |
The Ridgefield Raptors are a collegiate summer baseball team. The Raptors are members of the West Coast League and play their home games at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
History[edit]
2018[edit]
In 2018 it was announced that West Coast League had awarded an expansion franchise to be located in southwest Washington.[1] Owner Tony Bonacci, who also headed the Cowlitz Black Bears, sought to expand the league in the metro Portland region. Gus Farah was announced as the General Manager. The club held a name the team contest that drew five hundred entries. The name Raptors was selected following a number of entries related to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and various birds.[2]
2019[edit]
The Raptors finished 3rd in the south division with 27 wins and 27 losses.[3] Michael Hicks (Boise State University) lead the league with 50 runs batted in and 9 home runs. Cameron Repetti (Cal State Fullerton) also brought in 33 batted runs of his own. On the mound, Joey Martin (Kansas State University) led the league in strikeouts (67) and had an ERA of 3.83.[4] The Raptors saw 32,342 total fans in their debut year for an average of 1,198 per game.[5]
2020[edit]
Like the rest of the league, The 2020 Raptors season was not played due to COVID-19.
2021[edit]
The Raptors finished 2nd in the south division with 26 wins and 22 losses to make their first playoff appearance in history.[6] Their season came to an end in the South Division Championship when they were swept by the defending champion Corvallis Knights however.[7]
The Raptors were dominant in stats in the season. Will Chambers (College of the Canyons) led the league with eight home runs while Caden Connor (Cal State Fullerton) batted in 51 runs. Kody Darcy (Nichols State) drove in 7 home runs while Coby Morales (Cypress College) hit six home runs and finished with a batting average of .349. Reece Hernandez (San Jose State) also batted with an average of .325 not too far behind Morales. John Peck (Pepperdine) hit six home runs and batted 40 runners in. On the mound, Jaren Hunter (Oregon State) finished with four wins and an ERA of 1.93.[8] 21,943 total fans attended in 2021 for an average of 914 per game.[9]
2022[edit]
The Raptors finished the regular season with 32 wins and 21 losses. Good for third in the South Division and the first wild card spot.[10] Trent Prokes (Modesto Junior College) led the league with a .415 batting average. Jacob Sharp (Fullerton College) led the league with 14 home runs and also finished with an RBI of 40. Will Chambers (Dixie State College) hit 7 home runs while Doyle Kane (University of California San Diego) finished with a .349 batting average.[11]
The Raptors swept the Pickles in the division series but ultimately fell to the five time defending champion Knights 2–5 in the South Division Championship Game.[12] Jake Tsukada (University of Portland) finished with a batting average of .583 while Safea Villaruz-Mauai (Brigham Young University) finished with an RBI of 4. On the mound, Braiden Youkon (unknown) and Ryan Olbrecht (Wayne State College) each picked up one win. Eastyn Culp (Umpqua Community College) finished with an ERA of 0.00.[13]
After the season, Jacob Sharp was selected as Co-MVP.[14] Travis Welker (Fresno State) was selected as a member of First-Team-All-WCL while Jake Tsukada and Trent Prokes were named to second-team-all-WCL. Doyle Kane, Mikey Kane, Riley McCarthy, Jeter Schuerman, and Safea Villaruz-Mauai received honorable mentions.[15]
2023[edit]
On July 5, the Raptors defeated the Portland Pickles 10–3 to clinch their first ever First Half championship. This gives the Raptors their third consecutive playoff appearance and guaranteed home field advantage through the Division Series and South Division Championship Game.[16]
Season-by-Season Record[edit]
| Season | League | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Post-season | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | WCL | South | 3rd | 27 | 27 | .500 | 15 | Chris Cota | |
| 2020 | Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) | ||||||||
| 2021 | WCL | South | 2nd | 26 | 22 | .542 | 11 | Lost Division Series 0–2 (Knights) | Chris Cota |
| 2022 | WCL | South | 3rd | 32 | 21 | .604 | 6.5 | Won Division Series 2–0 (Pickles) Lost Division Championship (Knights) |
Chris Cota |
| 2023 | WCL | South | 3rd | 33 | 21 | .611 | 6 | Lost Divisional Series 0–2 (Pickles) | Chris Cota |
| Division winner | League champions |
References[edit]
- ^ Buhler, Andy. "Baseball team coming to Ridgefield". The Columbian. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ^ Rice, Micha. "Ridgefield Raptors unveiled as new West Coast League baseball team". The Columbian. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ^ "West Coast League - standings".
- ^ "West Coast League - leaders".
- ^ "West Coast League - attendance".
- ^ "West Coast League - standings".
- ^ "West Coast League - schedule".
- ^ "West Coast League - leaders".
- ^ "West Coast League - attendance".
- ^ "West Coast League - standings".
- ^ "West Coast League - leaders".
- ^ "West Coast League - schedule".
- ^ "West Coast League - leaders".
- ^ "WCL Co-MVPS and Pitcher of the Year Unveiled". 17 August 2022.
- ^ "All-WCL Teams Announced". 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Raptors Clinch Playoff Spot, North Decided Thursday". 6 July 2023.