Woodchucks Fall at Green Bay, Tied with Mallards in Playoff Race
Northwoods Wausau Woodchucks

Woodchucks Fall at Green Bay, Tied with Mallards in Playoff Race

Published on August 8, 2025 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Wausau Woodchucks News Release


ASHWAUBENON, WI - The tightest playoff race in the Northwoods League got even more interesting after Thursday night.

The Wausau Woodchucks were beaten on the road by the Green Bay, 10-5, in their final meeting against the Rockers in the regular season. In the process, Madison picked up a win away from home against the Lakeshore Chinooks, 11-3. That means, with just two days left in the regular season, the Woodchucks and Mallards are tied for first place in the second half Great Lakes West standings. It's the first time Wausau has not held sole possession of first place in the second half since July 8.

Wausau holds the tiebreaker over Madison, so if the season ended today, Wausau would have a spot in the playoffs. However, Madison will play one more game than Wausau, which means it's highly unlikely that the Woodchucks and Mallards will finish tied in the standings at the end of the season.

Wausau returns home to face Wisconsin Rapids on Friday and Saturday in its final two games of the regular season. Madison will conclude its season with a three-game set against Green Bay and starts that series with a seven-inning doubleheader in Ashwaubenon tomorrow. That doubleheader was scheduled due to a rainout earlier in the season. The Mallards will then host the Rockers on Saturday night in their regular season finale.

Wausau now must win and get help. If the Mallards win their final three games in the regular season, they will clinch the second half title and the postseason spot that comes with it. However, if the Mallards lose one of their remaining games, and Wausau wins its final two contests, the Woodchucks would jump Madison and win the second half. The magic number for both teams sits at three.

As for tonight's game, it was the final road game of Wausau's 2025 regular season. The defeat to Green Bay helped them secure the regular season series over Wausau, 7-5, which means the Rockers are the only team to finish the 2025 regular season with a winning record against the Woodchucks.

Green Bay scored three runs in the second inning to take the lead. Wausau got on the board in the third, when Dylan Schlotterback (Paris JC/Kansas) picked up his league-leading 86th hit on an RBI single, extending his hit streak to 11 games in the process.

Most of the game's scoring came late. That started when Green Bay put up another three-run inning in the sixth to make the score 6-1. However, the Woodchucks continued to fight, as they scored two runs in the seventh, with Dom Rodriguez (Arizona) earning an RBI on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, and Brayden Mazzacano (Illinois) following with an RBI single.

It was the best night at the plate in Brayden Mazzacano's collegiate career. The two-way freshman finished with four hits for the first time, and now eight hits in his last four games, with five RBIs in that span as well. He also continues to be strong on the mound, holding a 4.41 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched this summer.

Green Bay answered Wausau's comeback attempt with four more runs in the bottom half of the seventh. In the eighth, however, Josh Arquette (Panola CC/UTSA) picked up a pinch-hit, two run double that cut the deficit to five. However, Wausau couldn't get any closer to the Rockers, and dropped its final road game of the summer.

Wausau got some late production out of its bullpen. Both Tanner Goswick (Keiser) and Josh Steger (UW-Stevens Point) dealt a scoreless inning, each pitcher recording a strikeout in their respective appearance. Wausau's pitching staff walked just three hitters tonight, which means they keep their lead in the Northwoods League with fewest walks issued in the 2025 season.

Wausau falls to 44-23, and finishes with a regular season road record of 17-18, one game under .500. However, the Woodchucks could face Green Bay again, as the Rockers would be Wausau's first round playoff matchup if the Woodchucks can make the playoffs. If that happens, the first game of the playoff series would be in Ashwaubenon on Sunday, August 10, with a 5:05 p.m. first pitch. Game Two would be at Athletic Park on Monday, August 11 and a potential Game Three would also be in Wausau on Tuesday, August 12, with game times for those two games yet to be determined.

For now, Wausau will have to find a way to get into the playoffs, as the attention now shifts to tomorrow's game at Athletic Park, where the Woodchucks will start their final two-game set of the regular season against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. Wausau is 8-2 against the Wisconsin Rapids this summer, with an undefeated 4-0 mark against the Rafters at Athletic Park. In addition, the Woodchucks have outscored the Rafters 61-16 at home in the 2025 season.

The Woodchucks will also be looking to extend their franchise-record home winning streak tomorrow night, which currently sits at 18 games. First pitch for tomorrow's game is at 6:35 p.m, and Grant Parson (Indiana State) is set to make his final start of the regular season.

Tomorrow night's game at Athletic Park is the last Firework Friday of the season, presented by Crystal Finishing Systems! Fans can stay after the game to enjoy the area's favorite fireworks show lighting up the sky one final time! It's also Fish Fry Friday, which is teaming up with the D.C. Everest Band for a fundraiser. Be sure to bring the whole family for the final Friday night at the ballpark in 2025! Remaining tickets for the last two regular season games at Athletic Park this summer can be purchased at woodchucks.com.

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Northwoods League Stories from August 8, 2025


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