Three Blue Jays Heading To Wisconsin Rapids
Highlighted by the return of Malakai Vetock, three Creighton Blue Jays will play for the Rafters this season.
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI – Right-handed pitcher Malakai Vetock will be returning for his second season in Wisconsin Rapids. Vetock is a junior out of Elkhorn, Nebraska. He made 11 appearances out of the Blue Jays bullpen in 2022, earning a 1-0 record and racking up eight strikeouts in 11 total innings pitched.
Vetock earned his first win of the season after tossing a crucial scoreless frame in a 3-2 victory over Nebraska on March 29. During his 2022 Rafters season, Vetock pitched 27 innings, earning a 6-0 record. He recorded 26 strikeouts, and had an ERA of 3.67.
The second player out of Creighton for the Rafters is Sophomore catcher, Hogan Helligso. Hogan is from Omaha, Nebraska. Helligso played in 41 games in his first season of collegiate baseball, starting at catcher 31 times for the Blue Jays.
Hogan threw out 10 runners on the base paths, while batting .283. Helligso got stronger as the season went on, closing 2022 with seven multi-hit games. Four of those performances came in the final ten games.
Nolan Sailors is the last signing from Creighton and also joins the Rafters from Omaha, Nebraska. He is a junior who is an outfielder/ infielder pushed into the starting role in center field due to an injury. Sailors appeared in 47 games, starting 44 of them.
Sailors batted .247 at the dish, with two home runs. Sailors’ best performance of the season came in a February 26 clash with Loyola Marymount where the Omaha native reached base four times, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
