Staff

Liz Kern - General Manager

Liz Kern, the 2010 Northwoods League Executive of the Year and 2010 Ballpark Digest Executive of the Year, enters her tenth season in the NWL, and fourth as General Manager of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. Prior to taking the helm for the Rafters, Kern worked for the Madison Mallards from 2004 to 2009, overseeing the team’s ticket operation and customer service department.  Kern received her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse where she was a member of the softball team.  She is originally from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and currently resides in Wisconsin Rapids. Her hobbies include canoeing, sports, and anything outdoors.


Liz@raftersbaseball.com

Vern Stenman - Owner / President

Stenman, the 2003 and 2005 Northwoods League Executive of the Year, enters his sixteenth season in the NWL, and fourth as President of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and the Madison Mallards, after spending eight seasons as the Mallards General Manager. His innovative promotional ideas and steady vision have contributed to Madison's rising attendance each of the past eight seasons---including consecutive 200,000+ attendances from 2006 to 2011---and the Rafters ascending attendance from 2010 to 2011. Prior to Madison he was an intern and later Assistant GM for the St. Cloud River Bats from 1997 to 2000 before taking a corporate account position with the NHL's Minnesota Wild for a year. Stenman and wife Kallie have two children, daughter Chloe Mae and son Bode Axel. He is originally from St. Cloud, MN.

Vern@raftersbaseball.com

Steve Schmitt - Owner

Schmitt's passion for the game and extraordinary attention to customer service are two big reasons why Mallards baseball has become a summertime mainstay in Madison, and now Rafters baseball in Wisconsin Rapids. Since 2001 the Mallards have made the playoffs five times, including a Northwoods League Championship in 2004, and appearances in the Championship Series in 2005 & 2008. Schmitt's teams have finished at-least in the top-half of the division standings for every year but two since the Madison franchise's inception. Also the owner of the Shoe Box and Rookies Sports Bar in Black Earth, WI, Steve is actively involved in the community and is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.

John Fanta - Assistant General Manager

Fanta enters his sixth season in the NWL, and fourth as Assistant GM for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.  Before joining the Rafters, Fanta spent two summers as an intern for the La Crosse Loggers, overseeing their ticket sales operation.  Fanta received his bachelor's degree in Sport Management and Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse in 2009.  During college he was an intern in the Viterbo University athletics department where he assisted the athletics director in events management.  Fanta is originally from Viroqua, WI and currently resides in Wisconsin Rapids.  In his free time he enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, and is an avid Brewers fan.

John@raftersbaseball.com

Jake Serwe - Ticket Sales and Box Office Manager

Serwe enters his second season with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and first as Ticket Sales and Box Office Manager after spending last summer as an operations intern and head groundskeeper for the team.  He began his career in baseball as an intern with the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Pacific Coast League in 2011.  Serwe received his bachelor's degree in Sport Management from UW-Parkside in December of 2012. The Brownsville, WI native enjoys watching Wisconsin Sports and loves to go deer hunting and fishing in his spare time. 

Jake@raftersbaseball.com

Van Patrick Gotz - Public Address Announcer

Gotz brings a wealth of broadcasting background to the Rafters.  He has worked for several radio stations in Central and Western Wisconsin throughout the years.  One of Gotz's greatest moments was when he was the public address announcer at the John Hancock Legends autograph session for the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game festivities.  At the event he had the privilege of introducing his childhood heroes including Ryne Sandberg, Ozzie Smith, Andre Dawson, and Cecil Cooper.  He also had the opportunity to meet and introduce the Original Ladies of Baseball, which the movie 'A League of their Own' was based off of.  Van Patrick, along with his wife Darla, and children Benjamin, Jakob, Sydney, and Stacy are no strangers to Rafters baseball as they have been a host family for players during the previous three seasons.  

Aaron Berlin - Radio Broadcaster and Media Relations Coordinator

Berlin brings tremendous experience to the broadcast booth this summer. He is currently serving as Broadcast Assistant for the University of Kansas baseball team. In this role Berlin will serve as the producer and engineer for all 56 games this spring for the Jayhawks as well as providing play-by-play for three innings of each game. He will work with the accomplished Tom Hedrick, who has been the voice of University of Kansas baseball for the past 37 seasons and whose resume also includes stints as radio play-by-play broadcaster for KU basketball, the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL, and the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers of MLB.  Berlin has some Major League Baseball experience under his belt as well. In 2012, Berlin served as Production Assistant for the Tampa Bay Rays and Rays Radio. Berlin wore a host of hats with the Rays, some which included writing and producing radio spots, engineering over 35 remote radio broadcasts, serving as fill-in emcee during Rays Radio sponsored events, and writing recaps and proposals for Rays corporate partners. Prior to his summer with the Rays, Berlin worked as Production Assistant for the Jayhawk IMG Sports Network, where he served as producer and engineer for Kansas women's basketball games. He also engineered pre and postgame remotes during the 2012 Kansas football season. In 2010 Berlin was the Sports Director for the student radio station 90.7 KJHK FM, where he oversaw six hours of weekly sports talk programming on the station. As a sophomore in college he also called KU football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball games.

Darla Gotz - Host Family Coordinator

Darla Gotz, the Rafters Host Family Coordinator, is entering her first year in the position.  Darla and her family are opening their home to Rafters players again this season, which they have done every summer since the Rafters inaugural year in 2010.  Darla is a die-hard Rafters fan and a Wisconsin Rapids local with plenty of team spirit.  While supporting her favorite team, she is also a dedicated mother of 4 and loving wife of 20 years to husband and fellow Rafters fan, and Public Address Announcer, Van Patrick Gotz. Darla is also employed at US Bank where she is a customer service representative; she plans to continue her education in Law Enforcement in the fall.  Darla's hobbies include karate, traveling, and spending time with her family.

"Being a Host Family is a very rewarding experience.  I have 5 sons around the country that I still keep in touch with."-Darla

Darla@raftersbaseball.com

Katie Luttropp - Athletic Trainer, Marshfield Clinic Sports Medicine

Katie Luttropp has been an Athletic Trainer for Marshfield Clinic for two years and also is in her second season with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.  She is a 2009 graduate from Concordia University and is a native of Loyal, Wisconsin.  Her special interests include strength and conditioning.

Maddie Olesky - Athletic Trainer, Marshfield Clinic Sports Medicine

Maddie Olesky has been an Athletic Trainer for Marshfield Clinic for three years and is in her second season with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.  She is a 2009 graduate from UW-Stevens Point and is a native of Madison, Wisconsin.  Her special interests include strength and conditioning.