(Left to right) Tom Stoffel, Trent Johnson, Alex Howard and JD Mundy
Battle Creek, Mich. – Battle Creek’s JD Mundy (Virginia Tech), Tom Stoffel (Virginia Tech), Alex Howard (Arkansas State) and Trent Johnson (Tulane University) were voted by Northwoods League field staffs and media contacts into the Northwoods League All-Star Game at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisconsin on July 18
“I'm happy for these guys,” said Battle Creek field manager Brian Solemsaas. “It's a tremendous honor to be an All-Star in the Northwoods League and all four guys are very deserving of this honor. To be voted by the other coaches in the league shows the hard work they've put in and is paying off with a good first half. I know they will represent the Bombers and their respective schools very well."
In 33 games played, Mundy has given himself the power-hitter reputation. He’s batting .302 currently and has a team-high six home runs. The Roanoke, Virginia native has recorded the second most RBIs on the team with 21. He’s a two-time NWL Player of the Night for his three-home run performance against the Wisconsin Woodchucks on June 11 and his 4-5 performance against Rockford on June 28 where he had three doubles.
Stoffel has prized himself as one of the most consistent hitters in the Northwoods League. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Stoffel has played 34 games and is batting .328. In mid-June, Stoffel’s slash line was: .452 average, .493 OBP, .613 SLG and an OPS of 1.106. He’s compiled the most multi-hit games (13) and multi-RBI games (9) for the Bombers this year. Stoffel leads the team in hits (43), RBI (28) and doubles (12) while his four homers and 22 runs score are second-most on the Bombers roster. He finished the month of June hitting .358.
Howard came to the Bombers a little later in the summer, but made an immediate impact once arriving. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native is currently hitting a team-high .365. Howard’s 12 doubles and 24 runs scored lead the Bombers so far, while his 38 hits are second-most on the team, three homers are third most and 13 RBI rank fourth. “Howie” is a one-time NWL Player of the Night for his 3-4 game vs. Green Bay on July 1, where he totaled two doubles and three RBI. In his 26 games played with the Bombers, he only has three hitless games.
Johnson pumped gas for Battle Creek on the mound in the first half. In 30.1 innings of work, Johnson carries a 1.48 ERA, opponents are hitting just .200 against him in the first half. The Metamora, Illinois native has recorded 36 strikeouts which leads the Bombers his year. Johnson’s 12 strikeout performance against Lakeshore on Opening Day remains the most from a Bombers pitcher in one game this summer.
The 2017 Northwoods League Home Run Derby and All-Star Game will be on Tuesday, July 18th at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisconsin. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. The Home Run Derby will start at 5:00 p.m. First pitch for the All-Star Game will be at 7:05 p.m. A meet and greet autograph session will occur from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. in the Pepsi Community Park. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at woodchucks.com or by calling 715-845-5055.
The full North and South Division rosters can be found here
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The Battle Creek Bombers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.battlecreekbombers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bombers as your favorite team.