(Pictured: Erik Payne)

Johansmeier Gets Another Shot Against Bombers

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (4-14) look to start a new winning streak tonight as they square off with the Battle Creek Bombers (8-10). The Rafters winning streak was broken last night in Madison with a tough 4-2 loss and they will be aiming to get back on track tonight at Witter Field. The Bombers are coming off of a 6-1 loss at the hands of the La Crosse Loggers, snapping a three game winning streak of their own.

Jake Johansmeier (0-2) will be on the hill for the Rafters tonight to make his third start of the season, and second against the Bombers. In his last outing against the Battle Creek Johansmeier went six innings giving up four runs on ten hits while only walking one and striking out five. On the season Johansmeier has posted an era of 4.90 in his four appearances with the Rafters and has only issued six walks in 18.1 innings of work.

The Bombers pitching staff will have to deal with a revamped Rafters lineup that over the past seven days has a combined batting average of .292. One big reason for the improved offense in the past week has to be from the emergence of Erik Payne and Zack Domingues. Payne is batting .360 with a couple home runs in the last week while Domingues is hitting .357 and has driven in five runs. Both Payne and Domingues seem to be warming up with the summer weather and are not looking to cool down anytime soon. Cullen Gassaway is also starting to see the ball better as he has recorded three hits in each of his past two games and has scored a run in each.

It is a 6:05pm start to the game tonight which means the gates to Witter Field will open at 5:05pm. Be sure to stay and stick around after the game as Budweiser will be presenting postgame fireworks.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award Winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube Channel. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.