(Pictured: Domenic Mazza. Photo courtesy of UC Santa Barbara Athletics)

Domenic Mazza Makes Rafters Debut On The Hill

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (9-21) will look to rebound from a tough extra inning loss last night at the hands of the Green Bay Bullfrogs as they head back out on the road to face the La Crosse Loggers (19-10). The Rafters lost 6-5 in 12 innings last night and they will need to pick their heads up and refocus right away as they play the second place La Crosse Loggers tonight at Copeland Park. La Crosse is coming off a tough loss of their own as they got beat 3-2 by the Wilmar Stingers, but remain 7-3 overall in their last 10 games.

Tonight there will be another Rafters debut, as left handed pitcher Domenic Mazza (UC Santa Barbara) will be making his first appearance as a Rafter. Mazza is coming off of his freshman season with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos where he pitched in 33.1 innings and had an ERA of 3.78 while striking out 27 batters. Mazza is a very talented individual, as he finished second in the world in the Re/Max World Long Drive Championships when he was 16 years old.

The Rafters will face righty Ty Provencher (Long Beach State) of the La Crosse Loggers tonight. Provencher has a 1.92 ERA in 14 innings pitched this season and will be making his third start and fifth appearance overall. This will be Provencher’s second time facing the Rafters as he picked up a three inning save earlier this year allowing an unearned run on one hit while striking out three.

Clark Eagan (Arkansas) looks to get this Rafters offense rolling tonight as he is coming off a 3-4 performance against Green Bay where he had a double and drove in three runs. Eagan has been spectacular in his six games as a Rafter so far this season batting .440 with three doubles and six runs batted in. Zach Domingues (Long Beach State) looks to continue his dominance of Loggers pitching as he is hitting .533 with two runs batted in and two runs scored in four games against the La Crosse.

The Rafters will be in La Crosse the next two nights to finish up the season series with the Loggers, with both games starting at 7:05pm. The Rafters return to Witter Field on Saturday to face the Wisconsin Woodchucks, for a 6:05pm game with gates opening at 5:05pm. Saturday also features a Duncan Disability Law First Aid Kit Giveaway.

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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.