Wisconsin Rapids Rafters face off against Battle Creek Bombers in Home series.  

 

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – After yesterday’s 11-2 win against the Rockford Rivets, the Rafters have taken their place at the top of the South Division rankings. The Rafters are now 5-3 and are looking to extend their win streak. This season, the cranberry and gold have swept one team and split with three, returning day two to win the second game in all series splits so far.

 

Steven Rivas (Long Beach State) has taken on a vital role for the Rafters. The 6’1” outfielder is batting .321 and has scored six runs, nine hits, three doubles, eight RBI (tied for the team lead with) and two stolen bases. Rivas became the first Rafter to hit a home run in 2018 on June 3 against the Green Bay Bullfrogs and blasted his second the very next day against the Rivets. His on base percentage has increased every single game since the season opener.

 

Other statistical leaders for the Rafters include: Mitch Mallek (St. Cloud State) with 12 hits, Jake Dunham (Northern Illinois) with eight runs, Jack-Thomas Wold (UNLV) with five doubles and tying with Rivas for most RBI is Peyton Robertson (Lamar).

 

The Battle Creek Bombers are 1-6 and sit dead last in the South Division Standings. Their one win came against the Kalamazoo Growlers on June 1. Last season, the Rafters went 6-2 against the Bombers, who finished third in the South Division during the second half.

 

The Bomber to watch is currently senior infielder Jordan Swiss of Saginaw Valley State. Swiss holds the highest batting average for Battle Creek with a .435, he also has recorded six runs, 10 hits, a double, a home run, four RBI and three stolen bases.

 

Taking the mound for the Rafters is Bobby Dorta (Millersville). The 6’5” right-hander appeared in one game against Wisconsin Woodchucks in a pitching role. He currently has a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and three strikeouts in four innings pitched. For Millersville in 2018, Dorta had a 3.86 ERA with 28 strikeouts and a .279 opponent batting average.

 

Pitching for Battle Creek is right-hander Michael McCraith. McCraith only has one appearance so far for the Bombers. He currently has a 12.27 ERA in 3.2 innings pitched. He gave up five runs, two hits and struck out four.

 

First pitch is slated for 7:05 PM from Witter Field.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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, 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit  www.raftersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rafters as your favorite team.