PREVIEW: The Boomers return home tonight to begin a weekend wraparound series with the leaders of the East Division, the Traverse City Beach Bums, at 6:00 p.m. as the current top two teams in the Frontier League tangle for the first time this season.

Schaumburg enters the series winners of two in a row. Tyler Watkins pitched eight shutout innings last night to power the Boomers to an 8-0 win in the rubber game of a three game series at Normal, who will host the Frontier League All-Star Game in less than two weeks. Chad Mozingo opened the scoring with two outs in the first inning, driving a single up the middle to score Sean Mahley with the first run. The Boomers went on to score in six different innings, slugging out a franchise record 16 hits in the win, seven of which went for extra bases.

Eight different individuals posted a hit in the victory. Mike Valadez led the way with three hits while Nate Baumann drove home three runs including a two-out two-run single in the third to provide separation. Five of the eight runs scored with two outs.

Watkins pitched shutout baseball for the second time this season, halting a four decision losing streak by allowing seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Traverse City arrives at Boomers Stadium winners of six in a row, the second six-game streak of the season for the Beach Bums, who are 27-12. Traverse City leads Southern Illinois by three games in the East. The Beach Bums will put RHP Brooks Belter (4-0, 2.92) on the mound opposite RHP Robbie Penny (2-3, 4.73) for the Boomers.