Baseball Game Preview: Paw Paw Red Wolves vs. Niles Vikings

The Paw Paw Red Wolves will take on the Niles Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Paw Paw 3.8, Niles 2.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.

14 must be Paw Paw's lucky number: they beat Coloma with that score not once but twice on Thursday. The Red Wolves were the clear victors by a 14-7 margin over the Comets. The Red Wolves might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 matchups by six runs or more this season.

Caden Bowen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.

Andrew Lehto

Hits (Career)

05/08/25 vs Coloma	4
05/06/25 @ Otsego	2
05/02/25 vs Sturgis	2
04/29/25 @ Vicksburg	2
04/26/25 vs Marine City	2

In other batting news, Andrew Lehto was a standout: he went a perfect 4-for-4 with six RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Ryan Holmes was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Paw Paw always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Niles posted their closest win since April 19th on Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Portage Central 7-5.

Paw Paw's win was their 16th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-6. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Niles, their win bumped their record up to 18-4.

Paw Paw couldn't quite get it done against Niles when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 7-2. Will the Red Wolves have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.