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2024 La Crosse Loggers Baseball There ’ s No Place Like Copeland
Year , Clay Chapman ( Florida Southern University ) of Duluth led the Northwoods League with a sparkling ERA of 1.99 while leading the Duluth Huskies to the North Division Championship before losing in the Summer Collegiate World Series to Madison . The Waterloo Bucks had a fantastic season as they set the League record for regular season wins by a Northwoods League team ( 51 ) before losing to the Duluth Huskies ( 2-0 ) in the North Division Championship Series . The second year Lakeshore Chinooks won the second half of the very competitive South Division before losing to the eventual Champion , Madison Mallards , ( 2-1 ) in the South Division Championship Series . The 19th Northwoods League All-Star game was played in Eau Claire , WI at historic Carson Park and attracted 80 MLB scouts who watched a very competitive game won by the North Division ( 7-5 ) and MVP Shortstop Carter Burgess ( Sam Houston St .) of the Rochester Honkers . Adam Martin ( Western Carolina ) of the St . Cloud Rox put on an impressive show in the Home Run Derby to take the title . Following the All-Star game a group of MLB scouts convened to choose four ( 4 ) teams to compete in the first “ Big League Dreams Showcase ” in Madison , WI a week after the All-Star game . A double-header pitting 2 North Division Teams versus 2 South Divisions teams gave scouts , fans and an international viewing audience an idea of the depth of talent now present in the Northwoods League on an annual basis . A documentary crew circulated through the League conducting interviews and footage for a production on the 20 year history of the Northwoods League slated to be released in the summer of 2014 . Finally , the League welcomed back Kenosha , WI and a renovated Simmons Field along with Kalamazoo , MI to the circuit , for play in 2014 , making the Northwoods League the largest organized League in the world with 18 teams .
2014 The Northwoods League began the 2014 summer as the largest organized baseball League in North America , and perhaps the world , with 18 member teams . Those 18 teams drew over 1.1 Million fans as the League became the first summer-collegiate baseball league to draw over 1 Million fans in a single season . This total was more than 3 of the 4 Short-Season MLB affiliated leagues in 2014 . The South Division of the Northwoods League drew over 230,000 more fans than any other summer-collegiate league with new teams in Kalamazoo , MI ( 80,761 ) and Kenosha , WI ( 72,838 ) accounting for over 150,000 fans between them . The Northwoods League ’ s 20th All-Star game became a highlight of the season , as outgoing MLB Commissioner Allan H . “ Bud ” Selig was the guest speaker at a gala dinner celebration of the Northwoods League All-Stars held by the Lakeshore Chinooks . In a pitchers ’ duel won by the South Division , 3-0 , before 2,106 fans the following night , all runs were accounted for by Pete Alonso ( University of Florida ) of Madison , with a three-run homer in the 4th Inning . He was named the MVP of the game , which foreshadowed his MVP honors for the entire League later in the season . Hometown boy , Brett Siddall ( Canisius ), of the Lakeshore Chinooks , won the Home-Run Derby in a swing off with a majestic homer over the right field wall . Hall of Famer Robin Yount and long-time Milwaukee Brewer Jim Gantner were in uniform , coaching the respective teams during the game . The Lakeshore Chinooks were the story of the 2014 summer as they won both halves of the South Division , tying the Northwoods League record for wins ( 50 ) during the regular season . In the North Division , the Willmar Stingers took the first-half Championship while the Mankato MoonDogs claimed the secondhalf title . The Wisconsin Woodchucks , playing in a beautifully renovated Athletic Park , in Wausau , WI , claimed the other playoff spot in the South Division by virtue of having the second best overall record , edging out the inaugural Kenosha Kingfish by one-half game . Lakeshore and Mankato won their respective Divisional series and met in the Summer Collegiate World Series with Lakeshore sweeping the series , 2-0 , to take the title and cap off a storybook summer . In addition to Alonso taking home the MVP award with a . 354 batting average with 18 homers , Matt Kent ( Texas A & M ) of Rochester and Ryan Smoyer ( Notre Dame ) of Kalamazoo took home Co-Pitcher of the Year honors . Smoyer compiled an 8-1 record with a 2.01 ERA for the inaugural team while Kent had a 2.09 ERA , striking out 69 batters and walking only 10 . In Wisconsin Rapids , WI the Northwoods League Foundation helped construct the first Interactive Handicapped Accessible Venue in all of the sporting world at Witter Field , creating a new and exciting experience for all handicapped fans . Fans in the venue were able to interact , via Wi-Fi , with the home team manager in a designated inning each night . The Northwoods League also offered via its own YouTube Channel a video subscription service for all 648 regular season games , All-Star game , Showcase and playoffs . A YouTube representative commented , “ We loved how you took advantage of our tools in a way we had not seen previously .” It was enormously successful . The League featured its second annual “ Showcase ” event in Madison ,
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