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2024 La Crosse Loggers Baseball There ’ s No Place Like Copeland
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Division Championship . In the South Division , the Battle Creek Bombers knocked off the Rockford Rivets , while Wisconsin Rapids defeated Lakeshore in a repeat of the previous season ’ s first round . Battle Creek , then defeated defending Northwoods League Champion Wisconsin Rapids 6-1 , as Tom Stoffel ( Virginia Tech ), hit two home-runs and pitched two innings in relief to close the game . St . Cloud beat Battle Creek two games to one in an exciting Northwoods League Championship , taking the crown for the North Division for the first-time since Thunder Bay won the title in 2008 . Some remarkable feats took place on the field during 2017 , as Owen Miller ( Illinois St .) of the Lakeshore Chinooks , unbelievably hit for the cycle twice in three days , on July 3 and July 5 . Freshman Zach Zubia ( Texas ) of the Rochester Honkers , set the Northwoods League record for Home Runs in a season by clubbing 22 during the 2017 summer and capped it off by winning the Northwoods League Home-Run Derby on his way to being named Northwoods League MVP . Hometown Wisconsin Woodchuck , Stevie Mangrum ( Virginia Tech ) had two hits and two RBI and was named the Northwoods League All-Star Game MVP , as the South defeated the North Division 6-2 . The League showcased the second phase of the multi-million dollar renovation made to Athletic Park by Woodchucks ’ owner Mark Macdonald . Former MLB alumni continued to enter the coaching ranks in the Northwoods League as former Major League All-Star , Chris Sabo , came aboard to Manage the Green Bay Bullfrogs . First year affiliate , Bismarck , ND won the Northwoods League ’ s Organization of the Year as the Capitol of North Dakota welcomed Northwoods League baseball , selling out 27 of their 36 home dates . The Northwoods League introduced its own custom beer ( Five Tool Ale ) to rave reviews in its Wisconsin teams and Rockford , IL for the 2017 summer . Finally , prior to years end , the Northwoods League welcomed its 21st Affiliate for play in 2019 in the form of the St . Croix River Hounds who will play at the , newly renovated , former site of the St . Croix Downs Race Track in Hudson , WI . Incredibly , coming full circle , part of the ownership group of the new Affiliate is former University of Minnesota star , MLB player and former Northwoods League MVP ( 1998 ), Robb Quinlan .
2018 The Northwoods League celebrated its 25th-Anniversary Season with 718 games played and a new attendance record , as 1,177,903 fans passed through the turnstiles of its twenty Affiliated Teams . Second-year team , Fond du Lac , the South Division Champions , captured the Summer Collegiate World Series title with a winner take all , 4-3 victory over the Duluth Huskies . The Dock Spiders , sharing ownership with the MLB Affiliated Wisconsin Timber Rattlers , defeated the Madison Mallards , who had won the 1st-Half Championship of the South Division and had the League ’ s best overall record , before knocking off the Kalamazoo Growlers in the Division Championship . Duluth , Managed by Tyger Pederson , brother of LA Dodgers Star , Joc Pederson , and the North Division ’ s 2nd-Half Champion , knocked off the 1st-Half Champion Bismarck Larks , prior to defeating the Wilmar Stingers to take the Division Title . The League saw 19 Alumni make their debut into Major League Baseball , for a total of 207 Northwoods League Alumni to reach the “ Show ” since the League ’ s inception . Eighty-four of those players making their debut in the last four seasons , as the talent in the League continues to trend upward . For the second consecutive season , the MLB All-Star game featured the same Northwoods League Alums as the starting pitchers for the American and National Leagues ( Scherzer and Sale ). The 24th Northwoods League All-Star Game was hosted by the Kalamazoo Growlers and featured former Duluth Huskies and last year ’ s New York Mets Manager , Terry Collins , who gave a wonderful speech at a banquet the previous night , which was followed up by a comedic performance by nationally known artist , Orny Adams . The Home-Run Derby was won by hometown hero , Zach Daniels ( Tennessee ) of the Growlers , and the “ Star of Stars ” trophy went to the Lakeshore Chinook ’ s shortstop Jack Dunn ( Northwestern ), who hit his first HR of the year , in the eighth inning , to give the South Division a 2-1 victory before the 3,211 fans that packed into Homer-Stryker Stadium . Duluth Huskies ’ outfielder Augie Isaacson ( Friends University ) won the Northwoods League MVP award , leading the League in hitting (. 364 ), and stolen bases ( 39 ), for the North Division Champions . Eau Claire ’ s Justin Slaten ( New Mexico ), won the Northwoods League Pitcher of the Year honors by throwing 57 innings , giving up 41 hits , striking out 70 batters and posting a 7-1 won-loss record for a team that was 28-43 overall . Former Major League Player and long-time Minor League Manager , Donnie Scott , won the Manager of the Year award by posting the League ’ s best overall record , 49-23 , for the Madison Mallards . The Northwoods League ’ s Major League Dreams Showcase , which annually features the League ’ s top 100 players as chosen by MLB Scouts , in a double-header , featured 16 pitchers throwing 93 MPH or more , led by Kalamazoo ’ s Joe