2005 Newsroom Archive
December 31st, 2005
MORE PRESEASON HONORS FOR FORMER HONKERS!
Former Rochester Honkers Brett Jensen (2004-2005) and Derek Schermerhorn (2003) were named to the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American team, as selected by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Jensen was named to the First Team and Schermerhorn was selected to the Third Team.
Jensen, the closing pitcher for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, posted a record of 3-5 and 16 saves in 33 appearances (46.0 IP) last spring. He also had a 1.96 ERA with 46 strikeouts while surrendering only 9 walks. Nebraska had their most successful season in school history, going 57-15 and were the number 3 national seed entering the College World Series.
In two seasons with the Honkers (2004-2005), Jensen worked as both a starting and relief pitcher. In 2004, he started the only 2 games he appeared in, going 1-1 with 8 strikeouts and 6 walks. Jensen’s 2005 season was shortened by his College World Series appearance but he still managed a 1-0 record, with 9 saves, 10 strikeouts and only 1 walk in 12 appearances.
Schermerhorn started all 75 of the Wichita State Shockers games last year, splitting time between first and third base. He lead the team in several offensive categories including; batting average (.329), hits (96), doubles (21), RBI (50), stolen bases (34) and committed only 1 error in 570 chances in the field. In 2003 Schermerhorn played in 30 games for the Honkers, batting .241 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 12 RBI, 9 stolen bases and 12 runs scored.
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December 23rd, 2005
NEW LOGOS FOR HONKERS IN 2006
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has unveiled two new logo designs for the 2006 season and beyond. The concept was a culmination of months of cooperation between the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club and Corporate Web Services (CWS) of Rochester, MN.
“We felt the timing was right to update our existing logo, while still maintaining its strong tradition,” said Rochester Honkers General Manager/Co-Owner Dan Litzinger. “The original logo is not gone but will always be an original cornerstone of the organization.”
Founder of the Rochester Honkers and current Northwoods League President Dick Radatz, Jr. adds, "The logo is more streamlined for needs in the new millennium, I hope it serves the Honkers as well and as long as the original"
The designer of the new logos is Lyle Mullican, Graphics Designer and Web Developer for CWS. Mullican, the winner of the 2005 Rochesterfest button design contest, has developed numerous prominent area web sites and also creates fine art with work shown at the Gilded Star Art Gallery in Rochester, MN.
“CWS was thrilled to work with the Rochester Honkers to create a new identity system,” said Mullican. “Rochester Honkers baseball is a huge part of our city’s culture, and we want to respect the existing brand while developing a new direction. We feel that the new logos capture the bold and fun spirit of a winning team.”
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December 21st, 2005
BRETT JENSEN UPDATE!
Former Rochester Honker Brett Jensen was recently honored as a preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Jensen, a senior relief pitcher for the University of Nebraska, was a third-team honoree.
Last season for Nebraska, Jensen worked as the primary closer posting a record of 3-5 and 16 saves in 33 appearances (46.0 IP). He also recorded a 1.96 ERA with 46 strikeouts and surrendered only 9 walks. Jensen helped lead Nebraska their most successful season in school history as the Huskers went 57-15 and were the number 3 national seed entering the College World Series.
In two seasons with the Honkers (2004-2005), Jensen worked as both a starting and relief pitcher. In 2004, he started the only 2 games he appeared in, going 1-1 with 8 strikeouts and 6 walks. During the 2005 season, Jensen shared the closers role with Brad Clipp, the Honkers Pitcher of the Year. In a season shortened by his College World Series appearance, Jensen still managed a 1-0 record, with 9 saves, 10 strikeouts and only 1 walk in 12 appearances.
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December 19th, 2005
VALENTINO PASCUCCI TO PLAY IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC!
Former Rochester Honker Valentino Pascucci was recently named to Italy’s roster for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be played this coming March. The 16 team tournament is the first of its kind, featuring the best professional players from around the world representing their respective home countries.
Pascucci was the first former Honker to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) when he suited up for the Montreal Expos in 2004. Last seasons he played in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines, winners of the Japan Series Championship. In 33 games, he hit .284 with 21 runs, 8 home runs and 20 RBI.
Teams for the WBC are comprised of players who meet criteria similar to those used in the Olympics. Countries can have rosters of up to 60 players by January 17, 2006 with the final 30 man roster to be set 24 hours before the tournament’s first game. As a part of Italy’s team for the WBC, Pascucci will compete along side current MLB players Frank Catalanotto of the Toronto Blue Jays, Doug Mirabelli of the San Diego Padres and Mike Piazza, formerly of the New York Mets.
The tournament, which will be played from March 3rd through March 20th, is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and will feature 16 countries divided into 4 pools. Italy begins on March 7th at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL and will play the opening round in Pool D along with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Australia. The top two teams from each pool move onto the second round either in Anaheim, CA or San Juan, PR.
More information on the WBC, including rosters, schedules and rules, can be found at www.worldbaseballclassic.com.
As a member of the Honkers in 1998, Pascucci (Oklahoma) had one of the most productive seasons in franchise history. Working both as an outfielder and pitcher, he played in all 62 games that season. He hit .289 with 11 doubles, 11 HR and 49 RBI and compiled a 2-3 record on the mound with a 3.06 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 18 walks. In addition to being named to both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams, Pascucci earned the “Star of Stars” award as the All-Star Game MVP. In the game, he hit the eventual winning home run and then returned as the pitcher, earning the save for the South Division. On July 16th, he threw the first no-hitter in Honkers history, a 9-0 victory over the Austin Southern Minny Stars. At the conclusion of a season that saw Pascucci in the Honkers single season top ten in home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits and total base, he was named “Honker of the Year”.
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December 14th, 2005
ANDRE ETHIER TRADED TO LOS ANGELES DODGERS!
(Rochester, MN)—Former Rochester Honker Andre Ethier was part of a 3 player trade between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ethier, an outfielder, heads to the Dodgers organization in exchange for outfielder Milton Bradley and infielder Antonio Perez.
Last season Ethier, playing for the Midland RockHounds, was named the Player of the Year in the Double-A Texas League. While in Midland, he hit .319 with 104 runs scored, 30 doubles, 18 home runs and 80 RBI. In a late season promotion to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats (Pacific Coast League) Ethier hit .267 with a double and 2 RBI in 4 games. Upon the completion of the 2005 season, he competed in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) where he was named to the All-Star team by way of hitting .366 with 19 runs, 7 doubles, 21 RBI and a league leading .495 on-base percentage in 23 games. He was also honored with the AFL’s Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award. Ethier is expected to start the 2006 season with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League.
Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti is expecting Ethier to be a great asset to the organization’s future plans. “He has a chance to be a very good everyday player," Colletti said. "He has great makeup and great plate discipline. He's in the mix, [ability-wise], with [top Dodgers prospects] Andy LaRoche, Russell Martin, Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp and Joel Guzman. His upside should be very good."
In 2002, Ethier (Arizona State) hit .264 with 7 doubles, 4 home runs, 34 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 31 runs scored. He also played in the NWL All-Star game and was awarded a NWL/Rawlings Silver Glove for his play in the outfield, becoming the first Honker to receive the honor. When the Athletics selected Ethier in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, it is the highest a former Honkers has ever been selected.
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December 9th, 2005
FORMER HONKERS RECOGNIZED BY MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Former Rochester Honkers Dusty Bensko, Toby Gardenhire and Nic Ungs were recently honored as a part of Minor League Baseball’s (MiLB) first annual “2005 MiLB.com Awards”. The awards can be viewed in their entirety at www.milb.com.
Bensko and Gardenhire were both members of MiLB.com’s Short Season Team of the Year, the Elizabethton Twins. Elizabethton, the Rookie level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, won the Appalachian League Championship this past summer. The Twins won the league’s West Division by 17.5 games and posted a .716 winning percentage (48-19), tops in minor league baseball. They clinched the Appalachian League crown by defeating the Danville Braves 2 games to 1 in a best of three championship series. Bensko, a rookie free agent in 2005, hit .270 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI in 38 games while Gardenhire hit .200 with 3 doubles and 5 RBI in 30 games. This was the second title in 2005 for both as they were teammates on the University of Illinois’ Big Ten Championship squad.
Ungs, now a member of the Carolina Mudcats (Florida Marlins) in the Southern League, received individual honors as he won the award for the Best Single Game Performance at the Double-A level. On July 29th he threw the first complete game no-hitter in Mudcats’ history, defeating the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 2-0. On his historical day, Ungs struck out 7 batters and waked 5. For the season, he went 7-5 with a 3.68 ERA, striking out 79 and walking 34. Upon the conclusion of the Mudcats’ season, Ungs played for the Grand Canyon Rafters in the Arizona Fall League and also pitched for Team USA in the Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Phoenix.
Bensko, Gardenhire and Ungs were all vital to the Honkers during their respective seasons in Rochester. Bensko was a late season addition in 2002, contributing to the Honkers playoff run that summer. Gardenhire spent 3 seasons with the Honkers (2002-2004), playing more games than anyone in franchise history and setting every team fielding record at shortstop. He was also named the Honkers Inspirational Player in 2004. Ungs was a member of the Honkers 1999 Northwoods League Championship team and was named to the Northwoods League post-season during a season in which he threw back-to-back complete game one-hitters. In 2004, he was named to the Northwoods Leagues’ All-Decade team for his play in Rochester and Waterloo (2000).
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December 8th, 2005
HONKER ALUM DRAPER COMPLETES FIRST SEASON IN DOUBLE - A
John Draper, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 1999 and 2000, finished his fifth season of professional baseball, his first in Double-A, in 2005. Draper, a prospect of the Kansas City Royals, played the majority of the season with the Wichita Wranglers (Double-A) of the Texas League.
Draper, splitting time at catcher and outfield, played in 62 games for the Wranglers, hitting .247 with 10 doubles, 1 home run, 14 RBI and 30 runs. His best game of the season came on May 6 against the Midland RockHounds. Draper went 3-4 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and a run scored in the 10-5 loss.
Drafted by the Royals in the 4th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft, Draper has played in 410 games in his 5 professional seasons. In that time he has hit .245 with 53 doubles, 8 triples, 12 home runs, 123 RBI and 171 runs scored. In addition to Wichita, he has also played with the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League (Single-A), the Burlington (IA) Bees of the Midwest League (Single-A), the Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks in the Carolina League (Single-A) and High Desert Mavericks of the California League (Single-A).
In his two seasons in Rochester, Draper (Cal State-Los Angeles) compiled a .296 career batting average with 29 doubles, 6 triples (most in franchise history) 4 home runs and 73 RBI. In 1999, he was named to the Northwoods League Post-Season All-Star team based on a year that saw him hit .325 with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs and 40 RBI. On July 27th, 1999 Draper and teammate Dan Lawler (Creighton) both went 5-6 in a 19-3 victory over the Austin Southern Minny Stars, marking the only time in Honkers history that 2 players recorded 5 hits in the same game.
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December 3rd, 2005
Former Honker Named to Wallace Watch List!
Derek Schermerhorn, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2003 and the starting third baseman for the Wichita State Shockers, was recently named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List for the upcoming 2006 season.
Each year the Brooks Wallace Award is given to the national college baseball player of the year. The winner is selected by a committee of coaches, sports information directors, college baseball writers and former Wallace Award recipients. The initial list of 120 will expand and contract throughout the season; 12 semi-finalists will be selected in late May and the final 3 named after the NCAA Super Regionals. The winner will be announced as part of a ceremony that will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net.
As a sophomore in 2005, Schermerhorn was named First Team All-Missouri Valley as a utility player and Honorable Mention at third base. He was also named to the All-Midwest Region Second Team at third base. On the season, Schermerhorn started in all 75 of the Shockers games, the only player on the team to do so, splitting time between first and third base. He led the Shockers in several offensive categories including; batting average (.329), hits (96), doubles (21), RBI (50) and stolen bases (34). In field he committed only one error in 570 chances.
In 2003 Schermerhorn played in 30 games for the Honkers, batting .241 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 12 RBI, 9 stolen bases and 12 runs scored. He was a valuable utility fielder as well, playing at first, second and third base during the season.
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December 1st, 2005
Former Honk Russ Hammers the Competition!
James Russ, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2001, finished his third season of professional baseball in 2005. Russ, now a prospect in the Florida Marlins organization, played the majority of the season with the Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League (FSL).
Russ was the anchor of the Hammerheads pitching staff this summer, going 11-8 with a 3.51 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). His 143 strikeouts and 161.2 innings pitched were second among all pitchers in the FSL and his win total was good for third. Russ started the season at 6-0 which contributed to him playing in the FSL’s mid-season All-Star Game. Upon the conclusion of Jupiter’s season, Russ was promoted to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats (Southern League) where he started one game. On August 28th he earned the win against the Mobile (AL) BayBears, going 5.0 innings and allowing 4 hits while striking out 5 in 4-0 Mudcats victory.
Joining the Marlins organization as an un-drafted free agent in 2003, Russ has gone 20-15 with a 2.96 ERA, 279 strikeouts and 103 walks in 3 seasons. In addition to the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Carolina Mudcats, he has also played with the Gulf Coast League Marlins (Rookie) and the Greensboro (NC) Grasshoppers of the South Atlantic League (Single-A).
In 2001 Russ (Belmont Abbey) played in 21 games for the Honkers, starting 7. In 62.2 inning of work he posted a 6-5 record with 5 saves, a 2.73 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 29 walks. Russ earned both team and league honors for his play, being named the 2001 “Honker of the Year” as the team MVP and was a member of both the Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star Teams in the Northwoods League.
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November 22, 2005
2006 Schedule Released!
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club, a member of the Northwoods League (NWL) announced its complete game schedule for the upcoming 2006 season. The Honkers season begins at home against the La Crosse Loggers on Thursday, June 1st at Mayo Field with the first pitch to be thrown at 7:05 PM.
The Honkers will play four games against each North Division team and eight games against every South Division team with the exception of the Waterloo Bucks. The Honkers and Bucks have once again been designated “geographical rivals” and will play 12 times throughout the 2006 season.
The longest homestand of the season is five games long starting on July 21st against the Eau Claire Express and finishes on July 25th with the Madison Mallards. The Honkers are also at home eight of ten days from July 1st to July 10th with the two road games being July 4th (at La Crosse) and July 8th (at Waterloo). The longest time away from Mayo Field begins on June 22nd against the Brainerd Blue Thunder and wraps up in St. Cloud on June 30th.
Every NWL team plays a 68 game schedule in 74 days; 34 games at home and 34 games on the road. The season is split into two 34 game halves played between June 1st and August 13th with the first half concluding on July 6th and the second half beginning the next night. The 12th Annual NWL All-Star Game will be hosted by the La Crosse Loggers on Wednesday, July 12th and will take place at Copeland Field in La Crosse, WI.
The NWL Playoffs will take place from August 14th to August 19th. The winner of each division’s two halves will meet in a best-of-three divisional playoff series with the winners advancing to the NWL Championship Series beginning on August 17th. The participants of the Championship Series will play a best-of-three format as well. Last season the Honkers won the South Division and were a part of the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
The NWL divisional alignment remains unchanged from the 2005 season.
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November 17, 2005
Ungs and Ethier Arizona Fall League Updates!
Former members of the Rochester Honkers Nic Ungs (1999) and Andre Ethier (2002) recently finished standout seasons in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). Ungs, a prospect of the Florida Marlins, played with the Grand Canyon Rafters while Ethier, a member of the Oakland Athletics organization, suited up for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
Ungs appeared in 6 games for the Rafters, starting all 6, during the AFL’s 32 game season. In 25 innings of work, he posted a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA while striking out 13 and walking only 6. Upon the completion of the AFL season, Ungs joined Team USA in the CONCEBE Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament, also taking place in Arizona. In Team USA’s first game, a 23-0 victory over Guatemala on November 15th, he struck out 2 batters in 2 perfect innings pitched.
Ethier was one of the most productive offensive players on the Arizona circuit. He was named to the AFL All-Star team based on a season that saw him hit .366 (7th in the AFL) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs and 21 RBI. Ethier recorded a .495 on-base percentage and drew 22 walks, both of which lead the league. He wrapped up the season with his second championship in 2005, as Phoenix defeated the Surprise Scorpions 9-3 in the AFL Championship game. Ethier was a member of the Midland RockHounds team that won the Texas League (Double A) Championship. He was named the Texas League’s Player of the Year as well.
Ethier was recognized by the AFL for his effort and dedication to the game of baseball, as he was honored with the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award. The award, named after the former Cincinnati Reds prospect that was killed in an off-field incident while playing in the AFL in 2003, is given to the player who “demonstrates the qualities Stenson brings to the ballpark every day -- having a quiet but hard-nosed attitude, doing the job without complaint and playing the game the way it was meant to be played”.
Both Ungs (Northern Iowa) and Ethier (Arizona State) were standouts for the Honkers as well. In 1999, Ungs appeared in 13 games (starting 12) and compiled a record of 8-3 with an ERA of 3.12 while striking out 68 and walking only 22. He also threw 2 complete game 1 hitters and was named to the Northwoods League (NWL) Post-Season All-Star team. Ungs was named to the NWL’s All-Decade team for his career performance with both the Rochester Honkers and the Waterloo Bucks (2000).
In 2002, Ethier hit .264 with 7 doubles, 4 home runs, 34 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 31 runs scored. He also played in the NWL All-Star game and was awarded a NWL/Rawlings Silver Glove for his play in the outfield, becoming the first Honker to receive the honor. When the Athletics selected Ethier in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft, it is the highest a former Honkers has ever been selected
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November 10, 2005
Felix Peguero Update!
Felix Peguero, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2004, finished his first season of professional baseball this past summer. Peguero is now a prospect in the Kansas City Royals organization, playing with the Rookie level Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer League.
After being drafted by the Royals in the 28th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, Peguero had a solid first year with the Chukars. In 64 games, he hit .267 with 18 doubles, 6 home runs and 46 RBI. Peguero made an instant impact when he arrived in Idaho Falls, going 4-10 with 2 home runs, 7 RBI and scoring 3 runs in his first two professional games. His best game of the season came on August 22nd against the Missoula Osprey when he went 3-5, scored 3 runs and had 4 RBI on 2 doubles and a home run.
In 2004 Peguero (Oklahoma State) played in 23 games, contributing to the Honkers squad that finished with the second best overall record in the Northwoods League. He recorded 11 hits, 11 runs, 2 home runs and 8 RBI during his time in Rochester. Peguero is the only player ever from Oklahoma State to suit up for the Honkers.
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November 7, 2005
NWL Announces Future All-Star Game Sites!
The Northwoods League announced last week that Mankato, MN and Madison, WI will host the 2007 and 2008 All-Star Games, respectively.
At the recent NWL Board of Directors meeting in San Francisco, CA, the Mankato and Madison affiliates were unanimously chosen to play host to the League’s All-Star festivities through 2008.
"These are two of the best run operations in the Northwoods League and are very deserving of this honor. I will look forward to outstanding events in both cities," said Northwoods League President Dick Radatz, Jr.
Mankato, a member of the League since 1999, will be hosting their first All-Star Game in 2007. The Mankato club, who became the MoonDogs in 2002, set a new franchise attendance record in 2005 at Franklin Rogers Park.
For the Madison Mallards, the 2008 game will mark the second All-Star game to be played at Warner Park. The Mallards previously played host to the mid-season game in July 2003, when 4,310 fans witnessed an exciting 8-7, 10-inning win for the North All-Stars. This past season, the Mallards drew a record 201,221 fans to the Duck Pond, shattering all Summer Collegiate Baseball attendance records.
The 2006 All-Star game will be played in La Crosse, WI, home of the NWL's La Crosse Loggers.
The Northwoods League is comprised of teams of the top college players from across North America. With twelve teams currently playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ontario, Canada, the Northwoods League provides the finest environment for the development of collegiate players.
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November 4, 2005
Chris Nowak Update!
Chris Nowak, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2001, 2003 and 2004 finished his second season of professional baseball this past summer. He spent the entire 2005 season with the Southwest Michigan (Battle Creek, MI) Devil Rays, the Single-A Midwest League (MWL) affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Nowak was a key offensive component for Southwest Michigan this past season, scoring 55 runs to go along with 28 doubles, 7 home runs and 65 RBI. He also hit .304 on the year, placing him 8th among all hitters in the MWL. Nowak helped lead Southwest Michigan to a playoff appearance in 2005, a first round sweep by the eventual league champion South Bend (IN) Silver Hawks. In 2 playoff games, Nowak went 2-8 with a double, home run and 2 RBI.
Drafted by Tampa Bay in the 19th round of the 2004 draft, Nowak has hit .295 with 81 runs, 46 doubles, 8 home runs and 97 RBI in his first 2 professional seasons. Upon signing with the Devil Rays in June of 2004, he reported to the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York-Penn League (Single-A) where he played in 62 games.
In his time as a Honker, Nowak (South Carolina Upstate) saw limited action in 2001 and 2004 but made up for it with his performance in 2003. That season saw him hit .292 with 11 doubles and lead the team with 8 home runs and 45 RBI. He was named to both the 2003 mid-season and post-season All-Star teams. As a part of the All-Star game festivities, Nowak won the Northwoods League Home Run contest, becoming the only Honker to accomplish that feat. On July 30th, 2003 he became 11th Honker in franchise history to hit a grand slam, doing so in a 10-7 victory over the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Rochester.
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November 3, 2005
Caligiuri Completes First Season in Double A!
Jay Caligiuri, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2000, completed his first season of Double-A baseball this past summer. Caligiuri, now with the New York Mets organization, played the entire 2005 season with the Binghamton (NY) Mets of the Eastern League.
Splitting time between first and third base, Caligiuri played in 109 games in 2005. He was among the offensive leaders in Binghamton this year, placing second on the team with 3 triples, 15 home runs and 50 RBI; his 20 doubles were third. Caligiuri registered his best game of the year on April 26th in a 13-10 extra inning victory over the Portland Sea Dogs. He went 2-5 with a 3 run homer and a RBI single to lead the Mets.
Drafted by the Mets in the 13th round of the 2001 draft, Caligiuri has hit .254 with 45 home runs and 196 RBI in four seasons; he missed all of 2003 due to injury. His only other appearance above Single-A occurred in 2004 when he played in 4 games with the Norfolk (Va.) Tides, the Mets Triple-A affiliate in the International League. He did not record a hit in 9 at-bats.
In 2000 Caligiuri (Cal State-Los Angeles) had a standout offensive season for the Honkers. He hit .347 with 11 doubles, 6 home runs, 27 RBI in 44 games. He left his mark on the Honkers record books posting the best career on-base percentage (.455) and was among the single season top ten in average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage (.563).
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October 28, 2005
Valentino Pascucci in Japan!
Valentino Pascucci (パスクチ バレンティーノ), the first Honker to play in Major League Baseball, recently finished his first season playing professional baseball in Japan. Pascucci’s contract with the Washington Nationals was sold to the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific Baseball League last December.
Competing for time in a talented Marines outfield, Pascucci split time between the major club and their farm team of the same name. When he did play in the majors, he was productive, hitting .284 with 21 runs, 3 doubles, 8 home runs and 20 RBI in 33 games. Pascucci’s biggest game occurred on March 27th when he hit 2 home runs and a double while driving in 7 runs in a 26-0 victory over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Pascucci’s manager was a familiar face to Major League Baseball fans, as the Marines were led by former Texas Rangers and New York Mets skipper, Bobby Valentine. In his second stint in Japanese baseball, Valentine recently guided the Marines to the Japan Series Championship. Pascucci was not on the playoff roster.
As a member of the Honkers in 1998, Pascucci (Oklahoma) had one of the most impressive seasons in franchise history. Working both as an outfielder and pitcher, he played in all 62 games that season. He hit .289 with 11 doubles, 11 HR and 49 RBI and compiled a 2-3 record on the mound with a 3.06 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 18 walks. In addition to being named to both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams, Pascucci earned the “Star of Stars” award as the All-Star Game MVP. In the game, he hit the eventual winning home run and then returned as the pitcher, earning the save for the South Division. On July 16th, he threw the first no-hitter in Honkers history, a 9-0 victory over the Austin Southern Minny Stars. At the conclusion of a season that saw Pascucci in the Honkers single season top ten in home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits and total base, he was named “Honker of the Year”.
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October 27, 2005
Jeff Corsaletti Cruises Through Pro Ball!!
Jeff Corsaletti, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2002 and 2004, recently finished an amazing first season of professional baseball. The former Florida Gator is now a prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization, playing this past season with the Single-A Greenville Bombers in the South Atlantic League.
Corsaletti started his pro career by hitting safely in the first 15 games and reaching base in the first 23 he played in. Throughout the rest of the season, he recorded hits in 52 of his 59 games, had 5 hitting streaks of 5 games or more and only failed to reach base in 4 games. For the season, Corsaletti hit .357 with 89 total hits, 17 doubles, 4 home runs, 26 RBI and stole 9 bases in 13 attempts. He was selected by the 2004 World Champion Red Sox in the 6th round (198 overall) of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft this past June.
In two seasons with the Honkers, Corsaletti hit a combined .285 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs and 48 RBI. He made his mark on the Honkers record book, registering in the single season top ten in triples (3 in 2002), walks (37 in 2004) and on-base percentage (.448 in 2004). Corsaletti was named to the Northwoods League South Division All-Star team in 2002.
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October 21, 2005
Sergio Pedroza Update
Former Rochester Honker Sergio Pedroza recently completed his first season in professional baseball. Pedroza (Honkers 2003-2004) is a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and split his first year between the Rookie-level Ogden Raptors (Pioneer League) and the Single-A Columbus Catfish.
Drafted in the 3rd round (106 overall) of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft this past June, Pedroza got off to a hot start for the Raptors. In 12 games with Ogden, Pedroza hit .500 with 23 hits, 4 home runs and 18 RBI and only striking out 8 times. In his first 10 at bats, he collected 9 hits, 2 of which were home runs, and 7 RBI.
Pedroza’s fast start led to a quick promotion to Single-A Columbus, where he continued to impress with his power. In 49 games with the Catfish, he hit .207 with 11 doubles, 1 triple, 12 home runs and 30 RBI.
In his career as a Honker, Pedroza (Cal State Fullerton) played in 47 games between 2003 and 2004. In that time, he hit a combined .299 with 11 doubles, 8 home runs and 29 RBI. On July 10th, 2004 he became the second player in Honkers history (Doug Barner-1995) to hit 3 home runs in a single game, doing so in a 9-3 win against LaCrosse. When he was selected with the 106th pick by the Dodgers, he was the second highest selection for any former Honker. Andre Ethier was selected in the 2nd round (62 overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2003.
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October 19, 2005
ROCHESTER HONKERS IN FALL BALL!
Three members of the Rochester Honkers 2005 team recently wrapped up fall practice by playing in their respective schools annual fall games. Dan Lyons (Minnesota), Brett Jensen (Nebraska) and Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) all played key roles in their team’s victories in intra-squad games.
Radmacher and Jensen both played for the Red team in Nebraska’s yearly best of three Red/White series. Jensen made appearances in Game 1 and Game 3, earning saves in each. Radmacher, who was 5-0 for the Honkers before a shoulder injury ended his season, was the starter for the Red team in the decisive game 3. It was his first live action since July 16th. The Red team won the series 2 games to 1.
Lyons a first year Gopher after transferring from Iowa Central Community College, picked up where left off in Rochester. Playing with the Gray team in the Gray/White game, he went 1-3 with a walk and 2 RBI in a 9-2 victory. Lyons was one of only two players with multiple runs batted in on the day.
Radmacher and Lyons were both mid-season All-Stars in 2005. Radmacher finished 5-0 with a 2.79 ERA, 34 strikeouts and only 9 walks in 48.1 innings pitched before injury cut his time in Rochester short. Lyons had one of the most productive seasons in Honkers history, batting .285 with a team leading 71 hits, 17 doubles, 6 home runs, 37 RBI and 42 walks in 67 games. He was also named to the post-season All-Star team and was honored with a Northwoods League/Rawlings Silver Glove for his play at second base. Jensen went 1-0 with 9 saves in 12 games, posting 10 strike outs and only one walk. He joined the team in early July after appearing in the College World Series with Nebraska.
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October 14, 2005
TWO HONKERS FLY HIGH IN FIRST YEAR OF PRO BALL!!
Former Rochester Honkers Curtis Ledbetter and Nate Yoho recently completed successful first seasons in professional baseball. Ledbetter (Honkers 2003) played for the Mariners of the Arizona League (AZL), an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Nate Yoho (Honkers 2003-2004), a member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization, spent the majority of his season in the AZL, playing for the Brewers rookie league club.
Drafted in the 18th round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft this past June, Ledbetter played in 34 games for the AZL Mariners. He hit .311 with 9 doubles, 4 HR and 21 RBI. At the conclusion of the AZL season, Ledbetter was promoted to Single-A Inland Empire (San Bernardino, CA) of the California League were he had 1 hit in 16 at-bats.
Yoho signed as a free agent and went onto play in 40 games for the AZL Brewers. He batted .298 with 5 doubles, 5 triples, 2 home runs, 29 RBI and stole 6 bases. Yoho was also promoted at the end of the AZL season, playing in 4 games with the Single-A West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League. He had 3 hits in 15 at-bats, one of which was a double.
Ledbetter (Nebraska) played in 19 games with the Honkers in 2003 in which he hit .382 with 6 doubles, 1 home run and 9 RBI. Yoho was a member of the Honkers 2003 and 2004 squads, playing in the Northwoods League All-Star game in ’03. For his Honkers career, he hit .260 with 17 doubles, 8 home runs, 49 RBI and is number 4 in franchise history with 35 stolen bases.
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October 12, 2005
ANOTHER HONKER GOES TO THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE!
Nic Ungs, a member of the 1999 Rochester Honkers Northwoods League (NWL) Championship team and current Florida Marlins prospect, was recently selected to play in the Arizona Fall League. Ungs is playing for the Grand Canyon Rafters alongside prospects from the Marlins, Twins, Mets, Yankees and Rangers.
Ungs spent the entire 2005 season pitching for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats (Southern League). He had a solid year, starting 22 games going 7-5 with a 3.68 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 34 walks. The highlight of his season occurred on July 29th when he threw a complete game no-hitter against the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. In the game, Ungs struck out 7 and walked five in the first complete game no-hitter in Carolina Mudcats history.
Ungs had a stellar campaign for the Honkers in 1999 as he led the eventual NWL champs with 8 wins (8-3) and had 68 strikeouts, 22 walks and held opposing hitters to a meager .199 batting average in 69.1 innings. He was named to the post-season All-Star team in a year that saw him pitch two complete game, one-hitters in consecutive starts. In 2004, Ungs was named to the NWL All-Decade team for his play in both Rochester and Waterloo, where he played the 2000 season.
The AFL was developed to give top prospects an opportunity to progress under the supervision of Major League Baseball (MLB) personnel. Each MLB team sends six of its top prospects to be divided among the six teams in the AFL. Players play a 32 game schedule from October 4th to November 10th (plus playoffs). Ungs is the second former Honker that has been assigned to the league; Andre Ethier is currently a starting outfielder for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
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October 7, 2005
Three Honkers Earn Rings!!
Former Rochester Honkers Dusty Bensko (2002), Jimmy Conroy (2002-2003) and Toby Gardenhire (2002-2004) each earned a championship ring with their respective minor league teams this past summer. Bensko and Gardenhire played with Minnesota Twins’ rookie-level Elizabethton (Appalachian League) Twins and Conroy played for the Staten Island (New York-Penn League) Yankees, a rookie affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Elizabethton won the Appalachian League title by defeating the Danville Braves 2-1 in a best of three series. In 38 games with the team, Bensko hit .270 with 21 runs, 7 doubles, 6 home runs and had 18 RBI playing first base and acting as the team’s designated hitter. In 30 games, Gardenhire hit .200 with 10 runs, 3 doubles and 5 RBI while committing only 4 errors splitting time between second base, shortstop and third base.
Jimmy Conroy was a key component in the Yankees run to the New York-Penn League crown. He started 2 games in the playoffs, going 1-0 in 10.1 innings pitched with a .87 ERA, 14 strikeouts (playoff leader) and only 2 walks. Staten Island went undefeated (4-0) in the playoffs, sweeping the Williamsport Crosscutters in the opening round and the Auburn Doubledays in the championship series. Conroy started the title-clinching game two, going 5.0 innings, striking out 7, walking 2 and allowing 1 earned run, however he did not earn the decision in Staten Islands 3-2 victory. On the season, Conroy appeared in 18 games (starting 9) and went 5-1 and 1 save with a 2.04 ERA, 67 strikeouts, 20 walks and a .210 batting average against.
This was the second title in 2005 for Bensko, Conroy and Gardenhire as they were teammates on the University of Illinois’ Big Ten Championship squad. All three played together in Rochester as well, as they were a part of the 2002 Honkers team that won the South Division title in the first half of that season.
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October 5, 2005
ANDRE ETHIER OFF TO THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE!!
Andre Ethier, a member of the 2002 Rochester Honkers, has been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). Ethier, a part of the Oakland Athletics organization, will play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs along side the top prospects from the Oakland, Arizona, Atlanta, Los Angeles (Dodgers) and Tampa Bay Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliates.
Playing the majority of the 2005 season with the AA Midland Rockhounds of the Texas League, Baseball America recently named Ethier the league’s number 6 MLB prospect. “If he stays with the line-drive approach, he will be a great big leaguer” said Von Hayes, former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star and current Midland manager.
In his 2005 breakout season, Ethier was named the Texas League’s Player of the Year after hitting .319 with 104 runs, 30 doubles, 18 home runs and 80 runs batted in 131 games. He finished the season in AAA Sacramento, contributing to the Rivercats run in the Pacific Coast League playoffs, hitting .316 with 2 RBI in 5 games. The AFL was developed to give top prospects an opportunity to progress under the supervision of MLB personnel. Each MLB team sends six of its top prospects to be divided among the six teams in the AFL. Players play a 32 game schedule from October 4th to November 10th (plus playoffs). In his first game with the Desert Dogs, Ethier started in left field and went 0-4 with 2 runs scored.
In 2002, the Arizona State University standout hit .264 and led the Honkers with 57 hits, 4 home runs, 34 RBI and played in the Northwoods League (NWL) All-Star Game. For his defensive play, the right fielder was also honored with a Rawlings/NWL Silver Glove, the first Honker to win the award. Ethier was selected by Oakland in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, the highest any former Rochester Honker has been chosen.
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September 22, 2005
GREG LABBE TO PILOT THE HONKERS AGAIN IN 2006!!
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Greg Labbe, from the University of North Florida, will return for his second year as the Honkers’ Field Manager for the 2006 Northwoods League (NWL) season.
In the 2005 season, Labbe led the Rochester Honkers to a NWL best 44-24 record and their first playoff appearance since 2002. The Honkers’ 44 wins broke the franchise record of 41 regular season wins set in 1997 when they went 41-21. This was also the most wins ever by a first-year NWL field manager with no prior league experience.
“I am looking forward to coming back to Rochester this summer. I enjoy working with the players, being around the ballpark, and competing each day against some of the best competition in the country,” said Labbe, 27. “Coaching in this league is a tremendous opportunity for a young guy like myself. Because I am an assistant coach at University of North Florida, I don't get the feel of the day-to-day decisions that a head coach gets to make. In the NWL I can be involved with much more than just what takes place on the field, which will make me better prepared for a head coaching position one day.”
Rochester Honkers Co-Owner and General Manager Dan Litzinger and Co-Owner Kim Archer are very excited about Labbe’s return. “I am thrilled to have Greg return to the Honkers for the 2006 season,” said Archer. “I was very impressed with his professionalism and commitment to our team and community and look forward to working with him again.” Litzinger added, “We are fortunate to have him back with us and look forward to making a run at the 2006 NWL Championship and bringing it back to the United States.”
Labbe received a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership last spring at the University of North Florida and is currently teaching high school geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus and calculus at Eagle’s View Academy in Jacksonville, Fla. He is also entering his fourth year as an assistant coach for the North Florida Ospreys baseball team.
Last year Labbe helped guide North Florida to a 48-16 record and a runner-up finish at the Division II National Baseball Championship in Montgomery, Ala. This year the Ospreys will begin their first year as a Division I baseball team in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Labbe will look to bring a fourth NWL Championship to Rochester. “My No. 1 goal this year, as it was last year, is to bring a championship back to Rochester,” said Labbe. “It is my opinion that any goal less than this would be asking for failure.”
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September 14, 2005
DAN LYONS AWARDED SILVER GLOVE AWARD!!
The Northwoods League (NWL) announced today that Rochester Honkers second baseman Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) has been named a NWL/Rawlings Silver Glove Award winner for his play in the field throughout the 2005 season.
The Silver Glover is awarded annually to the NWL’s top fielder at each position. The winners are selected based upon the final fielding statistics compiled by Sports Ticker (Bristol, CT.), the NWL’s official statistician.
"I am very excited and honored to be named among the top defensive players in a great league like the Northwoods League,” said Dan Lyons. “I pride myself on my defense and work very hard at it. I think it really identifies my style of play on the field."
Lyons, who will play shortstop for the University of Minnesota this upcoming collegiate season, joins Andre Ethier (2002) and Matt Eckardt (2004) as the only Silver Glove Award winners in Rochester Honkers franchise history. On the year, Lyons led all NWL second baseman by handling 381 fielding chances (147 putouts and 224 assists) with only 10 errors, resulting in a .974 fielding percentage in 67 games played.
“He was one of the best all around players in league”, said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “What surprised me about Dan was how easy he was able to make the transition from shortstop at Iowa Central C.C. to second base this summer. When you combine his abilities at the plate with what he could do in the field, he was one of the top three players in the league. Dan got better everyday because of his athleticism and desire to learn the game.”
Lyons had one of the best seasons ever by a Honker, playing in a team record 67 games while hitting .285 and leading the team with 71 hits, 42 walks, 6 home runs, 37 RBI and 52 runs. He was named Rochester’s “Honker of the Year” as team MVP and ranks among the Honkers single season top ten in several categories including; games (67), at bats (249), hits (71), doubles (17), walks (42), hit by pitch (14) and runs (52). Lyons also stole 14 bases which, combined with the 32 bases he stole as a Honker in 2004, established a new career stolen base record of 46. Coaches and media across the Northwoods League voted him as a member of both the mid-season and post-season NWL All-Star Teams. Lyons was joined by Thunder Bay third baseman, Matt Mangini, as the only Silver Glover Award winners who were also named to the NWL post-season all-star team.
The complete list of Silver Glove Award winners is as follows:
Pitcher- Brian Schroeder (Duluth Huskies)
Catcher- Travis Howell (Mankato Moondogs)
First Base- David Schultz (La Crosse Loggers)
Second Base- Dan Lyons (Rochester Honkers)
Shortstop- Jonathan Diaz (Thunder Bay Border Cats)
Third Base- Matt Mangini (Thunder Bay Border Cats)
Outfielder- Nate Price (Thunder Bay Border Cats)
Outfielder- J.T. Jones (Thunder Bay Border Cats
Outfielder- And Podmolik (La Crosse Loggers
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September 8, 2005
FORMER HONKER TALLEY HAINES TAKES ON THE WORLD!!
Talley Haines, a member of the Rochester Honkers 1997 Northwoods League (NWL) Championship team, was recently named to Team USA, which is currently competing in the baseball World Cup competition in the Netherlands. The tournament began on September 2nd and runs through September 17th, 2005. Team USA is made up of professional, non 40-man roster players of the 30 Major League Baseball organizations.
In two outings with Team USA, Haines has a 1-0 record, picking up a victory against Australia (9/5/05) in the second game of the tournament, and has not allowed a run in 3.1 innings pitched. As of today, Team USA is 4-0 in World Cup play
Haines, now a member of the Chicago Cubs organization, split time during the 2005 season between the Double A and Triple A teams in the Cubs farm system. At the Double A level, he played with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Southern League), appearing in 23 games, posting a 4-2 record with 13 saves, a 1.78 ERA, 20 strikeouts and only 2 walks. In his time with the Triple A Iowa Cubs (Pacific Coast League), Haines played in 21 games and had a record of 2-1 with a 2.36 ERA, struck out 29 and walked 5.
As member of the 1997 Rochester Honkers, Haines was a key member of the Honkers second NWL Championship squad which had also achieved a then franchise record 41 wins on the season. Working as both a starter and out of the bullpen, Haines recorded a record of 5-2 with a 3.09 ERA, 37 strikeouts 19 walks and 2 saves in 15 games. The former Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, TN) and Southeast Missouri State University (Cape Girardeau, MO) hurler recorded the final out of Honkers Championship Series victory over the Waterloo Bucks.
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September 6, 2005
FORMER HONKER ANDRE ETHIER NAMED TEXAS LEAGUE MVP!!
Andre Ethier, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2002 and top Oakland Athletics prospect, was recently named MVP of the Texas League.
While playing with the Double-A Midland RockHounds, Ethier hit .316 with 30 doubles, 18 home runs and 79 RBI through 128 games. He was leading the Texas League in runs scored (102), second in hits (156), fourth in batting average (.316), fifth in doubles (30), sixth in on-base percentage (.495) and 11th in home runs (18). Ethier was also named the MVP of the mid-season Texas League All-Star game and was recently promoted to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In his second game with the Pacific Southern Division champs of the Pacific Coast League, Ethier drove in two runs in a 2-0 victory over the eventual Pacific Northern champion Tacoma Rainiers.
In 2002, Ethier lead the Honkers with 57 hits, 4 home runs, 34 RBI and played in the Northwoods League (NWL) All-Star Game. For his defensive play, the right fielder was also honored with a Rawlings/NWL Silver Glove, one of only two recipients in Honkers history (Matt Eckardt/University of Florida- 2004). The former Arizona State University Sun Devils standout was selected by Oakland in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, the highest any former Rochester Honker has been chosen.
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September 1, 2005
HONKERS NATIONAL ANTHEM SINGER TO PERFORM AT MN TWINS GAME!!
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Rochester native and Honkers National Anthem singer Samantha Olson will be performing prior to the 2nd Annual Minnesota Twins/Northwoods League (NWL) game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis on September 5th.
Olson, 19, is a graduate of Mayo High School in Rochester and is a first year student at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) where she is majoring in Music Education and Therapy.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time”, says Olson of singing before the game. “I enjoy performing and do so any chance I get. I’m pumped”.
The game is scheduled for Monday, September 5th at 3:10 PM with the Twins battling the Texas Rangers. The contest will be televised locally by Fox Sports North and nationally on ESPN.
Fans from around the Northwoods League will travel to Minneapolis for the second straight year to enjoy the Twins’ NWL Day. Also apart of the Northwoods League Day festivities will be a pre-game Home Run Derby featuring Minnesota Twins mascot, T.C. Bear going head to head against the NWL mascots; including the Rochester Honkers own Slider.
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August 17, 2005
HONKERS SEASON COMES TO AN END
The Rochester Honkers season came to an end Wednesday night as the Madison Mallards topped Rochester 6-1 in game three of the South Division Championship Series at Mayo Field. The Mallards advance to their second Championship Series in as many years and will defend their 2004 Northwoods League Championship. Madison will face the winner of the St. Cloud/Thunder Bay series that will be wrapped up tomorrow night in Thunder Bay.
The Honkers got on the board first with a Luke Reiland (Campbell) two-out bunt single in the third scoring Matt Marek (ICCC), who had led the inning off with a single, but that would be the only run the Honkers would manage to get across the plate all night.
The Mallards would knot the score at one in the sixth, but came back with three seventh inning runs. Danny Dressman led the Mallards seventh off drawing a walk and was followed by a Will Vogl single. Ryan Rogowski moved the runners over with a sac bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. With the Honkers infield playing in for the bunt, John Martin blooped a single over Dan Lyons (ICCC) head at second to score two. Randy Molina wrapped up the Mallards scoring in the inning with an RBI single making the score 4-1. Madison added two insurance runs in the ninth.
Erik Walker earned the win for the Mallards, pitching a scoreless 3 2/3 innings to close the game, allowing two hits and striking out four. Walker pitched in relief of starter J.J. Hollenbeck, who allowed only one run while scattering five hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched.
Honkers starter Efren Navarro also pitched a solid game, allowing one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched. Brett Jensen allowed three runs in relief of Navarro and was handed the loss.
Leading the Mallards offensively was Molina, who finished 3-for-5 with an RBI. Martin was the only player in the game with multiple RBIs, going 1-for-4 with two knocked in. Kelly Sweppenhiser and Ryan Bond each chipped in two hits for the Mallards in the win.
Offensively for the Rochester, Bryson Barber (Florida) went 2-for-5 and was the only Honker with more than one hit. Reiland knocked in the only run for the Honkers with his bunt single in the third.
Madison will await the winner of the Thunder Bay/St. Cloud game which was rained out tonight in Thunder Bay.
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August 16, 2005
HONKERS SHOOT DOWN MALLARDS, FORCE GAME THREE
The Rochester Honkers forced game three in the South Division Championship Series Tuesday Night, defeating the Madison Mallards 3-2 at Mayo Field in Rochester. The Mallards are back in Rochester tomorrow for the deciding game three in the best-of-three series. The winner advances to the Championship Series against the winner of the St. Cloud/Thunder Bay series.
The Honkers jumped ahead early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mallard’s starter Rick Rivas beaned the first two Honkers he faced in the ballgame, leading to an Efren Navarro (UNLV) single scoring Dan Lyons from second. Lyons advanced easily to third on Navarro's single, but an error by Will Vogl in left field allowed Lyons to score on the play. Another hit batter and a Matt Marek (ICCC) RBI single gave the Honkers a 2-0 lead after one.
The Mallards battled back and scored two fourth inning runs to knot the score, but the Honkers would have the last laugh in the eighth. Navarro led off the eighth drawing a walk, then advanced to second on a sac bunt and to third on a ground out before being knocked in by Marek's second RBI single of the night. Marek finished the ball game as the only Honker with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Brad Clipp (Point Loma) earned the win for the Honkers, holding the Mallards scoreless in the final 2 1/3 innings of ball. Clipp allowed one hit and struck out five pitching in relief of Honkers starter Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.). Jukich pitched a solid game for the Honkers, scattering nine hits while allowing two runs, both unearned, in 6 2/3 innings pitched.
Tomorrow's deciding game will begin at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field.
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August 15, 2005
HONKERS DROP GAME ONE IN MADISON
The Rochester Honkers will have their backs to the wall tomorrow night, as they dropped game one of the South Division Championship Series to the Madison Mallards 6-2 Monday night in Madison. The loss snapped the Rochester Honkers eight game winning streak, and was only their second loss in nine games this season against the Mallards. The Honkers will face the Mallards tomorrow night in an elimination game at Mayo Field in game two of the best-of-three series.
Mallards starter Adam Mills (UNC-Charlotte) received all the run support he would need in the third, as the Mallards put up three runs on Honkers starter Tim Flattery (ICCC). Madison got on the board again in the fifth courtesy of a Randy Molina (Stanford) opposite field solo-home run to put the Mallards up 4-0.
The Honkers avoided the shutout in the sixth compliments of a Willy Fox (Arizona State) bases clearing triple with two runners on, cutting the lead to 4-2, but that would be it for the Honkers scoring on the night. The Mallards took two runs away from the Honkers in the fifth, as Will Vogl (St. Johns) climbed the wall in left field robbing Luke Reiland (Campbell) of a two-run home run. Madison added an insurance run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, giving the Mallards pitching staff more than enough support to hold onto the victory.
Mills came out and pitched solid for the Mallards, allowing only two runs (one earned) while scattering seven hits in seven innings pitched to pick up the win. He also struck out six Honkers on the night. Ryan Rogowski, the Northwoods League Player of the Year, led all hitters going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Fox finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs for Rochester, and Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) was the only Honker with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
The Honkers are home tomorrow night for game two of the Divisional Series, taking on the same Madison Mallards at Mayo Field at 7:05 p.m. A Honkers win tomorrow night would force a deciding game three. A loss would put an end to the Honkers 2005 season.
*In other Northwoods League action, the St. Cloud River Bats edged the Thunder Bay Border Cats 1-0 in St. Cloud in game one of the North Division Championship Series. The Bats travel north of the border to take on the Cats for game two and game three (if necessary) in Thunder Bay.
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August 15, 2005
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE ANNOUNCES POST SEASON ALL-STARS
The Northwoods League on Monday announced its post-season All-Star team for the 2005 season. The team, which is voted on by league managers, coaches, and media, includes outfielder Ryan Rogowski (Illinois) and designated hitter Zach Daeges (Creighton), both of whom were named to the All-Star team for the second consecutive year.
Rogowski, the premier leadoff hitter in the league, batted .345 on the season and stole a Northwoods League record 44 bases this season. Daeges, meanwhile, was a mainstay in the middle of the Waterloo Bucks lineup all season, earning the 1st ever triple crown in League history by leading the NWL in batting (.366), home runs (13), and tied for runs batted in (48).
The Thunder Bay Border Cats, winners of the North Division’s Second Half championship, placed 5 players on the team, most of any team in the NWL. Leading the way for the Border Cats was Casey O’Rourke (Iowa), who tied for the League lead in wins with nine and Shawn Williams (College of Charleston), who broke the all-time season saves record with 20.
In addition to the twenty-five all-stars selected, the Most Valuable Player, Manager and Coach of the Year were also determined by a vote. Rogowski was named the NWL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2005 season. In addition to leading the NWL in steals, Rogowski led the circuit in hits (86), triples (5), and runs (52) while his .417 on base percentage was good for 4th best this season.
Chad Miller, first-year skipper of the Border Cats, was selected as Manager of the Year. Miller led Thunder Bay to a 44-24 mark (.647), tied with Rochester for the most wins, while guiding the Border Cats to their 1st ever playoff appearance. Chris Maliszewski was named Coach of the Year after helping lead the Mallards to the South Division First Half title and a berth in the NWL playoffs for the third straight year.
Rochester Honkers second baseman Dan Lyons was the only Honkers player named to the team.
For a Complete list of the North and South Division All Star selection, visit the Northwoods League Web site at www.northwoodsleague.com
The Northwoods League is comprised of teams of the top college players from across North America. With twelve teams currently playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ontario, Canada, the Northwoods League provides the finest environment for the development of collegiate players.
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August 14, 2005
ROCHESTER HONKERS BASEBALL CLUB ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS
On Sunday, August 14th, the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club named Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) the 2005 Rochester Honkers Player of the Year. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) was named Pitcher of the Year, and Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) was named Inspirational Player of the Year.
Dan Lyons, the Honkers Player of the Year, is a Rochester native and is in his second season with the team as their starting second baseman. He finished the regular season leading the team in runs (52), hits (71), doubles (17), home runs (6), RBIs (37) and walks (42). Lyons will finish the year in the Honkers single season all-time top 10 in runs, hits, doubles, walks and at-bats. Sunday’s game was Lyons 67th game played of the season, breaking the Honkers all-time record of 63 games set by three different players. Lyons was named to his first Northwoods League All Star game as an extra infielder.
Clipp, the Honkers Pitcher of the Year, finished the season with a 1.09 ERA in 29 appearances. Clipp struck out 51 batters in only 33 innings pitched; shattering the Honkers all-time strikeouts per nine innings pitched record with 13.91. His 11 saves are third all-time in Rochester Honkers history. Clipp has held his opponents to a .164 batting average so far this season. Clipp was also named to the 2005 NWL All Star Game.
Navarro, the Honkers Inspirational Player of the Year, ended the regular season second on the team with a .316 batting average. His 13 doubles and four home runs were also second on the team. Navarro also started five games at pitcher for the Honkers, posting a 3-1 record and a 1.42 ERA in 38.0 innings pitched. Navarro, the starting first basemen in the 2005 NWL All Star Game, played all nine innings in the mid-season classic. He also tied for fourth place out of twelve competitors in the 2005 NWL All Star Home Run Derby.
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August 14, 2005
HONKERS CRACK FOUR HOME RUNS IN SEASON FINALE, CLINCH HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE THROUGHOUT PLAYOFFS
The Rochester Honkers locked up home field advantage throughout the 2005 Northwoods League Playoffs Sunday afternoon, crushing the Waterloo Bucks 12-3 in the final game of the regular season.
The Honkers jumped all over the Bucks, putting up 16 hits and four home runs in the win. Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) started the scoring off with his third home run of the year, a solo shot in the second. A Jeff Engel (Iowa) third inning lead-off triple led to the Honkers second ding dong of the game, a Bryson Barber (Florida) two-run bomb, his third of the year.
Waterloo's Zach Daeges (Creighton) showcased his power in the fourth, cracking his league leading 13th homer of the year, a two-run shot off of Honkers starter Brian Schutzbach (Monmouth). Daeges' homer ended the Honkers streak of 27 consecutive shutout innings. Kyle Bowley answered Daeges' home run in the fifth, leading the inning off with a solo home run over the left field fence. The Honkers opened the game wide open in the sixth, scoring four more runs to
give the Honkers an 8-2 lead.
The Honkers fourth home run came the hard way, with Dan Lyons hitting a gap shot to right field and rounding all the bases for an inside the park home run, his team leading sixth long ball of the year.
Six Honkers finished with multiple hits in the game. Bowley finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs, a homer, a two-run double and a sac fly. Barber continued his hot streak, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a homer and three runs scored. Hoffmann and Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) each added three hits in the winning effort.
Schutzbach picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings pitched. Because Schutzbach joined the team after August 4th, he will not be eligible to pitch in the post-season. D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) got the save for the Honkers, allowing one run in the final three innings of ball.
The win ices home field advantage throughout the playoffs as the Honkers own all tie breakers with the Madison Mallards and Thunder Bay Border Cats. The Honkers will finish the year with at least a tie for the best record in the Northwoods League (44-24).
The Honkers will travel to Madison tomorrow night for game one of the Divisional Playoffs against the Mallards. The Honkers return home on Tuesday for game two of the best-of-three series, and will play again Wednesday if needed. The Honkers are 7-1 this season against the Madison Mallards.
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August 13, 2005
HONKERS CLINCH SOUTH DIVISION SECOND-HALF TITLE
The Rochester Honkers picked up their second shutout in as many days, blanking the Waterloo Bucks 1-0 in Waterloo to clinch the second-half South Division title. Dan Lyons (ICCC) belted a lead-off double in the top of the first inning, and later scored on a Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) ground out for the only run in the game.
Davis Hurst (Florida) started the game for the Honkers and earned his fourth win of the year (4-0), holding the Bucks to three hits in six innings pitched while walking two and striking out five. Zach Farry (Gardner-Webb), Dan Micklewright (Colby C.C.) and Brad Clipp came in and pitched the final three innings, allowing only one combined hit with Clipp picking up his 11th save of the year.
Even if Rochester finishes the second-half tied with Madison, the Honkers will still be the South Division second-half champion, as they hold a better head-to-head record (7-1) than the Mallards. With the win, the Honkers remain tied for the best overall record (43-24) in the Northwoods League with Madison and Thunder Bay, who both won tonight. It was a season-high seventh straight victory for the Rochester Honkers. A Rochester win or a Madison loss tomorrow would give the Honkers home-field advantage in the Divisional Playoffs.
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August 12, 2005
HONKERS WIN 6TH STRAIGHT, FRANCHISE RECORD 42ND OF SEASON
The Rochester Honkers held the Madison Mallards to no runs on five hits in a 4-0 shutout Friday night before 1,750 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester.
The Honkers pitching was led by starter Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV), who struck out nine Mallards in five innings pitched. Navarro allowed only four hits and earned his third win (3-1) of the year. Navarro was relieved by Joel Barickman (Illinois), Zach Farry (Gardner-Webb) and Brett Jensen (Nebraska), who combined to hold the Mallards to one hit in the final four innings of play. Honkers pitching struck out 13 Mallards on the night.
The Honkers offense produced plenty to pick up the win, scoring single runs in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings. Bryson Barber (Florida) and Luke Reiland (Campbell) led the Honkers offensively. Barber finished the night 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Reiland earned two RBIs of his own going 2-for-4. Barber, Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate), Dan Lyons (ICCC) and Reiland each had an RBI single in the win.
The win moves the Honkers into sole possession of first place with a 20-12 second-half record. It was also their 42nd win, breaking the franchise record of 41 regular season wins set in 1997 when they went 41-21.
The Honkers are in Waterloo tomorrow before returning home Sunday for the final game of the regular season. Sunday is Mini Bat Fan Appreciation Day at Mayo Field. The first 1000 fans receive free mini bats.
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August 11, 2005
HONKERS MOVE INTO TIE FOR FIRST IN THE SOUTH!
The Rochester Honkers moved into a tie for first-place in the South Division Thursday night, defeating the Madison Mallards 3-1 in Rochester.
The Honkers would strike first in the second inning with an Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) sac fly scoring Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV), who led the inning off with a single. Ryan Rogowski (Illinois) knotted the game up at one in the third with an RBI single for the Mallards, but that would be the end of Madison’s offense on the night.
The Honkers added a run of insurance in the fourth and the seventh to ice the win. Willy Fox (Arizona State) led off the fourth with a double off of the left field fence, and was later knocked in by a Navarro RBI single. Luke Reiland (Campbell) rounded out the Honkers scoring on the night, cracking a seventh inning RBI double down the line scoring Dan Lyons (ICCC) all the way from first base making the score 3-1.
Navarro led all players offensively, finishing the night 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Reiland also had a good game going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Joel Barickman (Illinois) earned the win (8-5) for the Honkers, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.). Jukich threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. The Honkers had the lead when Jukich was pulled, but he fell two batters short to qualify for a win. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) picked up his tenth save of the year, allowing one hit and striking out three in the final two innings.
The win improves the Honkers record to 6-1 against the Mallards this year. The Honkers are now tied for first-place in the South Division and are only one game behind the Mallards for the best overall record in the South. If the Honkers win the South Division, the team with the best overall record will have home field advantage in the playoffs. The Honkers own all tie breakers with the Mallards.
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August 10, 2005
HONKERS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT, 40TH OF YEAR
The Rochester Honkers won their fourth consecutive ballgame Wednesday night, topping the Waterloo Bucks 6-3 at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo.
The Honkers got on the board first compliments of a Willy Fox first inning (Arizona State) RBI triple. Fox scored on the next play as Bryson Barber (Florida) picked up the RBI on a ground ball out to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead.
The Bucks would put up a run in the first and the third to knot the score at two, but Barber struck again in the fourth with a lead-off solo home run, his second of the year. Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) added a sac fly in the fourth to give the Honkers a 4-2 lead.
Waterloo and Rochester would add single runs in the seventh to make the score 5-3, but Hoffmann responded in the eighth with a solo bomb to give the Honkers enough insurance to hold on to the win. Matt Marek (Campbell) rounded out the Honkers scoring in the ninth with a two-out two RBI single.
The newest addition to the Rochester Honkers, Matt Meyer (Boston College) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched. Meyer pitched in 17 games for the Honkers in 2004.
The win was the 40th of the year for the Honkers and improves their second-half record to 18-12, one game behind the Mallards for first place in the South Division.
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August 10, 2005
HONKERS QUALIFY FOR POSTSEASON PLAY
On Tuesday, August 9th, the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club clinched a berth in the 2005 Northwoods League (NWL) Playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Waterloo Bucks in Rochester, Minn. This is the Honkers first playoff appearance since 2002, despite finishing the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the second-best overall record in the NWL.
Since the inaugural season of 1994, the Rochester Honkers have made the playoffs seven times in 12 years, winning NWL Championships in 1994, 1997 and 1999. No other NWL team has won more titles than the Rochester Honkers.
The Rochester Honkers will face the first-half South Division champion Madison Mallards in the first-round of the South Division Playoffs August 15-17. The second-half South Division title is still up for grabs, as the Rochester Honkers trail the Madison Mallards by two games with five games remaining.
If Rochester wins the second-half South Division title, the team with the best overall record will receive home field advantage. Madison (42-21) currently holds a three game edge over Rochester (39-24) on the season. Rochester and Madison face each other two more times before the season’s end, with games this Thursday and Friday at Mayo Field,
The Divisional Series will be played August 15-17. The Championship Series runs August 18 – 20. Both rounds of the playoffs are a best-of-three series.
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August 9, 2005
HONKERS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH WITH WIN
The Rochester Honkers clinched a berth in the playoffs Tuesday night, edging past the Waterloo Bucks 3-2 at Mayo Field in Rochester.
The Bucks got on the board first compliments of a Michael Bertram sixth inning two-run homer, but the Honkers answered in the bottom half of the inning and tied the game at two apiece with a two-run single by catcher Matt Marek (ICCC).
A pair of walks to Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) and Dan Lyons (ICCC) led to the eventual game winning run in the seventh. Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) came to the plate and delivered a pinch hit RBI single down the first base line scoring Cauley to put the Honkers up 3-2.
The Honkers, who will play the Madison Mallards in the first-round of the playoffs, improved their second half record to 17-12.
If Madison, the South Division first-half champion, also wins the second-half, the team with the next best overall record in the South is guaranteed a playoff spot. With Madison and Rochester winning tonight, and Wisconsin falling to the Express, the Woodchucks mathematically cannot win the South or end up with a better overall
record than the Honkers.
The Rochester Honkers still have a chance to win the South and/or finish with a better overall record than Madison, but for now they are guaranteed a playoff berth because they will finish with either the best or second best overall record in the division.
This will be the first year the Honkers have made the playoffs since 2002. The Honkers failed to reach the playoffs the past two seasons despite finishing with second-best overall record in the league both years.
Severe weather and rain led to a two-hour late start, but the ballgame was completed in its entirety.
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August 8, 2005
HONKERS BLOW OUT EXPRESS
The Honkers pounded out season highs in runs and hits in a 15-3 thrashing of the Eau Claire Express Monday night in Eau Claire.
The Honkers cracked 19 hits on the night, 17 of those singles. Everyone in Rochester's starting lineup had at least one hit, leading to runs scored in every inning except the second and the fourth.
Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) led the Honkers offensively, lighting up the Express for four hits (4-for-6), five RBIs and two runs scored. Dan Lyons (ICCC) added three RBIs of his own finishing the night 2-for-5.
The ball game was up in the air as the Honkers went into the top of the third leading 2-1, but Rochester exploded for six runs in the inning and never looked back.
David Hurst picked up the win for the Honkers, allowing three runs (two earned) while scattering 10 hits in six innings pitched.
The win improves the Honkers second half record to 16-12, but they remain two games behind Madison for first in the South as the Mallards topped the Woodchucks 4-2 in Wausau. With the loss, the Woodchucks must now win the South Division outright to earn a playoff spot.
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August 7, 2005
HONKERS END FOUR-GAME SKID
The Rochester Honkers ended their four-game skid Sunday evening, topping the Eau Claire Express 6-2 at Carson Park in Wisconsin. The Honkers put up three first run inning runs, proving to be all they would need as Tim Flattery (ICCC) carried the team on the hill.
Flattery tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while walking two and fanning three. Flattery received plenty of help
from the Honkers' offense to secure his first win (1-0) of the year.
Luke Reiland (Campbell) drew a one out walk, followed by a Willy Fox single to put two runners on in the first. Reiland and Fox pulled off
a double steal and then were knocked in by Jeremy McCann's (Gardner Webb) RBI single making the score 2-0. McCann advanced all the way to third on his single because of a fielding error and later scored on an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) sac fly to round out the Honkers offense in the inning.
McCann was the offensive stud for the Honkers, finishing the night 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Fox added two more hits, stole three bases and scored a run in his 2-for-4 night at the plate.
The Express avoided the shut out by rallying in the ninth to score two runs off of Honkers reliever D.J. Throneburg (Parkland), but
Throneburg would get out of the jam and help Rochester up their second half record to 15-12.
The Honkers are back in Eau Claire tomorrow for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.
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August 6, 2005
HONKERS FALL SHORT IN PITCHERS DUO
The Rochester Honkers battled the La Crosse Loggers in a classic pitcher's duel Saturday in La Crosse, but fell short 1-0 in a ten inning affair before 3,313 fans at Copeland Park.
The game was scoreless until the tenth when a pair of Loggers singles, including the game winning RBI single by Travis Check (Clarendon College), pushed La Crosse past the visiting Rochester.
Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) pitched a beauty for the Honkers, tossing 8 2/3 innings of shut out ball, but walked away with the no decision after Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) surrendered the game winning run in extra innings. Jukich allowed no runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking none.
Jukich's performance on the mound was matched by Loggers pitcher Taylor Bills (UC-Riverside). Bills went all 10 innings for the Loggers, holding the Honkers to eight hits, while walking two and striking out six.
Bryson Barber (Florida) and Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) led the Honkers offensively, cracking two hits each in the loss.
The loss drops the Honkers two games behind the first-place Madison Mallards, who topped the Wisconsin Woodchucks 3-2 in Wausau. The Honkers are in Eau Claire tomorrow and Monday against the Express, with tomorrow's game starting at 6:05 p.m. and Monday's at 7:05 p.m. The Honkers have won four of the six ballgames with the Express this season.
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August 5, 2005
ROCHESTER HONKERS SET SINGLE SEASON ATTENDANCE RECORD
On Friday, August 5th, the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club set a new single season attendance record when 1,540 fans attended their ballgame to give the Honkers a total of 39,486 fans for the 2005 season. Rochester still has four regular season home games left and anticipates their attendance to break the 45,000 mark. The previous attendance record was set last year when 39,351 total fans attended Honkers' games at Mayo Field.
The Honkers are currently averaging 1,362 fans per game, up from last year's record of 1,230 fans per game.
Since the inaugural season of 1994, the Rochester Honkers have set attendance records 9 of the last 10 seasons, including the last three years in a row. Rochester started the 1994 season drawing 16,363 fans and have witnessed up to date 357,673 fans come out to experience Rochester Honkers Baseball.
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August 4, 2005
THREE-WAY TIE FOR FIRST IN SOUTH
The Wisconsin Woodchucks completed a two-game sweep of the Rochester Honkers with a 2-1 victory Thursday night, moving them into a two-way tie with Rochester for first-place atop South Division.
The Honkers would strike first in the fourth inning thanks to a lead-off triple by Willy Fox (Arizona State). Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) would hit Fox home on a ground out, picking up the only RBI for the Honkers all night.
The Honkers held the 1-0 lead until the seventh when Bradley Karns (South Florida) cracked an RBI single off of Honkers hurler Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) to knot the score at one. Two batters later the Woodchucks would take the lead with Matt Nohelty's (Minnesota) RBI single scoring Karns.
Rochester got their lead-off batter on base in the ninth, but Rick Cavaiani (UW-Milwaukee) struck out the next three batters to earn his sixth save of the year.
Aaron Tennyson pitched a gem for the Chucks, tossing eight innings of one run ball, scattering four hits and striking out six for his sixth win of the year. Navarro walked away with his first loss of the year, allowing two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched.
Offensively for the Honkers, Willy Fox and Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) had two hits each. Dan Lyons (ICCC) was the only other Honker with a hit in the game.
The loss drops the Honkers to 14-10 in the second-half of the season and 36-22 overall. A Madison Mallards win over the Eau Claire Express tonight put the Honkers, Woodchucks and Mallards at a 3-way tie for first place in the South.
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August 4, 2005
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD
The Northwoods League broke its all-time regular season attendance record when a total of over 10,000 fans passed through the turnstiles at venues across the League on Wednesday night, it was announced by the Northwoods League office.
Through games of August 3, the NWL had drawn 617,576 fans to eclipse the previous mark of 609,748 set last season. “This is just another feather in the cap for the Northwoods League, its team owners and staffs”, said Northwoods League President Dick Radatz, Jr. “The record is testament to the great jobs that each of our affiliates do in marketing their products”, added Radatz.
Led by the Madison Mallards, who have drawn 161,112 fans to Warner Park in 2005, the Northwoods League is setting its sight on even loftier goals. With a possible 67 openings remaining league-wide, the NWL should approach 750,000 fans this season, a mark unprecedented in summer collegiate baseball history.
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August 3, 2005
WOODCHUCKS TIGHTEN RACE IN THE SOUTH WITH WIN
The Wisconsin Woodchucks pulled within one game of the first-place Rochester with a 10-5 win over the Honkers Wednesday night at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisc.
The two teams meet again tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at Athletic Park. A Woodchucks win tomorrow would earn them a series sweep, and more importantly, a share of the South Division lead.
The Woodchucks would be the first to score, taking advantage of three first inning hits and a Honkers error to go up 3-0. The Honkers battled back and put up a three-spot of their own in the fourth, but the Chucks batted through the order and dropped five more runs on the Honkers in the fourth, proving to be enough to secure the victory.
Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside) had the biggest hit for the Honkers, cracking a two-run single in the fourth scoring Luke Reiland (Campbell) and Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV). Greg Bordes (Arizona State) added an RBI single of his own in the seventh to round out the Honkers scoring on the night. Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) had a good night at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with three singles and a double. Barratt finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Ross Olson (North Dakota) led all hitters going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored. Dusty Brabender (Minnesota) earned the win for the Chucks, allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits in six innings pitched. Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) was handed the loss and falls to 1-3 on the year.
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August 2, 2005
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE UMPIRE HAWKINS PROMOTED
Rory Hawkins, a Northwoods League umpire working his first season with the NWL summer collegiate baseball circuit, has been promoted to the Rookie-level Arizona League, the Northwoods League office announced today.
Hawkins, 26, becomes the first umpire this season to be promoted to the professional ranks. Last season, the NWL saw nine of its umpires receive professional baseball assignments either during the course of the 2004 NWL season or prior to the start of this season.
Hawkins, a resident of Eugene, OR, is a graudate of the Jim Evans Academy in Kissimmee, FL.
The Northwoods League, in addition to being a developmental league for players and coaches, is also a developmental league for umpires. The concentrated game schedule, travel, and minor league-like game conditions give the NWL umpires a pre-professional seasoning unparalleled in all of baseball. Since the League's inaugural season in 1994, thirty-three of its former umpires are currently working in affiliated professional baseball.
The Northwoods League is comprised of teams of the top college players from across North America. With twelve teams currently playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ontario, Canada, the Northwoods League provides the finest environment for the development of collegiate players.
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August 2, 2005
HONKERS PITCHING SHOOTS DOWN BUCKS
The Rochester Honkers used strong pitching and a two-run seventh inning to top the Waterloo Bucks 2-1 before 1,251 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester Tuesday.
The Honkers entered the seventh inning trailing 1-0, but three consecutive base hits by Efren Navarro Jr (UNLV), Jeff Engel (Iowa) and Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) set up a perfectly executed suicide squeeze play to tie the ball game. With bases loaded and one out, Honkers catcher Matt Marek (ICCC) laid down a bunt for a single as Navarro trotted home
Greg Bordes (Arizona State) followed Marek's squeeze with an RBI ground out to score Engel, who proved to be the game winning run.
Honkers pitching was phenomenal throughout the game, holding the Bucks to only one run on four hits. David Hurst (Florida) led the way for Rochester, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings pitched. D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) and Brett Jensen (Nebraska) relieved Hurst, tossing an inning each of perfect ball, with Jensen earning his eighth save of the year.
The win improves the Honkers second-half record to 14-8 and moves them two games up on the idle Madison Mallards and Wisconsin Woodchucks for first place in the South Division.
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August 1, 2005
BUCKS TOP HONKERS WITH WALK-OFF HR
Brad Clipp allowed only his third earned run of the year Monday, but it came by way of a Zach Daeges (Creighton) bottom of the ninth walk-off home run, pushing the Bucks past the Rochester Honkers 6-5 in Waterloo.
Daeges got the Bucks offense going in the sixth, knocking in the game tying run with his first of two triples on the night. He came back in the seventh with a shot off the center field fence, scoring two Bucks to make the score 4-1.
The Honkers would answer, however, putting up four eighth inning runs. A Bucks error with bases loaded led to the first Honkers run in the inning, but Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) followed with a two run single to tie the game at four apiece. The Honkers would take the lead 5-4 with an Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) RBI ground out, but the Bucks added a run in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at five before Daeges's ninth inning heroics.
Daeges finished the night 3-for-4 with two triples, a home run and four RBIs. Bowley led all Honkers offensively, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) was responsible for the Honkers first run of the ball game and finished the game 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
The Honkers fall to 13-8 in the second half of the season, but remain 1 1/2 games up on the second place Wisconsin Woodchucks, who lost 4-2 to the Madison Mallards in Wasau, Wisc.
The two teams will tee off again tomorrow in Rochester at Mayo Field with a 7:05 PM first pitch.
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July 30, 2005
HONKERS CHUCK MORE WOOD THAN WOODCHUCKS
The Wisconsin Woodchucks rallied late and scored four unanswered runs Saturday night, but the Honkers held on to pick up the win 8-7 at Mayo Field.
The Honkers jumped all over the Woodchucks scoring five first run innings and added two more in the second to make the score 7-0.
Matt Marek (ICCC) had the biggest hit for the Honkers all night, clearing the bases with a three run first inning double. Jeremy
McCann also had a first inning RBI, knocking in Dan Lyons (ICCC) with an infield single.
McCann followed his first inning effort with a two run single scoring Lyons and Luke Reiland (Campbell) in the second to put the Honkers up 7-0. Lyons would tack on one more run in the third with a sac fly, but that's all the offense the Honkers would muster up the rest of the night.
The Woodchucks put up three runs in the third, one each in the fourth and fifth, and two more in the ninth, but fell just short leaving the game tying run stranded on second base in their last at bat.
McCann and Marek led the Honkers offensively, cracking two hits and recording three RBIs each. Lyons was the only other Honker with more than one hit, finishing the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Ben Jukich struggled with his command, allowing five runs on nine hits in five innings pitched, but walked away with his sixth win of the year. The win moves the Honkers two games up over the Woodchucks for first place in the South Division.
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July 29, 2005
HONKERS WIN BATTLE FOR FIRST
The Rochester Honkers took over sole possession of first place in the South Division last night, defeating the Wisconsin Woodchucks 7-5 before 1,779 at Mayo Field.
A pair of errors led to three Woodchucks runs in the second inning, but the Honkers answered in the bottom half with five runs of their own.
Jeff Engel (Iowa) started the scoring barrage with an RBI double to left field scoring Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV), who reached base with a single. Two outs and several singles later, Dan Lyons (ICCC) belted a bases clearing double making the score 4-3. Willy Fox (Arizona St.) capped the five-run inning with an RBI single scoring Lyons.
The Woodchucks only managed to score two more runs after the second, but the Honkers matched that with Matt Marek’s (ICCC) first homer of the year in the third and another run in the sixth.
Lyons led all Honkers offensively, finishing the night 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Fox added three hits and an RBI for the Honkers, and Marek, Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) and Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) each chipped in with two hits of their own.
T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) earned the win, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings pitched. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) came into the ball game in the ninth and struck out the side, tallying his ninth save of the year.
With the win, the Honkers move one game up on Wisconsin for first place in the South Division. The two teams will duke it out again tomorrow at Mayo Field at 7:05 PM.
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July 28, 2005
HONKERS EXPLODE LATE, CRUSH LOGGERS
The Rochester Honkers put up nine runs in the eight inning Thursday Night, leading them to an 11-2 victory over the La Crosse Loggers at Mayo Field.
Rochester entered the eighth inning with the score knotted at two, but the Honkers exploded and put up nine runs on the board in the inning, eight of them with two outs. Due to a pair of errors by Loggers outfielders, all nine of the runs in the inning were unearned.
Eric Hoffmann (ICCC), Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) and Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) each had RBI singles in the inning. Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) wrapped up the Honkers scoring in the eighth with a towering three-run homer over the left field fence to make the score 11-2.
Jeff Engel (Iowa) also had a home run in the win, knocking an opposite field shot over the left field fence in the first with one runner on. Engel and Hoffmann were the only Honkers with more than one hit in the game, with Engel finishing the night 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Hoffmann going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) started the game for the Honkers and picked up the no decision, throwing 6 1/3 innings of ball, scattering eight hits and allowing two runs, one of them earned. Zach Farry tossed 1 2/3 innings of hitless ball in relief of Navarro to earn the win.
With the Wisconsin Woodchucks losing tonight and the Honkers winning, Rochester and Wisconsin are now tied for first place atop the South Division standings with identical 11-7 records. The Woodchucks and the Honkers start a two-game series at Mayo Field tomorrow at 7:05.
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July 27, 2005
LOGGERS SNAP HONKERS WINNING STREAK
The La Crosse Loggers snapped Rochester's five game winning streak Wednesday night, topping the Honkers 4-3 in 10 innings before a season-high 3,527 fans at Copeland Park in La Crosse, Wisc.
The Honkers were held to only three hits on the night, but two of them came by way of the long ball. Dan Lyons had the first hit for the Honkers in the sixth inning, cracking a solo shot to make the score 3-1 in favor of the Loggers. Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside) tied the game up at three apiece in the 7th with a two-run homer following an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) single.
The Loggers scored three runs in the second inning off of Honkers starter Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate), but then went scoreless the next seven innings before Jordan Pacheco (New Mexico) knocked in La Fringe Hayes (Cincinnati) with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to win the game. Hayes drew a lead-off walk in the 10th, stole second, and then beat the throw home on Pacheco's single.
Other than the two home runs allowed, Danny Ray Herrera pitched a whale of a game. Herrera went the distance for the Loggers, surrendering only three runs on three hits in 10 innings pitched.
The win was the Loggers first against the Honkers in five tries this season. The two teams will head back to Rochester to for game six in the "I-90" series at Mayo Field with a 7:05 PM first pitch.
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July 26, 2005
HONKERS COME AWAY WITH TWO WINS AT DUCK HUNT
GAME 1
The Rochester Honkers won their third straight one-run ball game in a row against Madison Tuesday night, topping the Mallards 3-2 in the first game of a double-header at Mayo Field in Rochester.
The Mallards got on the board in the first inning, as Ryan Rogowski crossed the plate on a Mike Rohde fielder's choice, but the Honkers answered with one run each in the third and fourth innings.
Luke Reiland (Campbell) came through in the third with a based loaded single scoring Tommy Cauley (FCCJ), and Jeff Engel (Iowa) cracked a timely two-out solo home run in the fourth to give the Honkers the lead 2-1.
Rogowski answered Engel's homer with a solo shot of his own in the fifth to knot the score at two, but the Honkers would score one more in the bottom of the sixth to ice the win.
Willy Fox (Arizona St.) stole third on a strikeout and then trotted home for the game winning run on a Mallards wild pitch. Tim Flattery (ICCC) started the game for the Honkers, allowing one run in four innings pitched, but Joel Barickman (Illinois) came away with the win after throwing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) earned his eighth save of the year, striking out all three Mallards he faced.
GAME 2
The Madison Mallards fell to the Rochester Honkers 2-4 in the second game of Tuesday night's double header before 1,426 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester.
The loss was Madison's fourth straight, their longest drought of the year, with all their losses coming at the hands of the Honkers.
Once again the Mallards would score first, but the Honkers put up three runs in the fourth, including an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) two-run homer that proved to be the game winner. Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) knocked in a run earlier in the fourth with an RBI double to the gap scoring Luke Reiland (Campbell).
Navarro finished the night 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Reiland was the only other Honkers with more than one hit on the night, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Joel Barickman picked up his second win of the day, tossing a hitless fifth inning in relief of Honkers starter David Hurst (Florida). Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) added an inning of relief himself, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth. Clipp finished the double-header striking out five of the six batters he faced.
Hurst threw four innings in the start, allowing two runs on five hits and was given the no decision.
The two wins improves the Honkers second-half record to 10-6, one game behind the Wisconsin Woodchucks for first in the South Division.
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July 24, 2005
HONKERS SWEEP MALLARDS AT THE DUCK POND
The Rochester Honkers won their seventh game in eight days Sunday night, as the they topped the Madison Mallards 2-1 to complete the two-game sweep at Warner Park.
Both teams put up one run in the first inning, but the Honkers added another in the seventh to wrap up the scoring on the night.
Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) pitched a gem and earned the win for the Honkers, allowing only one run on five hits in eight innings pitched while striking out six to improve his record to 5-1.
Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) had the only RBI for the Honkers, knocking in Luke Reiland (Campbell) in the first with an RBI single for the game's first run. Navarro finished the game as the only Honker with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Navarro's two hits extended his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest active streak in the league.
The Honkers second run came in the seventh inning, as Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) trotted home from third on a passed ball by the Mallards catcher.
The Honkers will take on the Mallards again tomorrow night and Tuesday night at 7:05 PM at Mayo Field in Rochester. The Honkers latest arrival, Iowa Central's Tim Flattery, will be on the mound tomorrow for his first start as a Honker against Madison's J.J. Hollenbeck (7-1).
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July 23, 2005
HONKERS WIN BATTLE OF THE BIRDS
The Rochester Honkers won the battle of the birds Saturday night, topping the Madison Mallards 3-2 in a nail biter before 6,797 fans at
Warner Park in Madison, Wisc.
The Mallards entered the ninth inning down by one and got their lead-off man Danny Dressman on base, but Brett Jensen (Nebraska) recorded three straight outs to preserve the win and earn his fourth save of the year.
All of the Honkers offense came in the first two innings, as they scratched one run out in the first compliments of a Luke Reiland (Campbell) fielder's choice that scored Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) from third, and tallied two more in the second thanks to a Matt Marek (Iowa Central C.C.) sac fly and an Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.) RBI single.
Marek finished the night going 2-for-3 with an RBI in his first start as the Rochester Honkers new catcher.
T.R. Keating pitched a beauty for the Honkers, allowing two runs while scattering seven hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched to earn his third win of the season.
A pair of 4-1 pitchers will take the mound tomorrow night in the second game between the Honkers and the Mallards in Madison, as Honkers hurler Ben Jukich will face-off against Jake Hansen of Madison. Game time is again slated for a 6:05 pm start.
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July 22, 2005
HONKERS TWO-HIT BUCKS
Four pitchers combined to two-hit the Waterloo Bucks Friday Night, as the Rochester Honkers came away with a 4-0 win at Mayo Field in Rochester, Minn.
Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) pitched a gem for the Honkers, allowing only two hits in six complete innings pitched to
earn his second win of the year. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene), D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) and Tim Flattery (Iowa Central C.C.) each
pitched one hitless inning in relief of Navarro to preserve the shutout.
Offensively for the Honkers, two runs came by way of a pair of fielder's choices in the third inning. Willy Fox (Arizona State) and Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) each knocked in runs in the inning with slow infield grounders resulting in outs. McCann added another RBI in the fifth with an RBI double off the top of the right field fence scoring Luke Reiland (Campbell).
Jeff Engel (Iowa) was responsible for the fourth Honkers run, reaching on a fielder's choice in the sixth scoring Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside).
It was the Honkers fifth win in six tries versus the Waterloo Bucks this season. Both Waterloo and Rochester are now 6-6 in the second-half of the season and will meet six more times before the end of the year.
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July 21, 2005
BUCKS EARN 1ST WIN AGAINST HONKERS THIS YEAR
Zach Daeges (Creighton) single-handedly beat the Rochester Honkers Thursday night, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs in Waterloo's 9-3 win over Rochester at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa.
Daeges led off the game's scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, followed by a two-run bomb in the third and a two-run single in the fourth to put him at 31 RBIs on the year.
The Honkers only managed to score three runs on Bucks pitching, tallying one run each in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings. Willy Fox (Arizona State) drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth for the first Honkers run, Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) cracked an RBI single scoring Fox in the seventh for another, and Luke Reiland (Campbell) crossed the plate on a Waterloo error in the ninth to round out the Honkers scoring for the night.
No player for Rochester had more than one hit in the loss.
Joel Barickman (Illinois) started his first game of the year for the Honkers and was handed the loss, and Anthony Gressick earned his first victory of the season to improve to 1-3 overall.
The Bucks and Honkers will face-off seven more times before the season's end. Rochester currently holds a 4-1 edge over the Bucks after tonight's loss. The two teams play again tomorrow night with a 7:05 PM match up at Mayo Field in Rochester, Minn..
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July 20, 2005
HONKERS GIVE BRAINERD THE BLUES
The Rochester Honkers won their third straight game and improved to .500 in the second-half of the season with a 7-2 win over the Brainerd Blue Thunder Wednesday afternoon in Brainerd, Minn.
The Honkers put up three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth which proved to be enough to secure the victory. Willy Fox (Arizona State) and Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) were hit by pitches in back-to-back at-bats in the fifth, leading to RBI singles by Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) and Jeff Dunbar (UC-Riverside) to make the score 3-0.
The Honkers followed their three-run fifth with three more runs in the sixth, and added one each in the seventh and ninth innings for their eight total runs in the ball game.
Brainerd's only two runs came in the sixth, compliments of a Kyle Mura fielder's choice scoring Chad Weiss and a Dan Quinn RBI single scoring Joe Tautges.
Dunbar led all Honkers offensively going 2-for-4 with two RBIs on the afternoon. Luke Reiland (Campbell) finished the day going 1-for-5, but his seventh inning single extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 19.
David Hurst (Florida) picked up his first win (1-0) of the season for the Honkers, allowing two runs on five hits in six full innings pitched.
The Honkers earned the two-game sweep of the Blue Thunder with the win and will travel south tomorrow for a 7:05 pm game in Waterloo against the Bucks.
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July 19, 2005
HONKERS BATS THUNDER DOWN ON BRAINERD
The Rochester Honkers had their biggest offensive explosion of the year Tuesday night, cracking 13 hits in their 13-4 victory over the Brainerd Blue Thunder in Brainerd, Minn.
Three first-inning doubles by Willy Fox (Arizona St.), Efren Navarro (UNLV) and Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) led to an early 3-0 Honkers lead. Navarro and Kruml's doubles each came with two-outs, with Fox's knocking in two runs and Navarro's another.
The Honkers followed their three-run first inning with four runs in the second and five more in the third.
Fox and Navarro led all Honkers offensively, as Fox finished the night going 4-for-6 with three doubles, a triple and four RBIs and Navarro had four RBIs of his own while going 2-for-4 at the plate. Kruml also had a great day at the plate for the Honkers, coming up a home run short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) pitched a quality game for the Honkers, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out seven to earn his first win of the year.
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July 18, 2005
LYONS CRACKS TWO HOME RUNS IN WIN
Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) led the Honkers Monday afternoon, cracking two home runs in Rochester's 7-6 win over the St. Cloud River Bats at Mayo Field. Lyons led the ball game off for the Honkers with a solo shot, and got a hold of another in the seventh with two runners on.
The River Bats battled back and took the lead after a four-run sixth inning, but the Honkers answered in the seventh with four runs of their own, including an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) go ahead RBI double scoring Willy Fox (Arizona State).
St. Cloud knotted the score at six apiece in the eighth, but the Honkers loaded the bases with one out in the ninth and won the ball game on a infield hit by Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside).
Lyons finished the game going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored, and Navarro Jr. tallied four hits on the night going 4-for-5 with two doubles.
Brett Jensen (Nebraska) picked up the win after retiring the only batter he faced in the ninth.
The win earned a split in the series for the Honkers and improves their rercord to 3-5 in the second half of the season.
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July 17, 2005
BATS FLY BY HONKERS
The St. Cloud River Bats handed the Honkers their fifth loss of the second half Sunday afternoon with a 5-4 victory before a crowd of 620 at Mayo Field in Rochester.
The Honkers fell behind early in the first compliments of Scott Hendrix (Kennesaw State), who took the first pitch he saw from Honkers starter T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) over the left field fence for a three-run bomb. Hendrix led all batters Sunday afternoon with his 3-for-4 effort, coming up a triple shy of the cycle.
The Honkers entered the seventh down by three and rallied to put two runs on the board in the inning, but that was all the offense Rochester would muster up the rest of the day.
Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) led the Honkers offensively going 2-for-4 with a single and an RBI double down the line to score Bryson Barber (Florida) from second. No other Honker had more than one hit in the loss.
Keating (2-5) earned the loss for the Honkers, allowing five runs, four of those earned, on 11 hits in seven full innings of work. Pitcher D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) relieved Keating in the eighth, throwing two innings of hitless ball.
Justin Phillabaum (Indian River C.C.) picked up the win for the Bats, yielding one run on five hits in five innings pitched while striking out five.
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July 16, 2005
HONKERS BACK ON WINNING TRACK
The Rochester Honkers got back on the winning track Saturday night, defeating the Eau Claire Express 8-6 before 1,645 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester.
The Honkers jumped ahead early, tallying two runs in the first on a Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) RBI double which scored Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) and Willy Fox (Arizona State). Rochester's offense continued to roll throughout the game as seven different Honkers had at least one hit, resulting with runs scored in the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Bryson Barber (Florida) led the way for the Honkers going 1-2 with four RBIs. Barber drew a bases loaded walk in both the third and sixth innings, and added two more RBIs with a two-run home run in the fifth.
The Express gave the Honkers a scare as