Northwoods League Names Postseason All-Star Team
Jones Earns League MVP, Butt is Top Pitcher

(ROCHESTER, MN) The Northwoods League announced its 2009 Postseason All-Star Team on Monday. In addition to the 25 players that were selected to the honorary team, Rochester shortstop Corey Jones was named as the Most Valuable Player and Wisconsin right-hander Bryce Butt was named Pitcher of the Year as voted by the League’s coaches and members of the media. Rochester led all teams with five players selected plus they took home three of the individual awards. Rochester pitcher Zach Robertson was named as a postseason all-star for his second consecutive season.

Rochester Honkers shortstop Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) brought home the NWL’s top honor as League MVP. Jones caught attention for his league-leading home run total (13), but also had very solid all-around offensive numbers. He enters the final day of the regular season sixth in hitting (.321), third in runs batted in (42), fourth in hits (76), second in on-base percentage (.417), and the league-leader in slugging percentage (.536). Wisconsin Woodchucks righty Bryce Butt (Ohio) is the winner of the inaugural NWL Pitcher of the Year Award. He’s been dominant on the mound, first as a reliever and for most of the season as a starter, having compiled a 7-0 record and a league-leading 1.07 ERA with four complete games.

Rochester Honkers left-hander Zach Robertson (Iowa) is the only two-time postseason all-star on this year’s list. The third-year Honker recently broke the record for career strikeouts in the NWL (251) and is having another fine summer going 5-3 with a 2.95 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 77 innings.

The University of Iowa stands out by placing three of their players on the NWL Postseason All-Star Team. In addition to Robertson, outfielders Ryan Durant of Mankato and Kurtis Muller of Madison, each in the top-five in batting, made the list. There were two players apiece from Cal State Fullerton, UNLV, and Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a division three program.

Rochester’s first-year field manager Rusty McNamara (California-Riverside) is the 2009 Manager of the Year after leading the Honkers to the second half championship in the North Division and the best overall record in the NWL. His assistant coach Joe Cotton (Bowling Green State) was selected as Coach of the Year. Other awards include a couple new categories. St. Cloud’s Joe Faber Field was voted the ballpark with the Best Playing Surface. Alexandria Beetles third-year broadcaster Andrew Tichy was recognized as the Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year.

Below is a complete list of the 2009 NWL Postseason All-Stars and award winners:

Player                       Position       Year          NWL Team                      College

Mitch Handley              RHP             JR            Alexandria                 North Alabama
RJ Hively                       RHP            SO          Battle Creek            Cal State Fullerton
Matt Talley                   LHP             SO          Battle Creek              The Citadel (SC)
Dennis O’Grady            RHP            SO    Brainerd Lakes Area                 Duke
Zach Varce                   RHP            SO            Green Bay                  Portland (OR)
Steven Gruver               LHP             FR             La Crosse                     Tennessee
Ryan Demmin               LHP             JR              Mankato               Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Tim Griffin                    RHP             JR              Mankato                      Rollins (FL)
Zach Robertson            LHP             JR             Rochester                          Iowa
Arik Sikula                    RHP            SO            Rochester                  Marshall (WV)
David Deminsky            LHP             JR              St. Cloud              St. Cloud State (MN)
Bryce Butt                    RHP             JR             Wisconsin                          Ohio
Robert Brantly                C               FR             La Crosse              California-Riverside
Drew Beuerlein              C               JR             Rochester                         UNLV
Harold Riggins               1B              FR              Madison              North Carolina State
Jonathan Roof                2B              SO             St. Cloud                  Michigan State
Corey Jones                    SS               JR             Rochester              Cal State Fullerton
Troy Channing               3B              FR              Madison                   St. Mary’s (CA)
Mike Giller                    INF              JR             Waterloo                         Illinois
Chris Lewis                    OF              JR           Battle Creek            Western Michigan
Nolan Fadness               OF              SO            Eau Claire              Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Kurtis Muller                 OF              SO             Madison                           Iowa
Ryan Durant                  OF              JR              Mankato                           Iowa
Rance Roundy               OF              JR             Rochester                         UNLV
Mike Kvasnicka             DH             SO    Brainerd Lakes Area             Minnesota

Most Valuable Player
Corey Jones                        Rochester Honkers                              Cal State Fullerton

Pitcher of the Year
Bryce Butt                        Wisconsin Woodchucks                                     Ohio

Manager of the Year
Rusty McNamara               Rochester Honkers                             California-Riverside

Coach of the Year
Joe Cotton                           Rochester Honkers                        Bowling Green State (OH)

Best Playing Surface
Joe Faber Field                  St. Cloud River Bats

Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year
Andrew Tichy                      Alexandria Beetles                       Minnesota State-Moorhead