The Thunder Bay Border Cats announced that Andy Judkins has been hired as the team’s new field manager for the 2012 Northwoods League season.  The 26-year-old native of Lakeville, MN has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Rochester Honkers where he helped guide the Honkers to the 2010 North Division title and a berth in the NWL Championship series against the Eau Claire Express. Judkins becomes the ninth manager in Border Cats history and replaces Mike Steed who stepped down as manager on September 15th for family reasons.  
 
"We would like to welcome Andy Judkins as the new field manager of the Border Cats," stated team owner/general manager Brad Jorgenson. "His two years of experience in the NWL as an assistant coach with Rochester weighed heavily in our decision and he also came highly recommended by Mike Steed our former manager," Jorgenson added.    

Judkins is currently an assistant coach at Central Arizona College in Coolidge, AZ., a school that produced former Border Cats players A.J. Schugel and Garrett Yount. He has also served as an assistant coach in Minnesota at Concordia University in St. Paul and Minnesota State University in Mankato as well as the Glens Falls Golden Eagles of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. 
 
Judkins played his collegiate baseball at Iowa Central Community College and Concordia University and he also spent the 2006 NWL season as an outfielder with the St. Cloud River Bats.  He is a graduate of both Concordia University and Minnesota State University.  Andy and his wife Tracie reside in Casa Grande, AZ.