Eau Claire and Lakeshore announcers take home honors

Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League has announced that Pete Knutson of the Eau Claire Express and Matt Menzl of the Lakeshore Chinooks have been named the 2023 Northwoods League TV Announcers of the Year.

“I want to congratulate Matt Menzl and Pete Knutson and their organizations for another great season of announcing Northwoods League games on tv and for helping to make Northwoods League baseball fun to watch for fans everywhere. Both Matt and Pete have been announcing Northwoods League games on TV for a number of years, and their passion for the game and Northwoods League baseball comes through in their games and the League is fortunate to have them. Congratulations again to Matt and Pete and their organizations on a job well done,” commented President of the Great Plains Division Glen Showalter.

Menzl and Knutson are two of the most tenured announcers in the Northwoods League with a wealth of knowledge and expertise about the players, coaches, and League itself. Menzl received his second consecutive Great Lakes Division announcer of the year.

“Our organization couldn’t be prouder of Matt being named NWL Great Lakes Division TV Announcer of the Year for a second consecutive year. The award is truly a testament to Matt’s hard work and dedication to the position. We are excited to see the League recognize his contributions to the live broadcast. The Chinooks are honored and very fortunate to have Matt on our team since our inaugural season back in 2012,” said Eric Snodgrass, GM of the Lakeshore Chinooks.

Both Pete Knutson and Matt Menzl were rewarded for their terrific efforts throughout the duration of the season by being named the broadcasting pair for the 2023 Summer Collegiate World Series.

General Manager of the Eau Claire Express, Sammi Costello commented, “Throughout my time in Eau Claire, I have had the privilege of listening to Pete Knutson as the voice of the Express. His knowledge of the sport and passion for the team and the League show through in each of his broadcasts. He is a mentor to so many throughout the League, and we are extremely grateful to have him a part of our team.”

To reach even more Northwoods League fans during the 2023 season, the League streamed over 150 select games on ESPN+ throughout the season. Northwoods League games that stream on ESPN+ are exclusive to ESPN+ and amount to approximately 20% of the Leagues 800+ games from its Memorial Day season opener to the League championship in mid-August. The Northwoods League also featured two regular season games, as well as two Divisional All-Star Games on ESPNU this season.

Fans can watch Northwoods League games on their own televisions using Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Android TV, in addition to being able to watch them on their pc, mobile phone or tablet.

The Northwoods League webcasting operation has continuously strived to improve the quality of its broadcast content since its inception well over a decade ago, and a part of that effort in recent years has been transitioning from simulcast audio operations to dedicated tv announcers for the game productions. All Northwoods League teams have dedicated TV announcers for the game day productions, in addition to producers, directors, and camera operators, and all the broadcast quality equipment that has been a valuable part of the League’s four camera high-definition webcasting stream of each Northwoods League game for years.

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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 340 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.