Lakeshore, Traverse City, Kenosha, Traci Wisz from Wausau and Ashley Kouba from Madison are honored
Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League has announced that Traci Wisz of the Wausau Woodchucks has been named the 2024 Northwoods League Baseball Most Valuable Team Member and Ashley Kouba from the Madison Night Mares has been named the 2024 Northwoods League Softball Most Valuable Team Member. In another vote by team officials, the Traverse City Pit Spitters were awarded the Promotion of the Year for their Corgis and Wieners night, the Lakeshore Chinooks were awarded the Community Program of the Year for their Make-A-Wish Wisconsin program and the Kenosha Kingfish won Outstanding Theme Night for their Kenosha Kickers alternate identity.
Traci Wisz just finished her 9th season with the Woodchucks. Since joining the Woodchucks front office in 2015 Traci has held a variety of positions with the team. She is currently the Vice President, Ticket Sales and Fan Experience and she oversees everything related to ticket sales, fan experience and marketing. Traci attended Minnesota State University, Mankato and holds a degree in Recreation Management.
Ashley Kouba finished her first season with the Madison Night Mares and her third season overall with the Mallards organization. Ashley began with the Mallards in 2022 as a Corporate Ticket Service Manager. She was promoted to Director of Ticket Operations and Corporate Service after the 2022 season. In 2023 she was promoted to Assistant General Manager of the Mallards and then received the same role with the Madison Night Mares for their inaugural season. Kouba holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The Kenosha Kingfish were awarded the Outstanding Theme Night of the Year for their Home Alone Night and Kenosha Kickers alternate Identity. The Kenosha 
Kickers are a fictional polka band from the movie Home Alone, led by John Candy’s Gus Polinski, the “Polka King of the Midwest.” In the movie, when their flight is cancelled because of snow, the band rents a moving truck and drives from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Milwaukee, which of course is located in the Kingfish’s home state of Wisconsin. The suite of logos, created by designer Tony Horning, is set in the maroon and yellow that the band used and features a combination of musical instruments and baseball. The primary logo is centered around a bass drum with the seams of a baseball on its skin, with a clarinet crossed with a baseball bat behind it. A secondary mark continues Wisconsin’s longstanding tradition of clever baseball glove logos with an accordion paired with a baseball to form a glove. The Kingfish celebrated Home Alone Night July 6.
The Lakeshore Chinooks were awarded the Community Program of the Year award. This past summer, the Lakeshore Chinooks hosted the first annual Make-A-Wish Wisconsin Day at the Ballpark. The event was an all-inclusive experience for kids in southeastern Wisconsin currently on the wish waitlist or wish kid alumni. Wish kids were able to bring their parents and siblings for the ballpark experience. Thanks to the generosity of their partner, Hupy & Abraham, kids and family members were provided complimentary game tickets, concessions voucher, and bobblehead. The sponsor donated $2,500, there was a 50/50 Raffle which raised $650.00, and the Miracle Minute raised $315.00.
The Traverse City Pit Spitters won the Promotion of the Year Award for their Corgis and Wieners Night. Corgis and Wieners night was created to celebrate two of the best kinds of dogs–corgis and wiener dogs (dachshunds). This promotion took place on Tuesday, June 11th as part of their Barks and Brews Tuesdays and featured pre-game Corgi Races. With this partnership, $1 hot dogs were sold to all fans in attendance. All fans were allowed to bring their dogs to the game as part of the Barks and Brews promotion, sponsored by Cheboygan Brewing Company. Fans who arrived early enough for the Corgi Races saw “Grizzy” win his fourth-straight Corgi Race title. Fans were also treated to themed in-game promotions, local organizations like Pet Supplies Plus and the Cherryland Humane Society with informational tables on the concourse, and specialty “pup cup” desserts in the ice cream shop. There was a total of 83 dogs in attendance this night and a donation of $500 was made to the Cherryland Humane Society
The Northwoods League is proud to recognize these most worthy award winners for the 2024 season.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history 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, over 370 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 two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network.
Leveraging the 31-year success of the Northwoods League, the first for-profit Summer Collegiate Baseball League, Northwoods League Softball (NWLS) is the first for-profit Women’s Summer Collegiate Softball League beginning play in the Upper Midwest in the summer of 2024. The purpose of the League will be to develop players for their college, Olympic and future professional play. Teams will be promoted similar to minor league baseball teams, playing games in front of fans in a fun, friendly, family-oriented environment.