Eau Claire, Wis.— Five members of the Eau Claire Express were selected to the 2016 Northwoods League All-Star Game in Kenosha, WI on June 19th. As the first half North Division Champions, manager Dale Varsho and his coaching staff (Drew Pearson and Vic Cable) will coach the North Division team that includes five talented Eau Claire players who were key to the first half success of the team.
Daulton Varsho was selected to the All Star team for the second consecutive season as a member of the Express. Varsho leads the Northwoods League in home runs, displaying his exceptional power from the plate with nine home runs. Varsho has the fourth most RBI’s, driving in 34 runs on 39 hits while scoring 30 runs himself (also fourth best in the leage). The sophomore catcher from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee holds a .289 batting average, and set the Eau Claire Express franchise record for career home runs (nine) this season.
Joining Varsho in the field for the North Division All Star Team will be Ben Mezzenga. Mezzenga sits one position ahead of Varsho in third place for the most runs scored (31) in the Northwoods League this season. The center fielder from the University of Minnesota has displayed electric speed on the base paths this season, stealing 17 bases in only 21 games during the first half of the season, the third most in the league. Mezzenga has legged out two triples, in addition to two home runs at Carson Park, displaying his versatility and sneaky power in the batter’s box. Mezzenga leads the team with a .330 batting average, and holds a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in the outfield, utilizing his blistering speed to track down balls that span across the outfield.
The remaining three All Star selections come from the pitching staff for the Express. Pitching was key down the stretch in Eau Claire’s pursuit of the first half title, with a shut out clinching a key victory against a North Division opponent to take a late Division lead and seal a playoff spot and a playoff game at Carson Park in mid-August.
Caleb Boushley has been the anchor of the Express pitching staff following his Division III All American selection for his undefeated (10-0) regular season for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Boushley has a 4-1 overall record this season, walking just one batter in 31 innings pitched through July 1st. During the month of June, Boushley had an 18 inning stretch without allowing a run, where he won the Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night award on July 1st for his expert control on the mound. Boushley holds a remarkable 2.03 ERA, with 29 strikeouts, highlighted by an 11-strikeout performance against the Green Bay Bullfrogs on June 17th.
Joining Boushley on the North Division team at the All Star Game will be right-hander Austin Schulfer. The sophomore from UW-Milwaukee has been dominant on the mound this season, despite not having an overwhelming win-loss record. Schulfer is 1-1 on the rubber for the Express, with his win coming in a 5.2 inning relief appearance back on June 1st against the Rochester Honkers. Schulfer is near the top of the Northwoods League in several categories, including strikeouts where he has 40 strikeouts over 34.2 innings pitched, highlighted by two 10 strikeout games to start the season.
The Stevens Point, WI native started the must-win game against the La Crosse Loggers that clinched the North Division title in the first half of the season. In the game, Schulfer pitched five innings allowing just one run on six hits while striking out six opposing batters. Schulfer has held batters to a miniscule .172 average, proving a key cog in the Express’s rotation looking towards the post season.
Dalton Roach rounds out the Express all stars as the third starting pitcher selected to play in Kenosha on June 19th. Roach began the 2016 season with one of the most memorable pitching performances in Express history, striking out the first 12 batters he saw en route to a franchise record 18 strikeouts in the eight inning win on Opening Night. The sophomore from Minnesota State Mankato relied on his high fastball to blow away Rochester Honkers’ batters, holding them to just two hits in the game. The right-hander has made only two starts this season due to an innings limit, which will force him to miss the All Star Game. Roach holds a team-low 0.64 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched, holding batters to a .104 batting average.
The five Express players will represent the team in Kenosha, hoping to prove to the fans why they were crowned the first half Champions and continue to hold the best record in the Northwoods League. The Express are in Duluth, MN for a two game series against the Huskies this weekend, with Brody Rodning’s first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. tonight at Wade Stadium.
Here is the link to the official Northwoods League release:
http://northwoodsleague.com/blog/2016/07/08/northwoods-league-announces-2016-all-star-selections/
Season tickets and single-game tickets are on sale now for Express home games. All tickets can be purchased by calling the Express office at 715-839-7788 or by stopping at the downtown office at 102 E. Grand Ave.
The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 150 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Express as your favorite team.