A Letter From The Owner

The 2024 Eau Claire Express season was one for the ages. With countless records broken, including the shattering of our single-season home run record (now 74 home runs!), it was a season our family will not soon forget. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have made this possible. And I send a very special thank you to you, our fans, employees, sponsors, players, and the winningest coaches in Northwoods League history, Dale Varsho and Vic Cable.

Our full-time staff, Dale Varsho, Sammi Kreuser-Costello, Ben Teske, and Nick Aldrich, work year-round prepping for our season. Caleb Timm joined us before the season to fill out our marketing department for the summer. Pete Knutson called our video broadcasts on Northwoods League + and Noah Schwartz our radio broadcasts on Moose Country 106.7. Thank you for all you have done to pack Carson Park and make our games so enjoyable.

Our team would not be able to operate without our intern staff, and I cannot thank them enough for their time and energy this summer. I am proud to send them either back to school or out into the world, knowing that they are set to dominate whatever field of work they choose.

Without Host Families, the Northwoods League would cease to exist. They are the backbone of our team and make our players feel like they are at home. Thank you to Melinda Huth, Anita Coenen, and Jess LaBrec for coordinating our Host Family program and for making it so rewarding for all those involved.

Our game day employees are vital to our operation, and it is heartwarming to see many of the same faces come back year after year. It lets me know that they enjoy their job, have made friends, and look forward to every summer.

This season, we had a Culver’s Youth Team of the Night every single game and teams from as far away as Gilmanton. We are so excited about this program that we are looking to expand it for next season. We are fortunate to have so many opportunities for kids to play baseball in every city in the area, and we are glad to help build on that excitement with the Eau Claire Express.

Thank you to the City of Eau Claire for providing us with such a great venue as Carson Park. The Parks and Rec Department does an excellent job keeping our grass field among the best in the Northwoods League, and their work does not go unnoticed. We are very thankful for that relationship and all their help with 87-year-old Carson Park.

Though we have the name “Eau Claire Express,” we are not just Eau Claire’s team. Thank you to the fans from Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, and more who come to our games throughout the summer. Fans from throughout America visit Carson Park and stay in our local hotels. This summer, we even had visitors from Italy getting their first exposure to baseball! The Eau Claire Express makes a significant economic impact on the Greater Chippewa Valley, and we appreciate that!

We approach this upcoming season with optimism for the future. We saw what a great addition the Wipfli Zone was to Carson Park and it has invigorated us to continue on our work of improving Carson Park. We hope the city will agree with us and continue to make Carson Park the perfect mixture of baseball history and current gameday experience and comfort.

Thank you for a memorable 2024 season. I am so excited to see you all at the ballpark again in 2025! #RollTrains

Craig Toycen

Eau Claire Express Owner