Seattle Mariners Pitching Coach Pete Woodworth to Headline Loggers Winter BBQ
Former Logger Hurler Returning to La Crosse for Annual Hot Stove Event
LA CROSSE, WIS. – The La Crosse Loggers front office announced today that former Logger, and current Seattle Mariners pitching coach, Pete Woodworth will headline their 20th Winter Baseball BBQ. The annual hot stove event will be held on January 25 in the Riverside Ballroom at the La Crosse Center in downtown La Crosse. This year’s event will once again feature an induction ceremony from the La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Fame and the name of La Crosse’s new women’s summer collegiate softball team will also be unveiled.
Woodworth, a Florida native, has been the Mariners pitching coach since 2020, working alongside Coulee Region native Scott Servais and with former Loggers field manager Andy McKay who currently serves as the M’s assistant general manager. Following the 2022 season, Woodworth was named the MLB coach of the year by Baseball America after helping propel Seattle to a 90-win campaign and their first playoff appearance since 2001. Woodworth’s pitching staff posted the eighth-best ERA (3.59) in all of baseball that year and he continues to lead a staff that features the likes of Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Robbie Ray, George Kirby and others.
Woodworth’s ascent to the big-league coaching ranks was as swift as anyone in the history of baseball. Having just finished his fourth season as the M’s leader of pitching, he’s still just 35 years of age and is the youngest pitching coach in all of Major League Baseball.
Woodworth’s route to the Mariners started with his connection to La Crosse when he was a key member of the 2008 & 2009 Loggers pitching staff that were under the guidance of McKay at that time. The former Florida Gulf Coast right-hander, who was collegiate and Logger teammates with current Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale, helped lead the 2009 Loggers to a 41-win season and a post-season berth that ended with a loss in Game #3 of the NWL Championship Series to Rochester.
The 20th Winter Baseball BBQ will also feature inductions of the 2024 class into the La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Fame and the newly formed women’s summer collegiate softball team will unveil their team name publicly for the first time as they prepare for their inaugural season in the Northwoods Softball League.
Tickets for the Loggers 20th Winter Baseball BBQ are on sale now at LaCrosseLoggers.com or by calling the Loggers ticket office at 608-796-9553. Fans can also visit the Loggers office at 1225 Caledonia Street, La Crosse between 8:30-5, Monday thru Friday. Individual tickets can be purchased to the event for just $25. Corporate reserved tables of eight are also available by contacting the Loggers ticket office. All tickets include a catered meal and the Winter Baseball BBQ program. Doors will open to the public at 5:00 p.m. for a social hour, followed by the program at 6:35 p.m.
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The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31st 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, 300 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 (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. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Loggers as your favorite team.
