Fab Five Returnees Highlight Loggers First Player Signings of 2026
Top Hitters from ’25 Club Returning
LA CROSSE, WIS. – With a new year comes renewed excitement and the La Crosse Loggers front office was more than excited to share their first set of player signings today when team officials announced that five key players from their 2025 squad will be returning to La Crosse for the upcoming summer. Top hitters Eli Small, Carson Ohland, Savion Flowers, Max Kalk and Eddie Peters will once again be dawning the Logger pinstripes.
Eli Small won Team MVP honors last summer after hitting .311 while leading the Lumbermen in doubles (14) and RBI’s (55). The left-handed hitting sophomore also ranked second on the team with 66 hits, five home runs and 24 stolen bases. Small, an Elkhorn, Neb. native, is now preparing for his spring season at Florida Atlantic after originally starting his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky. Small was also one of seven “Iron Man” award honorees last summer, having spent the entire summer with the Loggers from start to finish, having led the team with 212 at-bats while ranking second in games played (55).
Switch-hitter Carson Ohland (Grand Canyon) will also be returning to the Loggers outfield this summer and bringing his big bat with him. Ohland led the Loggers with a .345 batting average and totaled a team-best 69 hits last summer while ranking third in games played (54). Ohland’s 13 doubles ranked second on the club and his 42 runs scored coupled with his 42 RBI’s ranked third. The junior from Maple Valley, Wash. appeared in 39 games for Grand Canyon last spring, hitting .240 with three home runs.
Fan favorite Savion Flowers is excited to return as well. Following a very productive stint at Cisco Junior College, Flowers broke onto the summer collegiate scene in a big way in 2025 for the Lumbermen. The left-handed hitter from Chicago, Ill. led the Loggers in games played (56), runs scored (44), home runs (6) and walks (37) along with ranking second in RBI’s (44) and third in hits (54) and doubles (12). Like Small, Flowers was also an “Iron Man” award honoree who was in La Crosse all summer and is now set to embark on his sophomore season at the University of Kansas.
Backstop Max Kalk (Ball State) joined the Loggers in mid-June last summer after an injury opened a roster spot and Kalk made the most of his opportunity. The left-handed hitting catcher hit .321 over 21 games, knocked in 16 runs and posted a .398 on-base percentage. The Appleton, Wisc. native is getting set to embark on his junior season at Ball State after a fruitful 2025 campaign that saw him hit .333 over 25 games played and drive in 14 runs.
La Crosse Aquinas grad Eddie Peters (Xavier) is the fifth Logger returnee who’s excited to return home to La Crosse this summer. After his freshman debut at Xavier last spring, Peters broke out last summer when he hit .343 over 30 games played and 108 at-bats. The 6-2 infielder also drove in 21 runs, scored 25 and posted an .850 OPS. The La Crescent, Minn. native led Aquinas to the 2024 Wisconsin State title and was honored as a first-team all-state selection.
The 2026 edition of Loggers Baseball takes to the field on Monday, May 25 when they host the Duluth Huskies at 3:05 p.m. at the friendly confines of Copeland Park. Season tickets, group outings and flex plans are on sale now with ticket information available at www.lacrosseloggers.com or by calling the Loggers ticket office at 608-796-9553. The Loggers office is also open Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am – 5 p.m., at 1225 Caledonia Street, La Crosse.
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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 entering its’ 33rd 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, 360 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 (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on FloSports. 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.