It’s not every year that you get to cover an inaugural season. For AJ Swiatek it’s just another year in the Northwoods League. AJ covered the inaugural season of the Minot Hot Tots in 2023 as the broadcaster before joining the Mankato staff in 2024. AJ spent the 2024 summer calling both MoonDogs and Habaneros games. This gave AJ one of the best seats in the house for all the memorable moments that happened at ISG Field this summer. We sat back with AJ as he looked back at his top 5 memories from the season.
#5- Winning the Championship
While the team did not win the 2024 NWLS Championship at ISG Field, all 21 games played at ISG Filed were important on the trail to being crowned champions. The ride from the press box was one to remember recalled AJ, “We were watching high quality softball from the get-go”. The Habaneros started the season off 3-1 with an opening night 10-run rule against the Minot Honeybees. As the season moved forward the magic number for the championship started floating around the press box and every game felt like it had more hanging on it.
#4- Pagie Zender Winning the Triple Crown
On the baseball side of the Northwoods League no player has ever won the Triple Crown. In year one of softball Pagie Zender set records that might never be touched. Pagie led the league in BA .417, HR 15, and RBI 60. In each category she had decisive leads against the competition posting 10 more home runs compared to second in the league, 24 more RBIs over the next in the league. “It was like watching Barry Bonds in his prime” AJ said about Zender’s season.
#3- 10 Run Rule Wins
The Habaneros were able to end the game 9 times this season due to being ahead by 10, while no team was able to do it to them. The Habaneros played with a level of competition like no other. Once the team put the peddle to the metal the game was going to be over. The high-flying offense, shut down defense and pitching by the Habaneros was one to see this summer. Every time you showed up to ISG Field this summer you felt like you could be in for a firework show. Of the 9 run rule games this season 6 of them happened at ISG Field.
#2- Sailor Hall Winning the ASG Home Run Challenge
The addition of softball to the All-Star Game this season was one to take in. The game played before the Home Run Challenge saw the Habaneros show the league how dominate they are as they took down the Steam 11-3. Sailor Hall had one of the biggest nights in the league. After posting a 2-4 night with 4 RBIs Sailor would go long 10 times in the Home Run Challenge to be crowned the first softball Home Run Challenge Champion.
#1- The Fans
Not every fan base is the same, not even in the same market. The Habanero fans made this season something special. “I traveled with the Hot Tots in my first year and saw how the fans were in many of the Great Plains stadiums. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come to Mankato in the first place. What I saw and heard at the Habaneros games was something out of a movie. Every game the fans were engaged from start to finish and celebrated every moment. It would get so loud you would think you were at a sold-out rock concert.” recalled AJ.
While the season is still fresh in our mind the 2025 season will catch up to us quickly. The staff are already working on putting together a team that can hopefully defend the championship and build upon the standards our first team set.
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Leveraging the 30-year success of the Northwoods League, the first for-profit Summer Collegiate Baseball League, Northwoods League Softball (NWLS) will be 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.
