MANKATO, MN —When playing baseball at the top level, players come from all over. To be frank, talent is everywhere. Every place on the planet is home to tools formidable to the diamond. To be a Mankato MoonDog means plenty. Grit. Determination. Courage. Three of many words used to define a luscious franchise.
In a metaphoric sense, players come from far and wide to play MoonDogs baseball. In a literal sense, top players from across the country choose the MoonDogs to compete at a top collegiate level.
Coming all the way from the southeast, Florida State’s Brody DeLamielleure is no name to scoff at. The former Top-60 outfielder in the United States (Perfect Game) out of high school is a former Notre Dame commit who is and has been highly coveted for his ability on the field. The cousin of an NFL Hall of Famer, and son of a former member of the Twins organization, DeLamielleure brings serious skill to Mankato’s lineup this summer.
From the other side of the nation, Nico Libed is a freshman from Chula Vista, California. The UCSD catcher was a top 500 player in the country, and top 150 player in the state of California. Libed hit .370 as a senior in high school and seems to have an eye for the ball when in the box. The 5’9” nephew of a St Louis Cardinals scout can do it all and will look to put his five tools on display at ISG Field this season.
Headed northeast, Carter Thomas is a Hawkeye turned Cornhusker at Wayne State College. The electric left-handed arm throws with velocity and deception, catching the opposition off guard with his pitch mix. Thomas started 49 games with the Wildcats as an outfielder where he hit .339 while leading his team with 19 stolen bases. This summer, the two-way stud will look to display his arm while picking up wins along the way.
A special season is on the docket. The MoonDogs have allured players from far and wide to join the mission in raising the championship trophy. Mankato is a city of winners, and winning is in store this season.
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The Mankato MoonDogs 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 24 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, over 325 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 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.mankatomoondogs.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the MoonDogs as your favorite team.