Honkers Sign Minnesota’s 2014 Mr. Baseball Award Winner and Local Product Brad Mathiowetz
Mathiowetz was just honored as the Male Athlete of the Year by the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission
(Photo of Mathiowetz receiving award from 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Bart Conner)
(Rochester, Minn.)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Brad Mathiowetz, the Rochester Mayo High School graduate and Minnesota’s 2014 Mr. Baseball Award Winner, for the 2015 Northwoods League Season.
Mathiowetz, a 5-foot-11, 187-pound freshman catcher at Des Moines Area Community College was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 35th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He finished his senior season at Mayo High School hitting .570 with 18 home runs, second-best on the all-time single-season list in Minnesota, passing Joe Mauer’s 14 homers. Mathiowetz also set state records in total bases (122), slugging percentage (1.418) and his 54 RBI’s ranks him No. 3 overall. This was accomplished in 86 at bats in which he only struck out seven times. For his efforts, Mathiowetz was name the Big 9 Conference and Section Player of the Year and was an All-State and First Team All-American Selection.
Mathiowetz also played for the Minnesota Blizzard, a traveling club program in Minnesota that plays in top-tier tournaments throughout the U.S. In his 20 games with the Blizzard, Mathiowetz hit .410 with five home runs and 20 RBIs, while throwing out 12-12 would be base stealers.
"Brad Mathiowetz is the top offensive catcher the Blizzard program has seen," Blizzard owner Adam Barta said. "He was a leader for us and a player who hated to lose more than he liked to win."
Mathiowetz earned the Minnesota Blizzard “Joe Loftus” Top Hitter Award in 2014.
The Rochester Amateur Sports Commission just honored Mathiowetz with the Male Athlete of the Year Award at the 10th Annual Rochester Area Sports Banquet.
The Rochester Honkers 22nd season begins on May 26th when the Mankato MoonDogs bark into Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Rochester Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information. The Honkers are also looking for host families for the 2015 season and ask all interested parties to call the business office for more information.
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The are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com
