2009 Total Newsroom Archive
December 23 , 2009
Rochester Honkers Named a Finalist for Sports Award
(Rrochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club was just named one of five finalists for the Organization of the Year award by the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission (RASC). The award will be handed out at the fifth annual Rochester Area Sports Banquet on January 25, 2010.
“Our job of selecting finalists was a challenging one again this year,” said Bob Brown, Selection Committee Chairperson, “Many athletes and teams had outstanding performances in 2009 and we feel we have a great list of finalists that represent several different schools and teams.”
The Rochester Honkers claimed their league best 5th Northwoods League Championship in 2009. They took home the Manager of the Year and Coach of the Year honors as well as having the NWL’s MVP. This was the first time in the Northwoods League’s 16 years that any team has swept those 3 awards and won the Championship.
The Honkers placed a league best five players on the NWL Post Season All-Star team and also had a league high seven players named to the North Division mid-season all-star team. They are also the only team in NWL history to claim the NWL Championship in 2 different divisions. The Rochester Honkers took home the 2006 Amateur Sports Organization of the Year award after winning the 2006 NWL Championship.
Former Minnesota Twins Great and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew will be at the guest speaker at the banquet which will be held at the Mayo Civic Auditorium on Jan. 25, 2010. Tickets are available and can be purchased from the RASC for only $30. For more information call the RASC at 507-280-4701.
December 16 , 2009
Madison Mallards’ Managementbringing “Baseball Like It Oughta Be!” to Wisconsin Rapids
Liz Kern becomes the Northwoods League’s first female General Manager in 16-year history
(Willmar, MN)—The Northwoods League is officially expanding to Wisconsin Rapids and will be calling historic Witter Field home. The team will be owned by Steve Schmitt, who owns the Madison Mallards in the NWL, and Vern Stenman who has operated the Madison franchise since its inception in 2001. The General Manager of the team will be Liz Kern, who has been the Mallards Customer Service and Ticket Sales Manager the past three years, becoming the Northwoods League’s first female GM in its 16-year history. The expansion franchise becomes the league’s 16th team.
In 2001, Schmitt and Stenman took over the expansion Mallards after three professional teams had failed in Madison and have since transformed the franchise into being the widely-regarded most successful summer collegiate team in the country, drawing 6,005 fans per game in 2009 which was nearly twice the next closest team in the country (La Crosse, WI). The 2009 attendance ranked the Mallards 31st amongst all minor league teams in the country (including summer collegiate, independent and affiliated professional) in per-game attendance while operating in the 84th largest media market in the country. In 2004 the team drew a summer collegiate baseball record crowd of 10,061 fans and in August of 2007, Madison surpassed the One Million mark in franchise attendance, when ten-year-old John Olsen of Elkhorn, Wisc. walked through the gates of the ballpark affectionately known as the “Duck Pond.”
The Mallards have also been competitive on the field appearing in the playoffs in five of the last seven summers and competing in three NWL Championship Series’, winning the title in 2004 over the Duluth Huskies. Over 51 former Mallards have been drafted and competed in professional baseball.
Kern, a 2006 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, was an outfielder on the softball team and will be moving to Wisconsin Rapids permanently in January. She has managed the Mallards customer service working with over 600 business clients and has been responsible for renewing over 95% of those accounts annually. Kern joined the Mallards as a part-time employee in 2004 and has seen an increased amount of responsibility every year since that time.
Witter Field hosted minor league baseball until 1983 when the Wisconsin Rapids Twins of the Midwest League departed for Kenosha, WI. Since then the field’s primary tenant has been the Wisconsin Rapids Legion program who has done an admirable job maintaining the historic field. The Legion teams will continue to have access to the ballpark during the term of the lease and the NWL team is excited about working with the Legion and all other area teams.
“The Wisconsin Rapids Legion program is one of the best in the country and we couldn’t be more excited to be coming to a market that already has a great passion for baseball – we look forward to helping build that passion in Rapids for years to come,” said GM Kern.
The ownership group will detail a plan to install 400 permanent former-County Stadium seats at Witter Field for 2010 as part of a partnership with the city of Wisconsin Rapids.
A “Name the Hometown Team” contest will run through the middle part of January with the winner receiving season tickets for 2010. Those wishing to submit entries should visit Rapidsbaseball.com. Team name ideas can also be submitted via email to info@rapidsbaseball.com.
Ticket pricing, team name and logo will be unveiled at a press conference in January. Fans can get priority seat selection by placing a $25 deposit by visiting Rapidsbaseball.com, calling the office at 715-424-5400, or at the press conference tonight.
Tonight’s press conference will be streamed live from the Centralia Center at http://www.livestream.com/rccatv beginning at 6 p.m.
The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The 2010 Northwoods League season will begin on Wednesday, June 2nd.
December 3 , 2009
Honkers Welcome Willmar Stingers
(Willmar, MN)—The newest member of the Northwoods League from Willmar, MN is proud to announce they will be called the “Willmar Stingers” (logo attached). The Stingers logo features a bee holding a bat and appears ready to hit a baseball wrapped behind the Stingers nickname with Willmar in a font below.
The logo and team colors will be black and yellow and were unveiled Wednesday night at the Holiday Inn Conference Center with special guest major league pitcher Chris Jakubauskas. Also on hand for the event was graphic designer/creator of the logo Justin Schaller, who resides in Eau Claire, WI.
Team owners Ryan Voz and Marc Jerzak are excited about the new name and the buzz that the “Name the Team” contest created. “We were very pleased with the turnout of names entered into the contest where there were over 800 names suggested.” We wanted a fun name, keeping with the Northwoods theme and the name Stingers stood out to us,” Voz said.
Robert Malmgren of Willmar submitted the winning entry and was the proud winner of a pair of Stingers Season Tickets for a lifetime.
Former Northwoods Leaguer and current Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Chris Jakubauskas took pictures and signed autographs for new Willmar fans. Jakubauskas played in the Northwoods League for the St. Cloud River Bats in 1999. This past season he made his Major League debut with the Seattle Mariners against the Minnesota Twins on April 8th. He finished his rookie season with 8 starts, 1 complete game, 27 relief appearances, 93 innings pitched and a 6-7 record. The Pirates recently purchased his rights.
To date, 60 former Northwoods League players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including nine players making their MLB Debut in 2009.
Stinger Season Tickets for all 34-home games as well as merchandise is currently on sale and can be ordered for the holidays. Purchases can be made by contacting the Stingers office at 320-222-2010 and by going to willmarstingers.com.
The Stingers are offering a $99 season ticket special package for the first 100 tickets sold. Regular prices for season tickets are $149 for reserved seat backs and $169 for box seat season tickets.
Single game tickets can be purchased in the near future at $6 for reserved seat back, $8.50 for box seat back or $10 for plaza seating. The Stingers will play the 34-home game schedule at Bill Taunton Stadium at Baker Field, where the capacity is currently 1,050.
The Northwoods League plays more games than, draws more fans than, and plays in venues superior to any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The 17th season of Northwoods League baseball will begin in early June 2010. Willmar joins Alexandria, Brainerd, Duluth, Mankato, Rochester, and St. Cloud as Minnesota cities in the NWL; Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, and Wausau from Wisconsin; Waterloo, Iowa; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The organization will name a field manager in the upcoming weeks as well as the 2010 Northwoods League schedule. For more information regarding the new team, tickets and upcoming season, please call 320-222-2010 or visit www.willmarstingers.com.
September 30 , 2009
Honkers Hire Dreier as Field Manager
(NWL-Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Thom Dreier (pronounced Dryer), Assistant Coach at Paradise Valley Community College (Mesa, AZ) as their Field Manager for the 2010 season. Dreier brings both professional playing experience and summer collegiate coaching experience to the Honkers coaching staff this summer. He replaces Rusty McNamara who led the Honkers to their 5th Northwoods League Championship in 2009 and becomes the 9th field manager in Honker history.
“I sincerely appreciate the chance to coach the Rochester Honkers,” said Dreier. “Their strong tradition coupled with the outstanding reputation of the Northwoods League makes this a great opportunity. Everything I've heard about the organization makes me extremely pleased to work with the Honkers.”
Dreier, a 6’5” 235-pounder who turns 34 in October, has some big shoes to fill in replacing the 5’8” McNamara. McNamara led the Honkers to a league best 42-26 record, which produced 5 post season all-stars, the league MVP, the Coach of the Year and he was honored with Manager of the Year.
“Rusty is an outstanding young coach,” said Dreier. “His successupthere and at UC Riverside does not surprise me in the least. As a player he had an outstanding college and professional career. He was one of the upperclassmenI both respected and learned a great deal from when we were teammates in college.”
Dreier finished his collegiate pitching career at Oklahoma State in 1999 where he was a teammate with McNamara. The right-hander was drafted in the 13th round by the San Diego Padres in 1998 but opted to return to school. He then was selected in the 20th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999 and began his professional career.
“I strongly recommended Thom to Dan Litzinger as I have known Thom for 14 years and went to college with him at OSU,” said McNamara. “I was torn between returning and not returning this summer. I had such a great experience in Rochester and the team had a very successful summer to say the least. It was a tough decision when I decided that I was going to pursue other avenues in my coaching career.”
Following a two-year stint in the Blue Jays farm system, Dreier turned to private instruction from 2000-2007. He returned to collegiate baseball in 2007 as theAssistant Pitching Coach and Director of Baseball Operations at Marshall University. Dreier then moved on to Arizona State University in 2008 aiding the Sun Devils in recruiting and operations. He then spent the summer as the Pitching Coach for the Saratoga Phillies of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. In 2009, Dreier landed the Pitching Coach position at Paradise Valley Community College.In the first year for the program, the Pumas won their conference and finished ranked 10th in the nation. He'salsoan associate scout for the Atlanta Braves. This past summer, Dreier was the Head Coach for the Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Summer Collegiate League. He led his team to a 2nd place finish with a 31-21 record. His team landed four all-stars as well as the Alaska League’s #1 prospect.
“The Northwoods is the closest thing a college player can get to a true minor league experience while still in college,” said Dreier. “The long schedule combined with the travel makes it very similar to what a player can expect once they enter pro ball. Summer ball is a great chance for players to develop and improve. I've been fortunate enough to coach some very talented players in summer ball and helping them progress in their playing careers is a very rewarding experience.”
The Rochester Honkers 17th season is scheduled to begin in early June, 2010. Their 2010 official schedule is slated to be released sometime in December.
August 31 , 2009
Honkers Land 2 in Top 10
(NWL-Rochester, MN)—La Crosse Loggers catcher Rob Brantly (California-Riverside) ranks as the top prospect in the Northwoods League for 2009 according to the list published Thursday by “Baseball America”. Brantly won the Northwoods League batting title with a .346 average while helping his Loggers claim the South Division Championship.
On Brantly, Baseball America’s Aaron Fitt reports:
“Widely regarded as one of the top recruits in Southern California last year, Brantly had a solid freshman season at UCR (hitting .316/.344/.454) before exploding in the NWL. He led the league in batting (.346), ranked third in on-base percentage (.411) and second in slugging (.516), while compiling six homers and 34 RBIs. He showed off his mature offensive approach and ability to make consistent contact by drawing 21 walks and striking out just 11 times, the fewest of any NWL qualifier. Brantly's smooth lefthanded swing creates good backspin, and he projects to add more power as he fills out his wiry 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame. Behind the plate, he's a decent receiver and blocker with some arm strength, though his defense lags a bit behind his bat. He also earns plaudits for his ability to handle a pitching staff. Brantly should garner plenty of interest as a draft-eligible sophomore next spring, but he could be a premium pick as a junior in 2011.”
The complete list of BA’s top prospects for the Northwoods League is below. Alexandria, Green Bay, and Rochester all placed two players in the top 10. Scouting reports on all of the players can be found on the premium section of BA’s website at baseballamerica.com.
1. Rob Brantly, C, La Crosse (So., UC Riverside)
2. Dixon Anderson, RHP, Green Bay (So., California)
3. Michael Kvasnicka, OF/C, Brainerd Lakes Area (Jr., Minnesota)
4. Tony Thompson, 3B, Rochester (Jr., Kansas)
5. Matt Miller, RHP, Alexandria (So., Michigan)
6. Erik Johnson, RHP, Alexandria (So., California)
7. Brooks Pinckard, RHP/OF, Eau Claire (Jr., Baylor)
8. Harold Riggins, 1B, Madison (So., North Carolina State)
9. Zach Varce, RHP, Green Bay (Jr., Portland)
10. Corey Jones, 2B/SS, Rochester (Jr., Cal State Fullerton)
The Northwoods League plays more games than, draws more fans than, and plays in venues superior to any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. To date, 57 of the NWL’s former players have gone on to play Major League Baseball.
August 16 , 2009
Honkers Win Fifth NWL Championship
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers are Northwoods League Champions for the fifth time in the league’s 16 seasons.
Zach Robertson (Iowa) tossed six strong innings on just three days rest and clutch home runs by Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton), Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) gave the Honkers all their offense as they defeated the La Crosse Loggers 7-4 in game three of the NWL Championship Series at Mayo Field on Sunday afternoon in front a 1,194 fans, a new Rochester Honkers playoff attendance record. La Crosse kept it close, and the Rochester’s lead was just 4-3 heading into the eighth before Dunsmore’s three-run shot extended the lead to 7-3 in the eighth inning. Arik Sikula (Marshall) pitched two innings of relief to earn the save and complete the victory. The prior titles for the Honkers came in 1994, 1997, 1999 and 2006.
The Honkers turned to their ace, Zach Robertson, even though he was pitching on just three days of rest. Fatigue appeared to be bothering him early, as he looked anything but his usual dominant self for the first three innings. He struggled with command, and had to pitch out of jams in each of the first two frames. But the Loggers got on the board in the third inning, and took a 1-0 lead on a deep RBI double off the bat of Robert Brantly (UC-Riverside). But the blow seemed to wake Robertson up, and he was an unstoppable force after that. He retired the final ten men he faced as he shut down La Crosse through the sixth.
Meanwhile La Crosse starter Tony Mueller (Winona State) dominated the Honkers bats through the first three innings, and faced the minimum in that stretch. But Rochester seemed to figure him out the second time through the lineup, and touched him for four runs in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. John Tommasini (Oregon State) started the inning with a single, and Corey Jones hit a deep fly ball the bounced off the top of the wall and over in left center for a two-run homer to give the Honkers their first lead of the game. Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) singled two batters later, and Beuerlein came up with two outs and a runner on. He crushed a ball to right field that banged off the scoreboard for another two-run homer to give the Honkers a 4-1 lead and chase Mueller from the game.
The score would stay at 4-1 until the seventh, when the Loggers rallied back against the Rochester bullpen. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) came on to start the inning, and he gave up a double, a single and a walk to first three men he faced to load the bases with no outs. Corey Jones then made a great over-the-shoulder running into shallow left field to rob a base hit and get the first out without a run scoring. But Gagnon would continue his command problems, and walk Boomer Collins (Nebraska) to send in a run and make it 4-2. The Honkers then went to Scott McGough (Oregon), and he gave up an infield single to Austin Knight (Dallas Baptist) that brought in another run to make it a one-run game at 4-3. But McGough reached deep in the tank and struck out Chris Engell (San Diego) before get Brantly to fly out to deep left. Drew Beuerlein was the real hero on that play, as he made a spectacular running, tumbling catch into the corner to save the lead and end the inning.
Arik Sikula (Marshall) came on and held the lead there in the eighth, and the Honkers gave him plenty of insurance in the bottom half of the inning. A walk and single but two runners on for Aaron Johnson (Illinois) with one out, and he singled to left. The Honkers sent Scott Berke (UNLV), who came on as a pinch runner for Beuerlein, but a perfect throw got him at the plate for the second out. Dunsmore was the next batter, though, and lifted a pitch from Troy Watson (Sacramento CC) that sailed over the wall in left for a three-run homer to give the Honkers a 7-3 lead. The runs would end up being important, as Sikula gave up a solo shot to Blair Moore (San Diego State) to start the ninth, but settled down and got the next three men he faced to earn a two-inning save and a fifth league title for the Rochester Honkers.
Tommasini was the only Honker with multiple hits, while the homers from Jones, Beuerlein and Dunsmore were the difference offensively. Robertson earned the win by pitching six innings and allowing just one run on three hits while Sikula gave up just two base runner in his two innings of relief. The loss went to Mueller of the Loggers, who gave up four runs in just 3.2 innings.
The Honkers will now enjoy the off-season with a championship under their belts, and the club would like to congratulate all of the players, and thank the fans, for a fantastic and fun summer. Have a wonderful off-season and we will see you next summer!
August 15 , 2009
Honkers Fall 5-4, Game Three Sunday at 3:05pm
(Rochester, MN)—Brian Flynn (Wichita State) managed to go just five innings for the Honkers, but handed the bullpen a 2-1 lead when he left. La Crosse would get to the relievers, though, and scored two runs off of Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) and two more off of Scott McGough (Oregon) to take a 5-3 lead into the ninth. The Honkers rallied and got the tying run to third with two outs, but couldn’t bring him home and fell 5-4 in game two of the NWL Championship series. The entire season now comes down to tomorrow afternoon, then the Loggers and Honkers face off in a decisive game three at 3:05pm at Mayo Field in Rochester.
The Honkers scored first as they earned a run in the second inning on an RBI single by Aaron Johnson (Illinois), but La Crosse answered in the third inning to even the score at 1-1. The score stayed there until the fifth, which started with Jones drawing a one-out walk for the Honkers. Danny Brock (St. Louis), who entered the game with homers in each of the first three postseason games, barely missed another run, driving a single high off the wall to put runners on the corners. Roundy came up next and bounced to short, but the Loggers were unable to turn the double play and Jones scored from third to give Rochester a 2-1 lead. The Loggers wouldn’t stay down for long, though, as doubles from Baligod and Robert Abel (San Francisco) against Nick Ramirez evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.
La Crosse pushed across another to take their first lead in the seventh, as Austin Knight (Dallas Baptist) doubled to left to start the inning. A sacrifice moved him to third, and he came home on a wild pitch as Ramirez pitched to Brantly to give the Loggers a 3-2 lead. This time, though, it was the Honkers with a quick answer, as Aaron Johnson smashed a solo home run off of Steve Gruver (Tennessee) to tie the game at 3-3. It was the first homer Gruver had given up this year.
But the Loggers would once again rally, and seize a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning against Scott McGough. Aaron Gates (Pepperdine) reached on an error to start the inning, but was caught in a run down between second and third after Abel singled. A ground out then put a runner on third with no out, but three straight singles from Thomas Collins (Nebraska), Knight and Chris Engell (San Deigo) sent two runs across the plate to give La Crosse a 5-3 lead heading into the top of the ninth. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) started the inning with a single, but Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) struck out and Brock popped out in foul territory for the second out. Rance Roundy was then hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base for Drew Beuerlein (UNLV). Beuerlein lifted a fly ball just passed the infield that dropped in to score Pulfer and move Roundy to third. Chris Auten (New Mexico State) was due up next with the score 5-4, and Gruver struck him out on three pitches to end the game.
Gruver earned the win with 4.1 innings of two-run relief, while the loss fell to McGough. Johnson led the Honker offense with a 2-for-4 night featuring the home run and two RBI while Aaron Dunsmore went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .636 in the playoffs. Knight finished with a team-high three hits for the Loggers.
The NWL champion will be crowned tomorrow afternoon in Rochester as the Loggers and Honkers meet for the decisive game three at 3:05pm. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will pitch for the Honkers while the Loggers will turn to Tony Mueller (Winona State).
August 14 , 2009
Brock's Slam Leads Honkers to 7-2 Victory in Game One of Championship Series
(Rochester, MN)—In a game full of missed opportunities for the Honkers, Danny Brock (St. Louis) came through with a clutch grand slam in the sixth inning to lead the Honkers to a 7-2 victory over La Crosse in game one of the NWL Championship Series. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) pitched seven excellent innings to earn the win in front of a Honkers playoff record crowd of 1,053. Rochester will go for their fifth NWL title tomorrow night when they face the Loggers in La Crosse at 6:05pm.
Rochester had plenty of opportunities to take an early lead, but ended up stranding at least one runner in scoring position in each of the first five innings while the Loggers scored first to take a 1-0 lead in the third. Austin Knight (Dallas Baptist) hit a two out RBI double off of Mitchell to score Tony Mueller (Winona State) for the first run of the game. But the Honkers answered back in the fourth and tied the game up at 1-1. Aaron Johnson (Illinois) drew a one out walk off of La Crosse starter Pete Woodworth (Florida Gulf Coast), and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) followed with a double to put runners at second and third with one out. John Tommasini (Oregon State) was the next batter, and the Honkers put on the suicide squeeze play and Tommasini laid down a perfect bunt to score Johnson and equalize the score at one.
The score would stay there until the sixth, when Danny Brock broke the game open for Rochester. The Loggers brought in Andrew McKirahan (Texas) to start the inning, and the Honkers loaded the bases with one out on singles from Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) and Aaron Johnson and a walk by Tommasini. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) was the next batter, and he bounced the ball to third where the Loggers threw home to get the second out at the plate. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) was the next batter, and he drew a walk to bring in a run and give Rochester their first lead at 2-1. Brock came up next, and he tattooed a ball well over the wall in left center for a game-breaking grand slam to put the Honkers on top 6-1 and effectively decide the game. Rochester would add another in the seventh to take a 7-1 lead, and the bullpen would have no trouble holding it. Scott McGough (Oregon) game on and pitched a quiet eighth before getting into a little trouble in the ninth inning. A hit batsman, a walk and single loaded the bases with one out, and an RBI single by Blair Moore (San Diego State) made the score 7-2. But McGough would buckle down, and get a pop out to second and a strikeout to complete the victory.
Mitchell earned the win as he allowed just one run on five hits in seven innings while the loss fell to McKirahan as he yielded five earned runs in the sixth inning. Brock led the offense with a 2-for4 performance featuring the grand slam, a double, a run scored and four RBI. Johnson also scored two runs for the Honkers. Moore and Robert Abel (San Francisco) each had two hits for the Loggers.
Game two will be tomorrow night in La Crosse at 6:05pm. The Honkers will pitch Brian Flynn (Wichita State) while the Loggers will turn to Richie Erath (Florida Gulf Coast). Game three, if it is necessary, will be Sunday in Rochester at 3:05pm.
August 12 , 2009
Robertson Pitches Honkers to North Divisional Series Sweep
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers used a brilliant pitching performance by Zach Robertson (Iowa) on Wednesday night in Mankato to defeat the MoonDogs 7-0 and become the first team in Northwoods League history to win both divisions (all of Rochester’s prior division wins came before they were moved from the South to the North Division). Robertson tossed seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts, and the Honkers used 11 hits and five Mankato errors to manufacture seven runs and punch the Honkers ticket to the NWL Championship Series with a North Divisional Series sweep. La Crosse defeated Eau Claire 6-3 in ten innings to win the South Divisional Series, and the Honkers will host the Loggers on Friday night at 7:05pm in game one of the Championship Series.
John Tommasini (Oregon State) started things off with an infield single for the Honkers, but Mankato start James Wise (Washington State) started a 1-6-3 double play before getting a fly ball off the bat MVP of Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) to right field to end the Honker at bat in the first. But Zach Robertson pitched even better in his first turn on the mound, getting a ground ball for the first out before recording two straight strikeouts.
Both starters continued dealing through the second, but the bottom of the Honkers order sparked a rally in the third. Chris Auten (New Mexico State) worked a leadoff walk in front of Aaron Johnson (Illinois), who laced a double down the third base line and into the left field corner. Auten hustled all the way, and was able to score from first ahead of the throw to put Rochester up 1-0. Later in the inning, with runners on the corners and just one out, Danny Pulfer (Oregon) laid down a bunt with the squeeze play on, and Mankato first baseman Even Kohli (Illinois State) charged in to play it but no one covered first so no out was recorded as Johnson came home to put the Honkers up 2-0. Wise would buckle down, though, and got through the rest of the inning without a run scoring.
But Rochester wasn’t done, and capitalized on four Mankato errors to push across three more runs in the fourth inning while chasing Wise from the game. All four of the runs scored before an out was recorded. Rance Roundy (UNLV) started things with a walk and stole second before Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) singled him home and moved to second on an error by the catcher, who struggled to corral the throw from left field. Auten was the next batter, and he singled to right while a fielding error on Taylor Black (Kentucky) allowed Beuerlein to come all the way home. Once Black did manage to pick up the ball, his attempt to throw it back to the infield went straight down out of his hand and kicked into foul territory for Black’s second error on the play, allowing Auten to advance to second. That was all for Wise, as Mankato turned to Alex Burgos (State College of Florida) and two batters later Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) grounded to second, but Nick Judkins (Iowa Central CC) threw the ball away so no out was retired as a third run came home. Burgos would eventually get through the inning without another run scoring, and a total of three runs (two earned) came home to give the Honkers a 5-0 lead.
Mankato would respond by getting their first two hits of the game against Robertson in the bottom of the inning—a pair of two out singles—but Robertson tallied three strikeouts in the inning to maintain the lead and Danny Brock (St. Louis) smashed a leadoff homer in the fifth to expand the lead to 6-0 and another run came in on an RBI single by Pulfer in the sixth to give Rochester a 7-0 lead.
Those seven runs were more than the Honkers would need, as Robertson pitched seven shutout innings allowing just five hits and striking out a whopping 11, while Riley Bevill (Oregon) and Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) completed the shutout. Rochester did not allow an earned run to Mankato in the entire series. Robertson earned the win and is now 6-3 on the year overall, while the loss went to Wise as he fell to 5-2. Both of his losses this year came against the Honkers. Dunsmore led the Honkers offense with three hits, while Tommasini and Pulfer each had a pair. Pulfer also drove in a pair while Auten scored two runs for the Honkers.
The Honkers will host the La Crosse Loggers at Mayo Field on Friday at 7:05pm. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will start for the Honkers, and will likely face Pete Woodworth (Florida Gulf Coast) of the Loggers. Game two will be Saturday at 6:05pm in La Crosse with game three (if necessary) back in Rochester on Sunday at 3:05pm.
August 11 , 2009
Honkers Take Game One 3-2, Hold Mankato to Three Hits
(Rochester, MN)—Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) pitched a gem and Danny Brock (St. Louis) backed him with a two-run homer as the Honkers downed Mankato and one of the league’s best pitchers—Ryan Demmin (Minnesota State Mankato)—3-2 to take a one game lead in the Northwoods League North Divisional Series. Gagnon, Scott McGough (Oregon) and Arik Sikula (Marshall) combined to hold the MoonDogs to just two unearned runs on three hits over the course of the game. The Honkers can win the series and earn a trip to the NWL Championship series with a win tomorrow night in Mankato at 7:05pm. Also, La Crosse defeated Eau Claire 5-2 in game one of the South Divisional Series on Tuesday night.
Rochester was able to hit Demmin, who came into the game after posting a 1.36 ERA in the regular season, but couldn’t push across any runs until the third inning. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) led off the inning with a single, and Brock followed with a massive home run well over the wall to left center to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead. Demmin would start to settle down after that and didn’t allow another real threat until the seventh inning.
Meanwhile Gagnon was brilliant, and no-hit Mankato into the fifth inning. He issued a two-out walk to Taylor Black (Kentucky), and Black stole second before taking third on a passed ball. Xorge Carillo (Arizona State) singled him home to break up the no-hitter and put Mankato on the board with an unearned run and make the score 2-1. But Gagnon would get the third out and turn in a solid sixth to finish his night with just one hit allowed and one unearned run in six innings while striking out seven.
Rochester gave him an insurance run against Demmin in the seventh as Danny Pulfer (Oregon) led off the inning with a double and scored when Rance Roundy (UNLV) doubled one batter later to make the score 3-1. Rochester would need that extra run as Mankato cut the lead down to 3-2 in the eighth against McGough when Tony Strazzara (San Diego) scored on a sacrifice fly. The inning could have been much worse for the Honkers as Mankato had the bases loaded with no outs, but McGough was able to get a fielder’s choice out at home plate and a groundout after the sacrifice fly to escape the inning. The Honkers gave the ball to Sikula in the ninth, and he induced a double play after allowing a single before getting the final out on a fly ball that Scott Berke (UNLV) made a sliding catch on in left-center.
Sikula, who earned 20 saves in the regular season, got his first of the playoffs, while Gagnon picked up a win to move to 1-0 in the postseason (he was 4-2 in the regular season). The loss went to Demmin who allowed three runs on ten hits in 6.2 innings. The ten hits were the most he has allowed this season as he fell to 0-1 in the playoffs after going 5-4 in the regular season. Jones was a perfect 3-for-3 for the Honkers while Brock went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI from the home run.
Game two is tomorrow night at 7:05pm in Mankato. Zach Robertson (Iowa) will face James Wise (Washington State) of Mankato. If the Honkers win they will advance to play either Eau Claire or La Crosse in the NWL Championship. If Mankato wins it will force a game three back in Rochester at 7:05pm on Thursday night.
August 10 , 2009
Honkers Clinch Universal Home Field Advantage Despite Loss
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers finished the regular season in Duluth tonight, needing a victory or a loss by La Crosse to secure universal home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Duluth would deny the Honkers a victory as they downed the Honkers 6-2 and took the season series against Rochester five-games-to-three, but La Crosse fell at home to Mankato 6-2 to grant the Honkers universal home field advantage in the playoffs regardless. Rochester finished with a 42-26 overall record while Duluth was 25-43 overall. La Crosse is 41-27 overall after the loss.
The Honkers got on the board in the top of the first inning, scoring a run on Duluth starter Sean Yost (Nebraska) after John Tommasini (Oregon State) walked to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a double by Danny Pulfer (Oregon) and scored on a sacrifice fly by Danny Brock (St. Louis) to take a 1-0 lead. But the Huskies would tie the game up right away against Rochester starter Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) as Jared Womack (Oklahoma State) drove in a run with a two-out, RBI double.
Both starters would settle into grooves after that, and neither team would score again until the sixth inning. The Honkers took a 2-1 lead when Brock avoided a tag at home plate and scored on a two-out double by Drew Beuerlein (UNLV). But the Huskies would break the game open in the bottom half of the inning.
A walk and two singles loaded the bases to start the inning and the next batter, Andy Burns (Kentucky), doubled in two runs to put the Huskies up 3-2. Rochester then went to William Arnold (Central Michigan) to pitch and he got the next out on one pitch, but it was a fly ball and another run would score on the sacrifice fly. One more run would score on a fielder’s choice and a bases loaded walk put Duluth on top 6-2 before Arnold could escape the inning.
Those were all the runs the Huskies would need, as Brodie Brumley shut the Honkers down in the seventh and eighth before Matt Patterson (Creighton) sent down the Honkers in order in the ninth to complete the Duluth victory.
Beuerlein and Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) each had two hits for the Honkers while Tommasini went hitless but drew four walks. Womack was the only Duluth batter with multiple hits, but five different players scored at least a run to fuel their win. Yost went six inning allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts to get the win and improve to 2-6. The loss was charged to Taliaferro, who allowed five runs on seven hits in five plus innings and fell to 2-1.
The Honkers will kick off the postseason tomorrow when they host the Mankato MoonDogs in game one of the North Divisional Series at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will start for the Honkers, while Ryan Demmin (Minnesota State Mankato) will pitch for the MoonDogs.
August 10 , 2009
Corey Jones Named NWL MVP; Rusty McNamara Manager of the Year
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club is proud to announce that the Northwoods League’s 2009 Postseason All-Star Team has been announced, and that shortstop Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) was named the MVP of the league. Jones was named to the All-Star Team roster as well, along with pitchers Zach Robertson (Iowa) and Arik Sikula (Marshall), catcher Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) and outfielder Rance Roundy (UNLV). Rusty McNamara (UC-Riverside) was also named Manager of the Year, while Joe Cotton (Bowling Green State (OH)) earned Coach of the Year honors.
Corey Jones brought home the NWL’s top honor as League MVP. Jones caught attention for his league-leading home run total (13), but also had very solid all-around offensive numbers. He enters the final day of the regular season sixth in hitting (.321), third in runs batted in (42), fourth in hits (76), second in on-base percentage (.417), and the league-leader in slugging percentage (.536).
Zach Robertson is the only two-time postseason all-star on this year’s list, after earning the honor last season as well. The third-year Honker recently broke the record for career strikeouts in the NWL (251) and is having another fine summer going 5-3 with a 2.95 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 77 innings.
Arik Sikula has recorded a league-best 20 saves this season for the Honkers, and has an ERA of just 1.85. His performance protecting leads has been essential in the Honkers run to the playoffs.
Drew Beuerlein has been a consistent offensive producer for the Honkers while playing one of the most demanding positions on the field. He has scored 32 runs and driven in 25 while hitting .267.
Rance Roundy has already set a club record with 21 doubles, and leads the league in that category. He is hitting .314 and has driven 34 while scoring 43 for the Honkers.
Rochester’s first-year field manager Rusty McNamara is the 2009 Manager of the Year after leading the Honkers to the second half championship in the North Division and the best overall record in the NWL. His assistant coach Joe Cotton was selected as Coach of the Year.
The Honkers congratulate all their All-Stars and other award winners!
August 10 , 2009
Honkers Playoff Rotation Set
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers (42-25) start the 2009 NWL playoffs Tuesday when they host the Mankato MoonDogs (38-29) in the North Divisional Series at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. The series is a best-of-three format, with game two being playing in Mankato on Wednesday night at 7:05pm and game three, if necessary, back in Rochester at 7:05pm on Thursday night. The winner advances to the NWL Championship Series, which runs Friday through Sunday, and will face the winner of the South Divisional Series between the Eau Claire Express (36-31) and the La Crosse Loggers (41-26). Rochester is 5-3 against Mankato this year, and 3-1 against the MoonDogs when the teams play in Rochester (versus 2-2 in games played in Mankato). The MoonDogs, however, outscored the Honkers 33-30 overall in their games this season.
Rochester will send RHP Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State, 4-2, 3.11 ERA) to the mound in game one against LHP Ryan Demmin (Minnesota State Mankato, 5-4, 1.36 ERA) of Mankato. Gagnon holds a 1-0 record in two starts this season against the MoonDogs, and has allowed just two runs on four hits against them while striking out 14 in 11 total innings. Demmin has been nearly as effective against Rochester, but is winless with a 0-1 record and has allowed three runs in 11 innings against the Honkers. Rochester totaled 11 hits against Demmin this season, although he has struck out 10 Honker batters.
The Honkers will then turn to LHP Zach Robertson (Iowa, 5-3, 2.92 ERA) in game two and RHP Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato, 1-3, 3.80 ERA) in game three (should it be necessary). Robertson has made just one start against Mankato this year, winning the season opener by allowing just two unearned runs in six strong innings with seven strikeouts. Mitchell has made three starts against Mankato, and is 0-1 while allowing eight earned runs over 16.2 total innings. The the loss came on a rough outing in Mankato on June 3rd in which he allowed eight runs (four were earned) in just 3.2 innings. The MoonDogs, meanwhile, have yet to finalize their rotation for the final two games, but RHP James Wise (Washington State, 5-1, 2.37 ERA) will start one of the games and RHP Tim Griffin (Rollins, 4-2, 1.60 ERA) will start the other. Wise is 0-1 against the Honkers this year in one start, although he allowed just one earned run and two total in six innings, while Griffin made one start against Rochester and took a no decision, allowing three runs (all earned) in 7.1 innings.
Be sure to check www.rochesterhonkers.com for all the latest playoff information.
August 9 , 2009
Honkers Fall 7-6 in Duluth
(Rochester, MN)– After clinching the second half championship and a trip to the playoffs yesterday, the Honkers headed to Duluth looking to finish out the regular season strong and give as many of their players a rest as they could at the same time. With an unusual lineup that included pitcher Scott McGough (Oregon) at shortstop and first baseman/pitcher Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) playing in the outfield, the Honkers held the lead most of the game, but eventually fell to the Huskies 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth. Rochester fell to 23-12 in the second half while Duluth improved to 11-23. Rochester is 42-25 overall, and needs a win or a La Crosse Loggers loss tomorrow to clinch guaranteed home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Rochester took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) before Pete Cappetta (Illinois) tied it in the second inning with an RBI double for the Huskies. The Honkers retook the lead at 2-1 with a run in the third inning, and went ahead 4-1 in fourth on a pair of run-scoring singles by Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) and Ramirez. But Duluth climbed back in their half of the fourth after Riley Bevill (Oregon) walked the first two men he faced and both eventually came around to score to make it 4-3.
Both teams traded runs the next two frames, with the Honkers scoring in the fifth and the Huskies in the sixth, but Rochester added another run in the seventh when Scott McGough was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 6-4. Duluth staged a rally in the bottom half of the inning against Danny Brock (St. Louis), who relieved Bevill after the sixth, and loaded the bases with two singles and a walk with one out. But Brock would buckle down and get Zach Walters (San Diego) to bounce into an inning-ended double play.
But Duluth rallied again in the eighth, and loaded the bases with nobody out against Brock. Rochester then brought McGough in to pitch from shortstop, and he retired three straight batters, but allowed two of the runners to score on fielder’s choice plays to tie the game at 6-6.
The Honkers got a runner to third with two out in the ninth in William Arnold (Central Michigan), but couldn’t get him home, and the Huskies would walk-off with the win in the bottom of the ninth inning. Walters drew a one out walk from McGough, and Zac Elgie (Kansas) drove a double off the wall to score him and end the game with the Huskies 7-6 victors.
Corey Jones led the Honker offense with a 3-for-5 performance and scored a run. Cappetta was 2-for-4 for Duluth win a run and three RBI. McGough took the loss to fall to 1-1, while Matt Patterson improved to 6-0 by earning the win with a scoreless ninth.
The Honkers will conclude the regular season tomorrow night at Duluth at 7:05pm. Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) will start for the Honkers, against Sean Yost (Nebraska) for the Huskies. Rochester will start the playoffs on Tuesday at home against Mankato at 7:05pm. The Honkers’ current playoff rotation for the first round is Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State), Zach Robertson (Iowa), and Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato). The South Division playoffs have also now been set, as La Crosse will face Eau Claire, with the Loggers holding home field advantage in the series.
August 8 , 2009
Ramirez Slam Lifts Honkers to Playoffs
(Rochester, MN)—In a game that couldn’t be more different in juxtaposition from last night’s rout, Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) hit a tie-breaking grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Honkers held off a late St. Cloud rally to win 7-6 and clinch the North Division second half title and a trip to the playoffs. The first postseason game will be played on Tuesday night at 7:05pm at Mayo Field against the Mankato MoonDogs, with game two in Mankato the following night. Game three, if necessary, would be in Rochester on Thursday evening. With the win the Honkers are now 23-11 in the half and 42-24 overall while St. Cloud is 17-14 in the second half.
The Honkers got an early lead, scoring a run in the first inning after John Tommasini (Oregon State) drew a leadoff walk off St. Cloud starter Kurtis Frymier (Michigan State) before Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) drove him in with an RBI single. Rochester would score two more in the second after Rance Roundy (UNLV) and Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) led off the inning with singles and both came around to score. But Frymier would settle down, and hold Rochester off the board from there until the sixth inning.
Meanwhile Honker starter Brian Flynn (Wichita State) was dealing, and cruised through five innings allowing just one hit and walk. In the sixth St. Cloud would rally, though, as Jonathan Roof (Michigan State) singled with one out in front of a Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) RBI single and an RBI double from Matt Fanelli (Washington State) made the score 3-2. Rochester went to the bullpen in Scott McGough (Oregon), and Tony Renda (California) greeted him with another RBI double to tie the score at 3-3. McGough would get through the rest of the inning with the score tied, and set the stage for Ramirez’s heroics.
Frymier got the first out before issuing a walk to Danny Brock (St. Louis), a single to Roundy and a walk to Beuerlein to load the bases with one out. The River Bats turned to Xavier Esquivel (Loyola Marymount) out of the bullpen, and Ramirez was the first batter he would face. Rochester gave their DH the green light on a 3-1 count, and he smashed it well over the wall in right for a grand slam to put Rochester on top 7-3 with just three innings to play.
But the River Bats weren’t done, as they started a rally in the eighth that Ramirez found himself in the middle of, although in a different capacity. After McGough allowed two singles to start the inning, the Honkers brought in Ramirez to pitch. He allowed one run to score getting the first out on a fielder’s choice, but Renda launched a one-out, two-run homer to left to close the score to 7-6. Ramirez would settle down and get the next two outs as the game stayed 7-6 into the ninth inning.
Arik Sikula (Marshall) came on in relief and got a strikeout before issuing a walk and giving up a bloop single to put two runners on with one out. Roof then came to the plate and on the third pitch catcher Aaron Johnson (Illinois) threw behind the runner at first, and a complicated rundown ensued. It ended with Tommasini tagging out the lead runner, Matt Summers (UC-Irvine) at second base, and Summers crashed into Tommasini on the play which cleared both benches. After the ensuing melee cleared, Sikula threw just one more pitch and struck out Roof on a changeup to end the game punch Rochester’s playoff ticket.
The Honkers still have one more series before the playoffs, as they travel to Duluth on Sunday and Monday night. First pitch tomorrow is at 5:05pm, and Riley Bevill (Oregon) will take the mound for the Honkers. Duluth has yet to announce their starter.
August 7 , 2009
River Bats Rout Honkers 16-6; Magic Number Still One
(Rochester, MN)—The St. Cloud River Bats came in to Rochester needing to win every game the rest of the season and have the Honkers lose every remaining game in order to make the playoffs, and they kept their window open for at least one more day as they buried the Honkers 16-6. Rochester starter Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) had to pitch in tough conditions in the first inning, as the weather varied between drizzle and heavy rain, and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced. Rochester is now 22-11 in the second half while St. Cloud is 17-13.
Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) was the first batter of the game for St. Cloud, and he smashed the third pitch of the game off of the score board for a solo home run to give St. Cloud a 1-0 lead. The next two batters doubled and Mitchell would hit a batter, walk two and throw two wild pitches in the inning as he was clearly struggling to control the ball in the wet conditions. When the inning ended the rain had gone, and the Honkers trailed 4-0.
Rochester wouldn’t be able to stage any sort of rally against St. Cloud starter David Deminsky (St. Cloud State), as he held Rochester to just three hits over six shutout innings. Meanwhile Mitchell was able to keep St. Cloud off the score board until the fifth, but he still struggled with his control. The River Bats busted the game open in the fifth, as they plated six runs to expand their lead to 10-0. They racked up five singles, a double, and added a hit batsman to the rally, as well as a wild pitch and two Honker errors to push across the runs. Dan Betteridge (Rutgers) brought the biggest blow with a two-run single, and Humphries, Matt Fanelli (Washington State) and Kurt Schlangen (Minnesota) added RBI hits as well. Mitchell was lifted for Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) during the inning.
St. Cloud continued hitting against Taliaferro, and chased him in the seventh while scoring four more runs against him to expand their lead to 14-0. The Honkers were able to start a small rally late, scoring one run in the eighth and pushing across five in the bottom of the ninth against Tyler Fries (Winthrop), but never came close to bringing the tying run to the on deck circle.
Mitchell took the loss to fall to 1-3, and allowed 10 runs (nine earned) in 4.2 innings. Deminsky got the win to move to 6-3. John Tommasini (Oregon State) had two runs and two RBI for the Honkers, while Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) and Danny Pulfer (Oregon) each had two hits. Danny Oh (California) had the best day at the plate for St. Cloud, going 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.
The Honkers will try again to clinch a playoff berth tomorrow night against St. Cloud at 7:05pm at Mayo Field. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will start for the Honkers against Kurtis Frymier (Michigan State) for St. Cloud.
August 6 , 2009
Robertson Becomes NWL Career Strikeout Leader in 12-2 Win
(Rochester, MN)—Zach Robertson (Iowa) entered Thursday night’s game five short of the all-time record for career strikeouts in the Northwoods League, which had stood at 245, and racked up 11 strikeouts in six excellent innings as the Honkers cruised to a 12-2 victory over the Madison Mallards. Robertson got his first four outs by way of the strikeout and fanned six straight batters at one point in the Honker win as he set a new league record with 251 total K’s. With the win the Honkers are now 22-10 in the second half and Madison fell to 16-13. St. Cloud also lost earlier in the night, cutting the magic number for the Honkers to clinch a playoff berth to just one. The La Crosse Loggers also won, and knocked Madison out of first place in the South Division.
After giving up a single to start the game, Robertson struck out the side in the first inning to set the tone of the game. He kept the Mallards off the board until the fourth, when he issued a walk and gave up a two-run homer to Adam McClain (Memphis) that would end up being the only runs for the Mallards. He seemed to settle into a groove after that, and struck out the final batter he faced in the fourth before fanning the side in order in the fifth before striking out the first two he faced in the sixth inning as well. The final batter he faced grounded out to end his six innings of work, in which he fanned the 11 and allowed just two runs on four hits while walking four. He earned the win to move to 5-3 on the year, and cap his record-setting day with a critical win that put the Honkers just a win away from the postseason.
He got to pitch with a lead almost the entire night as well, as the Honkers greeted Madison starter Matt Jansen (Purdue) with three runs in the first. Jansen actually pitched very well, and allowed just two hits over the first five innings, but after he hit a batter and issued a walk in the first, Danny Brock (St. Louis) lifted a high fly ball just over the wall in left for a three-run homer to put Rochester on top 3-0. The home run that Robertson gave up in the fourth cut the score 3-2, but the Honkers surged in the second half to turn the pitcher’s duel into a rout.
Jansen entered the sixth with a two-hitter, but Rance Roundy (UNLV), Brock and Danny Pulfer (Oregon) all singled against him in the frame around two hit batsmen and a two walks to chase him from the mound. The final batter he faced was Scott Berke (UNLV), who walked with the bases loaded, and Ross Hellenbrand (Winona State) came on in relief and walked John Tommasini (Oregon State) to bring another run home. When the inning finally ended the Honkers had scored five runs to expand their lead to 8-2, and they only padded it from there. Hellenbrand would finish the game, but Rochester touched him for two more runs in the seventh and another pair on Corey Jones’s (Cal State Fullerton) league-leading 13th home run in the eighth to cap the scoring at 12-2.
Riley Bevill (Oregon) pitched the final three innings for the Honkers in relief of Robertson, and didn’t always have great command but battled to pitch three hitless, scoreless innings to earn his first save. Jansen took the loss to fall to 6-3, and ended up allowing eight runs on five hits over 5.2 innings.
Danny Brock paced the offense with a 3-for-5 performance in which he homered, scored three runs and drove in four. Roundy and Jones also scored three runs for the Honkers, and Danny Pulfer was the only other Honker batter with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI. McClain led the Madison offense, driving in their only runs with his home run.
With the win the Honkers now have clinched home field advantage in the playoffs against every potential opponent except for Mankato and La Crosse, against both of whom the magic number for home field advantage is one.
The Honkers have a chance to clinch a playoff berth against the team chasing them when St. Cloud comes to town tomorrow night for a pair of games. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will pitch for Rochester at 7:05pm, against David Deminsky (St. Cloud State) for the River Bats.
August 5 , 2009
Honkers Rally for Victory in Absurd 15-9 Win
(Rochester, MN)—In a game that defied any logical parameterization, the Honkers were no-hit through four innings and found themselves trailing 7-0, but 12 walks, four hit batsmen, three wild pitches, and a few timely hits in the middle innings allowed the Honkers to rally for 15-9 win over the South Division leading Madison Mallards. Rochester scored four runs in the fifth and a whopping 10 in the sixth, which was punctuated by a three-run double by Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton), to complete the rally. Rochester is now 21-10 in the second half while Madison fell to 16-12. St. Cloud also lost tonight, so Rochester’s magic number to clinch the division and a playoff berth is now at three with five games to play.
The Mallards jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo home run by Joe Patterson (Texas A&M) against Honker starter Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) with two outs. Patterson jumped on the first pitch he saw, and smashed it well over the wall just to the right of the batter’s eye.
Things got worse for the Honkers in the second, as a walk and two singles loaded the bases with no outs for the Mallards. Gagnon got a pop up for the first out, but a single and a hit batsman allowed two runs to score. The big blow came on the next batter, Jerrud Sabourin (Indiana), who lifted a fly ball into the right field corner for a two run double to make the score 5-0. Gagnon would get two strikeouts to escape the inning without further damage.
Madison wouldn’t score again until the fifth, when they chased Gagnon and tagged him for two more runs. The way Nick Rice (MATC) was pitching early, though, those extra runs didn’t look like they would matter. Rochester still didn’t have a hit through four innings, but all that was about to change.
In the bottom of the fifth, it came off the bat on Scott Berke (UNLV) on a high fly ball to right center that both the center and right fielders for Madison lost in the night sky. The single came after two walks, though and gave the Honkers an opportunity with one out and the bases loaded. William Arnold (Central Michigan) brought in a run on a fielder’s choice and John Tommasini (Oregon State) and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) followed with RBI singles to make it 7-3. Rance Roundy (UNLV) smoked a ball in to the left field corner in the next at bat to score another run, but Jones was thrown out at the plate to end the inning with the score 7-4.
Madison got two runs back again in the sixth to take a 9-4 lead, but their pitchers gave it all back in the bottom half of the inning. Jordan Hershiser (USC) came on to start the inning and had no control whatsoever—walking two, hitting two, and throwing two wild pitches without recording an out. It took Madison two more pitchers to get through the inning, and five total walks and three hit batsmen occurred in the inning. Corey Jones delivered an RBI single to give the Honkers the lead at 10-9, and five batters later it would be Ramirez, who had already walked and scored in the inning, smacking a bases-clearing double that put Rochester on top 14-9. When the dust finally settled, Rochester had scored 10 runs, all of them earned, and sent 14 men to the plate. Nine of the first 10 men to bat in the inning reached safely.
The game quieted from there, as Ramirez pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC)—who finished the fifth and pitched the sixth for the Honkers—and Scott McGough (Oregon) tossed a perfect ninth to close out the victory.
Taliaferro got the win in relief to move to 2-0 on the year as the Honkers bailed out Gagnon, who allowed seven earned runs in just 4.2 innings. The loss went to Cameron Amsrud (UW-Milwaukee), who got one out and allowed two runs in the Honkers 10-run sixth, and he fell to 0-2 on the year. Jones had three hits for the Honkers, while Danny Brock (St. Louis), Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) and Danny Pulfer (Oregon) each scored three runs for the Honkers.
Rochester will complete the season series against Madison tomorrow night at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. Rochester currently trails the Mallards in the season series two-games-to-one, and a win would split the season series. Zach Robertson (Iowa) will pitch for the Honkers against Matt Jansen (Indiana) for Madison.
August 4 , 2009
Honkers Sweep Season Series against Thunder Bay with 8-7 Win
(Rochester, MN)—Thunder Bay out-hit the Honkers 16-12, but it was Rochester that rallied in the middle innings and then survived a Border Cat charge late to hang on to an 8-7 victory. The win completed the season sweep of Thunder Bay for the Honkers, who went 8-0 against the league’s only Canadian team this season. Rochester is now 20-10 in the second half and Thunder Bay fell to 13-15. Rochester remains a league-best 39-23 overall.
Just like the night before, the Honkers jumped out to a quick lead with multiple first inning runs. John Tommasini (Oregon State) singled to start the game and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) followed immediately with a double to drive him in and put Rochester on top 1-0. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) added another run three batters later with an RBI single to make the score 2-0.
But the Border Cats answered back quickly, and cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first. Rochester starter Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) allowed three straight singles, including an RBI base knock by David Phillips (Ole Miss), before getting out of the inning with the score 2-1. But Thunder Bay wasn’t done, and surged ahead in the second. After getting a double and a single to start the inning, Cameron Smith (New Mexico) singled in a run to tie the game at 2-2 and Matty Johnson followed with another RBI single to give Thunder Bay their first lead at 3-2. Burleson induced a double-play from the next batter he faced, but another run scored on the play the second inning ended with Thunder Bay up 4-2.
The Border Cats added another run in the fourth, but the Honkers stormed back in the fifth against Thunder Bay starter Matt Robertson (Barton CC). Tommasini, Jones and Rance Roundy (UNLV) started the inning with three straight singles, and the last scored one run to cut the score to 5-3. The big blow came later in the inning, though, when Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) came up with two outs and two on and smashed a pitch over the wall for a three-run homer to put the Honkers up 6-5. Both teams exchanged runs in the sixth, and the Honkers jumped ahead 8-6 in the eighth inning on a solo home run by Mitch Karraker (Oregon).
But Thunder Bay wasn’t done, and closed the gap back to one run in the bottom of the eight against Scott McGough (Oregon). McGough issued a pair of walks to start the inning, and Aaron Munoz (Gateway CC) singled right after to score a run and make the score 8-7. But McGough battled and got a double play and a groundout to escape the inning. But Thunder Bay still had plenty of fight left in them, and staged a rally against Arik Sikula (Marshall) in the ninth. After a flyout to start the inning, three straight singles loaded the bases. Brett Chamberlain (Bellevue) then laid down a bunt that bounced back to Sikula, and he got the force out at the plate for the second out before buckling down to get a strikeout to end the game and earn his league-best 19th save.
Burleson didn’t pitch a great six innings—allowing 11 hits and six runs to score—but it was good enough to earn the run and move his record to 4-3. Matt Robertson had a similar day, and took the loss to fall to 5-5 after allowing seven runs on 11 hits in five innings. Tommasini, Jones, Pulfer, Ramirez and Karraker each had two hits for the Honkers, who finished with 12 total. Ramirez had three RBI while Jones added two, and Tommasini scored two runs. Thunder Bay actually managed more hits with 16, and eight of them came from the bottom three hitters in Curtis Wagner (Santa Clara), Munoz and Smith.
The game was the final time Burleson will start for the Honkers this season before he reports back to Oral Roberts for school.
The Honkers return home tomorrow to start a four-game home-stand, their final home games of the regular season. Rochester will face Madison on Wednesday and Thursday, and St. Cloud on Friday and Saturday. All four games are scheduled for 7:05pm. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will start for the Honkers, while Madison will go with Nick Rice (MATC).
August 3 , 2009
Honkers Hang on for 7-6 Win in Thunder Bay
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in Thunder Bay on Monday night, but the Border Cats surged back to within one before the Honkers bullpen stopped the charge and held on for a 7-6 win. The win padded the Honkers’ lead in the North Division to a game and a half over St. Cloud, who lost to Madison earlier in the day. Rochester is now 19-10 in the half while Thunder Bay fell to 13-14. St. Cloud is 16-10.
Rochester surged out to an early lead in the first, scoring five runs on Thunder Bay starter Randy Mower (St. Josephs) before even two outs were recorded in the inning. After a pair of one-out singles and a walk loaded the bases Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) drove in a pair of runs with a single to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) followed with an RBI double and Aaron Johnson (Illinois) hit another two-bagger right after to score two more and give the Honkers a 5-0 lead. Rochester scored again in the third when Beuerlein doubled and Pulfer drove him in with a RBI single to make the score 6-0. Mower would finish the inning but the three innings with six runs was as far as he would go.
But the Border Cats fought back and scored three on Rochester starter Brian Flynn (Wichita State) in the bottom of the third. After getting a double and a single to start the inning with runners on the corners and no outs, Matty Johnson tripled in both runners and scored himself on an error on Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) to cut the Honker lead in half at 6-3. Flynn would fight his way out of the inning, but gave up another run in the fourth to make it 6-4.
No more runners would cross the plate until the sixth when the Honkers went up 7-4 on a RBI single by Rance Roundy (UNLV). But the Border Cats answered back quickly again against Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) in the bottom half of the inning. After a single, a walk and a successful bunt loaded the bases, Aaron Munoz (Gateway CC) drove in two with a single to make the Honker lead just one at 7-6. Taliaferro would get through the inning without another run scoring though and Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) shut down Thunder Bay in the seventh.
After a rain delay of about an hour and a half in the eighth the Honkers turned to Scott McGough (Oregon) who pitched a perfect frame before giving way to Arik Sikula (Marshall) to close out the game. Sikula pitched a perfect inning to earn his 18th save.
Flynn got the win to move to 6-2 while Mower took the loss to fall to 4-5 on the year. Beuerlein had two hits, two runs and two RBI for the Honkers while Pulfer added two hits, a run and two RBI. Corey Jones went 3-for-4 and scored a run. Munoz had the best day for the Border Cats, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
The series concludes tomorrow night in Thunder Bay at 6:05pm. Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) will pitch for the Honkers against Matt Robertson (Barton CC) for the Border Cats. The game will be the last time Burleson pitches for the Honkers, as he will need to leave the team to report to school later in the week.
August 2 , 2009
Pitcher Jay Johnson Signs Professional Contract with Baltimore Orioles
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club is proud to announce that left handed pitcher Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) has agreed to terms on a professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Johnson will leave the Honkers and report to the Orioles’ Class-A affiliate the Aberdeen IronBirds in Aberdeen, Maryland Sunday, August 2nd, 2009. The Baltimore Orioles selected Johnson in the 25th round of this year’s Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft with the 746th overall pick.
“I feel really good about signing, I am very excited about it,” said Johnson. “I really wanted to wait and help the team in the playoff race, and I really like playing here in Rochester. The guys have been great, and the coaching staff was huge in getting me back from my earlier injuries. I hope the guys can keep it up and win in the playoffs this year, too.”
Johnson has been a valuable arm out of the bullpen for the Honkers this season, and compiled a 2-1 record with a 4.24 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 17 innings this season in the Northwoods League.
“I do want to say thanks to the city of Rochester, to the organization and to the fans for giving me this opportunity this summer and making it such a great place to play. I also want to say thanks to Scott and Pat Heck for hosting me and bringing me into their homes.”
Following the end of the Class-A Minor League season, Johnson will continue to play in the Instructional League to keep working his way toward the Major Leagues. Johnson will be missed and his contributions this year are appreciated.
The Rochester Honkers wish him the best of luck as he begins his professional career.
August 1 , 2009
Wild Pitches Cost Honkers in 5-3 Loss
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning, but a pair of wild pitches by Scott McGough (Oregon) allowed two runs to score in the ninth inning, which also included a passed ball, as the Lunkers emerged with a 5-3 win on Saturday night. Rochester fell to 18-10 with the loss, while Brainerd moved to 13-14 in the second half.
The Honkers had plenty of chances early, but couldn’t score on Brainerd starter Luke Rasmussen (Minnesota). Rasmussen issued five walks and hit a batter in just the first three innings, but the Honkers couldn’t bring any of them home. Instead it would be the Lunkers getting on the board first in the top of the fourth inning against Honker starter Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato). A pair of one-out singles by Mike Kvasnicka (Minnesota) and Michael Gedman (UMass) put runners on for the Lunkers, and David Valesente (St. Joseph) smacked a double to score both and put Brainerd up 2-0.
The Honkers scored one in the bottom half of the inning but Brainerd answered back with another run in the top of the fifth to maintain the two run lead. But the Honkers would break through against the bullpen in the sixth. Facing reliever Korie Walkley (Cal State Bakersfield), the Honkers got a leadoff walk before falling victim to two strikeouts, but Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) both drew walks to load the bases with two outs. Danny Brock (St. Louis) was the next batter, and he connected for a two-run single to left that tied the game at 3-3.
The score would stay there until the ninth, with Scott McGough continuing on the mound after coming on for the eighth. He gave up singles to two of the first three batters he faced, but it was a pair of wild pitches that allowed both Gedman and Valesente to come home and give the Lunkers a 5-3 lead. Rochester did put itself in a position to rally with one-out singles in the bottom of the ninth by Rance Roundy (UNLV) and Danny Pulfer (Oregon), but Lunkers closer Drew Smith (Barton CC) got a ground out and a strikeout to end the game and complete the victory.
Smith had come on in the eighth so he earned the win to move to 2-2, while the loss fell to McGough to send his record to 4-3 overall. Both Corey Jones and Danny Pulfer had two hits for the Honkers, while Brock picked up two RBI. Gedman and Valesente each had two hits for the Lunkers, and combined to score three runs while Valesente added two RBI.
The Honkers are off tomorrow before traveling to Thunder Bay for a 6:05pm game on Monday night. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will start for the Honkers, while Randy Mower (St. Josephs) will start for the Border Cats.
July 31 , 2009
Honkers Split Double Header with Brainerd
(Rochester, MN)—After falling 4-2 to the Northwoods League’s best pitcher in Brainerd’s Dennis O’Grady in the first game, the Honkers rallied to take game two of the double dip 5-0 to earn a split. Rochester is now 18-9 on the half while Brainerd is12-14.
Things started poorly for the Honkers in game one, as T.J. Berge (Northern Colorado) hit a solo home run off of Zach Robertson (Iowa) in the top of the first inning. The ball barley cleared the wall in left center, and P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) leaped and nearly was able to bring it back. But the Honkers rallied the bottom half of the inning against O’Grady, who came in with an ERA of just 0.87. He gave up a double to Sequeira with one out and Danny Brock (St. Louis) drove him in with a single two batters later. Rochester would get two more singles in the inning and score another run to hold a 2-1 lead after the first.
But things went downhill from there as Robertson struggled with his command and O’Grady settled in to a nice groove and the Honkers would only see three more base runners in the game before the seventh inning. Meanwhile Robertson struggled and hit three batters, including one that would haunt him with two outs in the fifth inning. With the score tied 2-2 at the time Mike Kvasnicka (Minnesota) blasted a homer deep over the wall in left center to take a 4-2 lead.
Robertson stayed in and ended up striking out five of the final six batters he faced, including his last four, in the complete game loss and fell to 4-3. O’Grady picked up the complete game win to go 6-0, although the Honkers did bring the winning run to the plate in the seventh inning in Sequeira, who was called out on strikes to end the game. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) had two hits for the Honkers, while Kvasnicka went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI for Brainerd.
In the second game the Honkers bounced back, and Riley Bevill (Oregon), Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) and Arik Sikula (Marshall) combined to pitch a shutout across the seven innings while the Honkers offense went to work. Rochester took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) in the third inning, but made the lead comfortable in the fifth. A hit batsman, a walk and a single loaded the bases in front of Scott Berke (UNLV) who drove in two runs with a solidly hit double toward the scoreboard in right center to give Rochester a 3-0 lead. Another run would score in the inning and the Honkers added their fifth run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Chris Auten (New Mexico State).
Bevill started the game and went three shutout innings allowing just three hits and striking out four before giving way to Ramirez who went the next three to earn the win and improve to 3-1 on the year. Michael Gedman (UMass) took the loss despite allowing just one run in 3.1 innings and fell to 3-4 on the year. Sequeira, Beuerlein and Berke each had two hits for the Honkers in the win.
The Honkers will conclude their season series against Brainerd tomorrow night at 7:05pm. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will pitch for the Honkers while Luke Rasmussen (Minnesota) will take the mound for the Lunkers. Rochester is currently 4-3 against Brainerd this season.
July 30 , 2009
Honkers Routed 19-10 in Alexandria
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers scored ten runs and pounded out 16 hits, but the effort turned out to be a waste as the Beetles had the game in hand before it was even half way through. Mike O’Neill (USC) scored four runs and had four RBI in a three-hit performance while the Beetles scored 18 runs in the first five innings—including eight in the fourth—en route to a 19-10 victory over Rochester. The Honkers fell to 17-8 on the half but still hold the North Division lead while the Beetles kept their playoff hopes alive be improving their second half record to 13-10.
Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) had a rare sour turn in the rotation, and lasted just three innings while allowing seven runs to take the loss. He did get to pitch with a lead, although briefly, as Danny Brock (St. Louis) clubbed a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the Honkers an early 2-0 lead. But the Beetles stormed right back and scored two in their half of the first, three more in the second and another pair in the third to take a 7-2 lead and end Gagnon’s night. But the game was decided in the fourth inning. Rochester, looking to save the regular bullpen in a lopsided game, moved Brock from DH to pitcher, and the Beetles jumped all over him in his one inning of work.
Two singles started the inning in front of a ground out before Ben Kuhlmann, Keith Castillo (USC), Trevor Edwards (UNC-Greensboro) and Chase Porch (North Alabama) hit four straight RBI singles to run the score to 11-2. The hit parade would continue, as Marcus Semien (California) singled and O’Neill followed with a three-run triple to make the score 14-2. After a walk Tim Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast) added an RBI double before Brock got a strikeout and a pop up to escape the inning. Eight straight batters reached at one point in the inning, and Brock finished the inning with eight runs allowed on nine hits and a walk. Rochester would put two runs in the top of the fifth before giving back three the Beetles in the bottom half on the inning to make the score 18-4 after five innings.
The later innings would actually belong to the Honkers, as Rochester outscored Alexandria 6-1 over the final four frames, but it was too little, too late. The gamed ended at 19-10, after the unusual trio of Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton), William Arnold (Central Michigan) and Aaron Johnson (Illinois) combined to allow just one run over the final three innings from the mound.
Brock finished 3-for-5 with a run and four RBI, and Arnold and Mitch Karraker (Oregon) each added two RBI for the Honkers. In total for the Honkers Brock, Karraker, Arnold and Chris Auten (New Mexico State) hit home runs for the Honkers, but it was nothing compared to the offense explosion from Alexandria. Including O’Neill’s great day, five batters had at least two hits and four managed multiple RBI for the Beetles. Mikel Alvarez (Air Force) was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI and Roberson was 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Keith Castillo went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs and four RBI for the Beetles. Erik Johnson (California) earned the win by pitching five innings allowing four runs to move his record to 4-1. Gagnon took the loss to fall to 4-2.
The Honkers return to the friendly confines of Mayo Field for a double-header against Brainerd tomorrow, with the first game starting at 6:05pm and a half-hour break to occur between the two games. Zach Robertson (Iowa) will face Dennis O’Grady (Duke) in game one while Riley Bevill (Oregon) will face Luke Rasmussen (Minnesota) in game two. Each game will be played to seven innings, unless tied at the point in which case “extra innings” will begin in the eighth inning.
July 29 , 2009
Rochester Slugs way to 11-3 Victory in Alexandria
(Rochester, MN)—After waiting out a rain delay of nearly a hour, the Honkers pounded out 11 hits en route to a lopsided 11-3 victory over the Beetles on Wednesday night in Alexandria. P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) scored two runs and drove in three more while Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) scored two and drove in two with his first home run to power the victory. The Honkers are now 17-7 while Alexandria fell to 12-10.
Rochester scored three unearned runs in the first inning thanks to a pair of Alexandria errors, but it was a fourth inning explosion that put the game away before it was even half over. Already ahead 3-0, Danny Brock (St. Louis) and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) started the inning with consecutive singles against Alexandria starter Chase Porch (North Alabama). Danny Pulfer (Oregon) laid down a sacrifice bunt and Brock scored on a wild pitch one batter later. Nick Ramirez drew a walk and Scott Berke (UNLV) followed that up with an RBI single to make it a 5-0 game. After a fly ball for the second out Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) singled to load the bases and Sequeira followed with a three-run double and Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) added an RBI single right after to make the score 9-0. Porch would escape the inning, but not pitch any farther in the game.
Meanwhile Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) pitched will for the Honkers, but Alexandria got some runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Tom Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast) and Keith Castillo (USC) started off with consecutive singles, and an error two batters later allowed Roberson to score. The error also gave the Beetles an extra out to work with, and they took advantage. Sean Olenek (Mercer) singled to drive in two more runs and cut the Honkers lead to 9-3. Burleson got out of the inning without any more trouble, though, and pitched six total innings without allowing another run to earn the win.
No other runs would score in the game until the eighth when Rochester put up a pair on Ramirez’s homer to run their lead to 11-3.
Sequeira had jus the one hit, but lead the offense with the two runs scored and three RBI, while Beuerlein, Brock and Berke each had two hits on the game. No Beetles batter had more than one hit, and Olenek had the only RBI of the game for Alexandria with two. Burleson allowed six hits and no earned runs in six innings to move his record to 3-3. Porch took the loss to fall to 3-6 and pitched four innings allowing seven hits and nine total runs (six earned).
The series concludes tomorrow at 6:05pm when Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) of the Honkers faces Erik Johnson (California) for the Beetles.
July 28 , 2009
Honkers Earn Series Split with 4-3 Win
(Rochester, MN)—Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) had two hits and two RBI to help the Honkers edge the Huskies 4-3 in Duluth on Tuesday night and his schoolmate Nick Ramirez tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Rochester is now 16-7 and remains atop the North Division, while Duluth fell to 8-14.
Both teams exchanged runs in the third inning before the Honkers jumped out to a three-run lead in the fifth inning. Chris Auten (New Mexico State) led off the inning with a single against Duluth starter Drew Benes, and John Tommasini (Oregon State) drew a walk two batters later. P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) followed with a RBI single to score Auten, but Jones did the real damage two batters later after Scott Berke (UNLV) drew a walk). Jones connected for a two-run single that scored both Tommasini and Sequeira to give the Honkers a 4-1 lead, and chase Benes from the game. Duluth turned to Alex Kent (Central Missouri State) out of the bullpen, and the right hander struck out both Danny Brock (St. Louis) and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) to escape the inning.
But the Huskies nearly came back in the bottom of the inning. Rochester starter Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) walked Pete Cappetta (Illinois) before recording a strikeout for the first out. Jerico Weitzel (Florida) then followed with a double to drive in Cappetta and make it a 4-2 game. Taliaferro got a groundout for the second out, but Zach Walters (San Diego) singled in Weitzel to bring the score to 4-3. The Honkers turned to the bullpen in Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton), and he got the final out and protected the Honkers lead into the eighth before passing the ball to Scott McGough (Oregon), who retired the two batters he faced in the inning.
Mitch Karraker (Oregon) led off the top of the ninth with a triple for the Honkers, but was stranded there when three straight Rochester batters were retired. Arik Sikula (Marshall) came on in the bottom of the ninth for the Honkers and picked up two strikeouts en route to his 17th save, although the Huskies certainly made things interesting. Zac Elgie (Kansas) led things off with a fly ball to right that Dunsmore dropped but was ruled a double. But, with the tying run in scoring position and no outs, Sikula buckled down and got consecutive strikeouts before getting a groundball out to end the game.
Jones finished 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Honkers, while both Tommasini and Sequeira were 1-for-4 with a run and a RBI each. Karraker was 2-for-2 with a run scored. Both Weitzel and Walters finished with two hits for the Huskies. Taliaferro went 4.2 innings with six hits and three runs allowed, but the win went to Ramirez for his 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. He is now 2-1 on the year. Benes took the loss to fall to 1-2 with his 4.1 inning, eight hit and four run performance.
The Honkers continue their six-game road trip tomorrow when they travel to Alexandria for a 6:05pm game. Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) will pitch for Rochester while Chase Porch (North Alabama) will take the ball for the Beetles.
July 27 , 2009
Honkers Held to Two-Hits, Fall 2-0 in Duluth
(Rochester, MN)—A trio of Huskies hurlers limited the Honkers to just a single hit through the first eight innings and two overall, and Duluth’s struggling offense scraped together a pair of runs to take down the division-leading Honkers 2-0 and end Rochester’s winning streak at five games. P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) and Danny Brock (St. Louis) had the only hits for Rochester, and Brian Flynn (Wichita State) pitched well but took a tough loss. The Honkers remain atop the North Division at 15-7, while Duluth climbed to 8-14 in the second half.
Sequeira batted second in the lineup, and his single came in the first inning against Duluth starter Justin Leith. After that Leith cruised through the next four innings before passing it off to the bullpen where Brodie Brumley,
Alex Kent (Central Missouri State) and Max Patterson (Creighton) continued to shut down Rochester while the Huskies out-hit the Honkers 10-2. Rochester did have chances with men on base as they drew five walks as a team, but never were able to capitalize.
Duluth first scored in the third when both Matt Harrison (North Carolina) and Jeff Reynolds singled in front of an RBI base hit by Jared Womack (Oklahoma State) to make the score 1-0. Flynn pitched into the sixth before allowing another run to score on a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0, where it would end. Flynn didn’t finish the sixth, but posted the solid line of 5.2 innings with two runs and five strikeouts, although he did allow nine hits. Riley Bevill (Oregon) pitched the rest of the way for the Honkers, and allowed just a single hit.
Rochester did have three at-bats with the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning when Brock started the ninth with a single, but Drew Beuerlein (UNLV), Danny Pulfer (Oregon) and Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) were all retired by Patterson to end the game. Patterson was credited with his ninth save of the season, while Leith earned his first win and move his record to 1-3. Flynn was charged with just his second loss, sending his record to 5-2 on the year. Reynolds, Womack, Harrison and Doug Joyce (Florida International) each had two hits for the Huskies.
Rochester will try to escape Duluth with a split tomorrow when they send Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) to the mound against Drew Benes for the Huskies. First pitch is slated for 7:05pm.
July 26 , 2009
Divison Leading Honkers Stay Hot
(Rochester, MN)—John Tommasini (Oregon State) was inserted in to the top of the order tonight, and he led the way for the Honkers a 3-for-3 day and two runs scored as Rochester defeated St. Cloud 4-2. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) earned the win with a strong seven inning performance, and P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) also contributed two hits and a run. Rochester is now 15-6, and a league-best 34-19 overall, while St. Cloud fell to 12-7.
The Honkers struck first, getting a run in the first inning off of St. Cloud starter Kurtis Frymier (Michigan State). Tommasini and Sequeira started the game off with back-to-back singles, and Rance Roundy (UNLV) drove in the first run with a double right after to score Tommasini and give Rochester a 1-0 lead. Frymier would recover, though, and shut down the Honkers before the early rally could go further. But, with the top of the order leading things off again, Rochester would push across two more runs in the third. Tommasini and Sequeira led off with consecutive singles again, and Tommasini moved to third on a Roundy fly out. Two batters later Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) drove in both Tommasini and Sequeira with a two-run single to put the Honkers on top 3-0.
That was all the offense the Honkers would need, but St. Cloud made it a close game again just a moment later. In the bottom of the third inning Mitchell hit a batter and allowed a single while also getting a fly out and a strikeout to put runners on first and second with two outs. He threw a wild pitch with Tony Renda (California) at the plate moving both runners up. Renda singled in a run, and an error allowed him to take second and the second run to score to make the score 3-2. Only the first run was earned, and Mitchell shook off the inning and sailed through the rest of his outing, allowing just the two runs and seven total hits in seven strong innings.
Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) pitched a shutout eighth and Rochester added another run on a sacrifice fly by Sequeira in the ninth inning to move ahead 4-2, but the extra run wasn’t needed. Northwoods League save leader Arik Sikula (Marshall) came on for the bottom of the ninth to earn his 16th save. He couldn’t do with a little help, though, as Tommasini made an excellent diving stop to earn the final out with the tying run on base.
The win went to Mitchell, taking him to 1-2 on the year, while the loss fell to Frymier to make his record 4-3. Tommasini and Sequeira fueled the offense, but Roundy and Dunsmore added RBI as well. Jonathan Roof (Michigan State) had three hits for the River Bats.
Rochester travels to Duluth tomorrow night to take on the Huskies at 7:05pm. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will start for the Honkers, while Duluth has yet to announce their starter.
July 25 , 2009
Honkers Win in Extras Again to Move into First Place
(Rochester, MN)—Zach Robertson (Iowa) didn’t allow a hit to St. Cloud until the sixth inning, but he found his team behind for much of the game. In the end it would be the Honkers on top though, with a 6-4 win in 11 innings. The victory moved the Honkers past St. Cloud for first in the North Division with a 14-6 record, while the River Bats fell to 12-6.
The River Bats jumped on the board first, pushing across a pair of unearned runs in the first inning despite not managing a hit. No ball left the infield in the inning, but a pair of Honkers errors allowed St. Cloud to turn it into a productive turn at bat nonetheless. But Zach Robertson didn’t let the inning get to him, and proceeded to pile up perfect innings while the Honkers climbed back into the contest. Rochester got one run back on River Bat starter David Deminsky (St. Cloud State) after Danny Brock (St. Louis) started things off with a single. He moved to second on a passed ball before being sacrificed to third and eventually came home to score an unearned run when Aaron Johnson (Illinois) bounced into a double play, making the score 2-1.
No more runners crossed the plate until the fifth, when the Honkers jumped in front for the first time. John Tommasini (Oregon State) walked to start the inning and, after being sacrificed to second, he came around to even the score at 2-2 on a RBI single by Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton). Back-to-back singles from P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) and Rance Roundy (UNLV) brought Jones around as well, and the Honkers ended the inning with a 3-2 lead. But it wouldn’t last long, as the Bats came back with a pair of runs in the sixth. Kurt Schlangen (Minnesota) started the inning with a single, the first hit that Robertson allowed in the game. Schlangen was picked off for the first out, but, like in the first, a pair of errors allowed two runners to reach base. Tony Renda (California) and Matt Summers (UC Irvine) didn’t waste those runners, either, as both delivered RBI singles to give St. Cloud a 4-3 lead. Rochester came back quickly, though, when Roundy evened the score at 4-4 with an RBI groundout in the top of the seventh.
The score stayed there into extra innings, but the Bats nearly won it in the ninth. Facing Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy), Matt Fanelli (Washington State) hit a one-out single. Rochester then got Scott McGough (Oregon) out of the bullpen, and he induced a ground ball for the second out, but it allowed Fanelli to move to second. Schlangen was the next batter, and he singled through the right side. Fanelli tried to come home on the play, but Roundy fired a perfect throw home to Aaron Johnson, who blocked the plate perfectly and tagged Fanelli for the final out of the inning. McGough had to escape trouble again in the 10th, and it was a good thing he did as the Honkers offense woke up in the 11th. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) hit a leadoff single, and John Tommasini and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) added RBI singles to give Rochester a 6-4 lead. Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) came on in the bottom of the inning, and held the River Bats to just a single to earn his first save of the season.
Brock and Roundy each had three hits for the Honkers, with Roundy adding a pair of RBI. Tommasini scored two runs. Both Renda and Summers had two RBI for the River Bats. The win went to Scott McGough to send his record to 4-2 while the loss fell to Connor Lambert (Washington State) to send him to 1-2 on the year. Robertson got a no decision, but pitched seven innings allowing just four hits and no earned runs (all four St. Cloud runners were unearned).
The series concludes tomorrow in St. Cloud at 6:05pm. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will start for the Honkers, while Kurtis Frymier (Michigan State) will take the ball for St. Cloud.
July 24 , 2009
Honkers Outlast MoonDogs 2-1 in 12 Innings
(Rochester, MN)—Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) only had one hit, but he emerged the hero for the Honkers as his bloop single in the bottom of the 12th with two outs scored Rance Roundy (UNLV) to give Rochester a 2-1 walkoff win. The Rochester pitching staff held the MoonDogs to just three hits over the course of the night, and Roundy accounted for the Honkers’ other run with a solo homer in the fourth. Rochester is now 13-6 with the win, while Mankato fell to 9-10. The win also clinched the season series against Mankato for the Honkers, five games to three.
Both Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) for Rochester and Ryan Demmin (Wisconsin Oshkosh) were dealing early in the game, but the MoonDogs would jump on the board first in the fourth inning when Cody Fick (Evansville) crushed a solo home run to center to give Mankato a 1-0 lead. It was the first hit that Mankato managed in the game, and they wouldn’t get another until a ninth inning single. The lead didn’t last long though, as Roundy evened things up by going deep to left to lead off the bottom of the fourth and make the score 1-1. Both starters would last just five innings, turning in almost identical lines and neither getting a decision. Gagnon allowed one hit and one run with one walk, five strikeouts and a home run. Demmin also allowed one run with one walk, five strikeouts and a home run, but he allowed five hits over his five innings on the mound.
The score would stay 1-1 all the way until the 12th, as both bullpens matched scoreless frames into the night. Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy), Scott McGough (Oregon) and Arik Sikula (Marshall) all pitched very well for Rochester, while Chris Garrison (Oregon) tossed four innings of relief allowing just one hit with four strikeouts for the MoonDogs. But the Honkers would eventually get to John Brebbia (Elon), who came on in the tenth for Mankato.
After stranding two runners in the 11th, Rochester got a two-out single from Roundy in the 12th. He moved to second on an errant pick-off throw, and John Tommasini (Oregon State) worked a walk to bring Beuerlein to the plate. It didn’t take him long, as the catcher lifted the third pitch he saw just beyond the reach of the infield into shallow left-center to score Roundy and end the game.
Sikula got the win for the Honkers to move to 3-1 on the year with two shutout innings of relief in which he allowed only a single hit, while the loss fell to Brebbia to send him to 1-3 on the year. Roundy and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerotn) each managed three hits for the Honkers, but Beuerlein’s single base knock was the biggest for Rochester. Roundy scored both runs for the Honkers.
Rochester travels to St. Cloud, who currently is just ahead of the Honkers in winning percentage for first in the North Division, tomorrow at 7:05pm. Zach Robertson (Iowa) will pitch for the Honkers, while St. Cloud has yet to announce their starter.
July 23 , 2009
Two Runs Enough for Honkers in Mankato
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers came back from the All-Star and picked up a win in Mankato on Thursday night, defeating the MoonDogs 2-1. Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) out-dueled Mankato’s James Wise (Washington) to earn his second win, allowing just a single unearned run over five innings before handing it over to the bullpen. With the win the Honkers are now 12-6 while Mankato fell to 9-9.
At the start it looked like it could be a rough night for the Honkers. Wise was absolutely dealing early, and struck out five Rochester batters in his first two innings of work while the game moved into the third scoreless. But a MoonDog error allowed the Honkers to take the lead in the top of the third inning. Aaron Johnson (Illinois) led of the third with a single, and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) then delivered a single to center, and Ryan Durant (Iowa) misplayed the ball to allow Johnson to score and Jones to take second base. The Honkers caught a tough break though, as Rance Roundy (UNLV) lined into a double play to end the inning two batters later before any more damage could be done.
But Rochester would give back the unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. Durant singled against Burleson and took second on an error. He came around to score two batters later when Tony Strazzara (San Diego) singled and an error on second baseman John Tommasini (Oregon State) allowed Durant to score from third and sent to Strazzara to second base. But with the game tied 1-1 and another runner in scoring position for Mankato, Burleson was able to buckle down and get out of the inning. The fifth was the final frame he worked, and allowed just the unearned run on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts, but the Honkers would re-take the lead in the sixth and hold it to give Burleson the win and move him to 2-3 on the year.
Jones started the sixth with a single and P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) followed with a double to put runners on second and third for Roundy, who hit into a 3-4 ground out that scored Jones from third to give Rochester a 2-1 lead. Wise would pitch his way out of the inning for Mankato and finished with a very impressive line of two runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks with seven strikeouts over six innings. But it wasn’t good enough for the MoonDogs, as the Rochester bullpen was able to hold the line the rest of the way and Wise was saddled with his first loss of the year, sending his record to 5-1
Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) pitched two solid innings of shutout relief and Scott McGough (Oregon) pitched a scoreless eighth while Arik Sikula (Marshall) closed it out in the ninth by striking out the side to earn his NWL-best 15th save.
Each team managed only five hits in the game, and Rochester’s Corey Jones was the only batter that had two of them while Roundy had the only RBI for the Honkers. Alex Burgos (State College of Florida) pitched three hitless, shutout innings of relief for the MoonDogs.
The two teams will conclude their season-series tomorrow night at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will pitch for the Honkers against Ryan Demmin (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) for Mankato. Rochester would only face Mankato again if they clinched a playoff spot and met in the North Divisional Series August 11th – 13th.
July 21 , 2009
Jones Second in Home Run Derby, North Falls to South 4-2 in All-Star Game
(Rochester, MN)—Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) started off today’s All-Star activity on a high note, as the NWL’s home run leader advanced to the second round of the event. He would eventually fall to Madison’s Harold Riggins (N.C. State), who hit three home runs in the final round to best Jones’s second round total of one. Later in the day the South Division defeated the North 4-2 in the All-Star game. Every Honker participant except P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) participated in the game, and Arik Sikula (Marshall) closed out the game for the North with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth inning.
Both teams emptied their bullpens in the All-Star Game, with no pitcher going beyond a single inning in the game, but the South jumped out to a 4-0 lead as they pushed across a run in the fourth, another in the sixth and pair of runs in the seventh inning. Rochester’s Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) pitched the fourth inning for the North and allowed the first run of the game, but only allowed a single hit in the inning. Zach Robertson (Iowa) had pitched the third inning, and didn’t allow a run while striking out one and giving up two hits. But the North started a rally in the eighth inning, and one of the Honkers was right in the middle of it. After a fielding error and a couple of singles led to one run for the North, Corey Jones struck out for the first out of the inning. Rance Roundy (UNLV) was the next batter, and he hit a ground ball that made him the second out, but drove in another run to make the score 4-2. The North couldn’t do anything else in the inning and Arik Sikula came on to pitch the ninth. He picked up a pair of strikeouts to keep the North within two heading to the bottom of the ninth, but the North was unable to rally. Jones finished 0-for-3, Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) was 0-for-2, and Rance Roundy was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Earlier in the day Jones hit a single home run in the first round of the Home Run Derby, and that was enough to advance as the wind was blowing in hard in Thunder Bay and all of the league’s best sluggers struggled to get the ball over the fence. Jones batted first in the second round, where he and Riggins went head-to-head, and Jones hit one home run again. But Riggins connected on three bombs to win the Derby.
The Honkers return to action on Thursday night at Mankato at 7:05pm. Pitchers for both teams have yet to be determined.
July 20 , 2009
Follow the Honkers at the NWL All-Star Game!
(Rochester, MN)—Seven members of the Rochester Honkers have been selected to the NWL ALL-Star team, and you can watch them compete in Thunder Bay on Tuesday, July 21st at 7:05pm CST. The entire day's action is being webstreamed free of charge through Northwoods League TV, so you can follow Zach Robertson (Iowa), Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State), Arik Sikula (Marshall), Drew Beuerlein (UNLV), Rance Roundy (UNLV), P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) as they compete with and against the league's best players. Also be sure to log on and watch as Corey Jones, who leads the NWL in home runs with 12, represents the Honkers in the Home Run Derby at 4:55pm CST on July 21st as well. All of the action can be found at the link above, or right here.
July 19 , 2009
Honkers Head into Break on High Note with 7-4 Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers came out to play on their last day before the All-Star break, and picked up a 7-4 victory over the La Crosse Loggers on Sunday night. The Honkers sailed for most of the game, but La Crosse managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth before the Honkers were able to close the door. With the win the Honkers are now 11-6 in the second half while La Crosse fell to 10-6.
Rochester jumped ahead early with a big second inning off of La Crosse starter Pete Woodworth (Florida Gulf Coast). Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) and Danny Brock (St. Louis) led off the inning with two singles, and John Tommasini (Oregon State) delivered a run-scoring double two batters later to start the scoring and give the Honkers a 1-0 lead. Mitch Karraker (Oregon) drove in another run with a sacrifice fly and P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) gave the Honkers a 3-0 lead when he drove in Tommasini on an two-out, infield single. Rochester then extended its lead and chased Woodworth from the game in the third. Beuerlein started things off with a double, and Woodworth got the next batter before issuing three straight walks to load the bases and push a run in, making it 4-0. The Loggers then turned to their bullpen in Craig Crumbly (Florida Gulf Coast), who got Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) to pop out, but hit Sequeira with a pitch to send home another run before he could end the inning.
The five run cushion after three innings was enough for the Honker arms, but the Loggers did their best to come back. Honkers starter Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) went five innings in his first Northwoods League start, allowing just three hits and one run to score in the fifth. The Honkers had added a run in the top half of the inning so the lead was still five at 6-1 heading into the sixth inning. Tony Thompson (Kansas) hit a home run on the first pitch of the inning to put Rochester up 7-1, but the Loggers forced across another run in the bottom of the frame against Rochester reliever Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) to make it 7-2. The score stayed there until the eighth, when La Crosse began to rally.
Scott McGough (Oregon) came on to start the inning for the Honkers, and the Loggers didn't greet him warmly. Tony Mueller (Winona State) started the inning with a single and Greg Holt (North Carolina) launched a two-run homer to cut the Honkers' lead to 7-4. But McGough would settle down and pitch his way through the inning before passing the ball off to Arik Sikula (Marshall), who tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his league-leading 14th save.
Beuerlein led the Honkers with three hits, while both Sequeira and Karraker had two-RBI nights. Thompson's home run was his first with Rochester. Holt led the La Crosse offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Taliaferro got his first win to move to 1-0 on the year, while Woodworth took the loss to fall to 3-4.
The Northwoods League enters its All-Star break tomorrow, with no regular season games until Thursday. Rochester is sending seven All-Stars to participate in the festivities in the Thunder Bay: Zach Robertson (Iowa), Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State), Arik Sikula (Marshall), Drew Beuerlein (UNLV, Rance Roundy (UNLV), Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) and P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts). Rochester's next game is Thursday night at Mankato at 7:05pm. Starting pitchers are not yet available.
July 18 , 2009
Honkers Lose Pitcher's Duel, 4-1
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)– The Honkers found themselves in a pitcher's duel yet again on Saturday night, but a walk-off home run eventually give La Crosse a 4-1 win. La Crosse starter Steve Gruver (Tennessee) was excellent, allowing one run and three hits over seven strong innings and Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) was even better for Rochester, lasting seven innings as well allowing just one run on two hits with seven strikeouts. But in the end the game would be decided by the bullpen, and it ended up going to the home team. Rochester is now 10-6 in the second half after the loss, while La Crosse moves to 10-5.
The Honkers got on the board right away, but did so without picking up a hit in the first inning. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) led off a game by getting hit by a pitch, and a wild pitch and a pair of groundouts brought him all the way around to score and give the Honkers a 1-0 lead. They wouldn't get another run in the game though, as the lefty sailed through the next six innings to finish his day and the bullpen was able to hold the line.
Meanwhile Bret Mitchell was every bit as good, allowing just a single run in the fifth when Aaron Gates (Pepperdine) led off the inning with a single and eventually scored from third on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. That single was one of just two hits Mitchell allowed, as he turned in one of the most impressive performances of any Honker pitcher this season.
But someone had to break through eventually, and the Honkers nearly did so in the ninth. The Loggers passed the ball off to Troy Watson (Sacramento CC) in the eighth, and he easily pitched his way into the ninth inning with the score still 1-1. But Danny Brock (St. Louis) worked a one out walk before being lifted for Mayy Bywater (Pepperdine). Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) greeted him with a double to put runners on second and third with the game on the line, but Bywater buckled down and got William Arnold (Central Michgan) and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) to strike out to escape the inning.
Rochester had passed the ball to Scott McGough (Oregon) in the eighth, and he stayed on to work into the ninth. Robert Abel (San Francisco) started the inning with a single, and a sacrifice bunt moved him into scoring position with one out. The next batter Chris Engell (San Diego) bounced the ball back to McGough, and he appeared to have Abel hung up between second and third. Abel dove back into second and, although McGough flipped to Danny Pulfer (Oregon) who was covering second, Abel was ruled to have eluded the tag resulting in runners on first and second with still just one out. The play ended up not mattering, though, as the next batter, Robert Brantly (UC-Riverside) drove a ball over the wall for a three-run walk-off home run to win the game at 4-1.
McGough took the loss to fall to 3-2 while the win went to Bywater to send his record to 2-1. Brantly led all hitters, going 1-for-4 with a run and three RBI on his walk-off home run. Drew Beuerlein was the only batter for either team with multiple hits, going 2-for-4. Rochester outhit La Crosse 5 to 4, and neither team committed an error.
Rochester will play its final game before the All-Star break tomorrow at La Crosse at 5:05pm. Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) will start for the Honkers while Pete Woodworth (Florida Gulf Coast) will start for the Loggers.
July 17 , 2009
Honkers Fall 7-2 in Finale with River Bats
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Rochester sent one of its seven All-Stars to the mound in Zach Robertson (Iowa) to face the River Bats, but the bats couldn’t help him out as the Honker ace allowed three runs in six innings. Rochester nearly rallied back and did make the score 3-2 heading to the ninth, but St. Cloud posted four runs in the top of the ninth to end any hope of a rally and seal the 7-2 victory. Rochester fell to 10-5 in the second half while St. Cloud is now 8-5.
Robertson retired the first six men he faced but the River Bats broke through against him in the third. Tony Renda (California) led off the inning, and blasted a ball well over the wall in left-center to give the Bats a 1-0 lead. St. Cloud would push across single runs in each of the next two innings, both with the leadoff man reaching base and eventually coming around to score. Robertson’s day ended after the six, and he allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Meanwhile the Honkers struggled for the second consecutive night against St. Cloud’s starting pitching. Pedro Ramos (Glendale CC) gave up a single to Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) and a double to Rance Roundy (UNLV) both in the first inning, but escaped damage there and was untouchable for the rest of his day. He pitched seven full innings and allowed only one hit and a walk over the final six innings he pitched. But the Honkers did nearly climb back against the bullpen in the eighth inning. Facing Xavier Esquivel (Loyola Marymount), Rochester started the inning with a single and a walk before a fielder’s choice and a strikeout got them down to their final out of the inning. Tony Thompson (Kansas) came through with a two-run double off the wall in right-center that nearly got over the fence and tied the game to make it a 3-2 score. Esquivel would recover, however, and strike out Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) to end the inning.
Riley Bevill (Oregon) came on to pitch the ninth for Rochester and try to hold the lead, but some miscues on bunt attempts led to a rough outing. After giving up a leadoff double, the River Bats attempted to bunt the runner to third, but Christ Auten (New Mexico State) picked the ball up and unsuccessfully tried to get the out at third and both runners were safe. A passed ball on Aaron Johnson (Illinois) allowed one run to score and a walk and a single later brought in another run to make it 5-2. But the big blow came on the next batter when Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Thompson charged in and played it with a bare hand, but his throw skipped by first base and down toward the Honker bullpen, allowing two unearned runs to score and give St. Cloud a 7-2 lead. Bevill would get the next three batters out to escape the inning without further damage, but the Honker bats couldn’t muster any runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Ramos got the win to move to 3-2 while the loss went to Robertson, sending him to 4-2 on the year. Jonathan Roof (Michigan State) went 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI for the St. Cloud, while Renda added two runs and an RBI on his 2-for-4 performance. Thompson had the best day at the plate for Rochester, going 1-for-3 with the two RBI.
Rochester travels to La Crosse tomorrow for the first of a two-game set at 6:05pm. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will start for the Honkers while La Crosse has yet to announce their starter.
July 15 , 2009
Honkers, Lunkers Split Double-Header, Each Get Blowout Wins
Box Score 1
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers rolled into tonight’s double-header in Brainerd with a perfect 6-0 record in double-dippers this season, but Rochester just couldn’t keep that impressive streak going any longer. After winning the first game extremely easily at 10-1, the Lunkers bounced back in the nightcap with a 12-4 blowout victory to split the series. Both games were played to seven innings rather than nine. Rochester is now 9-4 in the second half while Brainerd fell to 6-6.
The first game was over almost as soon as it began. Facing their former teammate Matt Mullendore (Hamline), the Honkers refused to give him any break. Rochester pounded out five hits and drew six walks from Mullendore before chasing him midway through the third inning, touching him for eight runs. The Brainerd defense wasn’t much help to Mullendore, though; as two early errors resulted in just three of the eight runs he allowed being earned. Still, it was a rough outing for the pitcher who tossed over 20 innings for the Honkers early in the season with an ERA of just 3.10.
The big hits in the game came from Chris Auten (New Mexico State) and Tony Thompson (Kansas), who added three-run doubles in the second and third innings, respectively. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) also added two runs and two RBI in his 2-for-4 performance, while John Tommasini (Oregon State) scored three runs despite not collecting a hit. Five of the eight hits for Rochester went for extra bases, and the Honkers scored all 10 runs without hitting a home run in the game. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) earned the win by tossing six innings allowing just one run on four hits to move to 4-1. Mullendore took the loss to fall to 1-1 with Brainerd.
But the Lunkers refused to be swept, and came out swinging in the second game. The Honkers jumped out to a short-lived 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI double by Scott Berke (UNLV), but Brainerd grabbed the lead in the bottom half of the inning and never looked back.
The pushed across a pair of runs on Honkers’ starter Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) in the second on a RBI single by Mike Martinez (Florida International) and run scoring fielder’s choice before extending their lead to 4-1 with another pair of runs in the bottom of the third. The Honkers would climb part way back when a RBI single by William Arnold (Central Michigan) made it 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth, but the Lunkers ran away from there.
After scoring three in the bottom of the fourth to chase Burleson and take a 7-2 lead, Brainerd sent 10 men to the plate and lit up Rochester reliever Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) for five runs in the bottom of the fifth to run their lead to 12-2. Johnson allowed only one extra base hit in the inning, but six singles strung together made the rally last without any single big blow.
Meanwhile the Rochester bats were hardly dormant, collecting 10 hits, but Brian Garman (Cincinnati) was able to limit the damage and posted 11 strikeouts in a complete game performance to earn his second win. Burleson took the loss to fall to 1-3. Ten different Brainerd batters had at least one hit in the game, while Rance Roundy (UNLV) went 3-for-4 for the Honkers.
The Honkers return home for a pair of games against St. Cloud Thursday and Friday nights at 7:05pm at Mayo Field. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will face Barry Rooks (Florida International) in the opener tomorrow night.
July 14 , 2009
Honkers Game at Brainerd Postponed Due to Weather, Double Header Scheduled for Tomorrow
(Rochester, MN)—The scheduled game between the Rochester Honkers and Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers tonight at 7:05pm in Brainerd has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up as part of a double header tomorrow consisting of two seven-inning games beginning at 6:05pm with a 30 minute break between the two games. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) is scheduled to start for Rochester against Matt Mullendore (Hamline) in the first game, while Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) will face Brian Garman (Cincinnati) in the second game.
July 13 , 2009
Rough Second Inning Dooms Honkers against Mankato
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The MoonDogs piled up six singles and drew a walk all in the second inning, scoring four runs, and that was all Mankato would need to outlast the Honkers 4-3 on Monday afternoon. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) homered for the second straight day to raise his league-leading total to 12 and Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) ran his scoreless inning streak to 8.2 to start his Honker career with 4.1 innings of near-perfect relief. With the loss Rochester fell to 8-3 in the half and Mankato improved to 5-5.
After exchanging scoreless first innings the MoonDogs started off the second with four straight singles against Rochester starter Riley Bevill (Oregon). Mankato would add two more singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the inning to score four total runs, but only one of the balls was well-hit against Bevill. Still, that tough frame was enough to end Bevill’s day, although he did get the third out to escape the inning.
Meanwhile Bennett Whitmore, Bevill’s teammate at Oregon, was very effective on the mound for Mankato. The Honkers did push across an unearned run in the third when Tony Thompson (Kansas) drove in Jones with a single, and Jones led off the fifth with a line drive over the wall in right to make the score 4-2. The next three batters for Rochester reached, and Aaron Johnson (Illinois) eventually drove in one run with an RBI groundout to make the score 4-3.
But that was all the offense either team would see in the game, as both bullpens were extremely effective. Chris Garrison, another Oregon pitcher, relieved Whitmore in the sixth for Mankato and cruised through the final four innings allowing just one hit to earn his first save. Meanwhile Taliaferro came on for the Honkers to start the third inning and allowed just one hit with three strikeouts as he worked into the seventh before handing the ball off to Danny Brock (St. Louis) who tossed 2.2 innings allowing just one base runner and striking out two.
Thompson had the best day at the plate for Rochester by collecting three hits, while Jones added two runs and an RBI on his one hit—the home run. KC Serna (San Diego) was the only MoonDog with multiple hits. Bevill took the loss to fall to 1-2 on the year, while Whitmore earned the win to improve to 3-1.
Rochester travels to Brainerd tomorrow for a 7:05pm game against the Lunkers. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will start for Rochester against former Honker Matt Mullendore (Hamline), who will start for the Lunkers.
July 13 , 2009
Seven Honkers Named All-Stars
(Rochester, MN)- The Northwoods League announced the 2009 All-Star rosters today, and the Rochester Honkers are proud to have seven members selected from their squad to play in the July 21st game in Thunder Bay, Canada at 6:05PM EST (7:05PM CST). The seven selections are tied for the most from any one team along with Battle Creek. The players selected are: middle infielder Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton), catcher (Drew Beuerlein (UNLV), outfielders P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) and Rance Roundy (UNLV), closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) and starting pitchers Zach Robertson (Iowa) and Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State). It is Robertson's second All-Star selection. Notes on each of the players' All-Star worthy accomplishments this season can be found below.
Corey Jones:
The junior from Cal State Fullerton was away from baseball activities for nearly a year after breaking his leg in the summer of 2008, but has posted some of the best numbers of his career this summer at Rochester. Currently he is hitting .289 with a league-leading 11 home runs, while his 27 RBI are fifth-best in the NWL.
Drew Beuerlein:
The junior from UNLV is batting .292 over 31 games this season, and is third on the club in RBI with 19. He has also got on base consistently, posting a team-leading on base percentage of .408, which is also sixth best in the league.
P.J. Sequeira:
A junior out of Oral Roberts, Sequeira has quietly been one of Rochester's best hitters all year. He is currently hitting .292, but has been around the .300 line all year and has added 20 runs scored and 15 RBI to the Honker offense. What doesn't show up in the stats is his defense in left field, where he has made more than a few spectacular plays.
Rance Roundy:
Another junior from UNLV, Roundy led the league in batting for much of the first half. His .327 mark is the best on the team, and he flirted with .400 for much of the first month. His five home runs are the second best on Rochester and in the top-five in the league, while his 18 doubles lead the NWL by five.
Arik Sikula:
The sophomore from Marshall has struggled in his last two appearances, but is a big reason the Honkers are 27-15 overall this season. His 12 saves are just one off the league lead, while he has posted 35 strikeouts in just 28 innings and held opposing hitters to just a .198 average.
Zach Robertson:
In his third year with the team, the junior from Iowa will be making his second trip to the All-Star game after qualifying for the first time last season. His 53 strikeouts are best on the team and third-best in the league, while his four wins are tied for the most on the Rochester roster.
Drew Gagnon:
The freshman from Long Beach State has been outstanding all season, posting the second-best ERA in the league at 1.24. He is 3-1 and has amassed an absurd 40:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 36.1 innings on the bump.
The Honkers congratulate all their All-Stars and wish them luck in Thunder Bay!
July 12 , 2009
Honkers Win 5-3 on Pulfer's 14th Inning Double
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)– Mankato won the first half behind the strength of their pitching, but both squads’ starters were dominant on Sunday night. The Honkers managed just two hits over the first six innings, but late home runs by Rance Roundy (UNLV) and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) soured an otherwise excellent performance by Tim Griffin (Rollins) while Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) allowed just two runs on six hits while striking out seven in seven innings of work. Both starters took no decisions, though, as the game was decided in extras when Danny Pulfer (Oregon) delivered a two run double in the 14th inning to give the Honkers a 5-3 lead and Scott McGough (Oregon) held it down in the bottom half of the frame to earn the save. With the win Rochester improved to 8-2 in the second half, while Mankato fell to 4-5.
Tim Griffin (Rollins) was superb early for Mankato, allowing just a pair of base runners in two doubles by Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) over the first six innings. But he couldn’t keep up the shutout, though, as Rance Roundy (UNLV) lifted a ball just over the wall for solo home run in the seventh inning to get the Honkers on the board.
That homer made the score 2-1 with the MoonDogs on top, as Mankato had managed to score a pair of runs on Honker starter Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) over the first six innings. Mitchell pitched just as well as Griffin—striking out six and allowing just six hits over seven innings. He gave up a run in each of the second on an RBI single and another in the fourth when Kyle Knudson (Mankato) led off the inning with a homer.
With Griffin still on the mound in the top of the eighth, Mitch Karraker (Oregon) started the inning with a single. He was caught stealing a few pitches later, but John Tommasini (Oregon State) singled to keep the go-ahead run at the plate for Corey Jones. Jones, who leads the NWL with homers but hadn’t gone deep for ten days, smashed a pitch well over the wall for his 11th homer that put the Honkers on top 3-2 and chased Griffin.
The score would stay there until the bottom of the ninth when Mankato pushed across a run on an RBI single by Brian Haar (San Diego) against Rochester closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) to tie the game and force extra innings where it became a duel between Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) for Rochester and Alex Burgos (State College of Florida) for the MoonDogs.
Ramirez tossed three innings allowing just two hits with five strikeouts before giving way to Scott McGough (Oregon) and Burgos was even better over the same stretch, allowing just one hit with six strikeouts over four innings. But in his fifth inning of work, the 14th, he finally cracked. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) was the hero for Rochester, coming through with a two-out double that scored both Scott Berke (UNLV) and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) to break the tie and put the Honkers on top 5-3. McGough stayed on for the bottom of the 14th, and sent down Mankato quietly to earn the win.
McGough improved to 3-1 with the win, while Burgos was the tough-luck loser, falling to 1-2. Beuerlein was the only Honker with multiple hits, while Jones and Pulfer each added a pair of RBI. Haar led the MoonDogs, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The two teams will face each other again, this time in Rochester, tomorrow at 1:05pm. Riley Bevill (Oregon) will start for the Honkers, while Bennett Whitmore (Oregon) will start for Mankato.
July 11 , 2009
Honkers Blow Late Lead, but Win in Walk-Off
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Zach Robertson (Iowa) allowed just five hits over 8.1 innings and struck out ten batters, but the Honkers still needed a walk-off single by William Arnold (Central Michigan) in the bottom of the ninth to earn a series sweep over Thunder Bay and a 4-3 win. Honkers closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) came on with the score 3-0 Rochester, one out and the tying run at the plate in the ninth and got a strikeout for the second out, but couldn’t complete the save as the Border Cats rallied to tie the game up. Sikula ended up getting his second win of the season though, despite blowing the save, when the Honkers won in the bottom half of the ninth. Rochester is now 7-2 in the half, while Thunder Bay fell to 4-4.
Both starters were excellent early, as Miguel Valcarcel (St. John’s) matched Robertson over the first couple of innings. Rochester did manage to push two runs across against him the third, though, on a pair of walks and a two RBI double by P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts)—Rochester’s first hit of the game. Valcarcel would only allow one more hit, although he did walk five batters over six strong innings allowing just the two runs. Meanwhile Robertson was in complete cruise control, allowing just three singles and a walk over the first eight innings he tossed. He began to run out of gas in the ninth though, as he allowed a pair of singles around a strikeout before being pulled for Sikula.
Rochester had scored a third run in the seventh to make it 3-0, and the Honkers would need that run as Sikula was unable to complete the save. After striking out the first batter he faced, he battled hard against Curtis Wagner (Santa Clara University) but Wagner eventually drove a ball to the batter’s eye in center scoring two runs to make it 3-2. The next batter, Walker Moore (Cal State Fullerton) singled to left and Sequeira misplayed the ball, allowing a third run to score and tie the game before Sikula got another strikeout to end the inning.
Chris Marlowe (Navarro College) came on in the ninth for Thunder Bay, and Aaron Johnson (Illinois) nearly ended in the first at-bat as he drove a ball to deep left center, but it was caught for the first out. Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) singled after that and Danny Pulfer (Oregon) was hit by the only pitch he saw to put two runners on before Arnold drove a ball through the left side to score Dunsmore and end the game.
Sikula got the win to move to 2-1, while Robertson allowed just the two runs (both inherited runners he left to Sikula) and stuck out ten in his 8.1 innings. The loss went to Marlowe, who fell to 0-2. Sequeira and Arnold both paced the Honkers’ offense, each adding a hit and driving in two runs.
Rochester heads to the road tomorrow to face Mankato at 6:05pm. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will start for the Honkers, while Mankato has yet to announce their starter.
July 10 , 2009
Sikula Saves Game for Honkers in 6-3 Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Thunder Bay brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, but the Honkers turned to their closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) to escape the jam and he induced a game-ending double play on the first pitch he threw to seal the 6-3 victory and earn his 12th save. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) pitched 6.2 strong innings to earn his fourth win for the Honkers, and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) added his fourth homer of the season. Rochester is now 6-2 on the half while Thunder Bay is 4-3.
The Border Cats jumped on the board first, scoring an unearned run in the second inning, but Flynn would shake it off and continue to put up zeroes while Rochester climbed back against Thunder Bay starter Tyler Powell (Belmont Abbey). The Honkers threatened several times early, but finally got on the board in the fourth, tying the game at 1-1 on an RBI single by Chris Auten (New Mexico State). Rance Roundy (UNLV) scored on the play, but the throw to the plate beat him by several seconds and it took an elusive slide to escape the tag. The Honkers would go on to take the lead in the inning when they added a run on another RBI single by Mitch Karraker (Oregon) to make it 2-1.
The score stayed there until the sixth when the Cats tied it up on a two-out RBI single by Derek Hamblen (Belmont U) and chased Flynn from the game. Scott McGough (Oregon) came on in relief and escaped the inning.
The score wouldn’t stay tied for long, though, as the Honkers jumped back out in front in the bottom half of the sixth. Dunsmore connected on his home run with two outs in the inning to make it 3-2 Honkers, and Rochester doubled the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single by William Arnold (Central Michigan). The Honkers nearly added a fifth run on a single by Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton), but an unusual play at the plate ended the rally. Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) charged home an escaped the tag of catcher Dean Forthun (Columbia U) and started walking toward the dugout to greet his teammates, but the umpire never called him safe. Apparently Beuerlein had failed to touch the plate, and Forthun eventually chased him toward the Honkers dugout and applied the tag. The Honkers argued the call, and Corey Jones was ejected in the argument.
Rochester would score two more in the seventh to make it 6-2, but the Border Cats nearly came back in the ninth. After McGough allowed a run to score and the tying run to reach the plate the Honkers brought in Sikula, and he induced a double play ball off the bat of Marty Johnson (Bellevue) to end the game.
The series will conclude tomorrow at 7:05 pm at Mayo Field with Zach Robertson (Iowa) throwing for the Honkers and Miguel Valcarcel (St. John’s) taking the mound for the Cats.
July 9 , 2009
Honkers Fall 7-3 to Green Bay in Series Finale
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Rochester mustered 10 hits but scored only three runs and couldn’t find a way past the Bullfrogs, who took the series finale 7-3. Chuck Lukanen (Northern Illinois) pitched six strong innings for Green Bay to earn his league-leading sixth win of the season and move to 6-1 overall. With the loss Rochester fell to 5-2 in the second half while Green Bay moved to 3-3.
Honkers starter Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) didn’t have his best stuff for the first time this season, but he was able to manage the damage through the first three frames. He allowed one run in each of the first three innings, but stranded multiple runners in each frame to limit the scoring to much less than it could have been. Meanwhile the Honkers were able to hit Lukanen early, and scored a pair of runs in the second on consecutive doubles by Rance Roundy (UNLV) and Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) and a RBI fielder’s choice by Danny Pulfer (Oregon), and added another run in the third on an RBI single by Tony Thompson (Kansas) to exit the third at 3-3.
But the Bullfrogs broke the game open in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs and chasing Burleson midway through. After the first batter grounded out, two singles and a walk loaded the bases. Burleson got a pop-out to second for the second out and hold the runners in place, but gave up singles to Matt Argyropoulous and Chris Schaeffer, scoring all three runners, before being lifted with the score 6-3 Green Bay. The Honkers never mounted much of a threat the rest of the game, although they did strand a single runner in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings before leaving two on in the eighth and the ninth.
Perhaps the best result from the game for the Honkers was how well Brody Taliaferro (Hutchinson CC) pitched in his debut, as he allowed just one hit and struck out five Bullfrogs over 4.1 innings of shutout relief to keep Rochester within striking distance. Both starters took the decisions, as Burleson fell to 1-2 allowing six runs (five earned) on ten hits in 3.2 innings while Lukanen earned the win by allowing three runs on seven hits over six innings and striking out six. Matthew Kimball (Brown) earned his first save, by pitching three innings of shutout relief for the Bullfrogs.
Thompson was the only Honker with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, although every spot in the batting order picked up at least one hit for Rochester. Jacob House (Arkansas) had just one hit but scored three runs for Green Bay, while Schaeffer led the offense going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
The Honkers will continue their home stand tomorrow when they host the Thunder Bay Border Cats at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will start for the Honkers, while Tyler Powell (Belmont Abbey) will start for Thunder Bay.
July 8 , 2009
Johnson Scores Two to Lead Honkers to Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers were held to just three hits and no runs until the eighth inning by Green Bay on Wednesday night, but scored an unearned run in the eighth and another in the tenth inning to earn a 2-1 walk-off victory in the series opener. Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) got his first win of the year, pitching two shutout innings of relief with four strikeouts and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) won the game with an RBI single in the tenth while Aaron Johnson (Illinois) scored both runs for the Honkers. With the run Rochester is now 5-1 in the second half while Green Bay falls to 2-3.
Both starters pitched at their best early as Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) for Rochester and Joel Delorit (UW Stevens Point) for Green Bay cruised through the first part of the game. Delorit pitched seven shutout innings allowing just three hits while Gagnon allowed only a solo home run by Riley Henricks (Portland) in the fourth inning in his 6.1 frames of three-hit ball, striking out seven and walking none. But both starters would take no decisions, as the game was decided late.
Johnson pushed a one-out single through the infield in the eighth and stole second before William Arnold (Central Michigan) bounced an infield single that the Bullfrogs’ shortstop threw away allowing Arnold to take second and, more important, Johnson to come all the way home to tie the game at 1-1. In the ninth the Honkers turned to Ramirez to relieve Scott McGough (Oregon), and he shut down the Bullfrogs the next two innings to set up the winning hit in the bottom of the tenth.
Johnson started things off again, laying down a bunt that was thrown away by the third baseman and allowing Johnson to reach on the error and go all the way to second. He moved to third when Arnold singled behind him, and came home with the winning run when Dunsmore lined a base-hit through the right side one batter later.
Ramirez earned the win to go to 1-1 while the loss went to Steve Crnkovich (Tennessee) who allowed an unearned run in 1.1 innings of relief to fall to 0-2. Johnson was 1-for-3 for Rochester and scored both runs, while Dunsmore went 1-for-2 and picked up the only RBI for the Honkers. Henricks paced the Green Bay offense, going 2-for-4 with the solo home run to account for the team’s only run.
The series concludes tomorrow night at 7:05pm at Mayo Field when Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) of the Honkers faces Chuck Lukanen (Northern Illinois) of the Bullfrogs. Following that game the Honkers will host Thunder Bay on Friday and Saturday to conclude their current home-stand.
July 6 , 2009
Early Runs Plus Great Pitching Equals Honkers Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers scored three runs in the first inning and that cushion was more than enough for starter Riley Bevill (Oregon) and a trio of relievers who all turned in impressive performances to earn a 4-1 victory over Alexandria. Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) provided the biggest piece of the offense—a two-run homer in the first inning. With the win Rochester is now 4-1 in the second half while Alexandria is 2-2.
The Honkers got to Beetles starter Nick Brown (Iowa) early, to the tune of three runs in the first. Rance Roundy drew a two-out walk prior to an RBI double from P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts), who has climbed his way into the top-10 NWL hitters on his recent hot stretch. The next batter was Beuerlein, and he crushed a ball off the light pole in right for a two-run homer to make it 3-0 Rochester after one.
Bevill did his job in the second, responding to the early run support by putting up a zero and striking out the side in the inning to do it. The Beetles did score a run in the third on three singles, the final one coming from Tim Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast University) and scoring Mikel Alvarez (Florida Gulf Coast University). The Beetles also had their tempers flare in the inning as they became irritated with delayed strike calls form home plate umpire Kyle Cothran. The Alexandria batters would become quite loquacious with their displeasure, and catcher Keith Castillo (USC) was ejected for arguing.
Both pitchers settled into nice grooves from there, with the Honkers adding one more run in the sixth on an RBI ground out by Sequeira. Bevill, Danny Brock (St. Louis), Scott McGough (Oregon) and Arik Sikula (Marshall) allowed just one hit over the final four innings to complete the win. Bevill moved to 1-1 on the year with his six strong innings in which he allowed just one run on five hits and struck out eight. Sikula picked up his 11th save with a shutout ninth, striking out two and allowing only a walk. The loss went to Brown to send his record to 2-3, although he turned in seven innings allowing just four runs on seven hits and struck out five for the Beetles.
Roberson led the Beetles offense by going 1-for-3 with an RBI. Sequeria and Beuerlein both fueled the Honkers’ attack, each going 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. Chris Auten (New Mexico) also snapped an 0-27 skid by going 2-for-4 with a single and a double.
The Honkers have an off day tomorrow before hosting Green Bay at Mayo Field at 7:05pm on Wednesday. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will throw for Rochester while the Bullfrogs have yet to announce their starter.
July 5 , 2009
Honkers Force Extras, but Fall Therein
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers came through with a clutch run to tie it in the bottom of the eighth, but eventually fell in the tenth inning to Alexandria in the Northwoods League’s only game today. Rochester was in a position to come away with the win, and put the winning run on base in front of the team’s best hitter, Rance Roundy (UNLV), but the Honkers just couldn’t pull it out. With the loss the Honkers are now 3-1 in the second half, and the loss was just the fifth of the season at home for Rochester. Alexandria improved to 2-1 in the second half with the win.
The two starters, Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) and Matt Fyffe (Eastern Kentucky University), pitched very effectively early, but the Beetles eventually came through with an unearned run to take the lead in the third at 1-0. Mitchell would buckle down and put up zeroes in both the fourth and fifth, and the Honkers would push across a run to tie it in the bottom of the fifth. P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) came up with the big hit, a two out single through the left side to score Scott Berke (UNLV) and tie the game at 1-1.
But Alexandria would bounce right back, and retook the lead in next inning on a massive home run by Jayson Langfels (Eastern Kentucky University) that cleared the scoreboard in right-center and made the score 2-1 Beetles. That inning was the last that Mitchell would see before giving way to Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy), but the Honkers had another run up their sleeves. In the bottom of the eighth, after Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) reached on an error and Sequeira drew a walk before a sacrifice bunt moved the runners over, Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score at 2-2.
It would stay there as the game headed to extras, but the Beetles rallied again in the tenth. Facing Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton), Keith Castillo (USC) delivered a RBI double to the gap and came around to score himself after stealing third when the throw attempt to catch him running trickled out into left field.
The game seemed lost at that point for the Honkers, the mood in Mayo Field quickly transubstantiated when the Honkers came through with a RBI single by Danny Brock (St. Louis) to make the score 4-3 with two outs. The Beetles then turned to their bullpen in Kevin Vangheluwe (Michigan), and he got Roundy to strike out to end the game.
Vangheluwe earned his first save, and Austen Siwiec picked up his fifth win by tossing 3.2 innings of relief allowing two runs (one earned). The loss was charged to Ramirez, who allowed two runs (one earned) in two innings of relief work. Sequeira led the Honkers offense with a 2-for-4 day including a run and RBI, while Castillo and Langfels both went 2-for-5 with a run and RBI each for Alexandria.
The series concludes tomorrow at 7:05pm at Mayo Field. Riley Bevill (Oregon) will start for Rochester, while Nick Brown (Iowa) will pitch for the Beetles.
July 4 , 2009
Honkers Rally, Then Hang On to Earn 4-3 Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Like they did twice yesterday, the Honkers staged another rally for a third-consecutive come-from-behind victory against Eau Claire and swept the three game set with a 4-3 win. Zach Robertson (Iowa) pitched six great innings to earn the win and help the Honkers to a 3-0 start to the second half. Eau Claire is now 0-3 since the schedule rolled over. Rochester is now 8-1 in its last nine, and is 22-13 overall.
Both teams struggled defensively in the game and committed a combined six errors, and one of those miscues help the Express to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Nolan Fadness (UW-Oshkosh) reached to start the bottom of the first on an error by Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) at shortstop and came around to score two batters later when Kole Calhoun (Arizona State) also reached on an error by Jones. But the Honkers would shake off the mistakes and settle down while starter Zach Robertson (Iowa) settled into a nice groove. The lefty allowed just three hits and the one unearned run in six innings while striking out three.
Rochester finally broke though in the fourth, scoring a pair of runs on Eau Claire starter Tyler Blank (Baylor) to take a 2-1 lead. P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) started the inning with a single, and scored on an RBI double by Danny Brock (St. Louis) one batter later to tie the game up at 1-1. Three batters later Aaron Johnson (Illinois) would deliver another double, this time with two outs, to score Brock and pick up the 2-1 lead. Another run came across in the fifth when newcomer Scott Berke (UNLV) scored an unearned run on a double-play ball from Sequeira to make it 3-1. The fifth would be the final inning for Blank, and he finished with three runs allowed on six hits over his five innings.
Eau Claire then turned to Ryan Kiel (Marshall), who managed to shut down the Honkers through the eighth, allowing just a single hit over his three innings of relief, but Devan Kline (Central Michigan) allowed an additional run to score in the ninth, giving Rochester a 4-1 lead. Meanwhile Scott McGough (Oregon) was just as effective for Rochester, and kept the Express off of the board in the seventh and eighth before passing the ball off to Arik Sikula (Marshall).
The usually dominant Sikula didn’t have his best stuff, and allowed a run back on consecutive singles to start the ninth and make it 4-2. Things got worse from there, as Eau Claire followed with another single before Sikula hit a batter on a disputed play—Rochester claimed the ball actually hit the handle of the bat—to load the bases for Fadness.
But a clutch play by second baseman John Tommasini (Oregon State) would change the momentum. Fadness hit a soft chopper that Tommasini played quickly and stepped on second and threw to first for a double play. A run scored on the play, making it 4-3, but Sikula struck out the next batter to escape the jam and complete his tenth save.
The win went to Robertson, who is now 4-1 while Blank took the loss, falling to 1-1. Both Sequeira and Johnson finished at 2-for-4 for Rochester, while Berke and Brock both scored a run and picked up an RBI as well. Andy Leonard (UIC) led the way for Eau Claire, going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
The Honkers come back home tomorrow, hosting Alexandria at 3:05pm at Mayo Field. Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will start for the Honkers, while Alexandria has yet to announce their starter.
July 3 , 2009
Honkers Sweep Double Header
Box Score 1
(Rochester, MN)—It took some clutch baseball in the late innings, but the Honkers managed to rally twice to take both games of Friday’s seven inning double-header from South Division first half champions, Eau Claire. John Tommasini (Oregon State) came though with a walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth inning (extra innings in the seven inning format of the double header) of the opener and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) delivered a key double in the sixth inning of the second game to compete the sweep. The score of the first game was 7-6, while the second contest went to the Honkers 3-2. Rochester is now 2-0 in the second half, while Eau Claire is 0-2.
The first game started quietly, but Dunsmore connected on a two-run home run in the third inning after Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) delivered an RBI double to give Rochester the early 3-0 lead. But the Express would storm back, scoring five runs off of Honkers starter Brian Flynn (Wichita State) in the top of the fourth. Six straight batters reached during the inning, and the big blow came off the bat of Rafael Neda (New Mexico), who smashed a three run homer to left center to make the score 5-3. But Rochester refused to be miffed by the crooked number, and after giving up another to trail 6-3, pushed across three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie it up at 6-all. The score stayed there until the eighth when Tommasini drove in Danny Pulfer (Oregon) on a sacrifice fly to earn the 7-6 walk-off win.
The win went to Scott McGough (Oregon), who pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief while the loss went to Ian Campbell (Yavapai), who allowed the sacrifice fly in the eighth. McGough is now 2-1, while Campbell fell to 3-4. Neda finished 2-for-4 with four RBI for Eau Claire, while Beuerlein led the Honkers offense with a 2-for-3, two run, two RBI performance.
After a thirty minute break, the teams returned to the diamond for the second of the two games. After a scoreless first two innings, Eau Claire took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third against Honker pitcher Danny Brock (St. Louis), who relieved starter Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts) after Bowen was forced to leave early. But, just like in the first game, Rochester would rally. In the bottom half of the inning a sacrifice fly tied the score back up a 1-1 and Rochester took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Tommasini. The Express were able to tie it, however, on an RBI groundout by Kole Calhoun (Arizona State) in the top of the fifth.
So once again it was up to the Honkers to find a way to rally late, and they would do so again. After Pulfer led off the inning with a walk, Dunsmore smashed a ball to deep center, and it skipped through a gap in the fencing and out of play for a double. The umpires ruled that Pulfer would be allowed to score, and the run but the Honkers ahead 3-2, where the score would stay. Later in the inning Dunsmore was ejected for bowling over the catcher at home, and both benches would briefly clear, but the incident quickly fizzled. Arik Sikula (Marshall) came out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh, and completed the inning to earn his ninth save.
The win went to Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) to move him to 2-1, while the loss was charged to Calhoun, who pitched the sixth, and dropped his record to 0-1 on the year. P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) was the only Honker with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Rochester and Eau Claire will face each other again tomorrow at 6:05pm in Eau Claire. Zach Robertson (Iowa) will pitch for Rochester, while the Express have yet to announce their starter.
July 2 , 2009
Burleson, Jones help Honkers Stay Hot
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—One night after Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) pitched seven, one-hit innings, Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) tossed seven shutout innings of his own, allowing just three hits and striking out nine as the Honkers completed the series sweep with a 4-1 win over Duluth. The bulk of the offense came from the bat of Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton), who blasted a pair of home runs to increase his league-leading total to 10. With the win the Honkers wrap up the first half at 19-13, while Duluth finished at 13-20.
Burleson was simply filthy throughout his time on the mound, and was able to throw all his pitches for strikes. He was never in real trouble, and even struck out four consecutive batters at one point. The win improved his record to 1-1 on the season. Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) pitched the eighth and the first bit of the ninth, allowing a solo home run to lead off the ninth and break up the shutout and end Duluth’s streak of 26 straight innings without scoring a run. Arik Sikula (Marshall) came on to get the final out and earned his eighth save. Duluth’s starter, Jeff Rydman, (Campbell) gave up four runs, tossed a complete game and didn’t walk a batter, although he gave up 10 hits and took the loss to 0-2 on the season.
Just like the night before, the Honkers backed a great pitching performance with a pair of homers. Both came from Corey Jones, starting with a two run shot to deep right field in the third inning that started the scoring to give the Honkers the 2-0 lead. The Honkers would score another in the fourth when P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) came home on a double by Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) to make it 3-0, and Jones capped the Honkers scoring in the fifth. This time his solo blast to right cleared the scoreboard and banged off the roof of a bungalow nestled behind it.
Jones led the Honkers offense with a 3-for-4 day, including the two homers and scoring two runs and three RBI. Beuerlein finished with two hits and an RBI of his own. The one run for Duluth came on a home run by Jared Womack (Oklahoma State) in the ninth inning. He finished 1-for-4.
Rochester continues its brief home stand with a double-header against Eau Claire tomorrow at Mayo Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:05pm. Each of the two games will be played to seven innings, with a thirty minute break in between. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will throw game one for Rochester, while either Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts) or Danny Brock (St. Louis) will go in the second game. Eau Claire has yet to make their starter known.
July 1 , 2009
Honkers Toss Two-Hit Shutout
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers got a gem from starter Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) and the offense made sure it wasn’t wasted, as Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) added two run home runs to fuel the 6-0 victory over Duluth. With the win Rochester is now 18-13 while Duluth fell to 13-19 with one day remaining in the first half.
The story of the game, without a doubt, was Gagnon, who pitched as good a game as you can. Over seven innings he allowed just a single hit and two walks while striking out seven and allowing no runs to cross the plate. His fellow pitcher, Scott McGough (Oregon) picked up where Gagnon left off and completed the shutout, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out three in his two innings of work. Gagnon’s effort earned him the win, moving his record to 3-1, while the loss went to Duluth’s starter, Sean Yost (Nebraska), for his five inning effort in which he allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and four walks. He did strike out six batters, but fell to 1-4 on the year.
Of course a sterling pitching performance doesn’t mean much without a little offensive support, and the Honkers made sure Gagnon got it in the third inning. After John Tommasini (Oregon State) reached on an error to start the inning, Dunsmore crushed a two run shot well over the wall in right to give the Honkers the 2-0 lead. Yost would recover and make it through the inning, but Rochester jumped back on the board in the fifth. William Arnold (Central Michigan) started the inning with a walk and Corey Jones followed with a torpedo-shot over the wall in right to make it 4-0. The homer was his eighth, extending his NWL leading total. Rochester would score another run in the inning and add a sixth in the seventh inning to complete the scoring. The Honkers finished with 11 hits, to Duluth’s two.
Dunsmore and Jones both went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored each. Danny Brock (St. Louis) was a perfect 3-for-3, including two doubles and scoring a run as well.
The series concludes tomorrow night at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. Rochester will send Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) to the mound, while Duluth will counter with Jeff Rydman (Campbell).
June 30 , 2009
Honkers Shut Down by NWL ERA Leader
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers hoped to complete the sweep of Brainerd tonight and end their six-game road trip with a winning record, but NWL ERA leader Dennis O’Grady (Duke) held Rochester to just one run on four hits over eight innings as the Lunkers picked up the 6-1 victory. With the loss the Honkers went 3-3 on the road trip and now stand at 17-13 while Brainerd improved to 15-16.
The Lunkers jumped out ahead early, scoring a run in the first on Rochester starter Riley Bevill (Oregon). Stephen Wickens (Florida Gulf Coast) led off the inning with a single and stole second to before taking third and coming home on consecutive errors by Honkers catcher Mitch Karraker (Oregon). Bevill would shake off the miscues and escape the inning without allowing any more damage, but Brainerd touched him for three more runs in the second.
Will Piwnica-Worms (Duke) started the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second before moving to third on a wild pitch. Wickens then drove him home on an RBI single and, two batters later, stole third before coming home on a RBI single by Michael Martinez (Florida International University). Brainerd scored another run in the inning on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 after two frames.
Meanwhile O’Grady didn’t give up much of anything until the sixth when Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) came through with an RBI double that drove in John Tommasini (Oregon State) to make it 4-1. Any hope of a rally was quickly squashed, though, as the Lunkers scored two more in the bottom half of the inning to make it 6-1, where the score would stay.
O’Grady earned the win to move to 3-0 on the year, while the loss went to Bevill who gave up eight hits and four runs (three earned) over four innings in his first start of the season. Bevill is now 0-1 on the season. Scott McGough (Oregon), William Arnold (Central Michigan) and Danny Brock (St. Louis) also pitched for the Honkers in the game.
Wickens had by far the best day at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and a RBI and a whopping four stolen bases. His teammate, Piwnica-Worms wasn’t far behind, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Tommasini with the only Honker with multiple hits at 2-for-4, while Corey Jones went 1-for-4 with his RBI double the only extra-base hit of the game for either team.
The Honkers return home tomorrow when they host the Duluth Huskies at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will start for Rochester, while Sean Yost (Nebraska) will take the mound for Duluth.
June 29 , 2009
Balk in Ninth Gives Honkers Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—It was a nail-biter right until the end, but a balk call allowed the go-ahead run to walk home in the ninth and the Honkers held on for a 3-1 win over Brainerd. Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) earned the win in relief to move to 1-1, while Mike Frongello (Davidson) took the loss and fell to 1-2. Rochester is now 17-12 while the Lunkers fall to 14-16.
Both starters looked excellent early, but someone has to score first and Brainerd struck with a run in the bottom of the third inning against Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato). Dennis O’Grady (Duke) delivered a one out single and two batters later he came home on an RBI groundout by Andrew Gudmunsend (North Dakota). But Rochester answered back immediately, pushing across a run against Lunkers’ starter Michael Gedman (UMass) when Danny Brock (St. Louis) led off the inning with a double and scored two batters later on a single by John Tommasini (Oregon State) to even the score at 1-1.
Neither team would manage to score again until the ninth, although both certainly had opportunities. Mitchell completed six strong innings for the Honkers allowing just the one run before giving way to Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) who allowed just a single hit pitching two strong innings. Gedman, meanwhile, pitched eight innings allowing just the single run and striking out seven, but the bullpen couldn’t hold on.
Mike Frongello (Davidson) came on in the ninth, and Mitch Karraker (Oregon) led off with a double for Rochester. William Arnold (Central Michigan) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to third, and Brainerd then, interestingly, elected to intentionally walk NWL home run leader Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) to get to NWL leading hitter Rance Roundy (UNLV). The decision ended up not mattering, as the go ahead run came home without the ball being put in play when Frongello was called for a balk in an attempt to pick off Jones to advance the runners and make it 2-1 Rochester. Rochester ended up scoring another run on an error before the inning ended and enter the ninth ahead 3-1. Arik Sikula (Marshall) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his seventh save.
Jones led the Honkers offense, going 4-for-4 on the game while Brock, Karraker and P.J. Sequeira all added two hits. Stephen Wickens (Florida Gulf Coast) was the only Lunkers batter with multiple hits.
The series continues tomorrow in Brainerd at 7:05pm. Andrew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will pitch for Rochester while O’Grady will move to the mound to pitch for the Lunkers.
June 28 , 2009
Honkers Rally Late to Complete the Sweep
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The game began as a pitcher’s duel, but the Honkers came out on top with a late offensive explosion to earn a 6-4 win and complete the series sweep over Thunder Bay. NWL home run leader Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) delivered the big hit—a pinch-hit, three-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth—and the Honkers moved to 16-12 with the win. Thunder Bay fell to 6-24.
The teams exchanged a pair of unearned runs in the first inning before both starters settled in. Zach Robertson (Iowa) for Rochester and Miguel Valcarcel (St. John’s (NY)) for Thunder Bay both put up zeros until the fourth inning, when the Honkers pushed across a run on an RBI single by Mitch Karraker (Oregon) to take a 2-1 lead. But Thunder Bay would tie it back up in the sixth inning on a leadoff home run by Adam Courcha (New Mexico) to make the score 2-2. Robertson would recover to get through the rest of the inning preserving the tie, but the Border Cats would chase him in the seventh.
The inning started with a single, a walk and a single for the Cats before Rochester went to the bullpen for Scott McGough (Oregon). McGough managed to get a strikeout of Chris Marlowe (Navarro College) for the first out, but Cameron Smith (New Mexico) came through with a two run single to put Thunder Bay ahead 4-2 with just two innings to play.
But Rochester wouldn’t stay down long, and bounced back quickly in the top of the eighth. Rance Roundy (UNLV) led of the inning with a double, and Danny Brock (St. Louis) followed with an RBI single to make it 4-3 and chase Valcarcel from the game. Matthew Singer (Seton Hall) got one out before giving up a single to Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) to put the go-ahead run on base. Jones pinch hit for Danny Pulfer (Oregon) two batters later with two outs, and connected on his seventh homer of the season to give the Honkers a 6-4 lead and cap the night’s scoring. McGough pitched a shutout eighth and earned the win to go to 1-1 while Arik Sikula (Marshall) held the Cats to just a walk in the ninth to earn his sixth save. The loss was charged to Singer who allowed two runs (as well as two inherited runs) in his inning to fall to 1-2.
Both starters took no-decisions, with Robertson allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings with five strikeouts and Valcarcel tossing seven with four runs (three earned) and striking out three. Jones had three RBI for Rochester with the 1-for-1 performance, and Beuerlein finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Courcha led the Cats’ attack with a 2-for-4 night with a RBI and two runs scored.
The Honkers continue their road trip by traveling to Brainerd tomorrow for two games before returning home to Mayo Field on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 7:05pm and Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) will start for Rochester while Michael Gedman (UMass) will start for the Lunkers.
June 27 , 2009
Roundy Hits for Cycle in Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The NWL’s leading hitter, Rance Roundy (UNLV), hit for the cycle against Thunder Bay tonight to help the Honkers get back in the win column. His four hits and four RBI paced Rochester to a 9-2 win, and lifted the Honkers to 15-12 on the season. With the loss the Border Cats fell to a North Division worst 6-23.
Roundy delivered a single in the first inning and a RBI double in the third that tied the game at 1-1, but the biggest piece of his cycle came in the fifth. After Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) led off the inning with a single, Roundy followed with his fourth homer of the year to give Rochester a 3-1 lead. The game was delayed due to rain shortly after his homer, but the hit seemed to light a fire under the Honkers offense. Rochester scored another run in the inning after play resumed, and pushed across five more over the next two innings to break the game wide open. The last of the five runs came on the final piece of Roundy’s cycle, an RBI triple in the seventh that made the score 9-2 and capped the scoring.
But Roundy had hardly the only hot bat for the Honkers. Jones had three hits and scored three runs while driving in two more. William Arnold (Central Michigan) and Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) also each had a pair of hits, and Arnold scored two runs while Beuerlein picked up two RBI of his own. In all the team finished with 14 hits.
It takes more than just hot bats to earn a win, though, and Rochester starter Brian Flynn kept the game close before the offense explosion midway through. Over five strong innings, he allowed just a single run and only two hits, while striking out three to earn the win and move to 3-1 on the year. Scott McGough (Oregon) pitched two innings of relief allowing just one run and getting five of his six outs by way of the strikeout, and Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) and Arik Sikula (Marshall) combined to blank the Cats over the final two frames to complete the win. Thunder Bay had less luck on the mound, as their starter Colin Bear (Northwestern State) only lasted four innings and allowed four runs to take the loss, and a pair of relievers allowed five runs over three innings before Christian Dekker (NW Missouri State) was able to blank Rochester over the final two frames.
The Honkers will go for the sweep tomorrow at 5:05pm. Zach Robertson (Iowa) will start for Rochester, while Miguel Valcarcel (St. John’s (NY)) will start for Thunder Bay.
June 26 , 2009
Beetles Score Early, Often to down Honkers
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Alexandria scored at least a run in six of the eight innings they batted and received another strong pitching performance as they bested the Honkers 10-6 to complete the two-game sweep and win their franchise-record seventh straight game. Rochester was trailing 10-3 going into the ninth and nearly came all the way back, but the rally fell just short. With the loss Rochester is now 14-12, while the Beetles improved to 16-12.
Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) made his debut on the mound for Rochester, and pitched well but was hurt by errors in his three innings of work. His own error allowed the bottom of the first to continue, and Alexandria capitalized by scoring a pair of unearned runs on an RBI double and a ground out to take an early 2-0 lead. After a scoreless second, Alexandria scored another two in the third behind an RBI double form Keith Castillo (USC) and a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 and end Burleson’s night. He would take the loss to fall to 0-1 after allowing four runs (two earned) in three innings, although he did rack up four strikeouts in that time. Rochester then went to the bullpen in Riley Bevill (Oregon) but the Beetles continued to steadily push across runs, adding one in each the fourth and fifth to take a 6-0 lead into the sixth inning.
But Rochester finally got through against Beetles starter Chase Porch (SE Mississippi CC) in the sixth when Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) blasted his NWL-leading sixth homer of the season to make it 6-1. Danny Brock (St. Louis) narrowed the gap to 6-2 when he added his fourth homer three batters later before Porch would escape the inning. It was the final frame he would work, and earned the win to go to 2-3 by pitching six innings allowing two runs on just four hits.
The Beetles seized back the momentum in the bottom half of the sixth, though, as Tim Roberson launched a three-run homer against Bevill to make it a 9-2 game with Alexandria on top. Bevill would finish the inning and Rochester got back another run in the top of the seventh before handing the ball to Brock, who pitched two strong frames allowing just a single run on one hit to enter the ninth with the score 10-3 Alexandria.
But Rochester would not go quietly, and loaded the bases with one hit in the top of the ninth in front of William Arnold (Central Michigan). He bounced back softly to the pitcher (Tyler McKendree) in what looked like a sure game-ending double-play ball, but McKendree threw the ball into center field allowing two runs to score and keeping Rochester’s hopes alive. The next batter was Corey Jones, and he just missed a home run, hitting a long single off the wall that scored another run to make it 10-6. That was all the Honkers would get, however, as Rance Roundy (UNLV) lined out to second and Chris Auten (New Mexico State) bounced out to the shortstop to end the game.
Jones had the best day at the plate for Rochester, going 2-for-5 the home run, scoring a run and collecting two RBI. Roberson paced the Beetles’ offense, going 2-for-5 with two runs and five RBI.
The Honkers continue their road trip by driving north to Thunder Bay tomorrow for a pair of games against the Border Cats. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will start for Rochester tomorrow while Colin Bear (Northwestern State) will start for Thunder Bay. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05pm.
June 25 , 2009
Honkers Shut Down by Beetles' Pitching
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Erik Johnson held the Honkers to just three hits and one run through seven innings and earned the win while his Beetles teammates backed him with 10 hits to earn a 3-1 victory over Rochester. The Honkers are now 14-11 on the year, while Alexandria improved to 15-12, making the two teams essentially tied for second in the North Division behind Mankato.
The Honkers managed just a single hit through the first six innings—a single by Rance Roundy (UNLV) in the first inning—while Alexandria jumped out to an early lead. The Beetles scored two runs on Rochester starter Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) in the second on a two-run single by Harry Austin (Elon). Gagnon pitched well, but gave up another in the bottom of the fifth and was lifted after completing that frame with the score 3-0 Alexandria. His final line was three runs on seven hits and three strikeouts over his five innings, and he took the loss to fall to 2-1 on the year.
But Rochester would eventually find its bats, and pushed across a run in the seventh when Danny Brock (St. Louis) hit a two-out double for the Honkers’ second hit of the game and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) drove him in with an RBI single to make the score 3-1. Johnson finished the inning for the Beetles but that was as far as the starter would go, finishing with just the one run allowed on three hits and three walks over seven innings with five strikeouts. Rochester threatened to close the gap in the eighth after William Arnold (Central Michigan) and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) started the inning with back-to-back singles. But Bryce Uhrig (Pepperdine) got Roundy to strikeout before getting P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) to fly out and doubling Arnold off second to end the threat. The Honkers would threaten again in the ninth when Brock hit a two-out double to bring the tying run to the plate in Dunsmore, who drew a walk to put the tying run on base in front of Danny Pulfer (Oregon). Pulfer put the ball in the play, but bounced out to third to end the game.
Brock was the only Honker batter with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored. Scott McGough (Oregon) pitched three shutout innings in relief allowing just three hits. The strongest performance at the plate for Alexandria came from Keith Castillo (USC), who went 3-for-4 with a run scored.
The Honkers and Beetles will wrap up their two game set tomorrow night at 7:05pm. New arrival Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) will start for Rochester, while Chase Porch (NE Mississippi CC) will start for Alexandria.
June 24 , 2009
Obstruction Call Costs Honkers Victory
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers led almost the entire game, and seemed to get the final out in the ninth, but an obstruction call on Jay Johnson (Prairie Baseball Academy) at first base allowed the inning to continue and the Woodchucks would score three runs to pick up a come-from-behind 5-4 victory. The Honkers are now 14-10 while Wisconsin moved to 9-17.
Rochester scored a run in the first inning to back starter Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato), and after he allowed a single run to tie the score at 1-1 in the fourth, the Honkers answered back immediately with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning. Mitch Karraker (Oregon) scored on an error and Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) added another run on a delayed double-steal to make it 3-1 Honkers after four frames. Meanwhile Mitchell was in cruise control, allowing just one more run to score over 6.1 excellent innings in which he struck out 10 and allowed just five hits and two walks.
Rochester scored again to extend their lead back to two at 4-2 in the eighth when Rance Roundy (UNLV) delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single to score Jon Tommasini (Oregon State). But Mitchell would end up getting a no-decision as the unusual ninth inning unfolded.
With Riley Bevill (Oregon) on in relief, Wisconsin picked up a pair of soft singles to put the tying run on base with one out. Rochester turned to the bullpen where Jay Johnson was warming up, and he would come on to make his season debut. He struck out the first batter he faced, making it a 4-2 game with two outs and runners on first and second and Chad Wright (Kentucky) at the plate. Johnson got Wright to bounce softly to Danny Brock (St. Louis) at first, and he ran to the bag and stepped on the base as the field umpire signaled out and the Honkers rushed onto the field to celebrate the win. But Wisconsin’s coaching staff argued that Johnson, who had jogged over toward first and apparently bumped the runner as the play was happening, should be called for obstruction and Wright should be allowed to stay at first. After some deliberation, the umpires agreed with that decision and the bases were loaded with two outs for Joey Hainsfurther (Baylor). He delivered a line single to right that scored two runs to tie the game and a wild pitch to the next batter allowed another run to score making it 5-4 Wisconsin. Johnson would get the batter to strike out and end the inning, but Rochester was unable to score and the game ended a 5-4 victory for the Woodchucks.
Johnson was charged with the loss after allowing two unearned runs in the ninth (the third was Bevill’s run) to fall to 0-1. The win went to Bryce Butt (Ohio) after he pitched 5.1 innings allowing just a single unearned run in relief. He is now 1-0 on the year. Corey Jones led the Honkers offense with two hits and two runs, while Troy Frazier (Kentucky) had three hits with a run and an RBI for Wisconsin.
Rochester returns to action tomorrow with a game at Alexandria at 6:05pm. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will pitch for Rochester while Alexandria’s pitcher has yet to be decided.
June 23 , 2009
Honkers Ride Homers to Sweep
Box Score 1
(Rochester, MN)—In an unusual double-header consisting of two seven-inning games in which Rochester played as the home team in the first game and the road team in their own park in the second, the Honkers posted a 10-3 rout in the first game and rallied for an 8-6 win in extra innings in the second game to sweep the Wisconsin Woodchucks. With the sweep the Honkers improved to 14-9 while Wisconsin fell to 8-17 on the season.
In the first game Phil Haig (Illinois) was on the mound for Rochester making his second start of the year, and he looked great for his first couple of innings. But in the third he was touched by a two-run homer from the bat of Chad Wright (Kentucky) that put the Woodchucks on top 2-0. But the Honkers rallied in the fifth behind Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) who hit the first of two homers in the game—a three run bomb that that put Rochester ahead 3-2 and gave them a lead they would never surrender. Meanwhile Chris Auten (New Mexico State) would add a two-run single to make it a 5-2 lead before the Honkers pushed across two more runs in the frame to leave the fifth inning ahead 7-2.
Phil Haig would leave after five innings and hand the ball to Scott McGough (Oregon), who would complete the game allowing just a single run over his two innings of work. Rochester would also add more insurance in the sixth behind another Jones homer, this time a two run shot, and score three total runs to take a 10-3 lead and hold that score the rest of the game. The two homers give Jones five on the year which moved him into first place in the Northwoods League in that category. Haig was awarded the win to go 1-0 on the year, while the loss was given to Wisconsin starter Kyle Gumieny (SE Missouri State), who allowed four runs over 4.1 innings of work to fall to 2-3.
Jones finished with two hits, five RBI and two runs scored in the first game, while Auten and P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) both had three hits in the game. Wright paced the offense for Wisconsin by going 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
After a thirty minute break, the teams returned to the field for the second game—this time with Rochester playing as the road team because the game was making up a contest in Wisconsin that was rained out in early June.
The Woodchucks didn’t waste any time jumping out in front, shutting down the Honkers in the top of the first and scoring two runs in the bottom half of the inning on a walk and three singles against Honkers starter Zach Robertson (Iowa). The Honkers would rally to tie it with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but Robertson would give back the lead in the bottom half of the frame when six straight Woodchucks batters reached to start the inning and four came around to score to make it a 6-2 game. Rochester got back one run in the fourth, and the score would stay at 6-3 until the seventh.
Wisconsin got the first two outs quickly before Jones was hit by a pitch to reach first. Rance Roundy (UNLV) followed with a double off the wall in left to put two runners in scoring position in front of Sequeira. He crushed a fastball over the wall in left for a three run homer that tied the game and would send it to extra innings after Arik Sikula (Marshall) put up a zero in the bottom half of the inning.
The game stayed scoreless for two innings before the Honkers would finally break through in the top of the tenth. Working against Jeremy Brewer (Central Arkansas), who came out of the bullpen to start the inning, Auten and Danny Brock (St. Louis) led off the inning with back-to-back home runs well over the wall in left to make it an 8-6 game with the Honkers on top. Sikula, entering his fourth inning of work, shutdown the Woodchucks again in the bottom of the tenth to secure the victory and earn his first win of the season to go 1-1. The loss was charged to Brewer and he fell to 2-3.
Sikula pitched three shutout innings allowing just three hits while Robertson went six frames allowing six earned runs. Roundy and Brock both had three hits for the Honkers and Sequeira went 2-for-3 with a run and four RBI.
The two teams will complete their series tomorrow night at 7:05pm at Mayo Field. Bret Mitchell (Mankato State) will pitch for Rochester against Bobby Pritchett (Central Arkansas) for Wisconsin. William Hung of American Idol will be performing at the game.
June 21 , 2009
GAME POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER
(Rochester, MN)— The scheduled game between Rochester and Brainerd has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up the next time Brainerd visits Mayo Field, on Friday July 31st as part of a double header. The game will now begin at 6:05pm, and gates will open at 5pm on that date. Each game of the double header will be played to 7 innings rather than 9, unless it is tied at the completion of 7 innings.
June 20 , 2009
Three Homers Give Honkers the Win
(Rochester, MN)—Brainerd scored first, but the Honkers would answer quickly with three home runs on Saturday night to take the series opener from the Lunkers 6-3 and snap a three-game losing streak. Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts) pitched well on his 20th birthday for the Honkers, and earned the win to go 2-0 on the year in six strong innings of work. The Honkers are now 12-9 while Brainerd is 12-11.
The teams exchanged scoreless frames for the first three innings before the Lunkers pushed across all three of their runs in the top of the fourth inning. A pair of walks and singles, as well as an error allowed the runs to score (two were earned) to give Brainerd a 3-0 lead. But the Honkers didn't wast any time coming back, and scored four runs to take the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning. After Rance Roundy (UNLV) led off the inning with a deep home run to left, Danny Brock (St. Louis) delieverd the big blow with a three run shot over the wall in right to put the Honkers up 4-3. Joey Van Cleave (Santa Rosa JC) would be chased after the homer, and take the loss to fall to 0-4 on the year after he lasted just 3.2 innings.
But the Honkers weren't done, as Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) padded the lead with a solid two-run homer to left in the next inning to make the score 6-3, where it would stay the rest of the game. Things did get close in the eighth when Brainerd managed to load the bases against Lucas O'Rear (Northern Iowa) with nobody out, and the Honkers turned to closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) to try and get the six-out save. Sikula picked up a strikeout to get the first out before getting Mike Martinez (Florida International) to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. Sikula stayed on and turned in a quiet ninth to complete the win and earn his fifth save of the season.
Beuerlein had the best day at the plate for Rochester, going 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI, while Danny Brock had three RBI with the homer, his only hit of the game. Martinez, despite hitting into the double play, paced the Lunkers offense going 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI.
The two teams will complete the series with an afternoon game tomorrow at 3:05pm at Mayo Field, as Zach Robertson (Iowa) will face Michael Gedman (UMass) for Brainerd. It is Father's day, and all dads will get in free with a paid child admission and the first 500 dads will receive a free hot dog from Hormel.
June 19 , 2009
Honkers Rally Falls Short in Ninth
(Rochester, MN)—After entering the final frame down by six, the Honkers brought the tying run to the plate in Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) and he worked a long at-bat, but eventually struck out to end the game as Duluth completed the two-game sweep over Rochester with a 7-4 win. The Honkers are now (11-9) while Duluth moved to .500 at (11-11).
The game stayed scoreless until the third, but Duluth erupted in that frame with five runs to take a 5-0 lead. Jerico Weitzel (Florida) delivered a two-run double off of Honkers starter Brian Flynn (Wichita State) to open the scoring. After a ground out, Zach Walters (San Diego) added an RBI single and Jared Womack (Oklahoma State) hit a two-run single two batters later to complete the five spot in the frame. Flynn would complete the inning and enter the fourth, but he got only one out in that inning before being chased and charged with two additional runs to account for all seven of Duluth’s runs in the game. One of the seven was unearned after a passed ball allowed a Huskies runner to advance.
Meanwhile the Honkers struggled with Duluth starter Chris Jensen (San Diego) as he kept Rochester off the board for four innings before allowing a single Honkers run on a sacrifice fly by John Tommasini (Oregon State) in the fifth inning to make it a 7-1 Duluth lead. The score stayed there until the bottom of the ninth inning, when Rochester mounted its late rally.
The Honkers started the inning with a walk, a single and another walk in front of Aaron Johnson (Illinois) who was inserted as a pinch hitter to try and push some runs across. He came through with a two run double lined just fair past first base and into the right field corner to make it a 7-3 game and another run would score on a ground out by Danny Pulfer (Oregon) to cut it to 7-4. Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) drew a walk to bring the tying run to plate in with just one out in front of Huskies reliever Kendall Wehrle (Arkansas) but the righty, despite being wild at time, buckled down and got Tommasini to strike out before also getting Corey Jones to swing and miss for the final out. Jones worked a full count and fouled off numerous pitches, but eventually couldn’t come through with the big hit.
Flynn was charged with the loss to fall to 2-1 and lasted just 3.1 innings while allowing seven runs (six earned). The win went to Jensen, his first of the year, after he went 6.1 innings allowing just one run on three hits while striking out seven. The save was earned by Wehrle, his first of the season.
No Honker had multiple hits, and Johnson paced the offense with his 1-for-1, two RBI day. Weitzel led the Huskies attack by going 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI.
The Honkers continue their homestand and will look to break a three-game losing streak when they host Brainerd tomorrow night at 7:05pm at Mayo Field. Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts) will start for Rochester, while Joey Van Cleave (Santa Rosa JC) will start for the Lunkers.
June 18 , 2009
Honkers Fall in Ninth, 5-2
(Rochester, MN)—On a day where both teams struggled to score runs, Duluth was able to push across three unearned runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to take a late lead and hang on to earn a win over the Honkers, 5-2. Rochester fell to 11-8 with the loss, while Duluth improved to 10-11 overall on the year.
Shortly before the game it was poring rain, but the skies cleared and it turned into a fabulous day for baseball. The defense, however, was less than fabulous, as each team committed three errors in the game, and the Honkers would take advantage of three Duluth miscues in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. John Gianis (NC State) reached on an error and then took second on an errant pickoff throw before coming home when P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) reached on a fielding error with two outs. But Duluth would correct their defense, and hold Rochester to just a single run the rest of the way. The Huskies tied the game quickly, scoring an unearned run in the second to tie the game at one. The teams stayed scoreless until the seventh, when the Huskies scored to take a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly by Zach Walters (San Diego). Rochester answered quickly, getting their only other run of the game on a deep home run to left off the bat of Rance Roundy (UNLV) to tie it back up at two heading into the ninth inning.
Scott McGough (Oregon) had started the inning for Rochester on the mound, and the Honkers turned to closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) with one out and two runners on. Sikula picked up a strikeout and then seemed to escape the inning when he induced a soft ground ball off the bat of Jerico Weitzel (Florida). Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton), who had entered the game as a pinch hitter and stayed in the game to play shortstop for Rochester, bobbled the ball and was unable to get an out. A run scored on the play to give Duluth a 3-2 lead, and the Huskies pushed across two more runs on a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single by Tim Jobe (Florida International). Rochester was unable to muster anything in the bottom of the ninth, and the game ended at 5-2.
Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) got the start for Rochester, and pitched six strong innings, allowing just an unearned run and striking out seven but took a no-decision in the game. The loss was charged to McGough, who was responsible for the runner scoring on the error by Jones and fell to 0-1. Duluth’s starter, Jeff Rydman (Campbell) was just as effective, going 5.1 innings allowing just an unearned run but also took a no-decision. Alex Kent (Central Missouri) earned the win in relief for the Huskies to move to 3-2, while Matt Patterson (Creighton) earned his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth. Roundy paced the Honkers offense by going 3-for-4 with the solo homer and two singles. Jobe had three hits for Duluth in five at-bats.
The two teams will wrap up their two game series tomorrow night at Mayo Field at 7:05pm. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will start for Rochester, while Chris Jensen (San Diego) will start for Duluth.
June 16 , 2009
Honkers and Eau Claire RAINED OUT
(Rochester, MN)–The scheduled game between Rochester and Eau Claire tonight has been postponed due to rain, and will be made up as part of a double-header on July 3rd at Mayo Field. There will be two 7-inning games that day, beginning at 6:05pm with a 30 minute break between the games. Rochester had a scheduled off day tomorrow, and will host Duluth at 1:05pm at Mayo Field on Thursday.
June 16 , 2009
Honkers Have 15 Current and Former Players Selected in MLB Draft
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers are proud to announce that fifteen current and former Rochester Honkers have been selected in the 2009 MLB draft.
The Honkers had a player taken as high as the fourth round (Angelo Songco, who signed but never played with the Honkers), and had three total players selected in the first ten rounds of the draft. Jay Johnson, a left-handed pitcher and brother of current Honker catcher Aaron Johnson, was the only current Honker selected when the Baltimore Orioles drafted him in the 25th round. In total 130 current or former Northwoods League players were selected in the draft, including the league’s highest ever draft pick, former Battle Creek Bomber Tony Sanchez who went fourth overall to the Pittsburg Pirates.
A full list of which Honker players were selected and by what team can be found below. The Honkers would like to thank all these players for their contributions to the club and wish them luck in their professional careers!
RD PICK TEAM PLAYER SCHOOL POS NOTES
4 127 LA Dodgers Songco, Angelo Loyola Marymount OF SIGNED BUT DID NOT PLAY
6 173 Seattle Hansen, Shaver Baylor U 3B
8 240 Cincinnati Fritsch, Craig Baylor U RHP
16 490 Toronto Sever, Dave St Louis U RHP
20 601 Colorado Tarleton, Dallas Elon C
25 746 Baltimore Johnson, Jay Lethbridge CC LHP ON CURRENT HONKERS ROSTER
26 797 Philadelphia Gump, Brian UC Santa Barbara OF
29 870 Detroit Morrison, Michael CS Fullerton RHP
31 929 Cincinatti Kummet, Adian St. Scholastica (Minn.) RHP
31 935 Cleveland Campbell, Raynor Baylor U 3B
32 972 Minnesota Senne, Aaron Missouri OF
33 999 St. Louis Goodwin, Devin Delta St U SS
41 1233 Oakland Hilt, Justin Elon OF
42 1261 Colorado Scott, Joseph CS Fullerton 2B SIGNED BUT DID NOT PLAY
49 1480 Toronto Collier, Tommy San Jacinto JC North RHP SIGNED BUT DID NOT PLAY
June 15 , 2009
Honkers Fall in Extras, 6-5
(Rochester, MN)—All good things must come to an end eventually, and after eleven innings the St. Cloud River Bats were able to outlast Rochester 6-5 and end the Honkers winning streak at five games. Blake Cover (Nebraska-Kearney) delivered a walk-off RBI single off of Honkers closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) with two runners on in the bottom of the eleventh to end the game. Jared Jordan (New Mexico State) had started the inning for Rochester and took the loss to fall to 0-2. The win went to Andrew Burkett (Cincinnati) who pitched two shutout innings of relief for St. Cloud as he went to 1-0 on the year. Rochester is now 11-7, while St. Cloud moved to 6-12.
Rochester scored the first run of the game on a solo home run by Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. For a few frames Honkers starter Phil Haig (Illinois) made that lead stand up in his season debut after missing the start of the year with a shoulder impingement, but, throwing on a pitch count as he works he way back from the injury, he would leave after the third inning. The Honkers then turned to Bret Mitchell (Iowa Central CC last year, transferring to Mankato State University next year), who was the days regularly scheduled starting pitcher. Mitchell struggled somewhat and gave up a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and another in the sixth inning as the Honkers fell behind 4-1 with just three innings to play.
St. Cloud starter Nick Sutherland (Viterbo) was cruising after allowing the home run, but Rochester would get to him in the seventh. Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) would come home on a sacrifice fly by Danny Pulfer (Oregon), and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) scored two batters later on an RBI single by John Gianis (NC State) to make it 4-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh. St. Cloud pushed across another run on Mitchell in the bottom of the seventh to increase their lead to 5-3, but the Honkers would complete the rally in the eighth.
Eric Marzec (Youngstown State) relieved Sutherland in the eighth for St. Cloud, and gave up an RBI double to Rance Roundy (UNLV) that scored Jones to make it 5-4, and P.J. Sequiera (Oral Roberts) brought Roundy home on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 5-5. Neither team would score the rest of regulation as the game headed into extras, but tempers flared in the ninth inning as all three Rochester coaches shared words with St. Cloud field manager Marcus Clapp after the River Bats’ pitcher, Connor Lambert (Washington State) returned to the dugout briefly after finishing his warm up tosses before returning the mound to work the ninth. Lambert would eventually pitch the ninth for St. Cloud after things settled down, and shut down Rochester in the frame.
St. Cloud kept the Honkers off the board for two more frames, and would eventually score to win it in the bottom the eleventh. Jared Jordan (New Mexico State) came on in relief in the eighth for Rochester and shut out St. Cloud for three innings, but the River Bats started the eleventh against him with a pair of softly hit singles. Rochester would then go to the bullpen to get closer Arik Sikula (Marshall), but the first batter he faced, Blake Cover (Nebraska-Kearney), poked a ball just inside the first base bag for an RBI single for the walk-off win.
Cover finished the day 2-for-6 with a run and two RBI for St. Cloud while Matt Fanelli (Washington State) led the River Bats’ offense with a 4-for-6 day with three runs and an RBI. Jones was the only Honker with multiple hits, and finished at 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI from the solo home run. The Honkers pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and only one walk 10.1 innings of work. Both teams committed three errors.
Rochester returns home tomorrow night for a 7:05pm game against Eau Claire at Mayo Field. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will start for Rochester against Joseph Lopez (South Mountain CC) for Eau Claire.
June 14 , 2009
Honkers Blank St. Cloud, 3-0
(Rochester, MN)—On a night that belonged mostly to the pitchers, Honkers’ DH Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) smashed his first home run of the season in the eighth inning to extend a one-run Rochester lead to 3-0 and secure the Honkers victory over St. Cloud. Rochester starter Zach Robertson (Iowa) tossed six scoreless, three-hit innings to earn the win and move to 3-1 on the year. Rochester is now 11-6 and has won five straight games. St. Cloud dropped to 5-12.
The Honkers mustered just five hits, but is was enough as they allowed only four. Rochester did manage to score an early run in the game on an RBI single by William Arnold (Central Michigan) in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, but that was all the offense the game would see until Beuerlein’s blast in the eighth. Robertson, despite only striking out four, never found himself in trouble and St. Cloud’s starter, Kevin Johnson (Cincinnati) went five innings allowing just one run on three hits, but took the loss in his season debut to fall to 0-1.
Both teams would threaten in the seventh, and Rochester actually did score a run, but only for a moment. After John Gianis (NC State) drove in Arnold on a two-out, RBI single to center, an appeal by the St. Cloud dugout led to Gianis’s bat being inspected, and him being declared out for using too much pine tar. The inning then ended, and the run was voided. One inning later Beuerlein connected on his home run to give the Honkers a 3-0 lead, and the bullpen cruised through the bottom of the eighth and ninth to wrap up the victory.
New-comer Scott McGough (Oregon) pitched two one-hit innings in his debut with Rochester, while Arik Sikula (Marshall) pitched a perfect ninth to earn his fourth save of the season. P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) scored two runs but didn’t have a hit, while Danny Brock (St. Louis) and Arnold each finished at 2-for-4. Beuerlein’s homer was his only hit of the game.
Rochester and the River Bats will complete their two-game series tomorrow night at 7:05pm in St. Cloud. Phil Haig (Illinois) will start for Rochester on a 40-pitch limit before yielding to Bret Mitchell (Mankato State University). Nick Sutherland (Viterbo) will throw for St. Cloud.
June 13 , 2009
Honker Sweep Double-Header vs Alexandria
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers played flawless baseball from start to finish in a pair of 7-inning games on Saturday night, and won both (7-2 in the first, 8-2 in the second) to sweep Alexandria and improve their record 10-6 on the season. Alexandria fell to 7-9 during the week.
In the first game, the Honkers jumped out early by scoring an ostentatious five runs in the bottom of the first inning to spot starter Matt Mullendore (Hamline) an early lead. Rance Roundy (UNLV) delivered an RBI double to score the first run of the inning and the Honkers just kept hitting, including five consecutive hits from the middle of the order. P.J. Sequeira hit an RBI single in the inning as well. That was all the offense Rochester would need, although they did add single runs in both the second (on a homer by Roundy) and the third to account for their seven runs. Meanwhile Mullendore was on cruise-control and pitched a complete game allowing just two runs on six hits to pick up the win and improve his record to 1-1 on the season.
Alexandria’s starter, Chase Porch, lasted just one inning and was touched for all five of those runs (all were earned) on six hits to take the loss and fall to 1-2. The only offense he would get was two runs, both scored by Matt Alexander (Air Force), who finished 2-for-3 for the game. Danny Brock (St. Louis) and Roundy were the only Honkers with multiple hits, and both finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Eight different Honkers had hits, for 10 total on the game.
In the second game it was Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts) for Rochester against Erik Johnson (Berkeley) for Alexandria, and the Beetles would get on the board first.
Bowen lacked much command in the first few innings he worked, and allowed a single run on sacrifice fly to enter the bottom of the first trailing 1-0. But the Honkers had more first-inning runs in their bag, and retook the lead by pushing across a pair on a RBI single by Roundy and a RBI double by Tony Thompson (Kansas). Bowen would then settle down, and go six total innings allowing just three hits and two total runs to earn the win and move to 1-0 on the year. Rochester didn’t need more offense, but scored two in the third on another double by Thompson, and another in the fourth before plating three more runs in the fifth to earn the 8-2 victory.
Johnson went 4.1 innings for the Beetles, allowing 11 hits and eight runs (six earned) to take the loss and fell to 0-1. Lucas O’Rear (Northern Iowa) pitched the seventh for Rochester, but did not earn a save in the 8-2 game. Thompson and John Gianis (NC State) paced the Honkers offense, both going 3-for-4. Thompson had three RBI and a run and Gianis scored two and drove in one of his own.
Rochester now heads on the road to St. Cloud for a pair of games tomorrow and Monday. First pitch tomorrow is scheduled for 6:05pm, and Zach Robertson (Iowa) will pitch for Rochester. St. Cloud has yet to announce their starter.
June 12 , 2009
GAME POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN
(Rochester, MN)—The scheduled game tonight between Rochester and Alexandria has been postponed due to rain. The game will be made up tomorrow as part of a double-header starting at 6:05pm at Mayo Field. Each game will be considered complete after 7 innings unless the score is tied, at which point “extra-innings” will begin with the eighth. Matt Mullendore (Hamline) will start the first for Rochester against Chase Porch (U of North Alabama) for Alexandria. Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts) will face Erik Johnson (Berkeley) in the second game. Call the Honkers office tomorrow after 9am at 507-289-1170 if you have any questions.
June 11 , 2009
Canadian's bomb sinks Thunder Bay
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers completed the two game sweep of Thunder Bay with some help from one of their own men from north of the border, Aaron Johnson (Illinois) The catcher from Sussex Corner, New Brunswick, Canada, smashed the hardest hit homer Rochester has seen this season for a go-ahead grand slam that highlighted a eight-run third inning and help Rochester roll to a 12-4 victory. The Honkers are now 8-6 overall, while Thunder Bay fell to 2-12.
Things didn’t look good for the Honkers early in the game, however, as the first two Border Cats’ batters reached on Rochester starter Brian Flynn (Wichita State) in front of Chris Curley (Campbellsville University), who connected for the first home run of the season for Thunder Bay to give the Cats an early 3-0 lead. They would score one more in the second to take a 4-0 lead before Flynn eventually settled in, but the Honkers would pick him up quickly.
Rochester scored a run in the second inning on a RBI double by Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) to cut the deficit to 4-1 after two. But the bulk of the damage came in the third. The first five Honker’s batters reached on Thunder Bay starter Christian Dekker (NW Missouri State University) and Rochester scored two quick runs on a Chris Auten (New Mexico) single. Dekker was then chased and Matthew Singer (Seton Hall University) came on in relief to try to stop the rally. He struck out Dunsmore to get the first out of the frame, but the next batter was Johnson, who crushed a pitch well over the wall in right with the bases loaded to give Rochester the lead at 7-4. The hit parade would continue, and Rochester pushed across two more runs in the inning on a two-run homer by Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton), who finished the day at 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Rochester would score three more runs over the course of the game while Flynn, Lucas O’Rear (Northern Iowa) and Danny Brock (St. Louis) would shut down the Cats to complete the victory for Rochester.
Flynn got the win to go to 2-0 by pitching six innings allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out five. The loss went to Dekker, who lasted just two innings and fell to 0-1 on the year. Dekker lasted just two innings allowing six runs on five hits. Rance Roundy (UNLV) finished 2-for-5 for Rochester with two runs, while Tony Thompson (Kansas) went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI.
The Honkers have two more games left on their season-high six-game homestand, and will host Alexandria for a pair of games starting tomorrow night at Mayo Field. Phil Haig (Illinois) will make his season debut for Rochester, while the Beetles have yet to announce their starter.
June 10 , 2009
Honkers cruise to 11-0 blowout win
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers scored 11 runs, and only five were earned, as they blew out the last-place Thunder Bay Border Cats in the first of a two game series at Mayo Field tonight. With the win the Honkers are now 7-6, while Thunder Bay fell to 2-11.
Rochester scored four runs in the first inning, and that was all the offense the Honkers would need on the night. John Gianis (NC State) led off the inning by reaching on an error by Thunder Bay shortstop Derek Hamblen (University of New Mexico), and the next two Honkers batters reached on a walk and a single before Chris Auten (New Mexico State) smashed a double that scored two runs. A third runner, Rance Roundy (UNLV), tried to come home but was barely thrown out at the plate. Two more runs would score in the frame and Hamblen would commit another error to give the Honkers an early 4-0 lead—three of the four runs were unearned.
The theme of poor defense by the Cats and solid hitting by the Honkers continued through the next several innings, as Rochester put up two more runs in each of the third and the fourth innings, and three in the fifth. The Border Cats would commit four more errors for a total of six on the game, and the extra outs combined with the hot bats allowed Rochester to break the game wide open early and take the lead all the way.
Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) got the start for Rochester, and picked up the win by going six shutout innings allowing just five hits and recording seven strikeouts. His record improved to 2-0 with the victory. Meanwhile the Cats didn’t get much from their pitchers, as starter Matt Robertson (Barton CC) has chased after four and allowed eight total runs on seven hits, although just three of the runs were earned. He took the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) and William Arnold (Central Michigan) combined to complete the shutout from the mound for Rochester.
Roundy led the Honkers offense with a 3-for-5, one run, one RBI night, but most of the run production would come from Auten, who finished at 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Gianis scored two runs of his own and had an RBI and Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored of his own. The Border Cats didn’t score a run, but both Hamblen and Colin Bear (Northwestern State University) finished the night at 2-for-4. No home runs were hit in the contest, although P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) robbed a would-be home run from Dan Welch (Central Arizona College) for Thunder Bay.
The two teams will wrap up the series with a game tomorrow night at 7:05 at Mayo Field. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will pitch for Rochester, while Christian Dekker (NW Missouri State University) will throw for the Border Cats.
June 10 , 2009
Three former NWL players taken in first round of MLB draft
(ROCHESTER, MN) The first round of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft will goes down as the most successful in Northwoods League history. Outfielders Brett Jackson and Tim Wheeler joined catcher Tony Sanchez as first round picks on Tuesday marking the first draft where multiple NWL alumni were selected in the first round.
The Chicago Cubs drafted former La Crosse Loggers’ outfielder Brett Jackson (California-Berkeley) with the 31st pick of the first round. The Colorado Rockies followed by taking former St. Cloud River Bats’ outfielder Tim Wheeler (Sacramento State) with the 32nd pick to close out this year’s first round. Earlier in the evening former Battle Creek Bombers' catcher Tony Sanchez (Boston College) became the highest draft pick in Northwoods League history when he was selected 4th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
All three players were in the Northwoods League during the 2007 season. Sanchez was both a mid-season and postseason all-star, while Wheeler was selected to the mid-season team. Jackson hit for the best batting average of the trio at .343 with 2 home runs, 15 RBI and 9 stolen bases in 42 games. Wheeler filled the stat sheet by batting .299 with 11 doubles, 2 home runs, 27 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 60 games. Sanchez, in 61 games, hit .269 with 17 doubles, 3 home runs, and 30 RBI.
Northwoods League All-Time First Round Picks:
Tony Sanchez, C (Battle Creek 2007), 4th pick by Pittsburgh in 2009
Thomas Diamond, RHP (St. Cloud 2002-03), 10th pick by Texas in 2004
Max Scherzer, RHP (La Crosse 2004), 11th pick by Arizona in 2006
Jeff Weaver, RHP (Dubuque 1995), 14th pick by Detroit in 1998
Lance Broadway, RHP (Wisconsin 2004), 15th pick by Chicago (AL) in 2005
Brett Jackson, OF (La Crosse 2007), 31st pick by Chicago (NL) in 2009
Tim Wheeler, OF (St. Cloud 2007), 32nd pick by Colorado in 2009
The Northwoods League plays more games than, draws more fans than, and plays in venues superior to any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The league’s 16th season is underway.
June 9 , 2009
Honkers fall 6-2 in finale to La Crosse
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Kyle Simon (Arizona) threw seven strong innings, and a three-run home run by Cory Burleson (Nebraska) gave the Loggers a four-run cushion in the eighth as La Crosse split the series with a 6-2 win. The Loggers are now 7-5, while the Honkers fall back to .500 at 6-6.
Bret Mitchell (last year at Iowa Central CC, transferring at Mankato State next year) got the start for Rochester and La Crosse was able to hit him early. The second batter of the night for the Loggers, Justin Prekajlo (North Florida) crushed a home run over the right field wall to give his team an early 1-0 lead. La Crosse would go on to add additional single runs in the second and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead into the fifth and eventually chase Mitchell, who went just four innings allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four.
The Honkers, however, started to put a rally together in the middle frames. In the fifth inning Aaron Johnson (Illinois) reached on an error and was driven in on a double by William Arnold (Central Michigan) that carried over the head of La Crosse center fielder Morgan Mickan (Texas) to make it a 3-1 game. The score stayed that way until the seventh when Rochester pushed another run across against La Crosse starter Kyle Simon when Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) stole third base and came all the way home when the throw was mishandled by the Loggers’ third baseman, Tony Mueller (Winona, St.). That was a close as the Honkers would get though, as Burleson crushed a ball over the wall in right off of Jared Jordan (New Mexico State) for a three-run homer that gave La Crosse the 6-2 lead. Rochester was unable to rally in the eighth or the ninth and the game ended at that score.
Mitchell took the loss for Rochester to fall to 0-2 while Simon got the win to go to 2-0. No save was recorded in the game. Jones finished 2-for-5 for Rochester and Rance Roundy (UNLV) and P.J. Sequiera (Oral Roberts) also both finished with two hits for the Honkers. Burleson paced the Loggers’ offense by going 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Lucas O’Rear (Northern Iowa) made his Honker debut, pitching a perfect ninth inning.
Rochester continues its six-game home stand tomorrow when Thunder Bay comes to Mayo Field for a pair of games on Wednesday and Thursday, both starting at 7:05pm. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will pitch for Rochester tomorrow, while Matt Robertson (Barton CC) will pitch for Thunder Bay.
June 8 , 2009
Sequeira homer gives Honkers 1-0 Win
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Zach Robertson (Iowa), Matt Mullendore (Hamline) and Arik Sikula (Marshall) combined to shut out the Loggers and P.J. Sequeira, who arrived in Rochester just a few hours before the game, crushed a solo home run over the wall in left-center to give the Honkers a 1-0 lead in the first game of their six-game home-stand—the season’s longest. The Honkers are now 6-5, while La Crosse fell to the same mark of 6-5.
Both starters struggled with command out of the gate, but were able to make it work and keep their teams locked in a 0-0 duel until the sixth innings. Robertson ended up with seven innings allowing just four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. The Loggers’ starter, Aaron Gates (Pepperdine) had more trouble with walks, issuing five free passes, but struck out eight allowing just two hits in his six innings of work. He was nearly perfect when he didn’t walk the hitters, and had allowed only a single base hit to Rochester on a questionable scoring decision (the ball went under the glove of a fielder) prior to getting two outs in the sixth inning. At that point Sequeira came up and drilled a pitch over the wall in left-center to score the only run of the game and give Rochester the 1-0 win.
Neither team was really in a position to score at any other point in the game, and Mullendore and Sikula combined to toss two scoreless innings of relief allowing two hits and striking out three to end the game. Sikula pitched the ninth and earned his third save of the season. Robertson got the win to go to 2-1, while the loss went to Gates to send his record to 1-1. Sequeira finished at 1-for-3, and Austin Knight (Dallas Baptist) went 3-for-4 for La Crosse.
These two teams meet again tomorrow night at Mayo Field in Rochester at 7:05pm. Bret Mitchell (Mankato State) will pitch for Rochester while Kyle Simon (Arizona) will throw for the Loggers.
June 7 , 2009
Roundy, Brock and Dunsmore help Honkers to 4-3 win
Box Score
(Eau Claire, WI)— In an up and down game at Eau Claire tonight the Honkers got a pair of early runs and then a pair of inspiring performances in the final frames to take a 4-3 victory over the Express. Rance Roundy (UNLV) drove in the winning run in the ninth just moments after making a spectacular diving catch to end an Eau Claire threat in the eighth while Aaron Dunsmore pitched through the eighth for Rochester after a lineup card mistake by manager Rusty McNamara forced him to pitch with no warning or warmup. Rochester is now 5-5 while Eau Claire took only their second loss to fall to 8-2.
Rochester took an early 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Danny Brock (St. Louis), but the Express retook the lead in the third on a two-run single by Joe Bonfe (Creighton) in the third inning. The honkers tied it back up on another RBI single by Brock in fourth, but couldn’t hold the lead long. Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts), making his season debut for Rochester, tossed two perfect innings before losing all command in the third. He finished after five innings, but walked six and allowed three hits and left the game with Eau Claire leading 3-2. John Gianis (NC State) delivered an RBI single in the seventh to tie it back up at 3-3, and Michael Goodman (UNLV) tossed two good innings to get the Honkers through seven frames.
But things almost fell apart in the eighth inning when Rochester tried to bring in Matt Mullendore (Hamline) out of the bullpen. Mullendore was removed from the mound before throwing a pitch when it was discovered that the Honkers had failed to list him on the initial lineup card at the start of the game and he was thus not eligible to play. Manager Rusty McNamara turned to Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton), who is typically an outfielder, to throw the inning with no warning or time to warm up beyond the handful of pitches he took on the game mound before the inning officially started. He walked two batters, but also picked up a strikeout in working through the inning without allowing a run. He wouldn’t have made it through, however, without the help of Roundy who made an excellent diving catch to end the inning and would. Roundy then came up in the ninth with Aaron Johnson (Illinois) on third, and delivered a RBI single to give Rochester the 4-3 lead. Arik Sikula (Marshall) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn a save while the win went to Dunsmore. The loss was charged Ian Campbell (Yavapai).
Robert Kilcrease (Texas Tech), the starter for Eau Claire, went six innings with ten strikeouts and allowed just two runs. Brock finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI for Rochester while Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) went 2-for-5 and scored a run as well. Bonfe had two RBI for the Express.
The Honkers start a six-game home-stand tomorrow when La Crosse comes to town at 7:05pm. Zach Robertson (Iowa) will start for Rochester, while Aaron Gates (Pepperdine) will take the mound for the Loggers. It is Win-Win Night at Mayo Field, meaning if the Honkers win, all fans in attendance will win free tickets to the next Monday home game (July 6th vs. Alexandria at 7:05pm).
June 6 , 2009
GAME POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN
(Wausau, WI)—The Honkers game against Wisconsin has been Postponed due to rain. It will be made up as part of a 7-inning double-header (two games which will end after 7 innings unless tied at that point) in Rochester on June 23rd starting at 1:05pm.
June 5 , 2009
Honkers win in blowout over Wisconsin, 14-1
Box Score
(Wausau, WI)—Rochester embarked on their second road trip of the season today, and the Honkers hope it goes better than the last one. It certainly started off well, as the Honkers got their most lopsided and comfortable victory of the season, 14-1 over Wisconsin. Rochester knocked out 15 hits in the game. The Honkers are now 4-5, while Wisconsin fell to 3-6 with the loss.
Brian Flynn, making his debut for Rochester, pitched five shutout, one-hit innings while striking out seven to earn the win. He did have some control problems, however, walking five on the evening. Rochester got on the board with a run in the second inning when Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) scored on an error off the bat of Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton). Beuerlein created another run with an RBI single in the fourth, and that was all the offense Rochester would need in the contest, although it was far from all they would get. The game was put well out of reach when Rochester, already leading 4-0 after six frames, scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to take a 14-0 lead and ice the game.
Rance Roundy (UNLV) paced the offense, and came through with three doubles driving in five total runs, and scored another three of his own. He also added a single to go 4-for-6. John Gianis (NC State) also finished with three hits for his second consecutive multi-hit game, Chris Auten (New Mexico State) had a pair of hits and drove in three runs, and William Arnold (Central Michigan) also picked up a pair of hits in the game. Wisconsin starter Gabe Sandersius (TCU) went five innings allowing four runs to take the loss. Jared Jordan (New Mexico State) pitched three innings in relief with four strikeouts
The Honkers and Woodchucks finish up their two game series tomorrow night at 6:35pm. Drew Bowen (Oral Roberts) will make his debut for Rochester on the mound, while Brandon Koenigstein (Creighton) will start for Wisconsin.
June 4 , 2009
Cotton milks cow, manages 4-3 victory
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Rochester returned home for just their second home game of the season, and emerged victorious over the visiting Mankato MoonDogs by the final score of 4-3. The game also featured the Honkers’ 16th Annual Cow Milking Contest, which acting manager Joe Cotton, who filled in while Rusty McNamara served a one-game suspension, won by successfully milking a cow that tried everything to get away from him. The Honkers are now 3-5, while Mankato is 4-4.
The Honkers jumped to an early lead when they pushed across three runs in the first inning on three singles and three walks off of MoonDogs’ starter Matt Swynenberg (Black Hawk College). Two of the runs came on RBI singles by catcher Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) and second baseman William Arnold (Central Michigan). Rochester would add another run in the second to take a 4-0 lead, but that was all the offense Rochester would get or need.
Making his debut as a Honker after arriving in town the day before, pitcher Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State), was brilliant over 6 innings to earn the win. He allowed only a single run and three hits while striking out nine, including five straight at one point. He left the game with a 4-1 lead after six, and Mankato nearly came back against the Rochester bullpen. After getting another run in the seventh to make it 4-2, Nick Judkins (Iowa Central CC), who finished a triple short of the cycle, hit a solo home run just over the fence in right off of Arik Sikula (Marshall) in the eighth to make it a 4-3 game. Sikula would buckle down though, and pitch through the rest of the inning and the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Center fielder John Gianis (NC State) finished 2-for-5 and was the only Honkers batter with multiple hits, while Beuerlein, Arnold and third baseman Jared Jones (New Mexico State) each pick up RBI. Judkins was the only player with multiple hits for Rochester, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Both teams finished with five hits, and Mankato committed three errors. The Honkers pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts in the contest.
Rochester returns to action tomorrow when the Honkers travel to Wisconsin to take on the Woodchucks at 6:35. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) will make his debut for the Honkers on the mound, while Gabe Sandersius (TCU) will pitch for the Woodchucks. Rochester’s next home game is Monday at 7:05 against La Crosse.
June 3 , 2009
Honkers take two losses on rough night
Box Score
(Mankato, MN)—In the span of just a few hours the Honkers took two losses to Mankato when Rochester fell in the resumption of last Friday’s suspended game 5-4 in the 14th, and then was buried by the MoonDogs 13-5 in the regularly scheduled Wednesday night game. Rochester is now 2-5, while Mankato boasts a 4-3 record
The Honkers started the resumption of last week’s game with Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) on second base and just one out. The first batter, Chris Auten (New Mexico State) hit a ground ball that was booted by the MoonDogs’ second baseman, but Beuerlein was just barely thrown out at the plate and Rochester was unable to score. After exchanging quiet turns at bat, Mankato picked up the win on a RBI double by outfielder Danny Miller (MSU-Mankato) in the bottom of the 14th. The loss was charged to Jared Jordan (New Mexico State), who fell to 0-1 after he replaced the active pitcher for Rochester when the game was suspended, Arik Sikula (Marshall).
After a break of about 40 minutes, the teams squared off again in the game originally scheduled for tonight at Mankato. The Honkers jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by shortstop William Arnold (Central Michigan) in the third inning, but the lead would only last a moment. Mankato pushed across three runs on Rochester starter Bret Mitchell (Iowa Central CC) in a bottom of the third inning highlighted by a two-run homer by third baseman Cody Fick (Evansville) to make it 3-1 Mankato. The MoonDogs jumped out to a 5-1 lead on a two-run triple in the fourth by center fielder Chris Murill (Nicholls State), and things simply exploded from there.
Mitchell couldn’t finish the inning for Rochester, and Mankato poured on three more runs in the frame to take a 8-1 lead before going on to score five more over the next three innings. Rochester did climb part way back on a three-run homer by left fielder Aaron Dunsmore in the sixth and scored another run in the eighth, but it simply wasn’t enough. Errors were a problem for Rochester again as they committed four, which turned into five unearned runs.
Mitchell took the loss to fall to 0-1 as he lasted 3.2 innings while allowing seven hits and eight runs (four earned), while the win went to Adam Jung (Central Arizona CC) (1-0) when he entered the game with the lead in the fourth inning. Mankato starter Jacob Petricka (Indiana State) went just three innings, despite allowing only a single run in that time.
Rochester did muster a total of 10 hits, including three by Rance Roundy (UNLV) (3-for-4 with one run and one RBI) and a pair by Auten (2-for-3 with one run), as well as the three-run homer by Dunsmore. But the Honkers weren’t able to capitalize on their opportunities or keep pace with the Mankato offense. The MoonDogs collected 13 total hits, highlighted by Fick’s 4-for-5 night, including a home run. He finished with a run and three RBI. Rochester manager Rusty McNamara was ejected in the game for arguing.
Rochester and Mankato face off again tomorrow night at Mayo Field in Rochester at 7:05pm in the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) will make his debut for Rochester, while Matt Swynenberg (Black Hawk College) will start for Mankato. It is Logo Baseball Night for the first 500 fans, as well as the Honkers’ 15th Annual Pre-game Cow Milking Contest.
June 2 , 2009
Honkers get 10 hits but fall at Madison, 5-1
Box Score
(Madison, WI)—Honkers starter Zach Robertson (Iowa) racked up 13 strikeouts in just 5.2 innings, but allowed five runs on seven hits and took the loss as Madison completed a two-game series sweep of Rochester with a 5-1 win. The Honkers are now 2-3 on the year.
Robertson, who allowed only a single hit and struck out five in his first trip through the Mallards’ order, gave up a leadoff home run to Madison shortstop Joe De Pinto (USC) in the fourth inning and the Mallards put up another run in the fifth before scoring three and chasing Robertson in a sixth inning highlighted by a two-run homer by DH Ben Long (Wisconsin-Milwaukee). The Mallards held a 5-0 lead after the sixth, and that was all the offense Madison would need.
But it was the pitching that really earned Madison the win, as a trio of pitchers held Rochester to just a single run despite allowing ten hits (two more than Madison mustered). Starter Matt Jansen (Purdue) went six shutout innings with four strikeouts before handing the ball off to Nick Chmielewski (Illinois), who allowed a run in the eighth before pitching his way out of a bases loaded jam. Rochester would not score another run.
Long finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and De Pinto was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI as well for Madison. For the Honkers, center fielder John Gianis (NC State) and second baseman William Arnold (Central Michigan) each finished with three hits and Arnold added an RBI. Catcher Aaron Johnson (Illinois) went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Pitcher Alex Klug (Rochester CTC) made his season debut and 2.1 innings allowing just a single hit.
Rochester is back in action tomorrow night at Mankato, with the resumption of the suspended game from last Friday at 6:05 pm, and a regularly scheduled complete game following at 7:05. Pitchers have yet to be determined. The next day, Thursday, the Honkers return home for a 7:05 game against Mankato at Mayo Field. The first 500 fans will receive logo-baseballs, and it will be the 15th annual cow milking contest.
June 1 , 2009
Back and forth game ends up with Mallards on top 7-6
Box Score
(Madison, WI)–For this first time since the opener Rochester jumped out to an early lead, but not even a ninth inning rally was enough to give the Honkers a win. A pinch-hit, two out, two run single by Drew Beuerlein gave Rochester a 6-5 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth but Arik Sikula, who had pitched brilliantly in relief since the fourth inning, gave up a two-run, walk-off home run to first baseman Harold Riggins to end the game at 7-6 and drop Rochester to 2-2 on the year.
Left hander Michael Goodman was spotted a 3-0 lead after two innings when catcher Aaron Johnson picked up an RBI on a ground out to drive in left fielder Andrew Thomas in the first and center fielder John Gianis delivered an RBI single in the second. Mallard’s starter Jordan Hershiser, the son of former major league pitcher Orel Hershiser, was working his way back from Tommy John surgery and lasted just 1.1 innings while struggling with control after handing Rochester the early lead.
But the Madison bullpen was able to shut down the Honkers for much of the rest of the game, allowing just three hits and one run over the next six innings, and giving the Mallards a chance to rally. It didn’t take them long, as they pushed across a pair of runs in the third and another two in the fourth on a ground out and a double to take a 4-3 lead and chase Goodman in favor of Arik Sikula.
Sikula pitched well enough for the Honkers to tie it up in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Gianis, but the Mallards pushed across a run in the eighth on an error by shortstop William Arnold that allowed a runner to come home from third to give Madison the 5-4 lead.
But the Honkers had another rally left in their bag of tricks. Chris Auten reached on an error by the Madison third baseman Troy Channing and right fielder Rance Roundy, who finished with three hits, singled after him. Madison then turned to Nick Chmielewski, who got the next two outs, but pinch-hitter Drew Beuerlein drove a ball up the middle for a single that drove in both runners and gave the Honkers a 6-5 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. But Riggins came up with a runner on and one out, and drove one over the center field wall to complete the dramatic victory in the Mallards’ home opener.
Riggins finished with three hits, two runs and two RBI to lead all offensive producers. Sikula took the loss to fall to 0-1, but pitched 4.2 innings strong innings with six strikeouts allowing three total runs. The win went to Chmielewski, his first of the year. Errors were a problem for both teams, as they combined for 10.
The two clubs go at it again tomorrow night in Madison, when Matt Jansen of Madison squares off against Zach Robertson of Rochester in a 7:05pm contest. Madison is now 3-2 overall on the year.
May 31 , 2009
Mullendore Pitches Complete Game, but Honkers Fall 4-0
Box Score
(Rochester, MN)–Rochester got a gem from its starter, 10-day player Matt Mullendore, but couldn’t muster the offense to back him up as the Honkers took their first loss of the season, 4-0 at Green Bay.
Mullendore gave up a two-run home run to John Semel in the first inning, but settled into a grove after that. He compiled a string of 13 consecutive batters retired going into the seventh inning and retired 17 of 18 Green Bay hitters during his best stretch. The Bullfrogs would push across one more run in each of the seventh and eighth, and Mullendore finished with a strong line of eight innings, eight hits, four earned runs, no walks and no strikeouts. Perhaps the best part of his performance was that it saved a depleted Honkers pitching staff going into a two-game series at Madison starting tomorrow.
Mullendore’s strong start was squandered when Bullfrogs starter Joel Delorit limited Rochester to just a pair of hits over seven excellent innings. The lefty struck out six and walked just two in the shutout effort before passing the ball to Craig Gullickson who tossed two hitless shutout innings with five strikeouts to earn a save.
The Honkers never really threatened to score, and only centerfielder Andrew Thomas and first baseman Chris Auten had hits for Rochester, both singles. Semel finished 2-for-4 with two RBI on the home run for Green Bay and designated hitter Daniel Torrente also finished with a pair of hits and an RBI. Green Bay finished with eight total hits.
Rochester, now 2-1, returns to action tomorrow at Madison with a 7:05 first pitch. Right hander Jordan Hershiser, the son of former major league pitcher Orel Hershiser will start for Madison while Rochester’s pitcher has yet to be decided.
May 30 , 2009
Honkers Win 19-16 in Game with 16 Total Erros
(Rochester, MN)—Both teams made mistake after mistake, but in a game that featured 16 total errors it was Rochester that emerged with a 19-16 victory over Green Bay in eleven innings in the first of two games this weekend in Green Bay. Every spot in the batting order had at least a hit and scored at least a run for Rochester, but it took Shortstop William Arnold stealing home with two outs in the ninth to make up for nine Rochester errors—four by Arnold—and three Bullfrog’s throwing errors in the eleventh that allowed Rochester to complete the comeback. None of it would have been possible without Danny Brock—typically an infielder—who picked up his first win of the season by pitching seven innings of three-run relief after tossing just a single inning all season with his collegiate team, St. Louis. After starting the game at third base, he ended up throwing 100 pitches for his longest outing since high school.
Green Bay scored four runs in the first three innings before erupting for five in the fourth to take a 9-1 lead. To that point the Bullfrogs’ starter, Tim Jolly, had tossed a one-hitter allowing only a single run. But the wheels came off for the right-hander in the top of the fifth. After allowing a run on a bloop single by center fielder John Gianis, second baseman Corey Jones launched a three-run home run to make it 9-5. The honkers worked the bases loaded again before Jolly was lifted for southpaw Brent Ebinger and, two batters after left fielder Aaron Dunsmore drove in a run on a ground out, Honkers starter Jared Jordan smacked a three-run double to tie the game at nine runs apiece.
But the Bullfrogs would respond immediately, as they quickly put up three more runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Jordan switched places with third baseman Danny Brock for Rochester, and the new Honkers pitcher was quickly tagged for a run on an RBI single by Green Bay center fielder John Semel. First baseman Paul Hoenecke was the next batter, and he lifted a pitch just around the foul pole for a home run to make the score 12-9 Green Bay.
But the Honkers kept coming, and got back single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings while Brock quieted the Bullfrog hitters to send the game into the ninth at 12-11. Jared Jordan, still playing third after swapping with Brock in the fifth, struck out to start the inning before Arnold singled and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position against new Bullfrogs pitcher Dixon Anderson. Gianis then drew a walk to put the go-ahead run on base, but Dixon struck out Corey Jones to get the second out. Right fielder Rance Roundy picked up an infield single to load the bases and bring first baseman Chris Auten to the plate with the bases full and two outs. But it was William Arnold, who made up for all his errors, by stealing home to tie the game at the 12. Auten struck out on the next pitch, and Brock tossed a one-two-three bottom of the ninth to force extras for second straight night.
Brock then led off the tenth and struck out but reached on a past ball and nearly gave the Honkers their first lead of the game four batters later when he charged home on a pitch to Arnold that got to the backstop, but Bullfrogs catcher Daniel Torrente was able to recover and flip it back to Dixon covering the plate in time to tag him out at the plate. Rochester would fail to score in the inning, and Brock got the first two batters quickly before another error gave the Bullfrogs a golden opportunity.
Shortstop Sam Munson picked up a single and went all the way to third after a throwing error by Jordan at third gave the Bullfrogs runners on the corners with two outs. Brock intentionally walked Torrente and got the next batter to ground into a 4-6 fielder’s choice to escape the jam.
Green Bay brought in right-hander Tyler Lorenz to pitch against the top of the Honkers order in the eleventh, and Rochester finally broke through. Gianis drew a leadoff walk and stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with nobody out for Rochester. Jones then laid down a bunt and Lorenz threw the ball into right field to allow Gianis to score and give the Honkers their first lead. The next batter, Rance Roundy, laid down another bunt and Torrente threw it into right to allow Jones to score and make the score 14-12 Rochester. By the time the half-inning ended Rochester had scored seven runs to carry a 19-12 lead into the bottom of the eleventh. The Honkers sent Brock out for his seventh inning of work, and Green Bay pushed across four runs when Rochester committed two more errors before Brock was able to get the final out.
At the end of the game Rochester had 19 runs on 15 hits and committed 9 errors while Green Bay had scored 16 on 16 hits with 7 errors. Arnold and Jones both had three hits for Rochester, and Semel drove in five runs on three hits for Green Bay while Hoenecke drove in four on a pair of hits. Brock got the win going seven innings allowing seven runs on nine hits. The loss was charged to Lorenz, who allowed seven runs on and managed to get only a single out.
The Honkers and Bullfrogs wrap up the two game series tomorrow evening at 5:05pm before Rochester travels to Madison for a pair of games against the Mallards on Monday and Tuesday. The probable starter for Green Bay tomorrow is left-hander Joel Delorit, while Rochester will hand the ball to right-hander Matt Mullendore. Catcher Aaron Johnson will be unavailable, as he must sit out the game after being ejected from tonight’s contest. Remember that the suspended game between Rochester and Mankato from last night while be resumed at 6:05pm on Wednesday prior to the regularly scheduled meeting between the two clubs in Mankato.
May 29 , 2009
Honkers Game Suspended when the Lights Go Out in Mankato
(Rochester, MN)–
In a night defined by pitching, Mankato held Rochester to just three hits through nine innings, but a Chris Auten three-run homer in the sixth enabled the Honkers to send it to extra innings. The game never got out of extras, as the lights in Mankato shut down due to an automatic timing mechanism at 11pm, and the game was suspended to be resumed prior to the June 3rd contest at Mankato at 7:05pm.
Both starters were effective—and the teams combined to strikeout 32 through 12.1 innings played so far—but it was the relievers that kept the game rolling into the night. Michael Goodman and Arik Sikula for Rochester and Josh Castanza and Matt Swynenberg for Mankato combined to allow just four total hits after the sixth inning while striking out 20 between the four of them.
But before the relievers came in the story was Auten’s game-tying homer. The blast came after a pair of Rochester batters reached with two outs in the sixth inning. MoonDog starter Jacob Petricka had a one-hitter going through five frames and nearly got through the sixth, but center fielder John Gianis reached on an infield single and took second on a throwing error on the play. Immediately after him catcher Drew Beuerlein drew a walk which set up Auten’s homer to tie the score at 4-4 one batter later. No other runs would score before the game was suspended.
Meanwhile Rochester starter Bret Mitchell struck out nine MoonDogs batters and walked none in just six innings, but allowed eight hits and four runs to receive a no-decision. Michael Goodman allowed just a single hit and a walk while striking out four over in three innings of work before handing the ball off to Arik Sikula, who only arrived in Rochester the night before after a 15-hour drive, in the tenth inning.
Sikula allowed runner to reach second and third with two-outs, but struck out designated hitter Ryan Durant with a 91-mph fastball to work out of the jam. Mankato reliever Matt Swynenberg, who entered the game to start the eighth, struck out the side in the eleventh and Siklua responded with a groundout and two strikeouts in his half of the inning to send it into the twelfth inning still tied at 4-4. The two traded dominant frames again in the twelfth—Sikula allowed a runner to third but struck out the side to send it into the thirteenth frame.
Swynenberg continued to work and faced Beuerlein with one out and the bases empty, and the Honkers catcher drove a ball that got over the fence on a hop for a ground rule double—the first extra base hit since Auten’s homer in the sixth. Auten was the next batter, and one pitch into his at-bat the lights shut off and the game was suspended.
When the game resumes on Wednesday it will be the top of the thirteenth, the Honkers will have Beuerline on second, Auten batting with a 1-0 count, one out and Swynenberg will be the active pitcher. Sikula will be the active pitcher for the Honkers.
The Honkers return to action on Saturday night at 7:05pm at Green Bay and Jared Jordan is the probable starting pitcher for Rochester. For any questions concerning the resumption of this game or anything else concerning the Honkers, send an email to info@rochesterhonkers.com or call 507-289-1170.
May 28 , 2009
Honkers Defeat MoonDogs 5-3 on opening night
(Rochester, MN)–
In front of a raucous crowd on a beautiful opening night, the Rochester Honkers kicked their 16th season off in style by defeating the Mankato MoonDogs 5-3 at Mayo Field. Zach Robertson, who was named the opening day starter after returning for this third season in Rochester and entered the game as the all-time Honkers leader in ERA and strikeouts, pitched six strong innings and allowed only a pair of unearned runs to earn the win.
The left-hander announced his return to the mound at Mayo Field with authority, striking out the side in the first inning, although he did allow a walk and a single. Robertson was rarely in trouble, and on a night when defense was shaky—the teams combined for 5 errors—he got some big help from his defense when it mattered most. Right fielder Rance Roundy turned in the defense play of the night when he caught a medium fly ball with one out and a runner on third in the fifth inning with the score 2-2 and launched a strike home to catcher Drew Beuerlein to nail the runner at the plate and end the inning.
Robertson finished with seven strikeouts and just four hits and two walks, and ten-day player Matt Mulledore pitched the final three innings allowing just one run and one hit to earn a save.
Most of the offense for Rochester came on a pair of big flies, including a line shot over the left field wall by Danny Brock to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead in the second. Shortstop William Arnold also added a solo shot in the eighth to run the score to 5-3 and give Rochester a two-run cushion going into the final frame.
Brock finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Andrew Thomas also had a pair of hits for the Honkers. Aaron Dunsmore went 1-for-3, but scored two runs. Troy Larson was the only MoonDogs batter with multiple hits and finished 2-for-4. Ryan Demmin, the starter for Mankato, went six innings allowing six hits and four runs (two earned) to take the loss. Alex Burgos, who pitched the final two innings for the MoonDogs, allowed just one hit—Arnold’s homer—and struck out five, including four consecutive batters.
After opening the season at home, Rochester now will take to the road for a six-game road trip to visit Mankato, Green Bay and Madison. The Honkers next game is tomorrow night at 7:05 at Mankato, and Bret Mitchell is the scheduled starter for Rochester.
May 8 , 2009
Golden Eagle Becomes a Teal Honker!
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of a pair of players from New Mexico State University. Justin Cooper, a 6'1", 170-pound freshman pitcher and Chris Auten, a 6'4", 225-pound redshirt junior infielder will join the Honkers this summer.
Cooper went undefeated in his freshman campaign at New Mexico State, finishing the year with a 2-0 record and a save while making 16 appearances, including a start. He struck out 24 in 28 innings, and should be reliable option out of the pen for the Honkers this summer. He also put up impressive numbers both from the mound and with the bat in high school, where he was the team MVP for Goddard High School (New Mexico) as a senior in 2008 when he hit .479 and pitched 48 innings with an ERA of only 1.89.
Auten was named to the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award watch list for the 2009 season, but played in only three games this season before being shut down with an injury. Last year for New Mexico State he had a monster season, appearing in 60 of the team’s 61 games and hitting .365 with a team-high 92 hits, 24 doubles and 26 total multi-hit games. He wrapped up the season with a 21-game hitting streak and managed to drive in multiple runs in 14 contests. Prior to playing for New Mexico State, Auten played for Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo (California) where he hit .393 with 37 RBI, 11 doubles and 5 home runs in 2007.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 8 , 2009
Golden Eagle Becomes a Teal Honker!
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Drew Bowen, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound freshman right-handed pitcher from Oral Roberts University. Bowen is the second Golden Eagle in Rochester Honker history to don the teal in the summer.
Currently Bowen is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA for Oral Roberts. The late inning reliever has made 11 total appearances on the season, pitching 23.1 innings, striking out 27 and holding opponents to a .228 batting average.
Bowen earned his 2nd victory of the season Thursday night, pitching the final two shutout innings against Wichita State in the 7-6 13-inning win. Bowen faced 8 total batters, giving up 0 runs, scattering 2 hits and walking 1 to earn the win.
Bowen, a 2008 graduate of Tulsa Memorial High School (Tulsa, OK), was named the 2008 Conference Pitcher of the Year. He was four-time all-conference performer, a member of the Rawlings All-Region West Team and was ranked in the top 300 prospects nationally by Perfect Game.
Bowen was heavily recruited by Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU before choosing Oral Roberts.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 1 , 2009
Honkers Sign a Pair of Chippewas!
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of a pair of players from Central Michigan. William Arnold and Andrew Thomas will be the first two Chippewas from Central Michigan to come to Rochester.
Will Arnold is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound freshman infielder from Mount Pleasant, MI. A graduate of Mount Pleasant High School in 2008, Arnold was named the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association co-Mr. Baseball, an honor given to the top baseball player in the state. He was a three-time Saginaw Valley League first team selection, a 2007 Saginaw Valley League MVP and named to the 2007, 2008 Saginaw News Dream Team.
Thomas, a 6-foot-3, 180 pound redshirt freshman outfielder also graduated from Mount Pleasant High School but in 2007. As a senior, he led his team in runs, triples, home runs, stolen bases and on-field percentage. Thomas was named first-team all-state, all-district, and all-region and named to the Morning Sun and Saginaw News Dream Team. Thomas was redshirted at Central Michigan in 2008 .
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 28, 2009
St. Louis Slugger Signs with Rochester
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the Brett Mitchell, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound right handed pitcher from Iowa Central Community College will return to the Honkers line up this summer. The sophomore from Lakeville, MN was a mid-season signee last summer for Rochester.
Currently Mitchell is 5-2 with a 1.84 ERA. He has struck out 54 in 49.0 innings and held opponents to a .215 batting average against. Mitchell struck out a season high 13 batters versus the Kirkwood Eagles on March 28th in the 0-2 loss.
Last summer, Mitchell finished the Honkers season with 24 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched. He made 14 total relief appearances, starting on July 1st and ended the season 0-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 1 save.
As a freshman at Iowa Central, Mitchell posted a 2-2 record with a 4.31 ERA. He made 18 total appearances striking out 48 in 39.2 innings of work .
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 24, 2009
St. Louis Slugger Signs with Rochester
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Danny Brock, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior infielder from Saint Louis University. Brock will see most of his action at first base this summer and may see some time on the mound.
Currently Brock is hitting .338 with 11 doubles and 27 RBIs. He has started 39 games for the 21-20 Billikens. St. Louis heads to Charlotte, NC this weekend for a 3-game conference set against the UNC Charlotte starting Friday.
Brock came to St. Louis from Northeastern CC (Sterling, CO). He was a two-time All-Conference and All-District selection. He finished his sophomore season hitting .407 with 5 home runs, 41 RBIs and did not allow an earned run on the mound in 11 2/3 innings and picked up 4 saves.
Brock played for the Laramie Colts of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League last summer and won the league’s home run derby. His father, Greg Brock, played 10 years in the Major Leagues beginning with the Los Angeles Dodgers and finishing his career with the Milwaukee Brewers .
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 21, 2009
Honkers Sign Infielder from #10 Cal State Fullerton
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Corey Jones, a 6-foot, 195 pound junior infielder from #10 Cal State Fullerton. Jones will join fellow Titan, Nick Ramirez to the Honkers this summer. Currently Jones is on a medical redshirt at Fullerton but is completely healthy.
“Fullerton didn’t want to waste a year of eligibility by activating him half way through the 2009 season,” said Honkers field manager, Rusty McNamara. “Jones has been working out with the team on a regular basis but just can’t play in games. He’ll make an immediate impact on our club, especially being a junior and the ability show up on time for the beginning of the season.”
As a sophomore, Jones started 41 games between second base and designated hitter. He finished the season hitting .302, ranking him fifth overall on the team. Jones posted 13 multi-hit games and nine games where he drove in multiple runs.
As a freshman, Jones started the season as a role player but was forced into action due to an injury. He played in 45 games, starting 36 at second and had five multi-hit games. Jones hit .300 in post season play (6-20) including collecting a hit at the College World Series. For his efforts, Jones was awarded the Most Improved Award at the team’s award banquet.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 17, 2009
Dayton Flyer Lands in Rochester
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Aaron Dunsmore, a 6-foot, 185-pound junior outfielder from the University of Dayton. Dunsmore becomes the third outfielder on the Honkers roster this summer.
Currently Dunsmore is hitting .324 with 4 home runs and 31 RBIs for the 21-14 Dayton Flyers. He has collected 5 stolen bases in 9 attempts and struck out only 19 times in 142 at bats. Dunsmore is the everyday starting right fielder, and routinely hits in the clean up position.
Dunsmore came to Dayton from Colby CC (KS) where he finished his sophomore season hitting. 404 with 14 home runs, 55 RBIs and a school record 23 doubles. As a freshman he hit .307 with 33 RBIs.
A native of Spruce Grove, Alberta Canada, Dunsmore joins fellow Canadian, Aaron Johnson, to the Rochester Honkers this summer.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 16, 2009
Pointstreak Signs Agreemenmt with the Northwoods League
(Toronto, ON) –
Pointstreak.com Inc. and The Northwoods League are pleased to announce they have reached a long term agreement which will see Pointstreak provide real-time scoring, official statistics and league administration services to the league.
"The Northwoods League is extremely excited to partner with Pointstreak to keep us ahead of the curve in terms of providing our fans with up-to-date information on the happenings within the Northwoods League. The real-time statistical package along with the anticipated changes to the league websites will keep us at the top of the technological advances related to summer collegiate baseball", said Dick Radatz Jr., President of the Northwood League".
Pointstreak's baseball platform will streamline the process of capturing and delivering game statistics for the Northwoods League and deliver those game events to the league and team websites in real-time for the benefit of players, fans and media partners. A unique feature of Pointstreak's baseball statistical solution is Game Live, a real-time flash application that streams play-by-play baseball results over a 3-D graphical image of a baseball diamond. Pointstreak Stats for baseball is also geared towards the needs of media sources, providing Associated Press (AP) formatted box scores, allowing for easy reproduction of baseball stats into print media.
"Pointstreak is proud to have been chosen as the official real-time scoring and statistics provider for the Northwoods League. To have the ability to deliver real-time scoring and official statistics to their fans and media partners in true real-time will be a great enhancement to the Northwoods League's standard operations. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the Northwoods League and its member teams", said Paul Pettipiece, Vice President of Baseball Operations of Pointstreak.com Inc.
April 10, 2009
Two More Ducks Become Honkers
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Scott McGough and Riley Bevill from the University of Oregon for the 2009 season. McGough and Bevill become the 3rd and 4th players from the Oregon Ducks to join the Honkers this summer.
McGough is 6-foot, 185-pound freshman right-handed pitcher from Pittsburg, PA. Currently McGough has made 11 appearances, pitching 10 1/3rd innings, striking out 10 and walking 2. He was a two-sport athlete in high school lettering in basketball and baseball. McGough was selected in the 46th round by the Pittsburg Pirates in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft. His father, Tom was a former number one draft pick of the Cleveland Indians.
Bevill is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound freshman right-handed pitcher that can also play the infield. Oregon selected to redshirt Bevill to preserve a year of eligibility. A 2008 graduate of Borah High School in Boise, ID, Bevill pitched and played third base. He was named first team All-Southern Idaho Conference his senior year.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 7, 2009
Honkers Sign Big Shocker
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Brian Flynn, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound freshman left-handed pitcher from Wichita State University.
Currently Flynn is 1-1 with a 5.87 ERA for the 17-11 Wichita State Shockers. He has struck out 29 in 23.0 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .261 batting average.
Flynn graduated Owasso High School in Owasso, OK where he finished his senior season 9-1 with a 0.79 ERA. He struck out 126 in 70.2 innings and walked 21. Over his prep career, Flynn was named to the All-Conference team, named Metro Pitcher-of-the-Year, All-State and All-State Player-of-the-Year. He was also a pre-season All-American and named a Louisville Slugger All-American. Flynn was heavily recruited by Oklahoma and Nebraska before choosing Wichita State.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 3, 2009
Dirtbag Pitcher Comes to Rochester
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Andrew Gagnon, a 6-foot-2, 186-pound freshman right-handed pitcher from Long Beach State. Gagnon is the first player from Long Beach State to call the Honkers home in the summer.
Currently Gagnon is 2-2 with a 5.58 ERA. He has appeared in 6 games, 5 of them starts, pitching 30.2 innings and striking out 27. The Long Beach State Dirtbags open up conference play this weekend hosting UC Riverside for 3 games starting Friday. Rochester Honkers field manager, Rusty McNamara, an assistant coach at UC Riverside, will get a close up evaluation of Gagnon who is slated to start on Sunday afternoon.
Gagnon graduated from Liberty High School in Brentwood, CA where he lettered all four years. He finished his senior season hitting .371 with 17 RBIs and also posted a 1.58 ERA, earning him All-County (East Bay) honors.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 31 , 2009
Honkers Sign Pulfer from Oregon
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Danny Pulfer, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound freshman infielder from the University of Oregon. Pulfer is the second Duck on the Honkers squad this summer.
Currently Pulfer is hitting .250 with 5 RBIs for the Oregon Ducks. He has started every game at second base this season for the 11-14 Ducks, committing only 4 errors in 54 attempts.
Pulfer graduated with honors from Cypress High School, Cypress, CA in 2008. As a senior he was an All-Empire, All-County and All-CIF selection after hitting .485 with 3 home runs and 24 stolen bases. Pulfer joins fellow Duck, Mitch Karraker on the team this summer.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 24 , 2009
Honkers Sign NC State Wolfpack Outfielder
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of John Gianis, a 6’2” 177-pound freshman outfielder from North Carolina State University. Currently Gianis is hitting .333 for the 12-10 NC State Wolfpack.
Gianis was named to The Newark Star-Ledger’s all-prep team in 2008 after batting .350 at The Hun School of Princeton. He was named the Colonial Hills Conference Player of the Year as a junior at Morristown-Beard High School in 2007 where he batted .525 with 10 doubles, six triples and one home run, and set a school record with 48 stolen bases in 49 attempts. Gianis stole 108 bases in three seasons at Morristown-Beard, a school record for career steals. A well rounded athlete, Gianis played soccer and set school records at Morristown-Beard for career and single-season goals scored.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 20 , 2009
Honkers Herd up their roster with 2 from Marshall
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of two right-handed pitchers from the University of Marshall. Arik Sikula, a 6 foot, 190-pound sophomore and Austin Coan, a 6’1” 225-pound junior will come out of the bullpen this summer for Honkers’ field manager, Rusty McNamara.
Coan is currently 1-1 with a 1.54 ERA in 7 appearances. He has pitched 11.2 innings, allowing 9 hits and striking out 12 while holding batter to a .209 batting average against. Sikula is 2-0 with a 5.68 ERA. He has pitched 12.2 innings, striking out 15 in 6 appearances.
Coan attended Grayson County Junior college where he finished his sophomore year with 10 saves in 16 appearances. He held opponents to a .229 batting average (lowest on the team) and helped Grayson to a JUCO world series championship.
Sikula made 28 relief appearances for Marshall last year, recording a single-season record 8 saves. In 39.1 innings of work, he was 2-3 with a 4.12 ERA and 36 strikeouts.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 17 , 2009
Oregon Duck Becomes a Rochester Honker
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Mitch Karraker, a 6’1” 175-pound sophomore catcher from the University of Oregon. Currently Karraker is hitting .283 with 15 doubles and 9 RBIs.
Karraker’s primary position is catcher, starting 8 of 16 games behind the plate for the Ducks. He has also started at first base and as their designated hitter. When Karraker is in the starting lineup, (13 of 16 games) he hits in the clean up position. His 9 RBIs are a team high.
Karraker played the 2008 collegiate season at Fresno City College where he finished the season hitting .355 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. He was named an All-NorCal selection and to the Central Valley Conference team.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 13 , 2009
Honkers Begin to Roundy the Outfield
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Rance Roundy, a 6-2, 180-pound junior outfielder from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Roundy is the second Running Rebel on the squad this summer.
Currently Roundy is hitting .364 with 3 triples and 11 RBIs. The everyday starting right fielder, is currently riding a 5-game hitting streak as UNLV travels to San Diego State this weekend for a 3-game series.
Roundy started his career at UNLV as an infielder but made the transition to outfield. As a sophomore he started 49 games in the outfield, hit .283 with 30 RBIs and was named to the Academic All-MWC team for his second consecutive year. A 2006 graduate of Silverado High School in Henderson, NV, Roundy lettered four times in baseball. He was the 2006 Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada and named his team’s MVP in 2005 and 2006.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 12 , 2009
Honker Infielder Named Player of the Week
This Time it's Nick Ramirez
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Nick Ramirez, an infielder and left handed pitcher from # 6 ranked Cal State Fullerton, was named the Big West Player of the Week. Ramirez hit .500 and belted three home runs in road games against San Diego State and Southern Miss to propel the Titans to a perfect 4-0 week (March 2-8). Ramirez has signed to play for the Honkers this summer.
The freshman continued his dominance of college pitching going 9-for-18 with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI in wins over the Aztecs and Golden Eagles. Ramirez took his 9-game hitting streak into their game against #3 ranked Texas A&M Tuesday, but went 0-4 in Fullerton’s 15-5 win over the Aggies at Texas A&M.
Currently Ramirez is hitting .439 with 4 home runs and 16 RBIs. Cal State Fullerton travels to Stillwater, OK this weekend for the Oklahoma State Tournament. They’ll face Rhode Island and Oklahoma State in the 3-team round robin tournament.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 11 , 2009
Honker Earns Honors
Beuerlein Awareded Conference Player of the Week
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Drew Beuerlein, who has signed to play for the Rochester Honkers this summer, was just named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week. Beuerlein, a 6 foot, 195- pound junior, is the starting catcher for the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Beuerlein played an instrumental role in UNLV sweeping four games from Butler this past weekend. Drew hit .643 (9-14) with 3 triples 9 RBIs and 8 runs scored. Overall he is hitting .541 with 2 home runs and 19 RBIs, all team highs. He is also 3-3 in stolen bases.
Pitcher of the Week honors went to Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State, who struck out 18 against 11th ranked San Diego last Thursday. The Rebels will get their first look at Strasburg as they open up conference play this weekend, playing at San Diego State in a three-game set starting Friday.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 10 , 2009
Canadian Catcher Comes Back to Rochester
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Aaron Johnson, a 6 foot, 210-pound junior catcher from the University of Illinois will return for his second season behind the plate for the Honkers. He’ll join second year Honker and Illinois teammate, Phil Haig, on the squad this summer. Currently Johnson is hitting .343 with 2 home runs and a team high 13 RBIs. Currently Johnson is hitting .343 with 2 home runs and a team high 13 RBIs.
Illinois is coming off a strong weekend where they took 2 of 3 games from #1 ranked Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. Johnson broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the 9th Friday night, hitting a two-out 2-run homer off the video scoreboard to give the Illini a 3-1 lead and the win. The victory ended LSU’s 25-game regular season winning streak. Phil Haig was also impressive in the historic win for Illinois. He started the contest going 7 innings, allowing only 1 run on 8 hits and shut down the LSU offense that was averaging over 12 runs per game. Haig got the no-decision for his outing. Over the entire weekend, Johnson hit .500 with 2 runs scored and 5 RBIs.
Last summer for the Honkers, Johnson hit .243 with 3 home runs and 13 RBI before a knee injury ended his season.
Johnson, a native of Sussex Corner, New Brunswick, played in the summer of 2007 for the Lethbridge Bulls of the Western Major Baseball League in Canada. He hit .333 with 18 RBIs, and eight doubles while throwing out 40% of would-be base-stealers. He spent his freshman season attending the Canadian Prairie Baseball Academy where he hit .333 with 30 RBIs. Johnson was drafted in the 46th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 6 , 2009
Jayhawk Becomes A Honker This Summer
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Tony Thompson, a 6’5” 225-pound sophomore infielder from the University of Kansas. The Jayhawks starting 3rd baseman looks to lead Kansas into a 4-game series versus Northwestern this weekend.
Currently Thompson is leading the Jayhawks in hitting (.400) and RBIs (9). He just hit Kansas’s first home run of the season, a three-run homer in the first inning against North Dakota Wednesday, as the Jayhawks beat the Fighting Sioux 6-3 in Lawrence, KS. Thompson has not committed a single error in Kansas’s first 7 games.
As a freshman, Thompson played in 53 games, starting 51 at 3rd base. He finished the season hitting .276 with 5 home runs and 18 RBIs. Thompson had 12 multi-hit games, hit his first collegiate home run against North Dakota State, and finished the season with a nine-game hitting streak. He currently is riding a seven-game hitting streak in 2009.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 3 , 2009
Honkers Sign Titan Infielder
(Rochester, MN)-The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Nick Ramirez, a 6’3”, 225 pound infielder and left handed pitcher from Cal State Fullerton. The Titans are currently 5-2 and are ranked 7th in the nation by Baseball America.
Currently Ramirez is hitting .474 with 3 doubles and 9 RBIs, all tops on Titans’ squad. He has started 5 games, all at the designated hitter, and has made one relief appearance, striking out 2 in 1.2 innings of work. Ramirez hit his first collegiate home run in a 6-11 loss to TCU on Feb. 22nd.
Ramirez graduated from Katella High School in Anaheim, CA where he played four years of varsity baseball. He led his team to an Empire League championship in 2008 while taking home the league's most valuable player trophy. Ramirez was a three-time All-Empire League first teamer (2006-08) and was also named his team’s MVP those same years. He also was recognized as All-Orange County, All-CIF and high school All-American in 2008.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 27, 2009
Running Rebel Catcher Comes to Rochester
(Rochester, MN)-The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Drew Beuerlein, a 6 foot, 195-pound junior catcher from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)
Currently Beuerlein is hitting .529 with 9 RBIs, 2 home runs and a 1.235 slugging percentage for the 3-3 Running Rebels. He has started 4 of 5 games at catcher; his other start came at first base but finished the final 2 innings at catcher.
A native of Scottsdale, AZ, Beuerlein graduated from Desert Mountain High School in 2006. He lettered all four years as a catcher and was an all-region selection from 2004-2006. As a freshman at UNLV, Beuerlein played in a total of 16 games, 12 of them starts, hitting .324 with 4 RBI. In 2008, he made 17 starts at catcher, hitting .260 with 2 homeruns and 10 RBI.
Beuerlein is the cousin of Steve Beuerlein, the former NFL quarterback who played for 14 seasons and retired in 2003. The Running Rebels play at home this weekend in a four game series versus St. Pete’s College.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 24, 2009
Fighting Illini Hurler Returns to Honkers
(Rochester, MN)-The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Phil Haig, a 6’3”, 205-pound sophomore left-handed pitcher from the University of Illinois, will return for his second season on the mound for the Honkers. The Inver Grove Heights, MN native was a mid-season All-Star for the Honkers last summer.
Haig was Illinois’ season opening starter earning the 8-3 victory over Iowa Friday night at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater, FL. Haig pitched 5 strong innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 4 to earn the win.
“It's nice to start off the season with a win," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "Phil Haig had a very good outing. He was consistently down in the zone, got ahead in the count a lot and worked out of jams well."
Last summer, Haig was 5-3 with a 2.49 ERA for the Honkers. He pitched 68.2 innings allowing only 19 earned runs on 57 hits, struck out 41 and walked only 8.
Haig finished his freshman season at Illinois 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA. He had his best outing of the year May 17th against Purdue, earning a complete game win in a 2-0 shutout. He allowed just two hits, walked just two, and threw only 76 pitches in the win. His performance netted him Co-Pitcher of the Week honors from the Big Ten Conference.
Haig was a prolific athlete at Henry Sibley High School in his hometown of Inver Grove Heights, MN. He won All-Suburban Conference awards in five different sports: baseball, football, basketball, wrestling, and tennis. He earned a total of 16 different varsity letters.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the finalization of their coaching staff for the 2009 season. Field Manager Rusty McNamara has hired Joe Cotton as his pitching coach and former Rochester Honker and assistant coach at the University of North Dakota, Eric Hoffmann, who will be in charge of hitters and outfielders.
February 16, 2009
Honkers Finalize Coaching Staff for 2009
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the finalization of their coaching staff for the 2009 season. Field Manager Rusty McNamara has hired Joe Cotton as his pitching coach and former Rochester Honker and assistant coach at the University of North Dakota, Eric Hoffmann, who will be in charge of hitters and outfielders.
Cotton, 34, has known McNamara since their professional playing days with the Philadelphia Phillies. The right-handed pitcher attended Bowling Green St. University, where he was an 18th round draft pick in 1996 by the Phillies. He then played with McNamara over the next five seasons.
“It is a privilege to be chosen by Rusty to head his pitching staff this summer and to coach with someone that shares the same philosophies of the game, it is truly a great and rare opportunity,” said Cotton. “Out of all the summer leagues, the Northwoods League gives its players the best environment to develop the specific skills that are in a minor league atmosphere. The NWL League had a huge impact on my decision of why I chose to coach in this league.”
In 2000, the Oakland A’s acquired Cotton via the Rule 5 Draft and he spent the next two seasons between AA and AAA. Cotton finished his affiliated professional career 32-25 with a 3.31 ERA. He appeared in 228 games, mainly as a reliever, striking out 386 over 473 innings pitched.
He and McNamara hooked up again in 2003, playing 2 seasons for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, where they won a league championship in 2004. Since retiring, Cotton now resides in Palm Harbor, FL. where he is a private baseball instructor.
Eric Hoffmann played for the Rochester Honkers in 2005 and on the 2006 NWL Championship Team. He was an outfielder and a left-handed pitcher. In 2006, Hoffmann hit .246 with 8 doubles and 16 RBI. He made 12 appearances on the mound, striking out 13 in only 11.0 innings pitched.
“I ‘m very excited to be back in Rochester not as a player but this time as a coach,” said Hoffmann. “Playing two summers in Rochester is something I will never forget. I feel real honored to be a part of a coaching staff with so much professional experience and passion for the game of baseball.”
The Erskine, MN native started his collegiate playing career in 2004 at Iowa Central Community College where he was named to the all-region first team and all-district first team both years. He then attended the University of Northern Iowa where he was a 2007 Missouri Valley Conference honorable mention honoree as an outfielder. After his collegiate playing days, Hoffmann played independent baseball for the Sioux City Explorers (2007) and the Rockford Riverhawks (2008) before entering the coaching ranks.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 10, 2009
Zach Robertson Returns for 3rd Season with the Honkers
(Rochester, MN)–
The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Zach Robertson, a 6’1”, 195-pound junior left-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa, will return for his third season on the mound for the Honkers. Robertson was the Honkers Pitcher of the Year in 2008 and also the team’s Most Inspirational Player in 2007.
Robertson finished the 2008 Honkers season 4-3 with a 2.52 ERA. He led the Northwoods League with 97 strikeouts and tied for the league lead with 12 starts. Robertson was named a North Division Mid-Season All-Star and named to the 2008 NWL Post Season All-Star Team.
Over his two seasons with the Honkers, Robertson is the career record holder for ERA (2.63), Strikeouts (171) and Games Started (23).
Robertson began his collegiate playing experience for Iowa Central Community College for two years before moving on to Iowa. He finished his career at ICCC with 161 total strikeouts, ranking him 2nd in school history.
A native of Des Moines, IA, Robertson is pursuing a Health and Sports Studies major at Iowa. The Hawkeyes open up the 2009 season at the Big East / Big Ten Challenge on Feb. 27th when they take on Stetson in Deland, FL.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season begins on May 28th, 2009 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 26, 2009
"Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers" Become Reality
New Brainerd Team Announces Name and Logo
(NWL-Rochester, MN)—Team management of the new Northwoods League franchise in Brainerd revealed the team’s identity last week with the announcement that the team is named the “Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers”. The team’s logo, featuring a large fish emerging from behind the Lunkers nickname towards a baseball-baited fishing pole and line, was also unveiled. The team colors are blue and orange.
The term “lunker”, which is commonly used to describe a game fish that is large for its kind, was submitted twice out of the more than 800 entries in Brainerd’s name-the-team contest. The contest was held for two weeks following the announcement in late December that the franchise would no longer be known as the “Blue Thunder”.
Rana Nestrud and family from Brainerd and Bill and Pat Wallace of Aitkin will each receive a pair of season tickets to Lunkers games for life. Both families submitted the name that team management thought was the best fit for the area.
“We wanted to stay within the fishing realm for the area,” said team owner Joel Sutherland. “We see the endearing qualities with the name. Everybody wants to catch a lunker. You can catch a lunker on a lake during the day and you can catch a Lunkers game at Mills Field at night.”
The Brainerd Lakes Area is known for its many lakes, resorts, and great fishing. Team management decided that “Brainerd Lakes Area” needed to be included in the team’s full name.
“It became clear during the name-the-team contest that the interest is much more than just those in Brainerd and (the neighboring city of) Baxter,” Sutherland explained. “We received entries from places like Wadena, Aitkin, Pine River, and Little Falls. This will be the Brainerd Lakes Area team.”
The Lunkers’ website has already been launched. Fans can stay up to date with the team by visiting www.lunkersbaseball.com. The Lunkers will open their inaugural season at home on May 28th against the St. Cloud River Bats.
Sutherland added, “The Lunkers are going to be the big fish in the Northwoods League pond. We look forward to stocking the Mills Field pond for 34 nights this year.”
January 06, 2009
2009 Rochester Honkers Schedule Released!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today its complete game schedule for the 2009 season. The four-time Northwoods League Champions begin their 16th season at home on Thursday, May 28th, when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05PM first pitch.
The Honkers will play a 68 game schedule in 75 days, beginning on May 28th and ending on August 10th. The 15th Annual NWL All-Star Game will be on Tuesday, July 21st at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The NWL Playoff Series will take place from August 11th through August 16th. The winner of each division’s two halves will meet in a best-of-three divisional playoff series (Aug. 11,12,13) with the winners advancing to the NWL Championship Series (Aug. 14,15,16), also a best-of-three.
The Honkers will face each North Division team 8 times (4 home, 4 away) and each South Division team 4 times (2 home, 2 away) with the exception of not playing the Battle Creek Bombers and Waterloo Bucks. This will be the first time since 1995 that the Honkers will not play their Highway 63 Rivals, the Waterloo Bucks, during the regular season.
The Rochester Honkers are one of two remaining teams (Wisconsin Woodchucks) from the Northwoods League’s inaugural season of 1994.
For the Rochester Honkers complete schedule, game times and ticket information, go to www.rochesterhonkers.com. The entire NWL schedule is available at www.northwoodsleague.com.
NWL Divisional Alignment
Years in parenthesis denote the franchise's first season in the NWL.
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NORTH DIVISION
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SOUTH DIVISION
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Alexandria Beetles (2001)
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Battle Creek Bombers (2007)
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Brainderd (TBD) (2005)
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Eau Claire Express (2005)
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Duluth Huskies (2003)
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Green Bay Bullfrogs (2007)
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^ Mankato MoonDogs (1999)
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La Crosse Loggers (2003)
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Rochester Honkers (1994)
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^ *Madison Mallards (2001)
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St. Cloud River Bats (1997)
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Waterloo Bucks (1995)
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^ *#Thunder Bay Border Cats
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^ Wisconsin (Wausau) Woodchucks (1994)
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^ 2008 Postseason Team – *2008 Divisional Champion – #2008 Northwoods Leauge Champion
