December 31st, 2005
MORE PRESEASON HONORS FOR FORMER HONKERS!

Former Rochester Honkers Brett Jensen (2004-2005) and Derek Schermerhorn (2003) were named to the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American team, as selected by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Jensen was named to the First Team and Schermerhorn was selected to the Third Team.

Jensen, the closing pitcher for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, posted a record of 3-5 and 16 saves in 33 appearances (46.0 IP) last spring. He also had a 1.96 ERA with 46 strikeouts while surrendering only 9 walks. Nebraska had their most successful season in school history, going 57-15 and were the number 3 national seed entering the College World Series.

In two seasons with the Honkers (2004-2005), Jensen worked as both a starting and relief pitcher. In 2004, he started the only 2 games he appeared in, going 1-1 with 8 strikeouts and 6 walks. Jensen’s 2005 season was shortened by his College World Series appearance but he still managed a 1-0 record, with 9 saves, 10 strikeouts and only 1 walk in 12 appearances.

Schermerhorn started all 75 of the Wichita State Shockers games last year, splitting time between first and third base. He lead the team in several offensive categories including; batting average (.329), hits (96), doubles (21), RBI (50), stolen bases (34) and committed only 1 error in 570 chances in the field. In 2003 Schermerhorn played in 30 games for the Honkers, batting .241 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 12 RBI, 9 stolen bases and 12 runs scored.

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December 23rd, 2005
NEW LOGOS FOR HONKERS IN 2006

(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has unveiled two new logo designs for the 2006 season and beyond. The concept was a culmination of months of cooperation between the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club and Corporate Web Services (CWS) of Rochester, MN.

“We felt the timing was right to update our existing logo, while still maintaining its strong tradition,” said Rochester Honkers General Manager/Co-Owner Dan Litzinger. “The original logo is not gone but will always be an original cornerstone of the organization.”

Founder of the Rochester Honkers and current Northwoods League President Dick Radatz, Jr. adds, "The logo is more streamlined for needs in the new millennium, I hope it serves the Honkers as well and as long as the original"

The designer of the new logos is Lyle Mullican, Graphics Designer and Web Developer for CWS. Mullican, the winner of the 2005 Rochesterfest button design contest, has developed numerous prominent area web sites and also creates fine art with work shown at the Gilded Star Art Gallery in Rochester, MN.

“CWS was thrilled to work with the Rochester Honkers to create a new identity system,” said Mullican. “Rochester Honkers baseball is a huge part of our city’s culture, and we want to respect the existing brand while developing a new direction. We feel that the new logos capture the bold and fun spirit of a winning team.”
 

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December 21st, 2005
BRETT JENSEN UPDATE!

Former Rochester Honker Brett Jensen was recently honored as a preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Jensen, a senior relief pitcher for the University of Nebraska, was a third-team honoree.

Last season for Nebraska, Jensen worked as the primary closer posting a record of 3-5 and 16 saves in 33 appearances (46.0 IP). He also recorded a 1.96 ERA with 46 strikeouts and surrendered only 9 walks. Jensen helped lead Nebraska their most successful season in school history as the Huskers went 57-15 and were the number 3 national seed entering the College World Series.

In two seasons with the Honkers (2004-2005), Jensen worked as both a starting and relief pitcher. In 2004, he started the only 2 games he appeared in, going 1-1 with 8 strikeouts and 6 walks. During the 2005 season, Jensen shared the closers role with Brad Clipp, the Honkers Pitcher of the Year. In a season shortened by his College World Series appearance, Jensen still managed a 1-0 record, with 9 saves, 10 strikeouts and only 1 walk in 12 appearances.

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December 19th, 2005
VALENTINO PASCUCCI TO PLAY IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC!

Former Rochester Honker Valentino Pascucci was recently named to Italy’s roster for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be played this coming March. The 16 team tournament is the first of its kind, featuring the best professional players from around the world representing their respective home countries.

Pascucci was the first former Honker to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) when he suited up for the Montreal Expos in 2004. Last seasons he played in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines, winners of the Japan Series Championship. In 33 games, he hit .284 with 21 runs, 8 home runs and 20 RBI.

Teams for the WBC are comprised of players who meet criteria similar to those used in the Olympics. Countries can have rosters of up to 60 players by January 17, 2006 with the final 30 man roster to be set 24 hours before the tournament’s first game. As a part of Italy’s team for the WBC, Pascucci will compete along side current MLB players Frank Catalanotto of the Toronto Blue Jays, Doug Mirabelli of the San Diego Padres and Mike Piazza, formerly of the New York Mets.

The tournament, which will be played from March 3rd through March 20th, is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and will feature 16 countries divided into 4 pools. Italy begins on March 7th at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL and will play the opening round in Pool D along with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Australia. The top two teams from each pool move onto the second round either in Anaheim, CA or San Juan, PR.

More information on the WBC, including rosters, schedules and rules, can be found at www.worldbaseballclassic.com.

As a member of the Honkers in 1998, Pascucci (Oklahoma) had one of the most productive seasons in franchise history. Working both as an outfielder and pitcher, he played in all 62 games that season. He hit .289 with 11 doubles, 11 HR and 49 RBI and compiled a 2-3 record on the mound with a 3.06 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 18 walks. In addition to being named to both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams, Pascucci earned the “Star of Stars” award as the All-Star Game MVP. In the game, he hit the eventual winning home run and then returned as the pitcher, earning the save for the South Division. On July 16th, he threw the first no-hitter in Honkers history, a 9-0 victory over the Austin Southern Minny Stars. At the conclusion of a season that saw Pascucci in the Honkers single season top ten in home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits and total base, he was named “Honker of the Year”.

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December 14th, 2005
ANDRE ETHIER TRADED TO LOS ANGELES DODGERS!

(Rochester, MN)—Former Rochester Honker Andre Ethier was part of a 3 player trade between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ethier, an outfielder, heads to the Dodgers organization in exchange for outfielder Milton Bradley and infielder Antonio Perez.

Last season Ethier, playing for the Midland RockHounds, was named the Player of the Year in the Double-A Texas League. While in Midland, he hit .319 with 104 runs scored, 30 doubles, 18 home runs and 80 RBI. In a late season promotion to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats (Pacific Coast League) Ethier hit .267 with a double and 2 RBI in 4 games. Upon the completion of the 2005 season, he competed in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) where he was named to the All-Star team by way of hitting .366 with 19 runs, 7 doubles, 21 RBI and a league leading .495 on-base percentage in 23 games. He was also honored with the AFL’s Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award. Ethier is expected to start the 2006 season with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League.

Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti is expecting Ethier to be a great asset to the organization’s future plans. “He has a chance to be a very good everyday player," Colletti said. "He has great makeup and great plate discipline. He's in the mix, [ability-wise], with [top Dodgers prospects] Andy LaRoche, Russell Martin, Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp and Joel Guzman. His upside should be very good."

In 2002, Ethier (Arizona State) hit .264 with 7 doubles, 4 home runs, 34 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 31 runs scored. He also played in the NWL All-Star game and was awarded a NWL/Rawlings Silver Glove for his play in the outfield, becoming the first Honker to receive the honor. When the Athletics selected Ethier in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, it is the highest a former Honkers has ever been selected.

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December 9th, 2005
FORMER HONKERS RECOGNIZED BY MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Former Rochester Honkers Dusty Bensko, Toby Gardenhire and Nic Ungs were recently honored as a part of Minor League Baseball’s (MiLB) first annual “2005 MiLB.com Awards”. The awards can be viewed in their entirety at www.milb.com.

Bensko and Gardenhire were both members of MiLB.com’s Short Season Team of the Year, the Elizabethton Twins. Elizabethton, the Rookie level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, won the Appalachian League Championship this past summer. The Twins won the league’s West Division by 17.5 games and posted a .716 winning percentage (48-19), tops in minor league baseball. They clinched the Appalachian League crown by defeating the Danville Braves 2 games to 1 in a best of three championship series. Bensko, a rookie free agent in 2005, hit .270 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI in 38 games while Gardenhire hit .200 with 3 doubles and 5 RBI in 30 games. This was the second title in 2005 for both as they were teammates on the University of Illinois’ Big Ten Championship squad.

Ungs, now a member of the Carolina Mudcats (Florida Marlins) in the Southern League, received individual honors as he won the award for the Best Single Game Performance at the Double-A level. On July 29th he threw the first complete game no-hitter in Mudcats’ history, defeating the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 2-0. On his historical day, Ungs struck out 7 batters and waked 5. For the season, he went 7-5 with a 3.68 ERA, striking out 79 and walking 34. Upon the conclusion of the Mudcats’ season, Ungs played for the Grand Canyon Rafters in the Arizona Fall League and also pitched for Team USA in the Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Phoenix.

Bensko, Gardenhire and Ungs were all vital to the Honkers during their respective seasons in Rochester. Bensko was a late season addition in 2002, contributing to the Honkers playoff run that summer. Gardenhire spent 3 seasons with the Honkers (2002-2004), playing more games than anyone in franchise history and setting every team fielding record at shortstop. He was also named the Honkers Inspirational Player in 2004. Ungs was a member of the Honkers 1999 Northwoods League Championship team and was named to the Northwoods League post-season during a season in which he threw back-to-back complete game one-hitters. In 2004, he was named to the Northwoods Leagues’ All-Decade team for his play in Rochester and Waterloo (2000).

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December 8th, 2005
HONKER ALUM DRAPER COMPLETES FIRST SEASON IN DOUBLE – A

John Draper, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 1999 and 2000, finished his fifth season of professional baseball, his first in Double-A, in 2005. Draper, a prospect of the Kansas City Royals, played the majority of the season with the Wichita Wranglers (Double-A) of the Texas League.

Draper, splitting time at catcher and outfield, played in 62 games for the Wranglers, hitting .247 with 10 doubles, 1 home run, 14 RBI and 30 runs. His best game of the season came on May 6 against the Midland RockHounds. Draper went 3-4 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and a run scored in the 10-5 loss.

Drafted by the Royals in the 4th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft, Draper has played in 410 games in his 5 professional seasons. In that time he has hit .245 with 53 doubles, 8 triples, 12 home runs, 123 RBI and 171 runs scored. In addition to Wichita, he has also played with the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League (Single-A), the Burlington (IA) Bees of the Midwest League (Single-A), the Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks in the Carolina League (Single-A) and High Desert Mavericks of the California League (Single-A).

In his two seasons in Rochester, Draper (Cal State-Los Angeles) compiled a .296 career batting average with 29 doubles, 6 triples (most in franchise history) 4 home runs and 73 RBI. In 1999, he was named to the Northwoods League Post-Season All-Star team based on a year that saw him hit .325 with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs and 40 RBI. On July 27th, 1999 Draper and teammate Dan Lawler (Creighton) both went 5-6 in a 19-3 victory over the Austin Southern Minny Stars, marking the only time in Honkers history that 2 players recorded 5 hits in the same game.

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December 3rd, 2005
Former Honker Named to Wallace Watch List!

Derek Schermerhorn, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2003 and the starting third baseman for the Wichita State Shockers, was recently named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List for the upcoming 2006 season.

Each year the Brooks Wallace Award is given to the national college baseball player of the year. The winner is selected by a committee of coaches, sports information directors, college baseball writers and former Wallace Award recipients. The initial list of 120 will expand and contract throughout the season; 12 semi-finalists will be selected in late May and the final 3 named after the NCAA Super Regionals. The winner will be announced as part of a ceremony that will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net.

As a sophomore in 2005, Schermerhorn was named First Team All-Missouri Valley as a utility player and Honorable Mention at third base. He was also named to the All-Midwest Region Second Team at third base. On the season, Schermerhorn started in all 75 of the Shockers games, the only player on the team to do so, splitting time between first and third base. He led the Shockers in several offensive categories including; batting average (.329), hits (96), doubles (21), RBI (50) and stolen bases (34). In field he committed only one error in 570 chances.

In 2003 Schermerhorn played in 30 games for the Honkers, batting .241 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 12 RBI, 9 stolen bases and 12 runs scored. He was a valuable utility fielder as well, playing at first, second and third base during the season.

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December 1st, 2005
Former Honk Russ Hammers the Competition!

James Russ, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2001, finished his third season of professional baseball in 2005. Russ, now a prospect in the Florida Marlins organization, played the majority of the season with the Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League (FSL).

Russ was the anchor of the Hammerheads pitching staff this summer, going 11-8 with a 3.51 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). His 143 strikeouts and 161.2 innings pitched were second among all pitchers in the FSL and his win total was good for third. Russ started the season at 6-0 which contributed to him playing in the FSL’s mid-season All-Star Game. Upon the conclusion of Jupiter’s season, Russ was promoted to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats (Southern League) where he started one game. On August 28th he earned the win against the Mobile (AL) BayBears, going 5.0 innings and allowing 4 hits while striking out 5 in 4-0 Mudcats victory.

Joining the Marlins organization as an un-drafted free agent in 2003, Russ has gone 20-15 with a 2.96 ERA, 279 strikeouts and 103 walks in 3 seasons. In addition to the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Carolina Mudcats, he has also played with the Gulf Coast League Marlins (Rookie) and the Greensboro (NC) Grasshoppers of the South Atlantic League (Single-A).

In 2001 Russ (Belmont Abbey) played in 21 games for the Honkers, starting 7. In 62.2 inning of work he posted a 6-5 record with 5 saves, a 2.73 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 29 walks. Russ earned both team and league honors for his play, being named the 2001 “Honker of the Year” as the team MVP and was a member of both the Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star Teams in the Northwoods League.

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November 22, 2005
2006 Schedule Released!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club, a member of the Northwoods League (NWL) announced its complete game schedule for the upcoming 2006 season. The Honkers season begins at home against the La Crosse Loggers on Thursday, June 1st at Mayo Field with the first pitch to be thrown at 7:05 PM.

The Honkers will play four games against each North Division team and eight games against every South Division team with the exception of the Waterloo Bucks. The Honkers and Bucks have once again been designated “geographical rivals” and will play 12 times throughout the 2006 season.

The longest homestand of the season is five games long starting on July 21st against the Eau Claire Express and finishes on July 25th with the Madison Mallards. The Honkers are also at home eight of ten days from July 1st to July 10th with the two road games being July 4th (at La Crosse) and July 8th (at Waterloo). The longest time away from Mayo Field begins on June 22nd against the Brainerd Blue Thunder and wraps up in St. Cloud on June 30th.

Every NWL team plays a 68 game schedule in 74 days; 34 games at home and 34 games on the road. The season is split into two 34 game halves played between June 1st and August 13th with the first half concluding on July 6th and the second half beginning the next night. The 12th Annual NWL All-Star Game will be hosted by the La Crosse Loggers on Wednesday, July 12th and will take place at Copeland Field in La Crosse, WI.

The NWL Playoffs will take place from August 14th to August 19th. The winner of each division’s two halves will meet in a best-of-three divisional playoff series with the winners advancing to the NWL Championship Series beginning on August 17th. The participants of the Championship Series will play a best-of-three format as well. Last season the Honkers won the South Division and were a part of the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

The NWL divisional alignment remains unchanged from the 2005 season.

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November 17, 2005
Ungs and Ethier Arizona Fall League Updates!

Former members of the Rochester Honkers Nic Ungs (1999) and Andre Ethier (2002) recently finished standout seasons in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). Ungs, a prospect of the Florida Marlins, played with the Grand Canyon Rafters while Ethier, a member of the Oakland Athletics organization, suited up for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

Ungs appeared in 6 games for the Rafters, starting all 6, during the AFL’s 32 game season. In 25 innings of work, he posted a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA while striking out 13 and walking only 6. Upon the completion of the AFL season, Ungs joined Team USA in the CONCEBE Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament, also taking place in Arizona. In Team USA’s first game, a 23-0 victory over Guatemala on November 15th, he struck out 2 batters in 2 perfect innings pitched.

Ethier was one of the most productive offensive players on the Arizona circuit. He was named to the AFL All-Star team based on a season that saw him hit .366 (7th in the AFL) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs and 21 RBI. Ethier recorded a .495 on-base percentage and drew 22 walks, both of which lead the league. He wrapped up the season with his second championship in 2005, as Phoenix defeated the Surprise Scorpions 9-3 in the AFL Championship game. Ethier was a member of the Midland RockHounds team that won the Texas League (Double A) Championship. He was named the Texas League’s Player of the Year as well.

Ethier was recognized by the AFL for his effort and dedication to the game of baseball, as he was honored with the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award. The award, named after the former Cincinnati Reds prospect that was killed in an off-field incident while playing in the AFL in 2003, is given to the player who “demonstrates the qualities Stenson brings to the ballpark every day — having a quiet but hard-nosed attitude, doing the job without complaint and playing the game the way it was meant to be played”.

Both Ungs (Northern Iowa) and Ethier (Arizona State) were standouts for the Honkers as well. In 1999, Ungs appeared in 13 games (starting 12) and compiled a record of 8-3 with an ERA of 3.12 while striking out 68 and walking only 22. He also threw 2 complete game 1 hitters and was named to the Northwoods League (NWL) Post-Season All-Star team. Ungs was named to the NWL’s All-Decade team for his career performance with both the Rochester Honkers and the Waterloo Bucks (2000).

In 2002, Ethier hit .264 with 7 doubles, 4 home runs, 34 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 31 runs scored. He also played in the NWL All-Star game and was awarded a NWL/Rawlings Silver Glove for his play in the outfield, becoming the first Honker to receive the honor. When the Athletics selected Ethier in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft, it is the highest a former Honkers has ever been selected

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November 10, 2005
Felix Peguero Update!

Felix Peguero, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2004, finished his first season of professional baseball this past summer. Peguero is now a prospect in the Kansas City Royals organization, playing with the Rookie level Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer League.

After being drafted by the Royals in the 28th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, Peguero had a solid first year with the Chukars. In 64 games, he hit .267 with 18 doubles, 6 home runs and 46 RBI. Peguero made an instant impact when he arrived in Idaho Falls, going 4-10 with 2 home runs, 7 RBI and scoring 3 runs in his first two professional games. His best game of the season came on August 22nd against the Missoula Osprey when he went 3-5, scored 3 runs and had 4 RBI on 2 doubles and a home run.

In 2004 Peguero (Oklahoma State) played in 23 games, contributing to the Honkers squad that finished with the second best overall record in the Northwoods League. He recorded 11 hits, 11 runs, 2 home runs and 8 RBI during his time in Rochester. Peguero is the only player ever from Oklahoma State to suit up for the Honkers.

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November 7, 2005
NWL Announces Future All-Star Game Sites!

The Northwoods League announced last week that Mankato, MN and Madison, WI will host the 2007 and 2008 All-Star Games, respectively.

At the recent NWL Board of Directors meeting in San Francisco, CA, the Mankato and Madison affiliates were unanimously chosen to play host to the League’s All-Star festivities through 2008.

"These are two of the best run operations in the Northwoods League and are very deserving of this honor. I will look forward to outstanding events in both cities," said Northwoods League President Dick Radatz, Jr.

Mankato, a member of the League since 1999, will be hosting their first All-Star Game in 2007. The Mankato club, who became the MoonDogs in 2002, set a new franchise attendance record in 2005 at Franklin Rogers Park.

For the Madison Mallards, the 2008 game will mark the second All-Star game to be played at Warner Park. The Mallards previously played host to the mid-season game in July 2003, when 4,310 fans witnessed an exciting 8-7, 10-inning win for the North All-Stars. This past season, the Mallards drew a record 201,221 fans to the Duck Pond, shattering all Summer Collegiate Baseball attendance records.

The 2006 All-Star game will be played in La Crosse, WI, home of the NWL's La Crosse Loggers.

The Northwoods League is comprised of teams of the top college players from across North America. With twelve teams currently playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ontario, Canada, the Northwoods League provides the finest environment for the development of collegiate players.

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November 4, 2005
Chris Nowak Update!

Chris Nowak, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2001, 2003 and 2004 finished his second season of professional baseball this past summer. He spent the entire 2005 season with the Southwest Michigan (Battle Creek, MI) Devil Rays, the Single-A Midwest League (MWL) affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Nowak was a key offensive component for Southwest Michigan this past season, scoring 55 runs to go along with 28 doubles, 7 home runs and 65 RBI. He also hit .304 on the year, placing him 8th among all hitters in the MWL. Nowak helped lead Southwest Michigan to a playoff appearance in 2005, a first round sweep by the eventual league champion South Bend (IN) Silver Hawks. In 2 playoff games, Nowak went 2-8 with a double, home run and 2 RBI.

Drafted by Tampa Bay in the 19th round of the 2004 draft, Nowak has hit .295 with 81 runs, 46 doubles, 8 home runs and 97 RBI in his first 2 professional seasons. Upon signing with the Devil Rays in June of 2004, he reported to the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York-Penn League (Single-A) where he played in 62 games.

In his time as a Honker, Nowak (South Carolina Upstate) saw limited action in 2001 and 2004 but made up for it with his performance in 2003. That season saw him hit .292 with 11 doubles and lead the team with 8 home runs and 45 RBI. He was named to both the 2003 mid-season and post-season All-Star teams. As a part of the All-Star game festivities, Nowak won the Northwoods League Home Run contest, becoming the only Honker to accomplish that feat. On July 30th, 2003 he became 11th Honker in franchise history to hit a grand slam, doing so in a 10-7 victory over the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Rochester.

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November 3, 2005
Caligiuri Completes First Season in Double A!

Jay Caligiuri, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2000, completed his first season of Double-A baseball this past summer. Caligiuri, now with the New York Mets organization, played the entire 2005 season with the Binghamton (NY) Mets of the Eastern League.

Splitting time between first and third base, Caligiuri played in 109 games in 2005. He was among the offensive leaders in Binghamton this year, placing second on the team with 3 triples, 15 home runs and 50 RBI; his 20 doubles were third. Caligiuri registered his best game of the year on April 26th in a 13-10 extra inning victory over the Portland Sea Dogs. He went 2-5 with a 3 run homer and a RBI single to lead the Mets.

Drafted by the Mets in the 13th round of the 2001 draft, Caligiuri has hit .254 with 45 home runs and 196 RBI in four seasons; he missed all of 2003 due to injury. His only other appearance above Single-A occurred in 2004 when he played in 4 games with the Norfolk (Va.) Tides, the Mets Triple-A affiliate in the International League. He did not record a hit in 9 at-bats.

In 2000 Caligiuri (Cal State-Los Angeles) had a standout offensive season for the Honkers. He hit .347 with 11 doubles, 6 home runs, 27 RBI in 44 games. He left his mark on the Honkers record books posting the best career on-base percentage (.455) and was among the single season top ten in average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage (.563).

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October 28, 2005
Valentino Pascucci in Japan!

Valentino Pascucci (パスクチ バレンティーノ), the first Honker to play in Major League Baseball, recently finished his first season playing professional baseball in Japan. Pascucci’s contract with the Washington Nationals was sold to the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific Baseball League last December.

Competing for time in a talented Marines outfield, Pascucci split time between the major club and their farm team of the same name. When he did play in the majors, he was productive, hitting .284 with 21 runs, 3 doubles, 8 home runs and 20 RBI in 33 games. Pascucci’s biggest game occurred on March 27th when he hit 2 home runs and a double while driving in 7 runs in a 26-0 victory over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Pascucci’s manager was a familiar face to Major League Baseball fans, as the Marines were led by former Texas Rangers and New York Mets skipper, Bobby Valentine. In his second stint in Japanese baseball, Valentine recently guided the Marines to the Japan Series Championship. Pascucci was not on the playoff roster.

As a member of the Honkers in 1998, Pascucci (Oklahoma) had one of the most impressive seasons in franchise history. Working both as an outfielder and pitcher, he played in all 62 games that season. He hit .289 with 11 doubles, 11 HR and 49 RBI and compiled a 2-3 record on the mound with a 3.06 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 18 walks. In addition to being named to both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams, Pascucci earned the “Star of Stars” award as the All-Star Game MVP. In the game, he hit the eventual winning home run and then returned as the pitcher, earning the save for the South Division. On July 16th, he threw the first no-hitter in Honkers history, a 9-0 victory over the Austin Southern Minny Stars. At the conclusion of a season that saw Pascucci in the Honkers single season top ten in home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits and total base, he was named “Honker of the Year”.

 

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October 27, 2005
Jeff Corsaletti Cruises Through Pro Ball!!

Jeff Corsaletti, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2002 and 2004, recently finished an amazing first season of professional baseball. The former Florida Gator is now a prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization, playing this past season with the Single-A Greenville Bombers in the South Atlantic League.

Corsaletti started his pro career by hitting safely in the first 15 games and reaching base in the first 23 he played in. Throughout the rest of the season, he recorded hits in 52 of his 59 games, had 5 hitting streaks of 5 games or more and only failed to reach base in 4 games. For the season, Corsaletti hit .357 with 89 total hits, 17 doubles, 4 home runs, 26 RBI and stole 9 bases in 13 attempts. He was selected by the 2004 World Champion Red Sox in the 6th round (198 overall) of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft this past June.

In two seasons with the Honkers, Corsaletti hit a combined .285 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs and 48 RBI. He made his mark on the Honkers record book, registering in the single season top ten in triples (3 in 2002), walks (37 in 2004) and on-base percentage (.448 in 2004). Corsaletti was named to the Northwoods League South Division All-Star team in 2002.
 

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October 21, 2005
Sergio Pedroza Update

Former Rochester Honker Sergio Pedroza recently completed his first season in professional baseball. Pedroza (Honkers 2003-2004) is a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and split his first year between the Rookie-level Ogden Raptors (Pioneer League) and the Single-A Columbus Catfish.

Drafted in the 3rd round (106 overall) of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft this past June, Pedroza got off to a hot start for the Raptors. In 12 games with Ogden, Pedroza hit .500 with 23 hits, 4 home runs and 18 RBI and only striking out 8 times. In his first 10 at bats, he collected 9 hits, 2 of which were home runs, and 7 RBI.

Pedroza’s fast start led to a quick promotion to Single-A Columbus, where he continued to impress with his power. In 49 games with the Catfish, he hit .207 with 11 doubles, 1 triple, 12 home runs and 30 RBI.

In his career as a Honker, Pedroza (Cal State Fullerton) played in 47 games between 2003 and 2004. In that time, he hit a combined .299 with 11 doubles, 8 home runs and 29 RBI. On July 10th, 2004 he became the second player in Honkers history (Doug Barner-1995) to hit 3 home runs in a single game, doing so in a 9-3 win against LaCrosse. When he was selected with the 106th pick by the Dodgers, he was the second highest selection for any former Honker. Andre Ethier was selected in the 2nd round (62 overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2003.
 

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October 19, 2005
ROCHESTER HONKERS IN FALL BALL!

Three members of the Rochester Honkers 2005 team recently wrapped up fall practice by playing in their respective schools annual fall games. Dan Lyons (Minnesota), Brett Jensen (Nebraska) and Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) all played key roles in their team’s victories in intra-squad games.

Radmacher and Jensen both played for the Red team in Nebraska’s yearly best of three Red/White series. Jensen made appearances in Game 1 and Game 3, earning saves in each. Radmacher, who was 5-0 for the Honkers before a shoulder injury ended his season, was the starter for the Red team in the decisive game 3. It was his first live action since July 16th. The Red team won the series 2 games to 1.

Lyons a first year Gopher after transferring from Iowa Central Community College, picked up where left off in Rochester. Playing with the Gray team in the Gray/White game, he went 1-3 with a walk and 2 RBI in a 9-2 victory. Lyons was one of only two players with multiple runs batted in on the day.

Radmacher and Lyons were both mid-season All-Stars in 2005. Radmacher finished 5-0 with a 2.79 ERA, 34 strikeouts and only 9 walks in 48.1 innings pitched before injury cut his time in Rochester short. Lyons had one of the most productive seasons in Honkers history, batting .285 with a team leading 71 hits, 17 doubles, 6 home runs, 37 RBI and 42 walks in 67 games. He was also named to the post-season All-Star team and was honored with a Northwoods League/Rawlings Silver Glove for his play at second base. Jensen went 1-0 with 9 saves in 12 games, posting 10 strike outs and only one walk. He joined the team in early July after appearing in the College World Series with Nebraska.

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October 14, 2005
TWO HONKERS FLY HIGH IN FIRST YEAR OF PRO BALL!!

Former Rochester Honkers Curtis Ledbetter and Nate Yoho recently completed successful first seasons in professional baseball. Ledbetter (Honkers 2003) played for the Mariners of the Arizona League (AZL), an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Nate Yoho (Honkers 2003-2004), a member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization, spent the majority of his season in the AZL, playing for the Brewers rookie league club.

Drafted in the 18th round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft this past June, Ledbetter played in 34 games for the AZL Mariners. He hit .311 with 9 doubles, 4 HR and 21 RBI. At the conclusion of the AZL season, Ledbetter was promoted to Single-A Inland Empire (San Bernardino, CA) of the California League were he had 1 hit in 16 at-bats.

Yoho signed as a free agent and went onto play in 40 games for the AZL Brewers. He batted .298 with 5 doubles, 5 triples, 2 home runs, 29 RBI and stole 6 bases. Yoho was also promoted at the end of the AZL season, playing in 4 games with the Single-A West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League. He had 3 hits in 15 at-bats, one of which was a double.

Ledbetter (Nebraska) played in 19 games with the Honkers in 2003 in which he hit .382 with 6 doubles, 1 home run and 9 RBI. Yoho was a member of the Honkers 2003 and 2004 squads, playing in the Northwoods League All-Star game in ’03. For his Honkers career, he hit .260 with 17 doubles, 8 home runs, 49 RBI and is number 4 in franchise history with 35 stolen bases.

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October 12, 2005
ANOTHER HONKER GOES TO THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE!

Nic Ungs, a member of the 1999 Rochester Honkers Northwoods League (NWL) Championship team and current Florida Marlins prospect, was recently selected to play in the Arizona Fall League. Ungs is playing for the Grand Canyon Rafters alongside prospects from the Marlins, Twins, Mets, Yankees and Rangers.

Ungs spent the entire 2005 season pitching for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats (Southern League). He had a solid year, starting 22 games going 7-5 with a 3.68 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 34 walks. The highlight of his season occurred on July 29th when he threw a complete game no-hitter against the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. In the game, Ungs struck out 7 and walked five in the first complete game no-hitter in Carolina Mudcats history.

Ungs had a stellar campaign for the Honkers in 1999 as he led the eventual NWL champs with 8 wins (8-3) and had 68 strikeouts, 22 walks and held opposing hitters to a meager .199 batting average in 69.1 innings. He was named to the post-season All-Star team in a year that saw him pitch two complete game, one-hitters in consecutive starts. In 2004, Ungs was named to the NWL All-Decade team for his play in both Rochester and Waterloo, where he played the 2000 season.

The AFL was developed to give top prospects an opportunity to progress under the supervision of Major League Baseball (MLB) personnel. Each MLB team sends six of its top prospects to be divided among the six teams in the AFL. Players play a 32 game schedule from October 4th to November 10th (plus playoffs). Ungs is the second former Honker that has been assigned to the league; Andre Ethier is currently a starting outfielder for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

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October 7, 2005
Three Honkers Earn Rings!!

Former Rochester Honkers Dusty Bensko (2002), Jimmy Conroy (2002-2003) and Toby Gardenhire (2002-2004) each earned a championship ring with their respective minor league teams this past summer. Bensko and Gardenhire played with Minnesota Twins’ rookie-level Elizabethton (Appalachian League) Twins and Conroy played for the Staten Island (New York-Penn League) Yankees, a rookie affiliate of the New York Yankees.

Elizabethton won the Appalachian League title by defeating the Danville Braves 2-1 in a best of three series. In 38 games with the team, Bensko hit .270 with 21 runs, 7 doubles, 6 home runs and had 18 RBI playing first base and acting as the team’s designated hitter. In 30 games, Gardenhire hit .200 with 10 runs, 3 doubles and 5 RBI while committing only 4 errors splitting time between second base, shortstop and third base.

Jimmy Conroy was a key component in the Yankees run to the New York-Penn League crown. He started 2 games in the playoffs, going 1-0 in 10.1 innings pitched with a .87 ERA, 14 strikeouts (playoff leader) and only 2 walks. Staten Island went undefeated (4-0) in the playoffs, sweeping the Williamsport Crosscutters in the opening round and the Auburn Doubledays in the championship series. Conroy started the title-clinching game two, going 5.0 innings, striking out 7, walking 2 and allowing 1 earned run, however he did not earn the decision in Staten Islands 3-2 victory. On the season, Conroy appeared in 18 games (starting 9) and went 5-1 and 1 save with a 2.04 ERA, 67 strikeouts, 20 walks and a .210 batting average against.

This was the second title in 2005 for Bensko, Conroy and Gardenhire as they were teammates on the University of Illinois’ Big Ten Championship squad. All three played together in Rochester as well, as they were a part of the 2002 Honkers team that won the South Division title in the first half of that season.

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October 5, 2005
ANDRE ETHIER OFF TO THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE!!

Andre Ethier, a member of the 2002 Rochester Honkers, has been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). Ethier, a part of the Oakland Athletics organization, will play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs along side the top prospects from the Oakland, Arizona, Atlanta, Los Angeles (Dodgers) and Tampa Bay Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliates.

Playing the majority of the 2005 season with the AA Midland Rockhounds of the Texas League, Baseball America recently named Ethier the league’s number 6 MLB prospect. “If he stays with the line-drive approach, he will be a great big leaguer” said Von Hayes, former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star and current Midland manager.

In his 2005 breakout season, Ethier was named the Texas League’s Player of the Year after hitting .319 with 104 runs, 30 doubles, 18 home runs and 80 runs batted in 131 games. He finished the season in AAA Sacramento, contributing to the Rivercats run in the Pacific Coast League playoffs, hitting .316 with 2 RBI in 5 games. The AFL was developed to give top prospects an opportunity to progress under the supervision of MLB personnel. Each MLB team sends six of its top prospects to be divided among the six teams in the AFL. Players play a 32 game schedule from October 4th to November 10th (plus playoffs). In his first game with the Desert Dogs, Ethier started in left field and went 0-4 with 2 runs scored.

In 2002, the Arizona State University standout hit .264 and led the Honkers with 57 hits, 4 home runs, 34 RBI and played in the Northwoods League (NWL) All-Star Game. For his defensive play, the right fielder was also honored with a Rawlings/NWL Silver Glove, the first Honker to win the award. Ethier was selected by Oakland in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, the highest any former Rochester Honker has been chosen.

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September 22, 2005
GREG LABBE TO PILOT THE HONKERS AGAIN IN 2006!!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Greg Labbe, from the University of North Florida, will return for his second year as the Honkers’ Field Manager for the 2006 Northwoods League (NWL) season.

In the 2005 season, Labbe led the Rochester Honkers to a NWL best 44-24 record and their first playoff appearance since 2002. The Honkers’ 44 wins broke the franchise record of 41 regular season wins set in 1997 when they went 41-21. This was also the most wins ever by a first-year NWL field manager with no prior league experience.

“I am looking forward to coming back to Rochester this summer. I enjoy working with the players, being around the ballpark, and competing each day against some of the best competition in the country,” said Labbe, 27. “Coaching in this league is a tremendous opportunity for a young guy like myself. Because I am an assistant coach at University of North Florida, I don't get the feel of the day-to-day decisions that a head coach gets to make. In the NWL I can be involved with much more than just what takes place on the field, which will make me better prepared for a head coaching position one day.”

Rochester Honkers Co-Owner and General Manager Dan Litzinger and Co-Owner Kim Archer are very excited about Labbe’s return. “I am thrilled to have Greg return to the Honkers for the 2006 season,” said Archer. “I was very impressed with his professionalism and commitment to our team and community and look forward to working with him again.” Litzinger added, “We are fortunate to have him back with us and look forward to making a run at the 2006 NWL Championship and bringing it back to the United States.”

Labbe received a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership last spring at the University of North Florida and is currently teaching high school geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus and calculus at Eagle’s View Academy in Jacksonville, Fla. He is also entering his fourth year as an assistant coach for the North Florida Ospreys baseball team.

Last year Labbe helped guide North Florida to a 48-16 record and a runner-up finish at the Division II National Baseball Championship in Montgomery, Ala. This year the Ospreys will begin their first year as a Division I baseball team in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Labbe will look to bring a fourth NWL Championship to Rochester. “My No. 1 goal this year, as it was last year, is to bring a championship back to Rochester,” said Labbe. “It is my opinion that any goal less than this would be asking for failure.”

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September 14, 2005
DAN LYONS AWARDED SILVER GLOVE AWARD!!

The Northwoods League (NWL) announced today that Rochester Honkers second baseman Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) has been named a NWL/Rawlings Silver Glove Award winner for his play in the field throughout the 2005 season.

The Silver Glover is awarded annually to the NWL’s top fielder at each position. The winners are selected based upon the final fielding statistics compiled by Sports Ticker (Bristol, CT.), the NWL’s official statistician.

"I am very excited and honored to be named among the top defensive players in a great league like the Northwoods League,” said Dan Lyons. “I pride myself on my defense and work very hard at it. I think it really identifies my style of play on the field."

Lyons, who will play shortstop for the University of Minnesota this upcoming collegiate season, joins Andre Ethier (2002) and Matt Eckardt (2004) as the only Silver Glove Award winners in Rochester Honkers franchise history. On the year, Lyons led all NWL second baseman by handling 381 fielding chances (147 putouts and 224 assists) with only 10 errors, resulting in a .974 fielding percentage in 67 games played.

 

“He was one of the best all around players in league”, said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “What surprised me about Dan was how easy he was able to make the transition from shortstop at Iowa Central C.C. to second base this summer. When you combine his abilities at the plate with what he could do in the field, he was one of the top three players in the league. Dan got better everyday because of his athleticism and desire to learn the game.”

 

Lyons had one of the best seasons ever by a Honker, playing in a team record 67 games while hitting .285 and leading the team with 71 hits, 42 walks, 6 home runs, 37 RBI and 52 runs. He was named Rochester’s “Honker of the Year” as team MVP and ranks among the Honkers single season top ten in several categories including; games (67), at bats (249), hits (71), doubles (17), walks (42), hit by pitch (14) and runs (52). Lyons also stole 14 bases which, combined with the 32 bases he stole as a Honker in 2004, established a new career stolen base record of 46. Coaches and media across the Northwoods League voted him as a member of both the mid-season and post-season NWL All-Star Teams. Lyons was joined by Thunder Bay third baseman, Matt Mangini, as the only Silver Glover Award winners who were also named to the NWL post-season all-star team.

 

The complete list of Silver Glove Award winners is as follows:

 

Pitcher- Brian Schroeder (Duluth Huskies)

Catcher- Travis Howell (Mankato Moondogs)

First Base- David Schultz (La Crosse Loggers)

Second Base- Dan Lyons (Rochester Honkers)

Shortstop- Jonathan Diaz (Thunder Bay Border Cats)

Third Base- Matt Mangini (Thunder Bay Border Cats)

Outfielder- Nate Price (Thunder Bay Border Cats)

Outfielder- J.T. Jones (Thunder Bay Border Cats
Outfielder- And Podmolik (La Crosse Loggers

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September 8, 2005
FORMER HONKER TALLEY HAINES TAKES ON THE WORLD!!

Talley Haines, a member of the Rochester Honkers 1997 Northwoods League (NWL) Championship team, was recently named to Team USA, which is currently competing in the baseball World Cup competition in the Netherlands. The tournament began on September 2nd and runs through September 17th, 2005. Team USA is made up of professional, non 40-man roster players of the 30 Major League Baseball organizations.

In two outings with Team USA, Haines has a 1-0 record, picking up a victory against Australia (9/5/05) in the second game of the tournament, and has not allowed a run in 3.1 innings pitched. As of today, Team USA is 4-0 in World Cup play

Haines, now a member of the Chicago Cubs organization, split time during the 2005 season between the Double A and Triple A teams in the Cubs farm system. At the Double A level, he played with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Southern League), appearing in 23 games, posting a 4-2 record with 13 saves, a 1.78 ERA, 20 strikeouts and only 2 walks. In his time with the Triple A Iowa Cubs (Pacific Coast League), Haines played in 21 games and had a record of 2-1 with a 2.36 ERA, struck out 29 and walked 5.

As member of the 1997 Rochester Honkers, Haines was a key member of the Honkers second NWL Championship squad which had also achieved a then franchise record 41 wins on the season. Working as both a starter and out of the bullpen, Haines recorded a record of 5-2 with a 3.09 ERA, 37 strikeouts 19 walks and 2 saves in 15 games. The former Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, TN) and Southeast Missouri State University (Cape Girardeau, MO) hurler recorded the final out of Honkers Championship Series victory over the Waterloo Bucks.
 

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September 6, 2005
FORMER HONKER ANDRE ETHIER NAMED TEXAS LEAGUE MVP!!

Andre Ethier, a member of the Rochester Honkers in 2002 and top Oakland Athletics prospect, was recently named MVP of the Texas League.

While playing with the Double-A Midland RockHounds, Ethier hit .316 with 30 doubles, 18 home runs and 79 RBI through 128 games. He was leading the Texas League in runs scored (102), second in hits (156), fourth in batting average (.316), fifth in doubles (30), sixth in on-base percentage (.495) and 11th in home runs (18). Ethier was also named the MVP of the mid-season Texas League All-Star game and was recently promoted to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In his second game with the Pacific Southern Division champs of the Pacific Coast League, Ethier drove in two runs in a 2-0 victory over the eventual Pacific Northern champion Tacoma Rainiers.

In 2002, Ethier lead the Honkers with 57 hits, 4 home runs, 34 RBI and played in the Northwoods League (NWL) All-Star Game. For his defensive play, the right fielder was also honored with a Rawlings/NWL Silver Glove, one of only two recipients in Honkers history (Matt Eckardt/University of Florida- 2004). The former Arizona State University Sun Devils standout was selected by Oakland in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, the highest any former Rochester Honker has been chosen.

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September 1, 2005
HONKERS NATIONAL ANTHEM SINGER TO PERFORM AT MN TWINS GAME!!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Rochester native and Honkers National Anthem singer Samantha Olson will be performing prior to the 2nd Annual Minnesota Twins/Northwoods League (NWL) game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis on September 5th.

Olson, 19, is a graduate of Mayo High School in Rochester and is a first year student at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) where she is majoring in Music Education and Therapy.

“I’m very excited for this opportunity, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time”, says Olson of singing before the game. “I enjoy performing and do so any chance I get. I’m pumped”.

The game is scheduled for Monday, September 5th at 3:10 PM with the Twins battling the Texas Rangers. The contest will be televised locally by Fox Sports North and nationally on ESPN.

Fans from around the Northwoods League will travel to Minneapolis for the second straight year to enjoy the Twins’ NWL Day. Also apart of the Northwoods League Day festivities will be a pre-game Home Run Derby featuring Minnesota Twins mascot, T.C. Bear going head to head against the NWL mascots; including the Rochester Honkers own Slider.

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August 17, 2005
HONKERS SEASON COMES TO AN END

The Rochester Honkers season came to an end Wednesday night as the Madison Mallards topped Rochester 6-1 in game three of the South Division Championship Series at Mayo Field. The Mallards advance to their second Championship Series in as many years and will defend their 2004 Northwoods League Championship. Madison will face the winner of the St. Cloud/Thunder Bay series that will be wrapped up tomorrow night in Thunder Bay.

The Honkers got on the board first with a Luke Reiland (Campbell) two-out bunt single in the third scoring Matt Marek (ICCC), who had led the inning off with a single, but that would be the only run the Honkers would manage to get across the plate all night.

The Mallards would knot the score at one in the sixth, but came back with three seventh inning runs. Danny Dressman led the Mallards seventh off drawing a walk and was followed by a Will Vogl single. Ryan Rogowski moved the runners over with a sac bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. With the Honkers infield playing in for the bunt, John Martin blooped a single over Dan Lyons (ICCC) head at second to score two. Randy Molina wrapped up the Mallards scoring in the inning with an RBI single making the score 4-1. Madison added two insurance runs in the ninth.

Erik Walker earned the win for the Mallards, pitching a scoreless 3 2/3 innings to close the game, allowing two hits and striking out four. Walker pitched in relief of starter J.J. Hollenbeck, who allowed only one run while scattering five hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched.

Honkers starter Efren Navarro also pitched a solid game, allowing one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched. Brett Jensen allowed three runs in relief of Navarro and was handed the loss.

Leading the Mallards offensively was Molina, who finished 3-for-5 with an RBI. Martin was the only player in the game with multiple RBIs, going 1-for-4 with two knocked in. Kelly Sweppenhiser and Ryan Bond each chipped in two hits for the Mallards in the win.

Offensively for the Rochester, Bryson Barber (Florida) went 2-for-5 and was the only Honker with more than one hit. Reiland knocked in the only run for the Honkers with his bunt single in the third.

Madison will await the winner of the Thunder Bay/St. Cloud game which was rained out tonight in Thunder Bay.

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August 16, 2005
HONKERS SHOOT DOWN MALLARDS, FORCE GAME THREE

The Rochester Honkers forced game three in the South Division Championship Series Tuesday Night, defeating the Madison Mallards 3-2 at Mayo Field in Rochester. The Mallards are back in Rochester tomorrow for the deciding game three in the best-of-three series. The winner advances to the Championship Series against the winner of the St. Cloud/Thunder Bay series.

The Honkers jumped ahead early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mallard’s starter Rick Rivas beaned the first two Honkers he faced in the ballgame, leading to an Efren Navarro (UNLV) single scoring Dan Lyons from second. Lyons advanced easily to third on Navarro's single, but an error by Will Vogl in left field allowed Lyons to score on the play. Another hit batter and a Matt Marek (ICCC) RBI single gave the Honkers a 2-0 lead after one.

The Mallards battled back and scored two fourth inning runs to knot the score, but the Honkers would have the last laugh in the eighth. Navarro led off the eighth drawing a walk, then advanced to second on a sac bunt and to third on a ground out before being knocked in by Marek's second RBI single of the night. Marek finished the ball game as the only Honker with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Brad Clipp (Point Loma) earned the win for the Honkers, holding the Mallards scoreless in the final 2 1/3 innings of ball. Clipp allowed one hit and struck out five pitching in relief of Honkers starter Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.). Jukich pitched a solid game for the Honkers, scattering nine hits while allowing two runs, both unearned, in 6 2/3 innings pitched.

Tomorrow's deciding game will begin at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field.

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August 15, 2005
HONKERS DROP GAME ONE IN MADISON

The Rochester Honkers will have their backs to the wall tomorrow night, as they dropped game one of the South Division Championship Series to the Madison Mallards 6-2 Monday night in Madison. The loss snapped the Rochester Honkers eight game winning streak, and was only their second loss in nine games this season against the Mallards. The Honkers will face the Mallards tomorrow night in an elimination game at Mayo Field in game two of the best-of-three series.

Mallards starter Adam Mills (UNC-Charlotte) received all the run support he would need in the third, as the Mallards put up three runs on Honkers starter Tim Flattery (ICCC). Madison got on the board again in the fifth courtesy of a Randy Molina (Stanford) opposite field solo-home run to put the Mallards up 4-0.

The Honkers avoided the shutout in the sixth compliments of a Willy Fox (Arizona State) bases clearing triple with two runners on, cutting the lead to 4-2, but that would be it for the Honkers scoring on the night. The Mallards took two runs away from the Honkers in the fifth, as Will Vogl (St. Johns) climbed the wall in left field robbing Luke Reiland (Campbell) of a two-run home run. Madison added an insurance run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, giving the Mallards pitching staff more than enough support to hold onto the victory.

Mills came out and pitched solid for the Mallards, allowing only two runs (one earned) while scattering seven hits in seven innings pitched to pick up the win. He also struck out six Honkers on the night. Ryan Rogowski, the Northwoods League Player of the Year, led all hitters going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Fox finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs for Rochester, and Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) was the only Honker with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The Honkers are home tomorrow night for game two of the Divisional Series, taking on the same Madison Mallards at Mayo Field at 7:05 p.m. A Honkers win tomorrow night would force a deciding game three. A loss would put an end to the Honkers 2005 season.

*In other Northwoods League action, the St. Cloud River Bats edged the Thunder Bay Border Cats 1-0 in St. Cloud in game one of the North Division Championship Series. The Bats travel north of the border to take on the Cats for game two and game three (if necessary) in Thunder Bay.

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August 15, 2005
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE ANNOUNCES POST SEASON ALL-STARS

The Northwoods League on Monday announced its post-season All-Star team for the 2005 season. The team, which is voted on by league managers, coaches, and media, includes outfielder Ryan Rogowski (Illinois) and designated hitter Zach Daeges (Creighton), both of whom were named to the All-Star team for the second consecutive year.

Rogowski, the premier leadoff hitter in the league, batted .345 on the season and stole a Northwoods League record 44 bases this season. Daeges, meanwhile, was a mainstay in the middle of the Waterloo Bucks lineup all season, earning the 1st ever triple crown in League history by leading the NWL in batting (.366), home runs (13), and tied for runs batted in (48).

The Thunder Bay Border Cats, winners of the North Division’s Second Half championship, placed 5 players on the team, most of any team in the NWL. Leading the way for the Border Cats was Casey O’Rourke (Iowa), who tied for the League lead in wins with nine and Shawn Williams (College of Charleston), who broke the all-time season saves record with 20.

In addition to the twenty-five all-stars selected, the Most Valuable Player, Manager and Coach of the Year were also determined by a vote. Rogowski was named the NWL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2005 season. In addition to leading the NWL in steals, Rogowski led the circuit in hits (86), triples (5), and runs (52) while his .417 on base percentage was good for 4th best this season.

Chad Miller, first-year skipper of the Border Cats, was selected as Manager of the Year. Miller led Thunder Bay to a 44-24 mark (.647), tied with Rochester for the most wins, while guiding the Border Cats to their 1st ever playoff appearance. Chris Maliszewski was named Coach of the Year after helping lead the Mallards to the South Division First Half title and a berth in the NWL playoffs for the third straight year.

Rochester Honkers second baseman Dan Lyons was the only Honkers player named to the team.

For a Complete list of the North and South Division All Star selection, visit the Northwoods League Web site at www.northwoodsleague.com

The Northwoods League is comprised of teams of the top college players from across North America. With twelve teams currently playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ontario, Canada, the Northwoods League provides the finest environment for the development of collegiate players.

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August 14, 2005
ROCHESTER HONKERS BASEBALL CLUB ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS

On Sunday, August 14th, the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club named Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) the 2005 Rochester Honkers Player of the Year. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) was named Pitcher of the Year, and Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) was named Inspirational Player of the Year.

Dan Lyons, the Honkers Player of the Year, is a Rochester native and is in his second season with the team as their starting second baseman. He finished the regular season leading the team in runs (52), hits (71), doubles (17), home runs (6), RBIs (37) and walks (42). Lyons will finish the year in the Honkers single season all-time top 10 in runs, hits, doubles, walks and at-bats. Sunday’s game was Lyons 67th game played of the season, breaking the Honkers all-time record of 63 games set by three different players. Lyons was named to his first Northwoods League All Star game as an extra infielder.

Clipp, the Honkers Pitcher of the Year, finished the season with a 1.09 ERA in 29 appearances. Clipp struck out 51 batters in only 33 innings pitched; shattering the Honkers all-time strikeouts per nine innings pitched record with 13.91. His 11 saves are third all-time in Rochester Honkers history. Clipp has held his opponents to a .164 batting average so far this season. Clipp was also named to the 2005 NWL All Star Game.

Navarro, the Honkers Inspirational Player of the Year, ended the regular season second on the team with a .316 batting average. His 13 doubles and four home runs were also second on the team. Navarro also started five games at pitcher for the Honkers, posting a 3-1 record and a 1.42 ERA in 38.0 innings pitched. Navarro, the starting first basemen in the 2005 NWL All Star Game, played all nine innings in the mid-season classic. He also tied for fourth place out of twelve competitors in the 2005 NWL All Star Home Run Derby.

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August 14, 2005
HONKERS CRACK FOUR HOME RUNS IN SEASON FINALE, CLINCH HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE THROUGHOUT PLAYOFFS

The Rochester Honkers locked up home field advantage throughout the 2005 Northwoods League Playoffs Sunday afternoon, crushing the Waterloo Bucks 12-3 in the final game of the regular season.

The Honkers jumped all over the Bucks, putting up 16 hits and four home runs in the win. Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) started the scoring off with his third home run of the year, a solo shot in the second. A Jeff Engel (Iowa) third inning lead-off triple led to the Honkers second ding dong of the game, a Bryson Barber (Florida) two-run bomb, his third of the year.

Waterloo's Zach Daeges (Creighton) showcased his power in the fourth, cracking his league leading 13th homer of the year, a two-run shot off of Honkers starter Brian Schutzbach (Monmouth). Daeges' homer ended the Honkers streak of 27 consecutive shutout innings. Kyle Bowley answered Daeges' home run in the fifth, leading the inning off with a solo home run over the left field fence. The Honkers opened the game wide open in the sixth, scoring four more runs to
give the Honkers an 8-2 lead.

The Honkers fourth home run came the hard way, with Dan Lyons hitting a gap shot to right field and rounding all the bases for an inside the park home run, his team leading sixth long ball of the year.

Six Honkers finished with multiple hits in the game. Bowley finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs, a homer, a two-run double and a sac fly. Barber continued his hot streak, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a homer and three runs scored. Hoffmann and Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) each added three hits in the winning effort.

Schutzbach picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings pitched. Because Schutzbach joined the team after August 4th, he will not be eligible to pitch in the post-season. D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) got the save for the Honkers, allowing one run in the final three innings of ball.

The win ices home field advantage throughout the playoffs as the Honkers own all tie breakers with the Madison Mallards and Thunder Bay Border Cats. The Honkers will finish the year with at least a tie for the best record in the Northwoods League (44-24).

The Honkers will travel to Madison tomorrow night for game one of the Divisional Playoffs against the Mallards. The Honkers return home on Tuesday for game two of the best-of-three series, and will play again Wednesday if needed. The Honkers are 7-1 this season against the Madison Mallards.

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August 13, 2005
HONKERS CLINCH SOUTH DIVISION SECOND-HALF TITLE

The Rochester Honkers picked up their second shutout in as many days, blanking the Waterloo Bucks 1-0 in Waterloo to clinch the second-half South Division title. Dan Lyons (ICCC) belted a lead-off double in the top of the first inning, and later scored on a Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) ground out for the only run in the game.

Davis Hurst (Florida) started the game for the Honkers and earned his fourth win of the year (4-0), holding the Bucks to three hits in six innings pitched while walking two and striking out five. Zach Farry (Gardner-Webb), Dan Micklewright (Colby C.C.) and Brad Clipp came in and pitched the final three innings, allowing only one combined hit with Clipp picking up his 11th save of the year.

Even if Rochester finishes the second-half tied with Madison, the Honkers will still be the South Division second-half champion, as they hold a better head-to-head record (7-1) than the Mallards. With the win, the Honkers remain tied for the best overall record (43-24) in the Northwoods League with Madison and Thunder Bay, who both won tonight. It was a season-high seventh straight victory for the Rochester Honkers. A Rochester win or a Madison loss tomorrow would give the Honkers home-field advantage in the Divisional Playoffs.

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August 12, 2005
HONKERS WIN 6TH STRAIGHT, FRANCHISE RECORD 42ND OF SEASON

The Rochester Honkers held the Madison Mallards to no runs on five hits in a 4-0 shutout Friday night before 1,750 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester.

The Honkers pitching was led by starter Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV), who struck out nine Mallards in five innings pitched. Navarro allowed only four hits and earned his third win (3-1) of the year. Navarro was relieved by Joel Barickman (Illinois), Zach Farry (Gardner-Webb) and Brett Jensen (Nebraska), who combined to hold the Mallards to one hit in the final four innings of play. Honkers pitching struck out 13 Mallards on the night.

The Honkers offense produced plenty to pick up the win, scoring single runs in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings. Bryson Barber (Florida) and Luke Reiland (Campbell) led the Honkers offensively. Barber finished the night 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Reiland earned two RBIs of his own going 2-for-4. Barber, Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate), Dan Lyons (ICCC) and Reiland each had an RBI single in the win.

The win moves the Honkers into sole possession of first place with a 20-12 second-half record. It was also their 42nd win, breaking the franchise record of 41 regular season wins set in 1997 when they went 41-21.

The Honkers are in Waterloo tomorrow before returning home Sunday for the final game of the regular season. Sunday is Mini Bat Fan Appreciation Day at Mayo Field. The first 1000 fans receive free mini bats.

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August 11, 2005
HONKERS MOVE INTO TIE FOR FIRST IN THE SOUTH!

The Rochester Honkers moved into a tie for first-place in the South Division Thursday night, defeating the Madison Mallards 3-1 in Rochester.

The Honkers would strike first in the second inning with an Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) sac fly scoring Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV), who led the inning off with a single. Ryan Rogowski (Illinois) knotted the game up at one in the third with an RBI single for the Mallards, but that would be the end of Madison’s offense on the night.

The Honkers added a run of insurance in the fourth and the seventh to ice the win. Willy Fox (Arizona State) led off the fourth with a double off of the left field fence, and was later knocked in by a Navarro RBI single. Luke Reiland (Campbell) rounded out the Honkers scoring on the night, cracking a seventh inning RBI double down the line scoring Dan Lyons (ICCC) all the way from first base making the score 3-1.

Navarro led all players offensively, finishing the night 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Reiland also had a good game going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Joel Barickman (Illinois) earned the win (8-5) for the Honkers, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.). Jukich threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. The Honkers had the lead when Jukich was pulled, but he fell two batters short to qualify for a win. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) picked up his tenth save of the year, allowing one hit and striking out three in the final two innings.

The win improves the Honkers record to 6-1 against the Mallards this year. The Honkers are now tied for first-place in the South Division and are only one game behind the Mallards for the best overall record in the South. If the Honkers win the South Division, the team with the best overall record will have home field advantage in the playoffs. The Honkers own all tie breakers with the Mallards.

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August 10, 2005
HONKERS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT, 40TH OF YEAR

The Rochester Honkers won their fourth consecutive ballgame Wednesday night, topping the Waterloo Bucks 6-3 at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo.

The Honkers got on the board first compliments of a Willy Fox first inning (Arizona State) RBI triple. Fox scored on the next play as Bryson Barber (Florida) picked up the RBI on a ground ball out to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead.

The Bucks would put up a run in the first and the third to knot the score at two, but Barber struck again in the fourth with a lead-off solo home run, his second of the year. Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) added a sac fly in the fourth to give the Honkers a 4-2 lead.

Waterloo and Rochester would add single runs in the seventh to make the score 5-3, but Hoffmann responded in the eighth with a solo bomb to give the Honkers enough insurance to hold on to the win. Matt Marek (Campbell) rounded out the Honkers scoring in the ninth with a two-out two RBI single.

The newest addition to the Rochester Honkers, Matt Meyer (Boston College) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched. Meyer pitched in 17 games for the Honkers in 2004.

The win was the 40th of the year for the Honkers and improves their second-half record to 18-12, one game behind the Mallards for first place in the South Division.

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August 10, 2005
HONKERS QUALIFY FOR POSTSEASON PLAY

On Tuesday, August 9th, the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club clinched a berth in the 2005 Northwoods League (NWL) Playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Waterloo Bucks in Rochester, Minn. This is the Honkers first playoff appearance since 2002, despite finishing the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the second-best overall record in the NWL.

Since the inaugural season of 1994, the Rochester Honkers have made the playoffs seven times in 12 years, winning NWL Championships in 1994, 1997 and 1999. No other NWL team has won more titles than the Rochester Honkers.

The Rochester Honkers will face the first-half South Division champion Madison Mallards in the first-round of the South Division Playoffs August 15-17. The second-half South Division title is still up for grabs, as the Rochester Honkers trail the Madison Mallards by two games with five games remaining.

If Rochester wins the second-half South Division title, the team with the best overall record will receive home field advantage. Madison (42-21) currently holds a three game edge over Rochester (39-24) on the season. Rochester and Madison face each other two more times before the season’s end, with games this Thursday and Friday at Mayo Field,

The Divisional Series will be played August 15-17. The Championship Series runs August 18 – 20. Both rounds of the playoffs are a best-of-three series.

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August 9, 2005
HONKERS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH WITH WIN

The Rochester Honkers clinched a berth in the playoffs Tuesday night, edging past the Waterloo Bucks 3-2 at Mayo Field in Rochester.

The Bucks got on the board first compliments of a Michael Bertram sixth inning two-run homer, but the Honkers answered in the bottom half of the inning and tied the game at two apiece with a two-run single by catcher Matt Marek (ICCC).

A pair of walks to Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) and Dan Lyons (ICCC) led to the eventual game winning run in the seventh. Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) came to the plate and delivered a pinch hit RBI single down the first base line scoring Cauley to put the Honkers up 3-2.

The Honkers, who will play the Madison Mallards in the first-round of the playoffs, improved their second half record to 17-12.

If Madison, the South Division first-half champion, also wins the second-half, the team with the next best overall record in the South is guaranteed a playoff spot. With Madison and Rochester winning tonight, and Wisconsin falling to the Express, the Woodchucks mathematically cannot win the South or end up with a better overall
record than the Honkers.

The Rochester Honkers still have a chance to win the South and/or finish with a better overall record than Madison, but for now they are guaranteed a playoff berth because they will finish with either the best or second best overall record in the division.

This will be the first year the Honkers have made the playoffs since 2002. The Honkers failed to reach the playoffs the past two seasons despite finishing with second-best overall record in the league both years.

Severe weather and rain led to a two-hour late start, but the ballgame was completed in its entirety.

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August 8, 2005
HONKERS BLOW OUT EXPRESS

The Honkers pounded out season highs in runs and hits in a 15-3 thrashing of the Eau Claire Express Monday night in Eau Claire.

The Honkers cracked 19 hits on the night, 17 of those singles. Everyone in Rochester's starting lineup had at least one hit, leading to runs scored in every inning except the second and the fourth.

Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) led the Honkers offensively, lighting up the Express for four hits (4-for-6), five RBIs and two runs scored. Dan Lyons (ICCC) added three RBIs of his own finishing the night 2-for-5.

The ball game was up in the air as the Honkers went into the top of the third leading 2-1, but Rochester exploded for six runs in the inning and never looked back.

David Hurst picked up the win for the Honkers, allowing three runs (two earned) while scattering 10 hits in six innings pitched.

The win improves the Honkers second half record to 16-12, but they remain two games behind Madison for first in the South as the Mallards topped the Woodchucks 4-2 in Wausau. With the loss, the Woodchucks must now win the South Division outright to earn a playoff spot.

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August 7, 2005
HONKERS END FOUR-GAME SKID

The Rochester Honkers ended their four-game skid Sunday evening, topping the Eau Claire Express 6-2 at Carson Park in Wisconsin. The Honkers put up three first run inning runs, proving to be all they would need as Tim Flattery (ICCC) carried the team on the hill.
Flattery tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while walking two and fanning three. Flattery received plenty of help
from the Honkers' offense to secure his first win (1-0) of the year.

Luke Reiland (Campbell) drew a one out walk, followed by a Willy Fox single to put two runners on in the first. Reiland and Fox pulled off
a double steal and then were knocked in by Jeremy McCann's (Gardner Webb) RBI single making the score 2-0. McCann advanced all the way to third on his single because of a fielding error and later scored on an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) sac fly to round out the Honkers offense in the inning.

McCann was the offensive stud for the Honkers, finishing the night 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Fox added two more hits, stole three bases and scored a run in his 2-for-4 night at the plate.

The Express avoided the shut out by rallying in the ninth to score two runs off of Honkers reliever D.J. Throneburg (Parkland), but
Throneburg would get out of the jam and help Rochester up their second half record to 15-12.

The Honkers are back in Eau Claire tomorrow for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.
 

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August 6, 2005
HONKERS FALL SHORT IN PITCHERS DUO

The Rochester Honkers battled the La Crosse Loggers in a classic pitcher's duel Saturday in La Crosse, but fell short 1-0 in a ten inning affair before 3,313 fans at Copeland Park.

The game was scoreless until the tenth when a pair of Loggers singles, including the game winning RBI single by Travis Check (Clarendon College), pushed La Crosse past the visiting Rochester.

Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) pitched a beauty for the Honkers, tossing 8 2/3 innings of shut out ball, but walked away with the no decision after Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) surrendered the game winning run in extra innings. Jukich allowed no runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking none.

Jukich's performance on the mound was matched by Loggers pitcher Taylor Bills (UC-Riverside). Bills went all 10 innings for the Loggers, holding the Honkers to eight hits, while walking two and striking out six.

Bryson Barber (Florida) and Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) led the Honkers offensively, cracking two hits each in the loss.

The loss drops the Honkers two games behind the first-place Madison Mallards, who topped the Wisconsin Woodchucks 3-2 in Wausau. The Honkers are in Eau Claire tomorrow and Monday against the Express, with tomorrow's game starting at 6:05 p.m. and Monday's at 7:05 p.m. The Honkers have won four of the six ballgames with the Express this season.

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August 5, 2005
ROCHESTER HONKERS SET SINGLE SEASON ATTENDANCE RECORD

On Friday, August 5th, the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club set a new single season attendance record when 1,540 fans attended their ballgame to give the Honkers a total of 39,486 fans for the 2005 season. Rochester still has four regular season home games left and anticipates their attendance to break the 45,000 mark. The previous attendance record was set last year when 39,351 total fans attended Honkers' games at Mayo Field.

The Honkers are currently averaging 1,362 fans per game, up from last year's record of 1,230 fans per game.

Since the inaugural season of 1994, the Rochester Honkers have set attendance records 9 of the last 10 seasons, including the last three years in a row. Rochester started the 1994 season drawing 16,363 fans and have witnessed up to date 357,673 fans come out to experience Rochester Honkers Baseball.

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August 4, 2005
THREE-WAY TIE FOR FIRST IN SOUTH

The Wisconsin Woodchucks completed a two-game sweep of the Rochester Honkers with a 2-1 victory Thursday night, moving them into a two-way tie with Rochester for first-place atop South Division.

The Honkers would strike first in the fourth inning thanks to a lead-off triple by Willy Fox (Arizona State). Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) would hit Fox home on a ground out, picking up the only RBI for the Honkers all night.

The Honkers held the 1-0 lead until the seventh when Bradley Karns (South Florida) cracked an RBI single off of Honkers hurler Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) to knot the score at one. Two batters later the Woodchucks would take the lead with Matt Nohelty's (Minnesota) RBI single scoring Karns.

Rochester got their lead-off batter on base in the ninth, but Rick Cavaiani (UW-Milwaukee) struck out the next three batters to earn his sixth save of the year.

Aaron Tennyson pitched a gem for the Chucks, tossing eight innings of one run ball, scattering four hits and striking out six for his sixth win of the year. Navarro walked away with his first loss of the year, allowing two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched.

Offensively for the Honkers, Willy Fox and Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) had two hits each. Dan Lyons (ICCC) was the only other Honker with a hit in the game.

The loss drops the Honkers to 14-10 in the second-half of the season and 36-22 overall. A Madison Mallards win over the Eau Claire Express tonight put the Honkers, Woodchucks and Mallards at a 3-way tie for first place in the South.

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August 4, 2005
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD

The Northwoods League broke its all-time regular season attendance record when a total of over 10,000 fans passed through the turnstiles at venues across the League on Wednesday night, it was announced by the Northwoods League office.

Through games of August 3, the NWL had drawn 617,576 fans to eclipse the previous mark of 609,748 set last season. “This is just another feather in the cap for the Northwoods League, its team owners and staffs”, said Northwoods League President Dick Radatz, Jr. “The record is testament to the great jobs that each of our affiliates do in marketing their products”, added Radatz.

Led by the Madison Mallards, who have drawn 161,112 fans to Warner Park in 2005, the Northwoods League is setting its sight on even loftier goals. With a possible 67 openings remaining league-wide, the NWL should approach 750,000 fans this season, a mark unprecedented in summer collegiate baseball history.

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August 3, 2005
WOODCHUCKS TIGHTEN RACE IN THE SOUTH WITH WIN

The Wisconsin Woodchucks pulled within one game of the first-place Rochester with a 10-5 win over the Honkers Wednesday night at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisc.

The two teams meet again tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at Athletic Park. A Woodchucks win tomorrow would earn them a series sweep, and more importantly, a share of the South Division lead.

The Woodchucks would be the first to score, taking advantage of three first inning hits and a Honkers error to go up 3-0. The Honkers battled back and put up a three-spot of their own in the fourth, but the Chucks batted through the order and dropped five more runs on the Honkers in the fourth, proving to be enough to secure the victory.

Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside) had the biggest hit for the Honkers, cracking a two-run single in the fourth scoring Luke Reiland (Campbell) and Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV). Greg Bordes (Arizona State) added an RBI single of his own in the seventh to round out the Honkers scoring on the night. Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) had a good night at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with three singles and a double. Barratt finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Ross Olson (North Dakota) led all hitters going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored. Dusty Brabender (Minnesota) earned the win for the Chucks, allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits in six innings pitched. Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) was handed the loss and falls to 1-3 on the year.
 

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August 2, 2005
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE UMPIRE HAWKINS PROMOTED

Rory Hawkins, a Northwoods League umpire working his first season with the NWL summer collegiate baseball circuit, has been promoted to the Rookie-level Arizona League, the Northwoods League office announced today.

Hawkins, 26, becomes the first umpire this season to be promoted to the professional ranks. Last season, the NWL saw nine of its umpires receive professional baseball assignments either during the course of the 2004 NWL season or prior to the start of this season.

Hawkins, a resident of Eugene, OR, is a graudate of the Jim Evans Academy in Kissimmee, FL.

The Northwoods League, in addition to being a developmental league for players and coaches, is also a developmental league for umpires. The concentrated game schedule, travel, and minor league-like game conditions give the NWL umpires a pre-professional seasoning unparalleled in all of baseball. Since the League's inaugural season in 1994, thirty-three of its former umpires are currently working in affiliated professional baseball.

The Northwoods League is comprised of teams of the top college players from across North America. With twelve teams currently playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ontario, Canada, the Northwoods League provides the finest environment for the development of collegiate players.

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August 2, 2005
HONKERS PITCHING SHOOTS DOWN BUCKS

The Rochester Honkers used strong pitching and a two-run seventh inning to top the Waterloo Bucks 2-1 before 1,251 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester Tuesday.

The Honkers entered the seventh inning trailing 1-0, but three consecutive base hits by Efren Navarro Jr (UNLV), Jeff Engel (Iowa) and Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) set up a perfectly executed suicide squeeze play to tie the ball game. With bases loaded and one out, Honkers catcher Matt Marek (ICCC) laid down a bunt for a single as Navarro trotted home

Greg Bordes (Arizona State) followed Marek's squeeze with an RBI ground out to score Engel, who proved to be the game winning run.

Honkers pitching was phenomenal throughout the game, holding the Bucks to only one run on four hits. David Hurst (Florida) led the way for Rochester, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings pitched. D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) and Brett Jensen (Nebraska) relieved Hurst, tossing an inning each of perfect ball, with Jensen earning his eighth save of the year.

The win improves the Honkers second-half record to 14-8 and moves them two games up on the idle Madison Mallards and Wisconsin Woodchucks for first place in the South Division.

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August 1, 2005
BUCKS TOP HONKERS WITH WALK-OFF HR

Brad Clipp allowed only his third earned run of the year Monday, but it came by way of a Zach Daeges (Creighton) bottom of the ninth walk-off home run, pushing the Bucks past the Rochester Honkers 6-5 in Waterloo.

Daeges got the Bucks offense going in the sixth, knocking in the game tying run with his first of two triples on the night. He came back in the seventh with a shot off the center field fence, scoring two Bucks to make the score 4-1.

The Honkers would answer, however, putting up four eighth inning runs. A Bucks error with bases loaded led to the first Honkers run in the inning, but Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) followed with a two run single to tie the game at four apiece. The Honkers would take the lead 5-4 with an Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) RBI ground out, but the Bucks added a run in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at five before Daeges's ninth inning heroics.

Daeges finished the night 3-for-4 with two triples, a home run and four RBIs. Bowley led all Honkers offensively, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) was responsible for the Honkers first run of the ball game and finished the game 1-for-3 with an RBI double.

The Honkers fall to 13-8 in the second half of the season, but remain 1 1/2 games up on the second place Wisconsin Woodchucks, who lost 4-2 to the Madison Mallards in Wasau, Wisc.

The two teams will tee off again tomorrow in Rochester at Mayo Field with a 7:05 PM first pitch.

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July 30, 2005
HONKERS CHUCK MORE WOOD THAN WOODCHUCKS

The Wisconsin Woodchucks rallied late and scored four unanswered runs Saturday night, but the Honkers held on to pick up the win 8-7 at Mayo Field.

The Honkers jumped all over the Woodchucks scoring five first run innings and added two more in the second to make the score 7-0.

Matt Marek (ICCC) had the biggest hit for the Honkers all night, clearing the bases with a three run first inning double. Jeremy
McCann also had a first inning RBI, knocking in Dan Lyons (ICCC) with an infield single.

McCann followed his first inning effort with a two run single scoring Lyons and Luke Reiland (Campbell) in the second to put the Honkers up 7-0. Lyons would tack on one more run in the third with a sac fly, but that's all the offense the Honkers would muster up the rest of the night.

The Woodchucks put up three runs in the third, one each in the fourth and fifth, and two more in the ninth, but fell just short leaving the game tying run stranded on second base in their last at bat.

McCann and Marek led the Honkers offensively, cracking two hits and recording three RBIs each. Lyons was the only other Honker with more than one hit, finishing the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Ben Jukich struggled with his command, allowing five runs on nine hits in five innings pitched, but walked away with his sixth win of the year. The win moves the Honkers two games up over the Woodchucks for first place in the South Division.

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July 29, 2005
HONKERS WIN BATTLE FOR FIRST

The Rochester Honkers took over sole possession of first place in the South Division last night, defeating the Wisconsin Woodchucks 7-5 before 1,779 at Mayo Field.

A pair of errors led to three Woodchucks runs in the second inning, but the Honkers answered in the bottom half with five runs of their own.

Jeff Engel (Iowa) started the scoring barrage with an RBI double to left field scoring Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV), who reached base with a single. Two outs and several singles later, Dan Lyons (ICCC) belted a bases clearing double making the score 4-3. Willy Fox (Arizona St.) capped the five-run inning with an RBI single scoring Lyons.

The Woodchucks only managed to score two more runs after the second, but the Honkers matched that with Matt Marek’s (ICCC) first homer of the year in the third and another run in the sixth.

Lyons led all Honkers offensively, finishing the night 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Fox added three hits and an RBI for the Honkers, and Marek, Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) and Eric Hoffmann (ICCC) each chipped in with two hits of their own.

T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) earned the win, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings pitched. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) came into the ball game in the ninth and struck out the side, tallying his ninth save of the year.

With the win, the Honkers move one game up on Wisconsin for first place in the South Division. The two teams will duke it out again tomorrow at Mayo Field at 7:05 PM.

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July 28, 2005
HONKERS EXPLODE LATE, CRUSH LOGGERS

The Rochester Honkers put up nine runs in the eight inning Thursday Night, leading them to an 11-2 victory over the La Crosse Loggers at Mayo Field.

Rochester entered the eighth inning with the score knotted at two, but the Honkers exploded and put up nine runs on the board in the inning, eight of them with two outs. Due to a pair of errors by Loggers outfielders, all nine of the runs in the inning were unearned.

Eric Hoffmann (ICCC), Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) and Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) each had RBI singles in the inning. Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) wrapped up the Honkers scoring in the eighth with a towering three-run homer over the left field fence to make the score 11-2.

Jeff Engel (Iowa) also had a home run in the win, knocking an opposite field shot over the left field fence in the first with one runner on. Engel and Hoffmann were the only Honkers with more than one hit in the game, with Engel finishing the night 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Hoffmann going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) started the game for the Honkers and picked up the no decision, throwing 6 1/3 innings of ball, scattering eight hits and allowing two runs, one of them earned. Zach Farry tossed 1 2/3 innings of hitless ball in relief of Navarro to earn the win.

With the Wisconsin Woodchucks losing tonight and the Honkers winning, Rochester and Wisconsin are now tied for first place atop the South Division standings with identical 11-7 records. The Woodchucks and the Honkers start a two-game series at Mayo Field tomorrow at 7:05.

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July 27, 2005
LOGGERS SNAP HONKERS WINNING STREAK

The La Crosse Loggers snapped Rochester's five game winning streak Wednesday night, topping the Honkers 4-3 in 10 innings before a season-high 3,527 fans at Copeland Park in La Crosse, Wisc.

The Honkers were held to only three hits on the night, but two of them came by way of the long ball. Dan Lyons had the first hit for the Honkers in the sixth inning, cracking a solo shot to make the score 3-1 in favor of the Loggers. Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside) tied the game up at three apiece in the 7th with a two-run homer following an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) single.

The Loggers scored three runs in the second inning off of Honkers starter Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate), but then went scoreless the next seven innings before Jordan Pacheco (New Mexico) knocked in La Fringe Hayes (Cincinnati) with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to win the game. Hayes drew a lead-off walk in the 10th, stole second, and then beat the throw home on Pacheco's single.

Other than the two home runs allowed, Danny Ray Herrera pitched a whale of a game. Herrera went the distance for the Loggers, surrendering only three runs on three hits in 10 innings pitched.

The win was the Loggers first against the Honkers in five tries this season. The two teams will head back to Rochester to for game six in the "I-90" series at Mayo Field with a 7:05 PM first pitch.

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July 26, 2005
HONKERS COME AWAY WITH TWO WINS AT DUCK HUNT

GAME 1

The Rochester Honkers won their third straight one-run ball game in a row against Madison Tuesday night, topping the Mallards 3-2 in the first game of a double-header at Mayo Field in Rochester.

The Mallards got on the board in the first inning, as Ryan Rogowski crossed the plate on a Mike Rohde fielder's choice, but the Honkers answered with one run each in the third and fourth innings.

Luke Reiland (Campbell) came through in the third with a based loaded single scoring Tommy Cauley (FCCJ), and Jeff Engel (Iowa) cracked a timely two-out solo home run in the fourth to give the Honkers the lead 2-1.

Rogowski answered Engel's homer with a solo shot of his own in the fifth to knot the score at two, but the Honkers would score one more in the bottom of the sixth to ice the win.

Willy Fox (Arizona St.) stole third on a strikeout and then trotted home for the game winning run on a Mallards wild pitch. Tim Flattery (ICCC) started the game for the Honkers, allowing one run in four innings pitched, but Joel Barickman (Illinois) came away with the win after throwing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) earned his eighth save of the year, striking out all three Mallards he faced.

GAME 2

The Madison Mallards fell to the Rochester Honkers 2-4 in the second game of Tuesday night's double header before 1,426 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester.

The loss was Madison's fourth straight, their longest drought of the year, with all their losses coming at the hands of the Honkers.

Once again the Mallards would score first, but the Honkers put up three runs in the fourth, including an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) two-run homer that proved to be the game winner. Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) knocked in a run earlier in the fourth with an RBI double to the gap scoring Luke Reiland (Campbell).

Navarro finished the night 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Reiland was the only other Honkers with more than one hit on the night, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Joel Barickman picked up his second win of the day, tossing a hitless fifth inning in relief of Honkers starter David Hurst (Florida). Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) added an inning of relief himself, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth. Clipp finished the double-header striking out five of the six batters he faced.

Hurst threw four innings in the start, allowing two runs on five hits and was given the no decision.

The two wins improves the Honkers second-half record to 10-6, one game behind the Wisconsin Woodchucks for first in the South Division.

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July 24, 2005
HONKERS SWEEP MALLARDS AT THE DUCK POND

The Rochester Honkers won their seventh game in eight days Sunday night, as the they topped the Madison Mallards 2-1 to complete the two-game sweep at Warner Park.

Both teams put up one run in the first inning, but the Honkers added another in the seventh to wrap up the scoring on the night.

Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) pitched a gem and earned the win for the Honkers, allowing only one run on five hits in eight innings pitched while striking out six to improve his record to 5-1.

Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) had the only RBI for the Honkers, knocking in Luke Reiland (Campbell) in the first with an RBI single for the game's first run. Navarro finished the game as the only Honker with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Navarro's two hits extended his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest active streak in the league.

The Honkers second run came in the seventh inning, as Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) trotted home from third on a passed ball by the Mallards catcher.

The Honkers will take on the Mallards again tomorrow night and Tuesday night at 7:05 PM at Mayo Field in Rochester. The Honkers latest arrival, Iowa Central's Tim Flattery, will be on the mound tomorrow for his first start as a Honker against Madison's J.J. Hollenbeck (7-1).

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July 23, 2005
HONKERS WIN BATTLE OF THE BIRDS

The Rochester Honkers won the battle of the birds Saturday night, topping the Madison Mallards 3-2 in a nail biter before 6,797 fans at
Warner Park in Madison, Wisc.

The Mallards entered the ninth inning down by one and got their lead-off man Danny Dressman on base, but Brett Jensen (Nebraska) recorded three straight outs to preserve the win and earn his fourth save of the year.

All of the Honkers offense came in the first two innings, as they scratched one run out in the first compliments of a Luke Reiland (Campbell) fielder's choice that scored Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) from third, and tallied two more in the second thanks to a Matt Marek (Iowa Central C.C.) sac fly and an Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.) RBI single.

Marek finished the night going 2-for-3 with an RBI in his first start as the Rochester Honkers new catcher.

T.R. Keating pitched a beauty for the Honkers, allowing two runs while scattering seven hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched to earn his third win of the season.

A pair of 4-1 pitchers will take the mound tomorrow night in the second game between the Honkers and the Mallards in Madison, as Honkers hurler Ben Jukich will face-off against Jake Hansen of Madison. Game time is again slated for a 6:05 pm start.

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July 22, 2005
HONKERS TWO-HIT BUCKS

Four pitchers combined to two-hit the Waterloo Bucks Friday Night, as the Rochester Honkers came away with a 4-0 win at Mayo Field in Rochester, Minn.
Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) pitched a gem for the Honkers, allowing only two hits in six complete innings pitched to
earn his second win of the year. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene), D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) and Tim Flattery (Iowa Central C.C.) each
pitched one hitless inning in relief of Navarro to preserve the shutout.

Offensively for the Honkers, two runs came by way of a pair of fielder's choices in the third inning. Willy Fox (Arizona State) and Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) each knocked in runs in the inning with slow infield grounders resulting in outs. McCann added another RBI in the fifth with an RBI double off the top of the right field fence scoring Luke Reiland (Campbell).

Jeff Engel (Iowa) was responsible for the fourth Honkers run, reaching on a fielder's choice in the sixth scoring Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside).

It was the Honkers fifth win in six tries versus the Waterloo Bucks this season. Both Waterloo and Rochester are now 6-6 in the second-half of the season and will meet six more times before the end of the year.

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July 21, 2005
BUCKS EARN 1ST WIN AGAINST HONKERS THIS YEAR

Zach Daeges (Creighton) single-handedly beat the Rochester Honkers Thursday night, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs in Waterloo's 9-3 win over Rochester at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa.

Daeges led off the game's scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, followed by a two-run bomb in the third and a two-run single in the fourth to put him at 31 RBIs on the year.

The Honkers only managed to score three runs on Bucks pitching, tallying one run each in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings. Willy Fox (Arizona State) drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth for the first Honkers run, Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) cracked an RBI single scoring Fox in the seventh for another, and Luke Reiland (Campbell) crossed the plate on a Waterloo error in the ninth to round out the Honkers scoring for the night.

No player for Rochester had more than one hit in the loss.

Joel Barickman (Illinois) started his first game of the year for the Honkers and was handed the loss, and Anthony Gressick earned his first victory of the season to improve to 1-3 overall.

The Bucks and Honkers will face-off seven more times before the season's end. Rochester currently holds a 4-1 edge over the Bucks after tonight's loss. The two teams play again tomorrow night with a 7:05 PM match up at Mayo Field in Rochester, Minn..

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July 20, 2005
HONKERS GIVE BRAINERD THE BLUES

The Rochester Honkers won their third straight game and improved to .500 in the second-half of the season with a 7-2 win over the Brainerd Blue Thunder Wednesday afternoon in Brainerd, Minn.

The Honkers put up three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth which proved to be enough to secure the victory. Willy Fox (Arizona State) and Jeremy McCann (Gardner-Webb) were hit by pitches in back-to-back at-bats in the fifth, leading to RBI singles by Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) and Jeff Dunbar (UC-Riverside) to make the score 3-0.

The Honkers followed their three-run fifth with three more runs in the sixth, and added one each in the seventh and ninth innings for their eight total runs in the ball game.

Brainerd's only two runs came in the sixth, compliments of a Kyle Mura fielder's choice scoring Chad Weiss and a Dan Quinn RBI single scoring Joe Tautges.

Dunbar led all Honkers offensively going 2-for-4 with two RBIs on the afternoon. Luke Reiland (Campbell) finished the day going 1-for-5, but his seventh inning single extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 19.

David Hurst (Florida) picked up his first win (1-0) of the season for the Honkers, allowing two runs on five hits in six full innings pitched.

The Honkers earned the two-game sweep of the Blue Thunder with the win and will travel south tomorrow for a 7:05 pm game in Waterloo against the Bucks.

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July 19, 2005
HONKERS BATS THUNDER DOWN ON BRAINERD

The Rochester Honkers had their biggest offensive explosion of the year Tuesday night, cracking 13 hits in their 13-4 victory over the Brainerd Blue Thunder in Brainerd, Minn.

Three first-inning doubles by Willy Fox (Arizona St.), Efren Navarro (UNLV) and Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) led to an early 3-0 Honkers lead. Navarro and Kruml's doubles each came with two-outs, with Fox's knocking in two runs and Navarro's another.

The Honkers followed their three-run first inning with four runs in the second and five more in the third.

Fox and Navarro led all Honkers offensively, as Fox finished the night going 4-for-6 with three doubles, a triple and four RBIs and Navarro had four RBIs of his own while going 2-for-4 at the plate. Kruml also had a great day at the plate for the Honkers, coming up a home run short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) pitched a quality game for the Honkers, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out seven to earn his first win of the year.

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July 18, 2005
LYONS CRACKS TWO HOME RUNS IN WIN

Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) led the Honkers Monday afternoon, cracking two home runs in Rochester's 7-6 win over the St. Cloud River Bats at Mayo Field. Lyons led the ball game off for the Honkers with a solo shot, and got a hold of another in the seventh with two runners on.

The River Bats battled back and took the lead after a four-run sixth inning, but the Honkers answered in the seventh with four runs of their own, including an Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) go ahead RBI double scoring Willy Fox (Arizona State).

St. Cloud knotted the score at six apiece in the eighth, but the Honkers loaded the bases with one out in the ninth and won the ball game on a infield hit by Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside).

Lyons finished the game going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored, and Navarro Jr. tallied four hits on the night going 4-for-5 with two doubles.

Brett Jensen (Nebraska) picked up the win after retiring the only batter he faced in the ninth.

The win earned a split in the series for the Honkers and improves their rercord to 3-5 in the second half of the season.

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July 17, 2005
BATS FLY BY HONKERS

The St. Cloud River Bats handed the Honkers their fifth loss of the second half Sunday afternoon with a 5-4 victory before a crowd of 620 at Mayo Field in Rochester.

The Honkers fell behind early in the first compliments of Scott Hendrix (Kennesaw State), who took the first pitch he saw from Honkers starter T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) over the left field fence for a three-run bomb. Hendrix led all batters Sunday afternoon with his 3-for-4 effort, coming up a triple shy of the cycle.

The Honkers entered the seventh down by three and rallied to put two runs on the board in the inning, but that was all the offense Rochester would muster up the rest of the day.

Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) led the Honkers offensively going 2-for-4 with a single and an RBI double down the line to score Bryson Barber (Florida) from second. No other Honker had more than one hit in the loss.

Keating (2-5) earned the loss for the Honkers, allowing five runs, four of those earned, on 11 hits in seven full innings of work. Pitcher D.J. Throneburg (Parkland) relieved Keating in the eighth, throwing two innings of hitless ball.

Justin Phillabaum (Indian River C.C.) picked up the win for the Bats, yielding one run on five hits in five innings pitched while striking out five.

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July 16, 2005
HONKERS BACK ON WINNING TRACK

The Rochester Honkers got back on the winning track Saturday night, defeating the Eau Claire Express 8-6 before 1,645 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester.

The Honkers jumped ahead early, tallying two runs in the first on a Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) RBI double which scored Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) and Willy Fox (Arizona State). Rochester's offense continued to roll throughout the game as seven different Honkers had at least one hit, resulting with runs scored in the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Bryson Barber (Florida) led the way for the Honkers going 1-2 with four RBIs. Barber drew a bases loaded walk in both the third and sixth innings, and added two more RBIs with a two-run home run in the fifth.

The Express gave the Honkers a scare as they put up a four spot in the eighth to pull within two, but Brett Jensen (Nebraska) came in and closed the game out for the Honkers, retiring Eau Claire's last five batters of the game to earn his third save of the year.

Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) earned the win for Rochester. Radmacher allowed two runs on five hits in six innings pitched to improve his record to 5-0 on the year.

The win breaks the Honkers four game losing streak and improves their second-half record to 2-4. Tomorrow the Honkers host the Saint Cloud River Bats, the first-half North Division Champions, at 3:05 pm at Mayo Field.

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July 15, 2005
HONKERS DROP FOURTH STRAIGHT

The Rochester Honkers dropped their fourth straight ball game Friday night in Eau Claire, losing to the Eau Claire Express 7-6 before 1,289 at Carson Park.

The Honkers got on the board first compliments of Luke Reiland's (Campbell) first inning solo-shot, but Eau Claire answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.

Reiland added another RBI in the third with a suicide squeeze to score Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) who had reached on a walk. Reiland scored later in the inning on a passed ball to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Express.

The Honkers tied the game up 4-4 in the fourth, but Eau Claire's second three-run inning of the game in the fifth proved to be too much as the Honkers couldn't battle back from three down.

The Honkers managed to tally a run in both the eighth and ninth innings to come within one, but they stranded their eighth and ninth runners of the game in the top of the ninth to fall just short. Rochester had a runner on first and third with nobody out in the ninth, but Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) and Jeremy McCann's (Gardner Webb) back-to-back strikeouts, the Honkers 12th and 13th of the game, put an end to the late rally.

The win broke Eau Claire's four game losing streak, as Rochester's losing streak extends to four. The two teams meet again tomorrow at 7:05 pm at Mayo Field in Rochester, Minn..

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July 13, 2005
HONKERS WELL REPRESENTED IN ALL-STAR GAME

The North All-Stars defeated the South All-Stars 5-2 before a ballpark-record 1,859 fans at Knute Nelson Memorial Park in Alexandria.

The Rochester Honkers were represented well in the game as they brought six All-Stars, tied for the most by any team with the Mankato MoonDogs.

Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) had the only hit for any Honker in the game as he went 1-3 with a single. Lyons, the extra infielder for the South, saw playing time both second base and shortstop in the loss.

Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) played the entire game for the South at first base. Navarro finished 0-4 at the plate, but was impressive with his glove work, scooping several bad throws from South infielders.

Luke Reiland (Campbell) also saw some playing time for the Honkers in the game. Reiland finished the night 0-1 while playing several innings in centerfield.

Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) and Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) were scheduled to pitch the eighth and ninth innings for the South, but with the North leading and the possibility of playing no bottom half of the ninth, Radmacher and Clipp shared the eighth. Radmacher and Clipp combined to hold the North hitless in the inning.

At one point of the game, four of the nine South fielders were Honkers. Radmacher and Clipp each pitched with Navarro, Lyons and Reiland in the field behind them.

Gary Arndt (Missouri) of the Duluth Huskies was named "Star of Stars" (NWL All-Star MVP) after going 2-for-3 with three RBI, the only player to connect for multiple hits and drive in more than one run, as he helped his North squad claim the victory.

The Honkers resume regular season action on Friday when they visit Carson Park to take on the Eau Claire Express at 7:05 pm.

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July 12th, 2005
NAVARRO JR. FAIRS WELL IN HOME RUN DERBY

Rochester Honkers first baseman Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) tied for fourth place out of twelve competitors in the 2005 NWL All-Star Home Run Derby at Knute Nelson Memorial Field in Alexandria, Minn. on Tuesday Night

Navarro was one of six players to make it past the first round. He cracked two homers in the first round, but his lone long ball in the second round wasn't enough to move him on to the championship rounds.

St. Cloud's Tommy Giles (Miami), who entered the All-Star break with a league high seven homers, took the title by defeating Alexandria's Allen Craig (Berkeley) with a one home run to nothing final round.

Listed below are the results from Tuesday night's Home Run derby.

1st Round
Mike Rohde (pictured left), Madison Mallards, 6 HRs
Tommy Giles, St. Cloud River Bats, 3
Shane Buschini, Mankato MoonDogs, 3
Allen Craig, Alexandria Beetles, 2
Anthony Gressick, Waterloo Bucks, 2
Efren Navarro Jr., Rochester Honkers, 2
Scotty Madsen, Wisconsin Woodchucks, 1
Jason Louwsma, LaCrosse Loggers, 1
Dan Quinn, Brainerd Blue Thunder, 0
JR Voyles, Thunder Bay Border Cats, 0
Jacob Priday, Eau Claire Express, 0
Jordan Hafer, Duluth Huskies, 0

2nd Round
Tommy Giles, St. Cloud River Bats, 4 HRs
Allen Craig, Alexandria Beetles, 3
Anthony Gressick, Waterloo Bucks, 3
Efren Navarro Jr., Rochester Honkers, 1
Shane Buschini, Mankato MoonDogs, 1
Mike Rohde, Madison Mallards, 1

3rd Round
Tommy Giles, St. Cloud River Bats, 1 HR
Allen Craig, Alexandria Beetles, 1
Anthony Gressick, Waterloo Bucks, 0

4th Round
Tommy Giles, St. Cloud River Bats, 1 HR
Allen Craig, Alexandria Beetles, 0

Totals
Tommy Giles, St. Cloud River Bats, 9 HRs
Mike Rohde, Madison Mallards, 7
Allen Craig, Alexandria Beetles, 6
Anthony Gressick, Waterloo Bucks, 5
Shane Buschini, Mankato MoonDogs, 4
Efren Navarro Jr., Rochester Honkers, 3
Scotty Madsen, Wisconsin Woodchucks, 1
Jason Louwsma, LaCrosse Loggers, 1
Dan Quinn, Brainerd Blue Thunder, 0
JR Voyles, Thunder Bay Border Cats, 0
Jacob Priday, Eau Claire Express, 0
Jordan Hafer, Duluth Huskies, 0

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July 11th, 2005
HONKERS FALL IN 11TH IN FINAL GAME OF SECOND-HALF

The Rochester Honkers will enter the All-Star break on a three game losing streak, their longest of the year, after dropping an 11 inning game 2-1 Monday to the Mankato MoonDogs.

The Honkers had the lead going into the ninth inning, but Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) beaned the lead-off batter Drew Davis (Elon), who later scored the game tying run on a Matt Mossey (North Dakota State) infield base hit.

Aaron Grant (UC-Riverside) had the game winning hit for the MoonDogs in the bottom of the 11th, cracking a single off of Honkers reliever Joel Barickman, scoring Ryan Addison (Young Harris J.C.).

The Honkers lone RBI came off the bat of Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) in the eighth, a pinch hit single scoring Jeremy McCann.

The loss was the first all year for the Honkers when leading after eight innings. Jukich pitched well for Rochester, allowing only one run in eight complete innings, but his hit batter proved to be costly for the Honkers.

The loss puts the Honkers at 1-3 in the second-half of the season and 23-15 overall. Rochester will travel to the hosting Mankato MoonDogs tomorrow. Game time is 7:05 pm.

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July 10th, 2005
MOONDOGS TOP HONKERS IN ROCHESTER

The Rochester Honkers dropped their first game of the year to the Mankato MoonDogs Sunday, falling 4-1 before 843 fans at Mayo Field.

The MoonDogs jumped ahead early with a Shane Buschini (San Diego) two-run first inning bomb off of Honkers starter Jordan Thibodeaux (San Jacinto). Buschini's home run ties him for the league lead with six on the year.

Rochester's only came unearned in the bottom of the fifth to pull them within one run.

With the Honkers within one run in the seventh, MoonDogs left fielder L.J. Mims (Iowa) singled to bring in two runs and extend the lead to 4-1.

Luke Reiland (Campbell) and Willy Fox (Arizona State) led the the Honkers in hitting, each going 3-5 on the night. Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) and Jeff Engel (Iowa) both chipped in two hits each in the loss.

Thibodeaux came away with the loss for the Honkers after allowing two earned runs in two innings pitched. Thibodeaux's pitch count was being carefully watched by the coaching staff as it was his first outing since experiencing shoulder problems.

The loss was the Honkers second in a row after starting the second half of the season 1-0.

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July 9th, 2005
SIX ROCHESTER HONKERS SELECTED SOUTH DIVISION ALL STARS!!

Six Rochester Honkers have been selected to the South Division All Star team as announced by the Northwoods League Saturday. Pitchers Ryan Bird (St. Louis), Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene, (CA), Tim Radmacher (Nebraska), infielders Efren Navarro, Jr (UNLV), Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) and outfielder Luke Reiland (Campbell) were named.

The host North Division will take on the South Division at Knute Nelson Memorial Field, home to the NWL’s Alexandria Beetles on Wednesday, July 13th. Game time is set for 7:05 with a post-game fireworks show immediately following the game.

The Rochester Honkers and Mankato MoonDogs placed 6 players on the North and South Division team rosters, respectively, the most by any team this year. Defending League Champion Madison had 5 of its players selected including OF Ryan Rogowski (Illinois), who was a 2004 South Division All-Star selection. Other returning All-Stars from the 2004 game played in Wausau, Wisconsin include La Crosse pitcher Adam Rogers (Evansville) and Wisconsin pitcher Jay Buente (Purdue), both representing the South Division.

This year’s All-Stars were chosen in a vote by the 12-member teams of the Northwoods League. Ballots were cast by each team’s field staff, radio and/or media contact.

For a Complete list of the North and South Division All Star selection, visit the Northwoods League Web site at www.northwoodsleague.com or click on the following link.

2005 NWL All -Stars

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July 9th, 2005
BRAINERD'S BATS THUNDER DOWN ON HONKERS

The Rochester Honkers allowed 19 hits and 11 runs on the way to their first loss in their past nine games at home.

Rochester scored seven runs in the game, but Brainerd's six run sixth inning erased the Honkers lead and helped Brainerd earn a split in the series.

Joe Tauges (Evansville) led all hitters going 5-5 for the Blue Thunder to go along with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Offensively for the Honkers, Luke Reiland (Campbell) and Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) both extended their respective hitting streaks to eight games. Bowley finished the night 2-3 with three runs scored and Reiland came off the bench to go 1-2.

Eric Hoffman (Iowa Central C.C.) led all players with three RBIs on the night. Bowley scored on a Hoffman ground out to the shortstop in the first, and Hoffman added two more RBIs with a pair of sac flies, one in the third and another in the seventh.

Zach Farry (Gardner Webb) picked up his first loss of the season coming out of the bullpen, allowing six earned runs in just 1/3 of an inning. The loss sets the Honkers record to 1-1 in the second half of the season and 23-13 overall.

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July 8th, 2005
HONKERS ROLL OVER THUNDER

The Honkers won their fourth straight game Friday, rolling over the Blue Thunder 4-3 in the first game of the second half of the season.

The Honkers fell behind early 1-0, but Willy Fox (Arizona State) tied the game up with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first. Fox’s Arizona State teammate, Greg Bordes, gave the Honkers the lead with an RBI double in the second inning scoring Luke Reiland (Campbell).

Brainerd battled back to knot the score at three, but a pair of seventh inning two-out hits, a double by Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) and an RBI single up the middle by Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.), gave the Honkers the lead for good.

Joel Barickman (Illinois) earned the win for the Honkers in relief of starter David Hurst (Florida), who allowed three runs in six innings pitched. Barickman allowed one hit and walked one in two innings pitched.

Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) picked up his seventh save for the Honkers, striking out two of Brainerd's three batters in the ninth.

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July 7th, 2005
HONKERS WIN THRILLER, BUT SO DOES MADISON

The Honkers won a thriller Thursday night at Mayo Field, topping the Woodchucks 5-4 to close out the first-half of the season, but the Madison Mallards also won Thursday night in a 10 inning 1-0 game, clinching the first-half title.

If the Mallards would have lost, the Honkers would have taken the title and a guaranteed playoff spot in August.

The Woodchucks jumped out to an early 3-0 first inning lead compliments of Drew Saylor's second home run in as many days against Rochester; a three run shot off of Honker's hurler Tim Radmacher (Nebraska).

Rochester got back in the game in the fourth with a pair of runs to come within one run of the 'Chucks. Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) scored all the way from second on an Efren Navarro (UNLV) routine fly out, but the Woodchucks outfielder overthrew third base while attempting to gun out the tagging Lyons. Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) tallied another run in the fourth with an RBI sac fly.

The biggest hit of the night probably came off the bat of Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.). With the Honkers trailing by one in the seventh, Kruml cracked a homer over the right field fence to tie the ball game 4-4.

The Honkers picked up the winning run in the eighth on a bizarre play. With runners on first and third with two outs, Bowley took off for second and found himself in a pickle. Navarro then took off for home and got caught in a rundown himself, but a throw got away from the Woodchucks catcher and Navarro stole home for what proved to be the game winning run.

The win improves the Honkers record to 22-12 as they finished the first-half of the season one game behind the Mallards. The second-half begins tomorrow as Rochester hosts the Brainerd Blue Thunder at 7:05 pm.

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July 6th, 2005
HONKERS TOP WOODCHUCKS, KEEP PACE FOR FIRST HALF TITLE

The Honkers held the Wisconsin Woodchucks to only four hits and picked up their 21st win of the season 9-4 at Mayo Field before 1,280 fans.

The Honkers fell behind early 2-0, but Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) cracked a single in the fourth to knot the score at two apiece. Rochester took the lead in the fifth, but a Drew Saylor sixth inning home run put the Woodchucks back on top 4-3.

Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) answered Saylor’s long ball in the bottom half of the inning with a bases loaded two-run single that put the Honkers up for good.

Lyons finished the night going 3-5 with two RBIs and a run scored and Willy Fox (Arizona State) knocked in two RBIs of his own while going 3-5 with three runs scored. Bowley finished the game going 2-4 with three RBIs.

Ryan Bird (St. Louis) earned his fourth win (4-1) of the year, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out six in seven innings pitched. Joel Barickman (Illinois) and Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) relieved Bird and each tossed an inning of ball, combining to hold the Chucks to no hits. Clipp struck out the side in the ninth and lowered his season ERA to 0.61 in 14.2 innings pitched.

With the Honkers and Mallards winning, Rochester remains one game back with one game remaining for the first-half title. For the Honkers to win the first-half Division Championship, the Honkers must win tomorrow and the Mallards must lose in Mankato to the MoonDogs.

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July 5th, 2005
HONKERS RIDE THE EXPRESS TO VICTORY

The Honkers de-railed the Eau Claire Express Wednesday in Rochester by a score of 7-4.

Luke Reiland (Campbell), the Honkers second batter of the game, cracked a solo home run over the left field fence to put Rochester up 1-0. Rochester went on to score six more runs in the game, manufacturing seven total runs on only six hits.

Rochester native Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) also had a solo shot in the win, his second of the year.

The Honkers scored in all kinds of ways Tuesday night, including a pair of sacrifice flies, a bases loaded hit by pitch, a bases loaded walk and a wild pitch.

T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) picked up the win for the Honkers, allowing three runs while scattering seven hits in five innings pitched. Second year Honker Brett Jensen (Nebraska) pitched the ninth inning for Rochester, earning the save in his first appearance of the season.

The win improves the Honkers record to 20-11 on the year and places them one game behind the idle Madison Mallards for first place in the South division.

With the Mallards idle and the Honkers winning, Rochester now trails Madison by one game in the South division with each team having two games remaining in the first half. The winner of the first half of the season is guaranteed a playoff spot in August.

If the two teams tie, the first tie breaker is head-to-head matchups, which is knotted at one apiece. The second tie breaker is divisional record. Currently the Honkers hold the better divisional record with a 13-3 mark as Madison is sitting at 13-5.

Madison plays tonight and tomorrow against the Mankato MoonDogs, a North division team, and the Honkers battle the Woodchucks for two games, a South division team.

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July 4th, 2005
EAU CLAIRE FIREWORKS LIFT EXPRESS OVER HONKERS

The Honkers allowed seven runs in the fourth and couldn't manage to battle back in Eau Claire Monday, falling to the Express 8-6. The Express put up another run in the fifth to make the score 0-8 as Brian Joynt cracked his second RBI single of the game.

The Honkers battled back and put up three runs in the sixth after a Jeff Engel (Iowa) sac fly and a Willy Fox (Arizona State) two-run home run, but they only got three more runners across the plate the rest of the game.

The Honkers threatened in the ninth as they had the game tying run at the plate, but Engel's bases loaded double scored only two runs, as Dan Lyons (Iowa Central) was thrown out at the plate for the final out of the game.

The Honkers fall to 19-12 on the year with the loss and now trail the Madison Mallards by 1 1/2 games in the South division.

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July 2nd, 2005
HONKERS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT

The Honkers rolled over the Loggers 6-4 Saturday night to pick up their third straight victory before 3,017 fans at Copeland Park in La Crosse, Wisc.

The Honkers got on the board right away in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by first baseman Efren Navarro (UNLV) to put the Honkers up 1-0. Greg Bordes (Arizona State) had an RBI single of his own in his first game as a Honker in the fourth.

Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) and Jeff Dunbar (UC-Riverside) also had RBI singles in the game. Bordes picked up RBI number two after drawing a walk with bases loaded in the seventh, and Lyons earned his second RBI in the game with a sac fly in the same inning.

Willie Bowman (UNLV) and Adam Fleenor (Cal State- Northridge) both cracked solo shots for the Loggers in the loss.

Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) picked up the win after pitching six strong innings for the Honkers. Jukich scattered eight hits and allowed four runs while striking out seven to improve his record to 4-1. With the Mallards topping the Bucks tonight, Rochester and Madison remain tied for first place in the South with 19-11 records.

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July 1st, 2005
HONKERS ROLL OVER LOGGERS AT MAYO FIELD

The Honkers will remain tied for first place in the South division after rolling over the Loggers 5-1 at Mayo Field in Rochester Friday night.

Rochester improved their record to 11-0 when scoring first thanks to a two-out RBI single by Efren Navarro (UNLV) in the fifth to put the Honkers up 1-0. Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside) added another run to make the score 2-0 with his third home run of the year; a solo shot off of Chris Malec (Michigan St.) in the sixth.

The Loggers got one run back in the seventh after a solo homer by Jon-Jon Hancock (Ole Miss), but Rochester answered in the bottom of the inning and scored three insurance runs to go up 5-1. Luke Reiland (Campbell) and Kyle Bowley (SC-Upstate) had an RBI single each in the inning, and Reiland scored the third and final run in the seventh on a fielder's choice by Barratt.

Tim Radmacher Nebraska) improved his record to 4-0 with the win. Radmacher pitched 6 2/3 strong innings, allowing only three hits and one run. Joel Barickman (Illinois) finished the game off without allowing a hit in the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up his first save of the year.

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June 30th, 2005
HONKERS CHUCK MORE WOOD THAN WOODCHUCKS; SPLIT SERIES

The Honkers held off a late rally by the Woodchucks in Rochester Thursday night 6-4 to end their two game skid.

The Woodchucks scored three runs in the final three innings but could not complete a five-run comeback. With Wisconsin threatening in the eighth, Rochester sent their closer Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) to finish off the Woodchucks. Clipp struck out four batters in the final 1 2/3 inning to earn his fifth save in five tries this season.

Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) was a bright spot for the Honkers as he knocked in the first two runs for Rochester. Cauley knocked in Jeff Engel (Iowa) twice with RBI singles in the second and fourth innings. Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) also had an RBI single in the fourth.

Offensively for the Honkers, Cauley finished his night going 2-2 with two walks and two RBIs. Lyons also had two RBIs in his 2-3 night. Luke Reiland (Campbell) and Engel chipped in two hits each in the win. Kyle Bowley (SC-Upsate) earned RBI number 17 after drawing a bases loaded walk in the sixth.

Ryan Bird (St. Louis) earned his third win of the year after allowing three runs while scattering eight hits in 7 1/3 innings pitched. Rochester's record improves to 17-11, knotting them with Madison for first in the South.

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June 29th, 2005
WOODCHUCKS EDGE HONKERS IN WAUSAU

The Honkers dropped their second straight game Wednesday evening in Wausau, falling to the Wisconsin Woodchucks 3-2 before 1,958 at Athletic Park in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin put the first run on the board for either team with a Mike McKennon (UTSA) solo shot in the second. The Woodchucks rallied in the third to tally two more runs to make the score 3-0. McKennon picked up another RBI in the inning with an single that scored Scotty Madsen (Bellevue). McKennon was caught stealing the next play, but on the throw Matt Nohelty (Minnesota) trotted home for the Woodchuck's second run of the inning.

Rochester answered the Woodchuck's third inning with a two-run top of the fourth, but two runs wasn't enough as the Honkers failed to get the tying run across the plate.

Offensively for the Honkers, Efren Navarro (UNLV) went 1-4 with an RBI double, and Kyle Barratt (SC-Upstate) went 3-4 with two singles and a double.

T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) went the distance for the Honkers, tying Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) for the team lead in complete games (2), but his three runs on 11 hits proved to be too much as he walked away with his fourth loss of the season (1-4).

Craig Brookes (Michigan State) pitched well for the Woodchucks, allowing two runs while scattering seven hits in 7 1/2 innings pitched. Brookes improves to 4-1 on the year with the victory.

The loss puts the Honkers at a tie with the Madison Mallards for first place in the South Division at 16-11, and the Woodchucks are only a game back in the South as they improve to 15-12 with the win. The two teams play another 6:35 pm game tomorrow in Wausau.

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June 28th, 2005
BORDER CATS EARN SERIES SPLIT WITH HONKERS

The Border Cats jumped all over the Honkers 8-1 Tuesday night, earning a series and season split with Rochester at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay.

The second inning proved disastrous for the Honkers, as the Cats sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning, with seven of those coming around to score. The Honkers were on their third pitcher before the end of the second inning. Thunder Bay tallied another run in the third to round up their scoring on the night.

Rochester managed to avoid their fourth shut out of the season in the eighth, as Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) scored from second on a fielding error by Cat's second baseman J.R. Voyles (Texas-San Antonio).

Offensively for the Honkers, Jeff Engel (Iowa) was responsible for half of the team's four hits as he went 2-3 with a walk. Efren Navarro (UNLV) had the lone RBI for Rochester and went 1-3 on the night. Dan Lyons was back in the lineup after taking yesterday off, but went 0-3, snapping his eight game hitting streak.

Both teams remain in first place in their respective divisions with identical 16-10 marks on the year. Rochester moves one game up on Madison in the South, as the Waterloo Bucks took both games from the Mallards in their double header tonight.

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June 27th, 2005
JUKICH'S GEM LIFTS HONKERS OVER CATS

Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) pitched his second complete game in as many starts for Rochester, lifting the Honkers over the Border Cats 5-1 Monday evening in Thunder Bay.

Jukich allowed only one run while scattering nine hits in nine complete innings of ball to pick up the win. The complete game improved Jukich's record to 3-1 on the season. In his last two starts, Jukich has allowed two runs on 11 hits and has struck out 14 batters.

The Honkers offense gave Jukich plenty of help Monday, cracking two home runs in the ball game. Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) got the Honkers on the board in the second with a two-run shot scoring Jeff Dunbar (SC-Upstate), his second homer of the year. Kyle Barratt (SC-Upstate) added some insurance in the eighth with a solo shot that flew well over 380 feet to put the Honkers up 5-1.

Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.) and Dunbar each added a two-out RBI single in the victory.

The win improves the Honkers record to 16-9 in the South, as the Cats drop to 15-10 in the North. The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 6:05 PM Central time.

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June 26th, 2005
NWL CONDUCTS ONLINE FAN SURVEY AGAIN THIS SUMMER

The Northwoods League has once again launched its League-wide online Fan Survey this summer to help better understand and improve the fans experience at the ballpark. The survey, which is being promoted at all twelve NWL ballparks, began the week of June 20 and will continue through the month of July. The survey can be found online at http://www.surveycenter.com/northwoodsbaseball.

By completing the short survey, fans will be entered into a sweepstakes to win fabulous prizes valued at over $250. Twelve (12) winners will be drawn at random to win an exclusive prize compliments of their hometown team and the Northwoods League. And new this year, one (1) lucky fan will win an all-expense paid trip for two (2) to Florida’s Spring Training in 2006. Fans must be 18 years of age or older to participate and enter sweepstakes. The survey and sweepstakes will conclude July 31, 2005.

The Northwoods League is comprised of teams of the top college players from across the nation. With twelve teams currently playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ontario, Canada, the Northwoods League provides the finest environment for the development of collegiate players.

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June 25th, 2005
ERROR COSTLY FOR HONKERS; LOSE 4-3 TO MADISON

The Rochester Honkers bid to win seven consecutive games came to an end Saturday night in Madison as the Mallards scored on a Honkers error in the bottom of the ninth to walk away with the victory 4-3.

With a runner on second and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Madison shortstop Abraham Aguirre (Oklahoma State) rolled a soft grounder pulling Honkers first baseman Efren Navarro (UNLV) off the bag. Navarro fielded the ball cleanly and flipped the ball to Honkers pitcher Joel Barickman (Illinois) who was covering first, but the ball got away on the exchange, allowing Jordan Comadena (Purdue) to come all the way around from second to score the game winning run.

Kyle Bowley (SC Upstate) added to his RBI total in the fifth with an RBI double off the wall scoring Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) and Luke Reiland (Campbell). Bowley's RBIs (15 & 16) are a team high and third most in the Northwoods League.

Lyons reached base safely four of his five trips to the plate thanks to a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. He went 1-2 on the night with an double and two runs scored. Lyon's, the Honkers lead-off man, is doing his job this year with an on base percentage of .456, third best in the league.

The loss ties the Honkers and the Mallards for first place in the South division with identical records of 15-9. Rochester has the day off on Sunday, and then finishes their road trip with two games in Thunder Bay followed by two games in Wausau vs. the Wisconsin Woodchucks.

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June 24th, 2005
HONKERS MOVE INTO FIRST WITH WIN

The Honkers battled back late Friday night, forced extra innings, and came away with the win 3-1 against Madison to move into sole possession of first place in the South.

The Mallards got on the board first in the second inning when outfielder Ryan Rogowski (Illinois) scored on a Ryan Bird (St. Louis) wild pitch, but that was the last run that would cross the plate for Madison.

The Honkers have been using the slogan "Two out hits win games" all season long, and that proved true Friday night. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) slapped an RBI single to score Efren Navarro (UNLV), tying the game at one apiece.

Madison had a chance to win the game in the ninth as Joel Barickman's (Illinois) pick-off attempt at second base got away and trickled to the outfield. Madison's base runner, Kyle Murphy (Indian Hills C.C.), advanced to third easily but then took off for home. Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) ended up with the ball and threw a strike to Honkers catcher Will Craig (Point Loma Nazarene) to get the third out of the ninth. Words were exchanged between Murphy and Craig causing the benches to clear, but tempers settled and the teams went into extra innings.

The Honkers finally broke the 1-1 tie in the 13th inning with another two out RBI single, this time by Kyle Barratt (SC-Upstate), scoring Lyons from second. Kris Rochelle (UNC Charlotte) misplayed Barratt's single allowing another run to score making the score 3-1.

Honkers closer Brad Clipp came into the game in the ninth and shut down the Mallards, recording his fourth save of the season. The Honkers improve their record to 15-8 and move on game up on the Mallards who dropped to second in the South.

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June 23th, 2005
HONKERS WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT

A pair of home runs helped the Honkers win their fifth straight Thursday night before 1,889 fans at Mayo Field, topping the Loggers 6-1.

The Honkers were trailing by one run in the fourth when Kyle Barratt (UC-Riverside) came to the plate with one runner on. Barratt cracked a home run over the fence in left center field, scoring Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV), who led off the inning with a double. Navarro's two-bagger extended his team-high hitting streak to nine games.

Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) also had a deep ball for the Honkers, taking one yard in the seventh for a solo shot, making the score 3-1 in favor of Rochester. The Honkers scored three more runs in the inning, including a bases loaded wild pitch by starter Ted Garry that scored Navarro, and a two-run double by Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) that hit off the middle of the fence in right center field.

La Crosse's only run came in the second, as they strung together four hits in the inning to take the lead 1-0.

T.R. Keating picked up his first win on the season, pitching six complete innings, allowing one run on eight hits. The start was Keating's third straight quality outing for the Honkers. Rochester native Ted Garry was handed the loss. Rochester put up two runs on five hits in Garry's five innings pitched.

Rochester put up 10 hits to La Crosse's nine, improving the Honkers record to 7-0 when they get more hits than their opponent, and 6-0 when they get at least 10 hits.

With Madison losing 3-1 to Wisconsin Thursday night, the Honkers move into a tie with Madison for first place in the South Division. Both teams currently post a 14-8 record and will face each other tomorrow and Saturday in Madison.

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June 22nd, 2005
HONKERS PUT UP FOUR IN NINTH TO SECURE VICTORY

The Honkers rallied late and put together four runs in the ninth to top the La Crosse Loggers 7-3 in La Crosse Wednesday night.

With the score knotted at three a piece in the top of the ninth, Tommy Cauley (FCCJ) drew a four-pitch bases loaded walk giving the Honkers the go-ahead run. Cauley was followed by Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.), who cracked a three-run bases clearing triple to give the Honkers some insurance. Lyons' triple was the first by any Honkers player all year and gave Rochester a 7-3 lead.

Jeff Engel (Iowa) also came up huge for the Honkers, hitting a game tying two-run homer in the seventh. It was Engel's first long ball on the year.

Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) walked away with the win (1-0) for the Honkers, pitching two scoreless innings in relief of starter Kyle Bowley (Sourth Caroline Upsate). Bowley tossed six innings for Rochester, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out six.

Lyons lead the way for the Honkers with his 3-5 night at the plate to go along with his three RBIs. Lyons' three RBIs places him tied for the team lead (Bowley) with 14.

The win gives the Honkers a lone spot in second place in the South Division, trailing Madison by one game. Rochester comes home tomorrow to take on the Loggers at Mayo Field, then heads to Madison on Friday and Saturday for a two-game set. All three games are slated for a 7:05 first pitch.

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June 21st, 2005
JUKICH DE-RAILS EXPRESS

Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) was outstanding Tuesday night at Mayo Field, pitching the Honkers by the Eau Claire Express 3-1 before 2,172 fans. The win was the Honkers third straight victory; their longest winning streak of the year.

Jukich went the distance for the Honkers, allowing only one run on two hits and striking out eight. The victory upped Jukich's record to 2-1 on the season.

With the score knotted at one a piece in the bottom of the eighth, Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) came to the plate and cracked a two-run double down the line. Jeff Engel (Iowa) and Tommy Cauely (Florida C.C. at Jacksonville) both came around to score on the double to put the Honkers ahead 3-1. Lyons' double proved to be the game winner as the Express were held scoreless in the ninth.

The Honkers first run came in the sixth with a Kyle Barratt (UC Riverside) RBI single. Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV)ed off the sixth with what looked like a home run, but after all the cheering and Navarro jogging around the base path like the ball was out of the park, Eau Claire's outfielder threw the ball back to the infield. The ball hit the top of the fence and missed going over by inches, holding Navarro to a double. Several batters later, Barratt knocked an opposite field single to score Navarro.

The only run Jukich allowed all night was in the eighth. Jukich beaned the lead-off batter Evan Frey (Missouri), who later advanced to second on a sac bunt and then scored on a Kraig Binick (New York Tech) single.

The win helped the Honkers pass the La Crosse Loggers in the South standings, placing Rochester second in the division at 12-8. Rochester looks to pull away from La Crosse and make ground on Madison, the division leader, as the Honkers play La Crosse Wednesday and Thursday and the Madison Mallards Friday and Saturday.

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June 20th, 2005
NAVARRO'S HOME RUN LIFTS HONKERS

In the inaugural meeting between Rochester and Eau Claire, the Honkers came out on top 7-4 thanks largely to Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV)

With the game knotted at four a piece in the bottom of the seventh inning, Navarro crushed a Ryan Tatusko (Indiana State) fastball with two runners on, hitting the top of the scoreboard at Mayo Field. The home run, Navarro's third of the year, put the Honkers ahead 7-4. Navarro finished the game 2-4 with two runs and four RBIs. His first RBI came on a sac fly in the first, scoring Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) who led the game off with a walk.

Three more Honker runs came in the third inning after the offense strung together four straight singles. Lyons and Navarro both reached on singles before Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate) came to the plate, cracking an RBI single, scoring Lyons. Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) followed Bowley with an RBI single of his own to score Navarro.

Eau Claire got on the board first in the game with a Mark Hallberg (Illinois-Chicago) two-out solo shot in the top of the first. Hallberg went 2-3 on the day wit three of the four Express RBIs. Eau Claire also had one run in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Joel Barickman (Illinois) picked up the win (2-0) coming out of the bullpen for the Honkers. Jordan Thibodeaux (San Jacinto) started the game for the Honkers but struggled with his command, but David Hurst (Florida), D.J. Throneburg (Parkland), Barickman and Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) picked him. Clipp picked up his second save (3) in as many days, not allowing a hit in the ninth.

Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe and coach Mike Saddler were both tossed out of the game for arguing calls. Labbe was tossed in the first after arguing a base line calls, and Saddler in the fifth for disagreeing on a called out runner attempting to steal second. The Honkers bench was also sent to the clubhouse in the fifth by the umpires for arguing after being warned once. No Honker was allowed in the dugout unless they subbed into the game.

The win improved the Honkers record to 11-8, and now only trail the La Crosse Loggers by 1/2 game for second in the South, and the division leader Madison Mallards by two games. Eau Claire falls to 9-10, tying them for fourth in the South with Wisconsin. The two teams square off again tomorrow at 7:05 in Rochester at Mayo Field.

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June 19th, 2005
HONKERS PICK UP FIRST SHUTOUT OF THE YEAR

The Honkers, behind a gem pitched by Tim Radmacher, shutout the Mankato MoonDogs Sunday night 4-0. Radmacher allowed only five hits in his seven innings pitched, striking out seven MoonDog batters. The win improved Radmacher's record to 3-0.

Rochester took advantage of four walks issued by MoonDog starter Mike Miller to get on the board in the first. Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.) was the fourth Honkers to walk in the inning and picked up the RBI for Dan Lyon's (Iowa Central C.C.) run scored.

Things were quiet until the fourth, when Rochester put up three more runs on the board. Dan Lyons cracked an RBI double to the gap, and Efren Navarro (UNLV) hit an infield single that hit the second base umpire to knock the ball down, scoring another. Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate) completed the Honkers' scoring in the inning with a sac fly.

Rochester had 10 hits on the night, but left 13 runners stranded. Zach Farry (Gardner Webb) and Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) relieved Radmacher, allowing no hits in their two combined innings, including Clipp striking out the side in the ninth.

The win improved Rochester's record to 10-8 and now only trail Madison by two games for the top spot in the South Division.

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June 18th, 2005
HONKERS TOPPED BY MOONDOGS

TheHonkers put together a rally in the ninth Saturday night, but the MoonDogs held on to pick up the win 3-5 before a crowd of 1,348 at Mayo Field in Rochester.

The Honkers entered the ninth inning trailing 5-2, but loaded the bases with one out. Jeff Engel (Iowa) drew a leadoff walk, followed by a Tommy Cauley (Florida C.C. at Jacksonville) single. Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) singled later in the inning to load the bases. Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) grounded into a fielder's choice to score Engel, but the Honkers failed to get anyone else across the plate in the inning.

Rochester left 10 runners on base on the night.

Ryan Bird (St. Louis) started the game for the Honkers and pitched his fourth straight quality start, but picked up the no decision after leaving the game with the score knotted at two a piece. Bird tossed six innings of ball, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five. D.J. Throneburg came in relief of Bird, allowing three runs, two earned, in 2/3 of an inning for the loss.

Ray Kruml went 2-4 on the night, tying for the team lead in multiple hit games (6). Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) continued his hot batting on the season with a run scoring single in the sixth, and was followed shortly by a two out RBI single by Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.). Navarro has seven hits in only six games played with the Honkers, along with two home runs.

Rochester travels to Mankato to play the MoonDogs again tomorrow. Game time is 6:05 PM and will be played at Franklin Rogers Park.

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June 17th, 2005
HONKERS FALL SHORT TO ALEXANDRIA

The Rochester Honkers had their chances, but fell short to the Alexandria Beetles 1-2 before 1,532 fans at Mayo Field Friday night.

Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the Honkers down by one run and the bases loaded, but lined out sharply to the Beetles left fielder to end the game.

Navarro, however, had the only Honker RBI on the night, scoring Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) in the sixth with a double to the gap. Navarro also relieved starting pitcher Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate), shutting the Beetles out in his three innings pitched.

Kyle Bowley, the everyday third baseman for the Honkers, started the game for Rochester, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings pitched. It was Bowley's first action on the mound of the season.

The Beetles had a pair of hits in the second and a pair in the fifth, leading to a run in each inning.

Offensively for the Honkers, Navarro and Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.) each had two hits. Kruml also had a good day at the plate, going 3-5 with three sharp singles. Jeff Dunbar (UC-Riverside) caught for the Honkers, allowing Will Craig (Point Loma Nazarene) to take his first day off of the season, as he caught the Honkers first 15 games.

Rochester will play another home game tomorrow at Mayo Field, hosting the Mankato MoonDogs for the first time this season.

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June 16th, 2005
NAVARRO, HOFFMANN HOMER IN WIN

The Rochester Honkers took their second straight from Alexandria, riding a big second inning to help them top the Beetles 9-5 Thursday.

Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) started the Honkers four-run second inning with a solo shot; his second of the year. Three consecutive singles following Navarro's home run led to a two-run double Honker catcher Will Craig (Point Loma Nazarene). Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) finished the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly. Lyons had two sac flies on day.

Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) added to the Honkers run total in the fifth with an RBI double to score Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) who led off the inning with a walk. Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.) also had a solo home run for the Honkers, as he went yard i the seventh to make the score 9-3. The Honkers had a season high 12 hits in the game.

The Honkers used an array of pitchers to pick up the win, as starter Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) tossed only 2 2/3 innings of ball. David Hurst (Florida), Joel Barickman (Illinois) and Zach Farry (Gardner Webb) relieved Jukich, with Barickman picking up the win.

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June 15th, 2005
THIBODEAUX THROWS HONKERS PAST BEETLES

Jordan Thibodeax (San Jacinto) pitched 7 1/3 strong innings Wednesday, allowing only one run while surrendering five hits in the Honkers 4-1 victory over the Alexandria Beetles.

In only his third game as a Honker , Efren Navarro Jr. (UNLV) hit his first home run of the year, with a solo shot in the sixth. He went 2-4 in the game. Rochester's other three runs came thanks to Beetle errors. Alexandria committed three costly errors on the night.

Thibodeax got in a little bit of a jam in the eighth, but Honkers closer Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) entered the game and shut the Beetles out in the final 1 2/3 innings. Clipp didn't allow a base runner and struck out one to pick up his second save of the year, lowering his ERA to 1.29 on the season.

The win upped the Honkers record to 8-6 in the North Division, as the Beetles dropped to 6-7 in the South. The two teams will tee-off again tomorrow in Rochester.

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June 14th, 2005
HONKERS FAIL TO WIN 3RD STRAIGHT GAME

The Rochester Honkers came up on the short end of Tuesday night's pitchers duo, falling to the Alexandria Beetles 2-0.

Beetle's pitcher Collin Walker (Bradley University) was at his best, pitching eight strong innings and allowing only two hits, shutting out the Honkers. The win improved Walker's record to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 0.36, as he has only allowed one run in 25 innings pitched in his three starts this season.

A lead-off walk and a pair of infield hits off the glove of Honkers pitcher T.R. Keating led to the Beetles two runs in the seventh.

The Honkers couldn't get their bats goings, scratching out only two hits on the night. Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) and Luke Reiland (Campbell University) each had a single for Rochester. T.R. Keating pitched picked up his third straight loss for the Honkers, allowing both the Beetles runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched.

The loss was the third time the Honkers have been shutout this season, and lowered the Honkers record to 7-6 on the season. The Honkers take on the Beetles again tomorrow at 7:05 at Knute Nelsen Memorial Stadium in Alexandria, then head home for two more games against Alexandria on Thursday and Friday.

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June 13th, 2005
HONKERS WIN IN BIZARRE GAME

In probably one of the most confusing games a fan could witness, the Honkers came out on top of the Waterloo Bucks 6-3 Monday night.

The Bucks had a 3-2 lead before Rochester batted in the top of the fifth. With one out and bases loaded, Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate) hit an infield fly. It appeared that the umpire never called the infield fly rule as the Bucks infielders allowed the ball to drop, picked it up, and turned what they thought was an inning ending double play. After arguments from both head coaches, and eventually the tossing of Bucks Field Manager Jason Shockey, only the batter was ruled out and a run crossed for the Honkers. The Honkers then tacked on two more runs with a two out error by the Bucks to take the lead.

In the sixth the game was ruled suspended. After more discussion well after the game, the win was handed to the Honkers because at least five full innings were played. The win improved the Honkers record to 7-5 overall, and 4-0 against the Bucks.

Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) picked up the win, surrendering three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Radmacher is now 2-0 on the year. The Honkers will travel to Alexandria tomorrow for a two game set.

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June 13th, 2005
SIXTEEN HONKERS DRAFTED!!!

Sixteen current or former members of the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club were selected in the Major League Baseball’s 2005 First-Year Players Draft:

SERGIO PEDROZA (California State Fullerton), 3rd round, 106th overall, Los Angeles Dodgers
2003 & 2004 Rochester Honker

JEFF CORSALETTI (Florida), 6th round, 198th overall, Boston Red Sox
2002 & 2004 Rochester Honker

JASON SCHUTT (Central Missouri State), 10th round, 304th overall, Cleveland Indians
Signed in 2005, yet to show up

JAMES (TUFFY) GOSEWISCH (Arizona State), 11th round, 337th overall, Philadelphia Phillies
Signed in 2003, never played.

JOE MUICH (Wichita State), 12th round, 379th overall, New York Yankees
2003 & 2004 Rochester Honker

CURTIS LEDBETTER (Nebraska), 18th round, 533rd overall, Seattle Mariners
2003 Rochester Honker

JIMMY CONROY (Illinois), 19th round, 589 overall, New York Yankees
2002 & 2003 Rochester Honker

BRETT JENSEN (Nebraska), 23rd round, 684 overall, Washington Nationals
2004 & 2005 Rochester Honker

VINCE BONGIOVANNI (Miami), 24th round, 716 overall, Arizona Diamondbacks
2002 Rochester Honker

ANDY LYTLE, (Iowa), 25th round, 784 overall, Cleveland Indians
2002 & 2004 Rochester Honker

FELIX PEGUERO (Oklahoma State), 28th round, 832 overall, Kansas City Royals
2004 Rochester Honker

JORDAN THIBODEAUX (San Jacinto College), 34th round, 1014 overall, Washington Nationals
2005 Rochester Honker

RAY KRUML (Indian Hills C.C.), 35th round, 1041 overall, Arizona Diamondbacks
2005 Rochester Honker

TOBY GARDENHIRE (Illinois), 41st round, 1242 overall, Minnesota Twins
2002, 2003 & 2004 Rochester Honker

CONNOR FALKENBACH (Florida), 43rd round, 1282 overall, Toronto Blue Jays
2002 Rochester Honker

KENNETH (GUS) MILNER (Kansas) 47th round, 1406 overall, Cleveland Indians
2004 Rochester Honker

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June 12th, 2005
HONKERS HIT TWO HOME RUNS IN WIN

The Rochester Honkers got their bats going Sunday afternoon, hitting for a season high 11 hits in their 8-1 win over the Waterloo Bucks. It was the Honker's third win in as many tries against the Bucks this season.

Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) led off the game for the Honkers with a solo home run over the left field fence, his first of the year. The Honkers rallied to put up three more in the inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. A pair of walks with bases loaded and an RBI single for Jeff Engel (Iowa) wrapped up the scoring for the Honkers in the first.

Rochester took off right where they left from in the second inning, putting two more runs on the board. Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate) and Luke Reiland (Campbell) each had an RBI single in the inning.

The Honkers went scoreless in the third and fourth, but a Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) high and deep solo shot put the Honkers back on the scoring track. Kyle Bowley just missed his third home run of the year in the inning, as he hit one off of the top pole of the fence in left field, causing the ball to shoot straight up and back into play. A Kyle Bowley sacrifice fly in the seventh was the only other scoring play for the Honkers in the game.

Ryan Bird (St. Louis) had his third quality start in three tries for the Honkers, throwing a complete game with only one allowed run on six hits. Bird improved his record to 2-1 on the season. Bird's earned run was the first he has issued all season long.

Jeremy McCann also stole three bases for the Honkers in the game.

The win wrapped up the Honkers five-game home stand, as the team will now travel to Waterloo for one game, then head north to face the Alexandria Beetles. All three games are slated for a 7:05 start.

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June 11th, 2005
HONKERS BAT QUIET IN 5-0 LOSS TO DULUTH

The Honkers' bats struggled Saturday night, as the Duluth Huskies held Rochester to only 5 hits, shutting them out 5-0.

Ryan Sneir (Florida Atlantic) pitched a gem for the Huskies, allowing no runs on only four hits in eight strong innings pitched. Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) struggled in the fourth, allowing three Huskie runs, but pitched well the rest of the game, striking out 10 Duluth batters on the night. Jukich went six innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs.

The Only other run Jukich allowed outside the fourth was a solo home run to Duluth's Tim Poydenis (Brevard C.C.) in the second inning. One of Jukich's earned runs came in a bizarre fashion. With a runner on second, and speedster Joey Bonadonna (Illinois) on third, Honker catcher Will Craig (Point Loma) threw back to Jukich after the pitch. Bonadonna then took off attempting to steal home. Jukich noticed Bonadonna stealing and threw home, but his feet never got set on the mound and was called for a balk. Bonadonna, who had a chance at stealing home, scored by way of Jukich's balk.

Offensively for the Honkers, Luke Reiland (Campbell) was the only Honker with more than one hit, as he went 2 for 4 on the night. Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb), Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) and Will Craig (Point Loma Nazarene) were the only other Honkers with hits, each singling once.

Rochester wraps up their five-game homestand tomorrow, as they will try to dig out of their batting slump against the Waterloo Bucks. The Honkers are 2-0 this year against Waterloo, beating the Bucks in the first two games of the season. Game time is at 3:05 at Mayo Field.

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June 10th, 2005
HONKERS PUT UP10 RUNS IN VICTORY

The Honkers lost another late lead Friday night against the Duluth Huskies, but came back to score four in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the win 10-7.

The Honkers score runs in each of the first three innings. The Honkers got on the board first with a Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) RBI single in the first inning. Two walks and a single in the second led up to a Ray Kruml (Indian Hills C.C.) two run RBI double in the second inning.

Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate) hit his second home run of the year in the third inning, crushing a towering two-run shot over the left field fence.

The Honkers took a 6-2 lead going into the eight inning, but Duluth rallied, putting up a five spot in the inning to take a 7-6 lead. The Honkers responded in a big way, scoring four runs to take the lead and some insurance going into the ninth.

Honkers pitcher Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) came into the eight to get the last out of the Huskies rally, and then shut them down in ninth to pick up the win for the Honkers.

Jordan Thibodeaux (San Jacinto) started the game for the Honkers, going only 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Zach Farry (Gardner Webb) struggled in relief of Thibodeaux, allowing five earned runs in only 2/3 of an inning pitched.

The win improved the Honkers record to 5-4. Duluth sets foot in Mayo field again tomorrow, as the Huskies finish off their two-game set with the Honkers at 7:05 pm.

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June 9th, 2005
HONKERS LOSE IN PITCHERS DUO

The Rochester Honkers were shut down Thursday night by the Thunder Bay Border Cats, falling short 2-1 in a pitchers duo.

Casey O’Rourke (Iowa) pitched a gem for the Border Cats, going seven innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs. The win was O’Rourke’s second of the year, as he has pitched 16 scoreless innings in his two starts this season.

T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) went the distance for the Honkers, allowing only two earned runs in his nine innings pitched. Keating had no walks on the night and struck out three Border Cats.

Offensively for the Honkers, Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) went 1-4, extending his hitting streak to six games. O’Rourke’s teammate at Iowa, Jeff Engel, was the only other Honker with a hit in the game.

The split in the series with Thunder Bay evens out the Honkers record to 4-4. The Duluth Huskies come in town tomorrow and Saturday a two game set against the Honkers. Game time for both games is 7:05.

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June 8th, 2005
HONKERS WIN THRILLER AT MAYO FIELD!

After Thunder Bay put up an eight spot in the top of the ninth Wednesday night, Luke Reiland's (Campbell) walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth won the game for the Honkers 9-8.

The Border Cats couldn't get their bats going against Honker pitcher Tim Radmacher (Nebraska), as he went seven innings, allowing no runs and three hits, but the Border Cats exploded in the ninth.

Matt Fuchs (Florida) entered the game in the eighth, allowing six of Thunder Bay's eight runs in the inning. Joel Barickman (Illinois) replaced Fuchs, allowing two more Thunder Bay runs. Coach Greb Labbe then sent in Zach Farry (Gardner-Webb) to end the Border Cats rally. Farry allowed one hit, but struck out Matt Mangini to end the onslaught.

Offensively for the Honkers, Dan Lyons (Iowa C.C.) and Jeff Engel (Iowa) paired up to hit a pair of RBI doubles in the third. Engel and Reiland each had two hits for Rochester. The Honkers spread out their RBIs, with six different players picking up at least one on the night.

After scoring three runs in the third inning, Rochester came back and scored five more in the sixth, taking an 8-0 lead. The Honkers sent nine batters to the plate in the inning. Lyons extended his hitting streak to five games, going 1-4 in the leadoff spot.

Rochester was out-hit in the game by the Border Cats 12-7, but the Honkers took advantage of passed balls, wild pitches and errors to turn them into runs. The victory improves the Honkers record to 4-2. The Border Cats are now sitting at a 2-5 mark.

Rochester takes on Thunder Bay again tomorrow in the second game of their five-game home stand. Game time is at 7:05.

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June 7th, 2005
HONKERS DRAFTED IN FIRST SIX ROUNDS!!

A pair of former Rochester Honkers, Sergio Pedroza and Jeff Corsaletti, were drafted in the in the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, Tuesday.

Pedroza, a California State Fullerton junior outfielder and a member of the 2003 and 2004 Rochester Honkers, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round as the 106th overall pick. Corsaletti, a Rochester Honker in 2002 and 2004 and a University of Florida senior outfielder, was drafted in the sixth round by the Boston Red Sox, the 198th overall pick.

Pedroza joined the Honkers with only two weeks left in the season in 2003, but made his presence felt batting .323 in his 62 at-bats. In 2004, Pedroza hit .286 for the Honkers and led the team in home runs with six. At Cal State Fullerton, Pedroza started 60 games and hit .330 with a team leading 15 home runs. This season, Pedroza was named Co-Big West Player of the Year after leading the Titan offense from the third spot in the line-up all year long. Pedroza shares this year’s honor with Cal Poly’s Kyle Blumenthal.

Pedroza was the second earliest a Rochester Honker has ever been drafted. A member of the 2002 Rochester Honkers, Andre Ethier, was selected in the 2nd round (62nd overall) of the 2003 draft by the Oakland Athletics.

Corsaletti, a second-team All-SEC selection at Florida, hit .378 in 246 at-bats for the Gators. He led the team with 93 hits on the year and also earned SEC All-Tournament honors. Corsaletti hit .293 in 140 at bats for the Rochester Honkers in 2004. He also led all Honkers with 37 walks that year.

Another full day of the MLB draft continues tomorrow.

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June 6th, 2005
HONKERS SPLIT DOUBLE-HEADER IN DULUTH

GAME 1

The Honkers took the first game of the double-header with Duluth on Monday, topping the Huskies 6-5 in a game that was suspended due to rain the night before.

Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate) got the Honkers on the board first with a three-run bomb in the second inning. Huskie pitcher Kyle Klem (Kansas) issued back-to-back walks to Honker batters before Bowley took him yard over the left field fence.

Three Huskie errors late in the game led to three more Honkers runs; two in the sixth and one in the eighth.

Duluth strung together two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to make it a one run game. Brad Clipp (Point Loma Nazarene) entered the game in the ninth to get the last three outs for the Honkers.

Clipp allowed a lead-off double to Ryne Price (Kansas) in the inning, but the Huskies were unable to hit him in.

Ben Jukich (McCook C.C.) picked up the win for the Honkers, going seven innings and allowing three runs on four hits in his first start of the season. Jukich also walked six Huskie batters, but managed to get himself out of trouble throughout the game.

Offensively for the Honkers, Bowley reached base safely in all four of his at-bats; two walks, a home run and reached on an error. He also scored two runs.

Will Craig (Point Loma Nazarene) was impressive behind the plate for the Honkers, throwing out two Huskies attempting to steal second base in the third inning.

The win improved the Honkers record to 3-2.

GAME 2

The Honkers only put together two hits in game two of the double-header, falling short to Duluth 0-2 in a 7-inning affair.

Charlie Shirek (Nebraska) had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning for the Huskies, but a Dan Lyons (Iowa C.C.) single in the inning ended Shirek's hope.. Jeff Engel (Iowa) also singled in the inning, but the Honkers failed to advance either Honker across the plate. The win improved Shirek's mark to 1-1 on the year.

A Tim Poydenis (Brevard C.C.) sacrifice fly in the fourth inning put the Huskies on the board. Spencer Ingaldson's (Purdue) RBI single in the fifth and was the only other scoring play in the game.

Ryan Bird (St. Louis) pitched five innings and struck out seven for the Honkers, but two runs proved to be too much as his teammates failed to score a run. Bird's loss set his record to 1-1 on the year. Bird's seven strikeouts improves his total to 13 on the year, fourth highest in the league.

The Honkers have an off-day Tuesday, and then return to Mayo field for a five-game home stand. Thunder Bay is in town on Wednesday and Thursday for two 7:05 starts, then the Honkers face Duluth again on Friday and Saturday. Both Duluth games are also slated for a 7:05. Sunday the Honkers wrap up their home stand against the Waterloo Bucks at 3:05.

 

 

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June 4th, 2005
HONKERS SWEPT BY ST. CLOUD

Rochester lost their second straight game to St. Cloud Saturday night, as the River Bats topped the Honkers 6-2 to complete the two-game sweep.

Jordan Thibodeaux (San Jacinto) was handed the loss after allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and walking 6.

St. Cloud's hot bats carried over from last night as they put up nine more runs on Rochester, putting their two-day total of runs scored at 21. St. Cloud strung together 13 hits by nine different players.

Offensively for Rochester, Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) reached base safely in three of his five at bats and had two of the Honker's three RBIs. Lyons went 2-4 with an RBI single in the fifth and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Jeremy McCann (Gardner Webb) also had two hits for the Honkers and scored two runs. Honkers third baseman Kyle Bowley (South Carolina Upstate) went 1-3 and scored one run, improving his team leading average to .308.

The loss put the Honkers at 2-2 on the year.. St. Cloud, who started the season 0-2, improves to 2-2 with the sweep.

Six different River Bat pitchers held the Honkers to only seven hits, with Mike Loberg (Augustana) picking up the win. All four pitchers who appeared for the Honkers allowed at least one earned run

The Honkers travel to the hosting Duluth Huskies (1-3) tomorrow for another two-game series.

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June 4th, 2005
HONKERS COACHES RETURN TO TEAM AFTER LOSING DIVISION II WORLD SERIES

Honkers Field Manager Greb Labbe and Coach Carlos Rodriguez came up three runs shy in the Division II national championship Saturday, as their University of North Florida Ospreys lost to Florida Southern 12-9.

Labbe and Rodriguez are assistant coaches on the North Florida team and missed the first four Honkers games of the 2005 season due to the Osprey's tournament success. The two will fly back to Minnesota and drive up to Duluth to meet up with the Honkers for a two-game set against the Huskies.

The championship game was the last Division II action that North Florida will see as they move to the Division I Atlantic Sun Conference beginning in the fall of 2005.

The Ospreys finished their season with a 48-16 record

Honkers coaches Tim Lau and Mike Saddler took over the managerial duties for Labbe, leading the team to a 2-2 start on the year.

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June 3rd, 2005
ST. CLOUD HANDS ROCHESTER FIRST LOSS OF SEASON

The Rochester Honkers lost their first game of the 2005 season Friday night in St. Cloud, falling to the River Bats 12-2.

The Honkers allowed 10 runs in the fourth inning and couldn't recover in the final 5 innings of play. The River Bats sent 15 batters to the plate in the fourth, pouring on 10 runs on nine hits.

T.R. Keating (Colby C.C.) was handed the loss in his first start of the season, lasting only 3 1/3 innings for the Honkers, allowing six runs on six hits.

Zach Farry (Gardner-Webb), who struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced in his first outing of the season, struggled in relief of Keating, allowing two earned runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings pitched

The Honkers only two runs were scored in the second and seventh innings. In the second inning, River Bats pitcher Brendan McGinn (UCONN) threw a wild pitch as Will Craig (Point Loma) was stealing third. Craig rounded third base and advanced home as the ball bounced to the backstop. Dan Lyons (Iowa Central C.C.) was the only other Honker to cross the plate. Lyons, a second-year Honker and Rochester native, scored on a Jeff Engel (Iowa) fielder's choice ground ball.

Lyons found his way on base three times on the night. He walked twice and cracked his first hit of the season, a single to right field. Lyons also stole his second base of the year.

Three River Bats, Peter Antoske (West Florida), Matt Fornasiere (Minnesota) and Ryan Tousley (Johnson County C.C.), connected for three hits each in the game.

Jeff Hille (Northern Iowa) picked up the win for St. Cloud.

The game was St. Cloud's first win of the season, as well as their home opener. Rochester and St. Cloud square off again tomorrow in St. Cloud at 7:05 to wrap up the two-game series.

 

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June 2nd, 2005
HONKERS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT AGAINST WATERLOO!

The Rochester Honkers won their second game in as many days against Waterloo Thursday night at Mayo Field, beating the Bucks 10-4. The Honkers managed to put together ten runs on only six hits to pick up the win before 1521 fans at the 2005 home opener.

Tommy Cauley (Florida C.C. at Jacksonville) was the only Honker with more than one hit (2-4), but Rochester managed to put together a handful of runs off several Buck errors and wild pitches. Waterloo pitchers were everywhere tonight, walking 10 batters, hitting three and throwing four wild pitches.

Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) picked up the win for the Honkers, allowing four runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched.

Waterloo took the lead for a short time in the fourth inning after scoring two runs, but the Honker’s six-run bottom of the inning was enough to put the Bucks away for the night.

Offensively, Jeff Engel, Will Craig (Point Loma), Eric Hoffmann (Iowa Central C.C.) and Kyle Bowley (SC Upstate) each had one hit for the Honkers.

Cody Harris came away with the loss for the Bucks, allowing seven runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Matt Fuchs (Florida) and Brad Clipp (Point Loma) pitched 2 2/3 combined innings in relief for the Honkers, allowing one hit each and no runs.

Tomorrow the Honkers begin a four-game road trip, playing in St. Cloud on Friday and Saturday, and then traveling to Duluth for another two-game series. All four of the games on the road trip are slated for a 7:05 start. The Honkers next home game is Wednesday, June 8th at 7:05 against the Thunder Bay Border Cats.

 

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May 12th , 2005
HONKERS AND D.O.G.S. CAN LIVE IN HARMONY!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that they have teamed up with the WatchD.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) for the 2005 season. WatchD.O.G.S. are a national volunteer program designed to get more fathers involved in schools and increase safety in the buildings.

Craig Vonch, father of seventh-grader Laura Vonch, discovered the program while visiting the Web site of the National Center for Fathering.

"I discovered that many Dads struggle remaining involved in the educational lives of their children during the middle and high school years.” said Vonch. “The WatchD.O.G.S. program provides an awesome opportunity for Dads to "take time and tune in" to their children, other children, and the pulse of the school and community."

For all Rochester Honkers Sunday home games this summer, WatchD.O.G.S. wearing their official WatchD.O.G.S. t-shirt will be allowed to bring with them 2 Kids free with their paid adult admission.

‘This is a great program and we are happy to team up with them,” said Rochester Honkers General Manager Dan Litzinger. “We want to help promote Dad’s spending quality time with their children, and what a more American way than at a baseball game. See, Honkers and D.O.G.S. can get along!”

Kellogg Middle School became the first school in the 535 school district to utilize "D.O.G.S." during the 2004-2005 school year. 50 plus dads have been active at Kellogg since its inception. The success of the program can be attributed to Kellogg principal, Dr. Dwight Jennings and his enthusiastic staff, all of whom fully supports the program.

For more information about the WatchD.O.G.S., please log on to www.watchdogs.net or contact Craig Vonch at cvonch@charter.net.

WatchD.O.G.S. “Turning the hearts of the fathers to their children and children to their fathers”

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April 29th , 2005
TIM LAU FROM VITERBO JOINS HONKERS COACHING STAFF!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has hired Tim Lau as their fourth coach for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Lau joins Field Manager, Greg Labbe’s staff along with Carlos Rodriguez and Mike Saddler.

Lau has spent the last two years working as the catching coach and assistant hitting coach for the Viterbo University V-Hawks in La Crosse, WI. Under his tutelage, Viterbo has set school records in several offensive categories over the past two seasons. Lau is the fourth member of the V-Hawks staff to find a summer home in the Northwoods League. He currently works alongside Chad Miller, (Field Manager Thunder Bay Border Cats) Jared Manske, (Coach, Thunder Bay Border Cats) and Travis Peterson (Coach, Eau Claire Express).

Prior to joining the coaching staff at Viterbo, Lau served as an assistant coach at Holmen High School, Holmen, WI and was the Head Coach of Holmen’s American Legion Team. At HHS, he helped lead the team to three regional and two sectional titles and two consecutive state tournament appearances, including a second place finish in 2002. As the American Legion coach, he guided his team to a top four finish in the 2003 State Tournament. Eight of Lau’s former players went on to play college baseball. As a player, Lau played second base and outfield for Western Wisconsin Technical College. Two broken wrist forced an early end to his baseball career.

Lau currently lives in La Crosse with his wife, Natalie, and there two sons, Austin and Tayvis.

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April 28th , 2005
HONKERS HIT JACKPOT WITH VEGAS LEFTIE! PEDROZA AND CORSALETTI UPDATES!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Efren Navarro Jr. for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Navarro, a 6’0” 180 lb. left handed freshman, pitches for the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels in Las Vegas, NV.

The Lynwood, CA native has appeared in 14 games for the Rebels this season, starting four, and posts a 2-3 record. In 32.2 innings of work, Navarro sports a 5.51 earned run average with 26 strikeouts. In Mountain West Conference play, Navarro has pitched 12.1 innings, striking out 12 and walking only 5.

Navarro attended Lynwood High School, where he was a four-year letter winner. In 2001 and 2002, he was named to the second-team dream team of the San Gabriel Valley league. Lynwood High School was the Reviving Baseball Inner-city (RBI) champions from 2001 to 2003. Success on the diamond runs in the Navarro family as Efren’s sister, Guadalupe, played for the Long Beach Aces, a professional women’s fast pitch softball team.

Titanic Win: Former Honker and current Cal State Fullerton right fielder Sergio Pedroza lead the defending National Champion Titans to a 5-2 victory over the University of California Davis Aggies on April 24th. The victory gave Cal State Fullerton 30 wins for the 31st consecutive season. Pedroza went 2-3 with 3 RBI on the day.

Golden Gator: Former Honker and current University of Florida Gator standout Jeff Corsaletti has been named to the 40 man Golden Spikes watch list. The Golden Spikes award is given to the best amateur baseball player in America and will be presented in July. On the season, Corsaletti is hitting .411 with 6 home runs, 36 RBI and OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) of 1.092 and has hit safely in 36 of the Gators 39 games this year.

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April 22nd , 2005
POEPL NEW VOICE OF HONKER BASEBALL

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announce that Jake Poepl (Pay-Pull) will be the play-by-play radio announcer for the 2005 season. All Rochester Honkers’ 68 regular-season and playoff games will be broadcast on “The Ticket,” KOLM-AM 1520, ESPN Radio.

Poepl, 25, is a senior at Winona State University and is the Sports Director at KQAL FM 89.5, the WSU campus radio station.

“I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to call all 68 regular season and playoff games for the Rochester Honkers this summer,” said Poepl. “To be able to work for the Rochester Honkers and the Northwoods League is an honor. It’s a great organization and I am thrilled to be able to work with both of them.”

Poepl has been the Sports Director of KQAL since January of 2004. He is in charge of arranging the broadcasts for home and away college athletics along with his broadcasting duties. In addition to his broadcasting duties, he also arranges broadcasts for Winona State’s home and away games. Poepl calls games for Winona State baseball and football, and produces and participates in a weekly sports talk show.

Poepl worked for KDWA-AM in Hastings, Minn., last summer where he called every American Legion baseball game. He also produced and hosted a weekly live coaches show. Prior to that, Poepl served as an intern at KTTC-TV Ch. 10 here in Rochester, where he served under the tutelage of KTTC sports director Pat Lund. He assisted in shooting and editing sports highlights for newscasts.

Poepl graduates from Winona State in December with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He is majoring in broadcasting and minoring in history. When he’s not in school or on the radio, Poepl enjoys fishing, water skiing, playing softball, and watching hockey.

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April 20th , 2005
HONKERS SIGN RAY KRUML FROM INDIAN HILLS CC!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Raymond Kruml for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Kruml, a 5’11” 170 lb. (hits left; throws right) freshman, plays outfield for the Indian Hills Community College Falcons in Centerville, IA.

The Lisle, IL native is a key offensive component for the Falcons this season, hitting .357 and leading the team with 4 triples. The former high school standout at St. Francis (Wheaton, IL) was named All-City, All- Conference, All-Area, Conference Player of the Year and All-State in 2003. Kruml is expected to contribute to the Honkers with his great speed and plate awareness.

Talley-Ho: Former Honker and current member of the Portland Sea Dogs (Eastern League, AA Red Sox) Talley Haines is off to a fast start in 2005. He has contributed to the Sea Dogs 9-0 record by appearing in 3 games (4.2 innings) allowing only 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks and striking out 6. Picked up by the Red Sox as free agent in December, Haines was a member of Tampa Bay’s AAA affiliate (Syracuse Sky Chiefs, International League) where he posted a 4-2 record with a 3.87 ERA with 53 strikeouts and only 15 walks.

Spidey Senses: Ben Zeskind, starting outfielder for the University of Richmond Spiders and a 2003 member of the Honkers, was named Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the week. The All-American candidate had 2 hits in each of the Spiders five games last week, including two home runs in a victory over George Washington University. Zeskind has raised his average 30 points in the past week to a team leading .371, has hit safely in 22 of the last 23 games and is riding a 12 game hitting streak.

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April 16th , 2005
NEBRASKA CLOSER TO RETURN TO ROCHESTER!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Brett Jensen for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Jensen, a 6’7” 190 lb. right handed junior, pitches for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, NE. Jensen will return for his second season on the mound for the Honkers. He finished the 2004 season 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and struck out 8 in the 10.0 innings of work.

Working exclusively out of the bullpen for Nebraska, the Eagle Grove, IA native has appeared in team high 15 games this season and leads the team with 5 saves. In 20.2 innings of work, Jensen has allowed only 4 earned runs (1.74 ERA) with 19 strikeouts against 2 walks and is holding opponents to a .210 batting average. Last weekend in a 3-game series, Jensen dominated the number one ranked Texas Longhorns. In two games, he pitched 6 innings allowing 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 runs while striking out 3. All 3 games were featured nationally on ESPN and ESPN 2.

Jensen attended Eagle Grove High School, where as a senior he was honored with the Bob Feller Award as the state Class 2A pitcher of the year. He lead Eagle Grove to a 2002 State Championship, posting an 11-0 record on the season. Jensen was also named an All-Conference player for three straight seasons.

In 2003, Jensen played for the Iowa Central Community College Tritons where he threw 9 complete games as a starter and held opponents to a .212 batting average. Upon the completion of the 2003 season, he was named a NJCAA Division 1 First Team All-American and was drafted in the 45th round by the Baltimore Orioles. Jensen turned down a contract with the Orioles and accepted a scholarship with the University of Nebraska.

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April 14 , 2005
LEFTIE LEAVING LONE STAR STATE FOR NORTH STAR STATE!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Jordan Thibodeaux for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Thibodeaux, a 6’4” 200 lb. left handed freshman, pitches for the San Jacinto College Gators in Houston, TX.

The West Orange, TX native has appeared in 7 games for the Gators this season, starting 4, and posts a 2-0 record. In 23.1 innings of work, Thibodeaux sports a 3.51 earned run average with 15 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a mere .225 batting average.

Thibodeaux attended Stark High School in West Orange, where as a senior he was 6-3 with a 1.12 ERA. He received numerous accolades thorough out his high school career including being named an All-District and All- County player for 3 straight seasons. In addition, Houston High School Magazine tabbed Thibodeaux as one of the Top 25 players to watch in the Greater Houston Metroplex in 2004. Baseball America ranked Thibodeaux among the Top 10 left handed pitchers in Texas and one of the Top 100 in the nation last year as well.

Titanic Week: Former Honker and current Cal State Fullerton right fielder Sergio Pedroza was named Big West Conference Player of the Week. The junior lead the defending National Champion Titans last week going 9-13 (.692) with 1 home run, 7 runs batted in and scoring 5 runs over 3 games. For the season, Pedroza is leading CSF with a .390 batting average, 10 home runs, 32 RBI.

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April 13 , 2005
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE AND THE ROCHESTER HONKERS STRIKE A "SUITE" PARTNERSHIP!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today a “Suite” partnership that will rename their two luxury suites located at Mayo Field, the Outback Steakhouse Suites.

“We are excited about our continuing and growing relationship with the Rochester Honkers,” said Outback Steakhouse Proprietor, Tracie Swing. “It’s a great opportunity to combine two of Rochester’s premier venues into one!”

The Outback Steakhouse Suites will start you off with a 'Hooley Dooley' portion of Garlic Caesar Salad to begin your down under experience. You will then be treated to a combination of Center cut Sirloin Bits, Grilled Chicken on the Barbie Bits, and their world class Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Outback steaks are fair dinkum ’Genuine USDA Choice Cut’ and the chicken is fresh and never frozen. Everything is made fresh daily in house for your ultimate down under experience. You will finish off the night with Outback’s signature Cheese Cake. Each Outback Steakhouse Suite is set up for 10 individuals and also includes an ample supply of beverages, popcorn, souvenir programs, stat sheets and cable T.V. all while viewing your Rochester Honkers from your private viewing area.

“This is a great opportunity for the Rochester Honkers to team up with such a fantastic restaurant as the Outback Steakhouse,” said Rochester Honkers General Manager, Dan Litzinger. “Our fans will now have the opportunity for another experience at Mayo Field, a Down Under Experience!”

Cost per Suite is $275.00 and includes your general admission tickets to the game. To reserve your Outback Steakhouse Suite, please call the Rochester Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for availability.

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April 8 , 2005
HONKERS SIGN DUAL THREAT FOR SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Kyle Bowley for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Bowley, a 6’2” 220 lb. right handed freshman, plays infield and pitches for the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans in Spartanburg, SC.

The Apopka, FL native is currently tearing up the Peach Belt Conference as the Spartans starting third baseman, hitting .364 with a league leading 52 runs batted in. Bowley is also among the conference leaders in slugging percentage (.608), total bases (87) and leads USC Upstate with 8 home runs. A recent power surge has seen Bowley launch 3 homers in his past 2 games, both wins for the Spartans. A two way player, Bowley has also helped out with his arm as well. He has made 7 appearances on the mound, starting 3 games and posts a 2-1 record with a 4.15 ERA, 16 strikeouts and only 5 walks.

GATOR BITES: Two former Honkers and current members of the University of Florida Gators are having great success at the plate this season. Freshman infielder Brandon McArthur is riding an 8 game hitting streak during which he is batting .419. Jeff Corsaletti, a senior outfielder, is one of the Southeastern Conference most feared hitters. On the season, Corsaletti is hitting .462 for the Gators, ranking second in the SEC. He also leads Florida in runs (38), walks (27), doubles (8) and on-base percentage (.565). Corsaletti has at least one hit in 27 of the 29 games he has played this year and is currently has a 9 game hitting streak of his own.

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April 4 , 2005
Brian Walker to return behind the plate for Rochester!!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed University of Arkansas catcher Brian Walker for his second Northwoods League season with the club. Walker, a transfer from Arizona State University, is a redshirt freshman with the Razorbacks.

Walker, 19, arguably was the Northwoods League’s most improved hitter in 2004. After opening the season with a 6-for-49 (.122) slump, he batted .322 with a .471 slugging percentage in his final 36 games. The 6-foot, 215-pounder from Tulsa closed out the summer batting .265 with five home runs, one off the team lead, and 24 RBI. His ninth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (21-4, 3-3 SEC) shared the 2004 regular-season SEC title with Georgia and reached the NCAA College World Series last year.

MORE HONORS FOR CORSALETTI: The accolades continue to roll in for Jeff Corsaletti. The Florida Gator senior outfielder and two-year Rochester Honkers veteran was named to last weekend’s College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll. Corsaletti helped Florida win two out of three against defending Southeastern Conference tournament champion and sixth-ranked South Carolina, going 5-for-11 and hitting his fourth home run of the season. He leads the SEC with a .569 on-base percentage and ranks second in the conference with a .460 average for the seventh-ranked Gators.

LYTLE LIGHTS IT UP FOR IOWA: Another two-year Honkers vsteran, infielder Andy Lytle, is enjoying a stellar senior season with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Lytle ranks in the Big Ten Conference’s Top Ten in eight offensive categories, including batting average (.441), on-base percentage (.507), stolen bases (six) and slugging percentage (.610).

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March 31st , 2005
HONKERS SIGN LEFTY FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed pitcher James Leigh for the 2005 Northwoods League season. The Bryant, AR native is a freshman at Texarkana College in Texarkana, TX.

Leigh owns a 1-0 record and a 4.41 ERA with one save and 13 strikeouts in 16.1 innings so far this season. He’s coming off a 5.1-inning, two-hit shutout relief appearance Saturday to beat Navarro College. The 6’4”, 185-pound lefty was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 38th round of last June’s baseball amateur draft. He capped his prep career by leading his hometown American Legion squad to a state runner-up finish.

MORAN HELPS GAME-WINNING TRIPLE PLAY: Northern Iowa junior infielder Pat Moran, a 2004 Rochester Honker, helped pulled off a win Tuesday in one of the college baseball season’s most extraordinary finishes. Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois found themselves tied at 3 after 14 innings, with dusk rapidly descending on the unlit Northern Illinois field. Moran contributed a single to a run-scoring rally in the top of the 15th inning, then helped turn a triple play in the bottom of the inning to preserve a 4-3 victory. Moran is batting .365 with a team-high 20 RBI for the 2005 Panthers.

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March 25th , 2005
HONKERS BRING IN TWO MORE FROM THE GOLDEN STATE! JASON SCHUTT WITH AN OUTSTANDING START!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed pitcher Brad Clipp and catcher Jeff Dunbar for 2005 Northwoods League season. Clipp is a junior pitcher with Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, and Dunbar is a freshman catcher at the University of California-Riverside.

Clipp, 20, is brand new to both the Honkers and Point Loma, coming off two stellar years at Palomar (Junior) College in California. He’s off to a hot start anchoring the Sea Lions’ bullpen, with a pair of saves and a 1.80 ERA in seven appearances so far. In 10 innings the 6’2”, 185-pound San Diego native has struck out 12 men against only five walks and has held opponents to a .220 batting average for Point Loma (19-5, ranked #20 in NAIA).

Dunbar, 19, is battling for the starting catcher’s job with the 11-11 UC-Riverside Highlanders. The 6’4”, 210-pounder from Chino Hills, CA brings a solid wood-bat summer league resume to the Honkers, courtesy of the Western Major Baseball League in Canada. He batted .303 with four homers and 20 RBI in 25 games last year for the Medicine Hat Mavericks, and was named Western Division Player of the Game for driving in four runs in the 2004 WMBL All-Star Game.

SCHUTT OPENS WITH TERRIFIC START: First-year Rochester Honkers pitcher Jason Schutt has been lights-out so far for Central Missouri State University. The righthander from Jamestown, ND has won all six of his starts in 2005, with a stunning 42 strikeouts against only five walks in 32 innings. Schutt’s latest gem featured six shutout innings, two hits allowed, no walks and 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 victory Sunday over Missouri-Rolla. CMSU is ranked #3 in NCAA Division II, one year after a third-place finish at the NCAA Division II College World Series.

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March 17th , 2005
JAKE TOOHEY TO RETURN TO THE MOUND FOR ROCHESTER! PEDROZA POWERS HIS WAY!!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed pitcher Jake Toohey for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Toohey, a University of Illinois sophomore and a member of the 2003 Honkers, comes back for his second season with Rochester.

Toohey, 20, is making his pitching comeback this spring after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in 2003. The Chicago native made his mark for Rochester’s starting rotation that season, going 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA and 31 strikeouts in five starts. A torn elbow ligament cut the 6’2”, 210-pound righthander’s season short in late June, and he spent all of 2004 on the sidelines recovering. Toohey is in fine form so far in 2005, with a sparkling 0.67 ERA in four relief appearances.

Few collegiate programs have put the Rochester Honkers and the Northwoods League to better use than the Fighting Illini. Nearly half of the Illinois roster has played in the NWL, and Toohey is one of six Rochester veterans on the team. Among the other ex-Honkers with Illinois are senior shortstop and 2004 Honker Inspiration of the Year award winner Toby Gardenhire, and 2003 NWL Postseason All-Star pitcher Jimmy Conroy.

PEDROZA POWERS TITANS: Rochester Honkers veteran Sergio Pedroza’s bat is helping reigning NCAA Division I baseball champion Cal State-Fullerton look like a contender once again. The junior outfielder had his second multiple-homer game of the year Saturday during the Titans’ 9-8 win over Tulane. In this weekend series between Top Five teams, Fullerton took two of three games from the Green Wave and moved up one spot to Baseball America’s #2 national ranking, knocking Tulane from the top spot to #3. Pedroza is batting .393 with 18 RBI and leads the Titans in home runs (six), extra-base hits (11), slugging percentage (.787) and on-base percentage (.493).

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March 12th , 2005
HONKERS INK 2004 MN STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed pitcher Tim Radmacher for the 2005 Northwoods League season. The Rosemount, MN native and 2004 Minnesota Coaches Association Player of the Year is a freshman at the University of Nebraska.

Radmacher, 18, capped an award-filled Rosemount Irish H.S. career with a 10-2 record, a 0.98 ERA and 107 strikeouts. He also batted .303 and hit five home runs to help the Irish into the state Class 3A baseball tournament. The three-time All-Lake Conference honoree went 23-8 and collected three no-hitters over his prep career. The 6’0”, 170-pound righthander was ranked #104 among the nation’s top seniors in 2004 by TeamOne Baseball. He has starred on the summer prospect circuits, playing in the Area Code Games 2004 All-Star Game and being named the #2 overall prospect at TeamOne’s 2003 North Region Showcase.

FOX ON THE RUN: Rochester Honkers signee Willy Fox has helped turn Arizona State University into one of the country’s hottest baseball teams right now. The Sun Devils (11-10) earned SEBaseball.com’s West Region Team of the Week award for sweeping three games last weekend; ASU’s 11-inning, 4-3 win over fourth-ranked North Carolina Friday capped a string of nine games against Top Ten squads. Fox has a .280 average with three home runs and 11 RBI’s in just 25 at-bats; he homered in his first three career starts and already has four multiple-RBI games to his credit.

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March 4th , 2005
HONKERS SIGN OUTFIELDER FROM FCCJ!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed outfielder Jon Dandridge for the 2005 Northwoods League season. The Orange Park, FL native is a sophomore at nearby Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

“I am very excited that Jon has chosen to play in Rochester this summer,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “He can change an opposing team’s entire approach on pitching because of the damage he can do at the plate. He is a big guy, but he is also a good athlete who can run and play defense.”

Dandridge, 19, has done his fair share of damage already for the 8-6 FCCJ Stars this season. In 13 games he has a .370 batting average with team highs in home runs (two) and runs batted in (11). A transfer from Mercer after the 2004 season, the 6’6”, 230-pounder capped his Orange Park H.S. career by batting .315 with seven homers and 40 RBI and earning All-District honors as a senior. He’s the second Star to join the 2005 Honkers; freshman infielder Tommy Cauley is batting .283 with a team-leading six stolen bases.

THE CORSALETTI WATCH BEGINS: University of Florida senior outfielder Jeff Corsaletti has been named to the 2005 Brooks Wallace Award watch list. The Wallace Award is presented annually to the college baseball player of the year. Corsaletti, a two-year Rochester Honker (2002, 2004), hit .293 with three home runs and 21 RBI for Rochester last summer; he also led the Northwoods League with a .448 on-base percentage. A 22nd-round draft pick by Cleveland in the 2004 major league baseball draft, he turned down pro ball to return to Gainesville and captain the Gators his senior season. He is off to a torrid start in 2005, hitting .417 with three homers, 12 RBI, four steals, a .722 slugging percentage, and a .604 on-base mark for eighth-ranked Florida (9-2).

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February 12th , 2005
HONKERS SIGN FLORIDA GATOR, BRYSON BARBER FOR 2005!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed catcher Bryson Barber for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Barber, from Pensacola, FL, is a freshman at the University of Florida.

“The Florida Gators have sent us another impact player,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “Bryson was one of the most heralded high school hitters coming out of the state of Florida last year. He is a strong left-handed hitter that could find a spot in the middle of a lineup and stay there. I look forward to seeing what he can do with the bat on a daily basis.”

Barber was the 30th best high school catching prospect in the nation last year according to TeamOne Baseball. The 6’1”, 220-pounder lifted his already high expectations at Florida by batting a team-high .714 in the Gators’ fall intrasquad scrimmages, the Orange and Blue World Series. His stellar four-year career at Woodham H.S. in Pensacola included two All-State honors, including Second-Team in 2004, and three straight district titles. Barber batted .373 his senior season with 31 walks, 12 of which were intentional. As a junior he hit .415 with three homers and 26 RBI to lead Woodham to a 24-4 record and a Top Five ranking in Florida. The Pensacola News Journal named Barber its Player of the Week five times in his high school career.

Barber, 19, is the twelfth Gator to sign with Rochester since the 2002 season, including a record five Florida players last season. Two Gators have achieved NWL Post-season All-Star status with Rochester: second baseman Stephen Barton in 2003 and pitcher Connor Falkenbach in 2002. Last year, one game featured Florida players contributing two of Rochester’s top individual achievements of the season. Third baseman Brandon McArthur hit two home runs in a single inning, and pitcher Adam Sanabria (now with Santa Clara) threw a no-hitter in a 13-0 win over Mankato July 3rd. Both McArthur and Sanabria were the second Honkers in franchise history to achieve their respective feats.

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February 10th , 2005
ROCHESTER GETS A DIAMOND DOG FOR 2005! FLORIDA SHOWCASES THE HONKERS!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed lefthanded pitcher Zach Farry for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Farry, 18, is a freshman at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC.

“Zach is a knowledgeable pitcher whose skills in college are beginning to match that knowledge,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “He will be hard-working off the field and competitive on the mound. As a left-handed pitcher he solidifies our bullpen by adding another guy who can pitch, and spot-start if we need him to.”

The 6’0”, 175-pounder joins the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs on the heels of a stellar career at Charlotte’s Independence H.S. His senior year featured a First-team All-State roster spot, a 10-3 record (including a no-hitter), a conference Player of the Year award, and a runner-up finish for Independence at the North Carolina State Class 4-A baseball tournament.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 32-25 season in 2004 (18-12 in the Atlantic Sun Conference). 2005 will be Gardner-Webb’s fifth season at the NCAA Division I level. Baseball America picked the Diamond ‘Dogs to finish fourth in the Atlantic Sun this spring; all three teams ahead of them in the poll (Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, Stetson) spent time in the magazine’s Top 25 rankings last year.

HONKER TEAL, GATOR BLUE: The University of Florida baseball team’s 2005 media guide is a virtual Rochester Honkers shrine this year. Three of the four Gator veterans featured on the cover are former Honkers: senior outfielder Jeff Corsaletti (2002, 2004), senior pitcher Connor Falkenbach (2002), and senior pitcher Mike Pete (2002). Five players on Florida’s 2005 roster have played for Rochester at some point; a total of eight Gators have suited up for the Honkers in the last three seasons.

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February 5th , 2005
SILVER GLOVE WINNER, MATT ECKARDT, RETURNS TO ROCHESTER!

Pitcher Matt Eckardt will be returning for a second season with the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club. Eckardt, a 2004 Northwoods League Silver Glove winner, is a redshirt freshman at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta.

“Matt is one of the essential players that we needed to come back for another season in Rochester if we are going to win a league championship,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. The North Florida assistant coach adds, “I know that it is important to have guys on the team that have been through the league, and Matt has been there and been successful. I look forward to competing against Matt in the Peach Belt Conference, and then working with him to win a championship this summer.”

While Eckardt, 19, earned the NWL Silver Glove award for leading all league pitchers in fielding, he threw the ball quite well too. The suburban Atlanta native (Alpharetta, GA) led Rochester’s rotation in earned run average, most strikeouts per inning and fewest walks per inning. The 6’4”, 210-pound righthander made 11 starts, went 3-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 61.1 innings, walked 21 and struck out 44.

Eckardt has just begun his first season at Kennesaw State after transferring from Florida, where he sat out the 2004 season as a redshirt. He finished his four-year varsity run at Milton H.S. with All-Region honors, an Atlanta Journal Player of the Month award, and his third straight Team Pitcher of the Year award in 2003. His prep career also included an AAU national championship in 2002.

Kennesaw State plays its final season of NCAA Division II baseball this spring; the Owls make the jump to Division I in 2006. Collegiate Baseball Magazine ranks KSU sixth in the country in its preseason Division II poll. Five other Peach Belt Conference teams made the poll, including preseason favorite North Florida (#4), which features Labbe and assistant coach Carlos Rodriguez on its staff.

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February 3rd , 2005
HONKERS ARE HOME TO A HIGHLANDER!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed University of California-Riverside sophomore infielder Kyle Barratt for the 2005 Northwoods League Season.

“Kyle is a player with the personality and tools to thrive in summer baseball,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “He is an athletic third baseman that played shortstop in high school and could do so again if he needed to. By the time he comes to us this summer he will have had two full seasons under his belt, adding to our lineup leadership and another right-handed hitter that can zing it.”

Barratt, 20, actually broke into the UC-Riverside Highlanders lineup as a freshman first baseman in 2004. The 6’4”, 208-pounder started all 21 Big West Conference games and batted .258 with eight home runs, 29 RBI and a .517 slugging percentage for the full season. 2004 highlights for the Granada Hills, CA native included homers in consecutive games against eventual NCAA champion Cal State-Fullerton (May 7-8) and a two-homer game against Cal Poly (April 8).

UC-Riverside has just begun their fifth season at the NCAA Division I level, and already has a string of three straight winning seasons to its credit. The Highlanders boast two national championships and nine NCAA tourney berths from their Division II days. Seven Riverside alumni have played summer ball in Rochester, including three-year veteran catcher Jeff Stevens (1997-1999), the only player to win two Northwoods League championships with the Honkers.

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January 29th, 2005
JACKSONVILLE'S CAULEY COMES CALLING!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed shortstop Tommy Cauley for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Cauley, a freshman, attends Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

“Tommy is the type of defensive player that you could build a team around. He will solidify us defensively up the middle as either a shortstop or second baseman,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “I like the fact that although he is only a freshman he has played in some of the biggest games as an amateur and excelled in them. I expect him to step into this team this summer and continue his successful career and help this team win a Northwoods League Championship.”

Cauley, 19, earned Third-Team All-State honors in Class 6A from the Florida Sports Writers Association as a senior in 2004, after having been named All-State Honorable Mention the previous season. The 5’11”, 155-pounder led Deltona H.S. to the state quarterfinal round in 2004 and played in the postseason Florida Athletic Coaches’ Association All-Star Series. His 2004 DeLand, FL American Legion squad went 43-7 and finished fourth at the national tournament; he tied for the tourney lead in both batting average (.500; 18-for-36) and runs scored (15). Defensively, he caught a line drive to help DeLand turn the sixth triple play in American Legion World Series history.

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January 26th, 2005
MR. SMITH GOES TO ROCHESTER!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Bo Smith for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Smith is a freshman infielder at the University of Florida.

“Bo is another great example of the type of athletes they have at Florida,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “He lettered in three sports in high school and with that type of athleticism he should be able to make the adjustments needed to be successful at our level.”

Smith, 19, joins his hometown Florida Gators after starting four seasons in the outfield at Gainesville Buchholz High School. He led the Bobcats to a Class 6A Top 10 state ranking each of those seasons and earned All-State recognition his final three years, including a First-Team nod as a senior. The Gainesville Sun newspaper named Smith both its Baseball Player of the Year and its Scholar/Athlete of the Year in 2004. The 6’2”, 192-pounder earned three All-State mentions as a wide receiver as well, catching 105 passes for 1,905 yards and 24 touchdowns in his prep football career, and also lettered one year in basketball.

Florida, which began practice for the 2005 season last Saturday, will provide at least one Rochester Honker for the fourth straight season. The Gators are ranked 17th in the preseason Sports Weekly/ESPN coaches’ poll; they’re one of seven Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams in the poll. Florida is coming off a 43-22 season in 2004, which included a third consecutive NCAA tournament berth and the program’s first trip ever to the Super-Regional round.

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January 23st, 2005
HONKERS ADD DOUBLE THREAT HOFFMANN TO THEIR LINE UP!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Eric Hoffmann for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Hoffman does double duty as a sophomore outfielder and pitcher for Iowa Central Community College.

“Eric is another great athlete coming to us from Iowa Central. He is a left-handed hitter that should play his way to the top part of the order with his ability to handle the bat and hit for some power,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “I like the fact that he can hit for average, play above-average defense, and steal bases. He will add another left-handed pitcher to the staff that could compete for the closer’s role this summer.”

The 19-year-old Erskine, MN native pulled off a rare double-feat for the 51-14 Iowa Central Tritons in 2004, winning the team batting title and leading the squad in saves as well. At the plate, he hit .388 with four homers, 19 extra-base hits, and 46 RBI. In 11 mound appearances Hoffman (5’11”, 190) saved six games, with a 2-0 record and a 1.29 ERA; opponents hit only .170 against him and didn’t manage an extra-base hit.

Hoffmann, the 2003 Minnesota High School Class A Player of the Year, led Win-E-Mac High School to a runner-up finish at the state Class A Baseball Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team that season. He added First-Team All-State and Section Player of the Year honors to his senior-year awards list as well.

In 2005 Iowa Central will be looking for its sixth consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series berth. The Tritons are a three-time national runner-up and finished third at last year’s World Series. Iowa Central also features sophomore shortstop and Rochester native Dan Lyons, who led the Northwoods League last year with 32 steals and is returning to play for the Honkers in 2005.

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January 21st, 2005
PARKLAND PROSPECT ASCENDS HONKERS THRONE!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed pitcher D.J. Throneburg for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Throneburg is a righthander at perennial junior college power Parkland College in Champaign, IL.

“D.J. is a big strong righthander who can start or pitch in long relief,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “His intensity and desire to improve his skills on the mound are what I like about him already. I think any team would appreciate a pitcher who can be versatile and do what the team needs him to do that day to win a big game. I feel that D.J. will be able to do that for us.”

Throneburg is back as a sophomore for the 2005 collegiate season after missing all of 2004 due to reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow. The injury cut short a brilliant freshman season in 2003; he was 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA in ten outings at the time. At Casey-Westfield H.S. he starred in basketball as well, averaging over 20 points a game in three varsity seasons and earning a Class A First-Team All-State roster spot from the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association in both 2001 and 2002.

The 2004 Parkland Cobras went 40-19 and extended their string of conference titles to four, but missed out on the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series for the first time since 2000. Parkland’s streak of three World Series berths includes the 2002 NJCAA Division II national championship.

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January 15th, 2005
HONKERS ADD BORDES FROM ASU!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed Greg Bordes for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Bordes is a freshman infielder at Arizona State University.

“Greg comes from one of the most successful programs in the country in producing quality infielders,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “He is a strong defensive guy that can play either of the two middle positions. With his speed and ability to handle the bat at the plate, he should be an impact guy in a number of positions in the lineup.”

Perfect Game/Baseball America ranked Bordes as the #16 high school prospect in Arizona last spring. As a senior shortstop at Dobson H.S., he batted .340 with three home runs and stole 16 bases without getting caught once. Baseball comes naturally for the Mesa, AZ native; his father and an uncle each played professional baseball, and his grandfather was president of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. In addition, older brother Brett is a junior lefthander on the ASU pitching staff.

Bordes joins fellow Arizona State freshman infielder Willy Fox on the 2005 Rochester Honkers baseball roster. Their 2004-2005 Sun Devil recruiting class was rated the second-best in the nation by Collegiate Baseball; it’s the seventh straight season the magazine has ranked ASU in the Top 15. The Sun Devils, ranked 11th in Collegiate Baseball’s 2005 preseason poll, finished 41-18 in 2004 and were ranked as high as fifth in the country. Arizona State earned a #7 national seed in the 2004 NCAA tournament but was knocked out by eventual national champion Cal State-Fullerton in the regional round.

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January 13th, 2005
HONKERS ADD ANOTHER TYPE OF BIRD TO THEIR STAFF!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed pitcher Ryan Bird for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Bird is a sophomore righthander at St. Louis University.

“Ryan is a young pitcher who has been a number one in a very tough baseball conference [Conference USA]. He is experienced and has a bulldog personality on the mound,” says Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “Ryan is coming to Rochester to improve his skills and help this organization win a championship. He should play a key role in the starting rotation of this summer’s team.”

Bird planted himself in the heart of St. Louis’ starting rotation from day one of his freshman year. With a 3-6 record, Bird tied for the Billikens’ lead in victories in 2004. He compiled a team-best 4.86 earned run average and struck out 51 hitters, second-most for SLU.

At Armstrong Township H.S. (Potomac, IL), Bird helped his team to a pair of state tournament berths, earned a pair of area Player of the Year honors and pitched five no-hitters in four varsity seasons. As a senior he did everything except sell hot dogs: a 9-3 record with a 1.03 ERA and 142 strikeouts, along with a .484 batting average, 16 homers and 48 RBI.

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January 8th, 2005
WILL CRAIG FROM POINT LOMA JOINS HONKERS CATCHING STAFF!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed catcher Will Craig for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Craig is a junior catcher at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

“Will fits the mold when it comes to catching. He has a take-charge personality behind the plate and the tools to back it up,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “He is a big strong catcher who can handle the pitchers we have brought in this summer. He’ll be able to hit in any number of positions in the lineup, and will add to the experienced position players coming to us for 2005.”

Craig joined Point Loma as a sophomore in 2004, hitting .272 with eight home runs and 47 RBI. He spent his freshman season at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA where he hit .301 with eight homers and 45 RBI and led the team to the California Community College championship game. The Oceanside, CA native accomplished this despite not playing prep baseball.

Craig arrived in time to help Point Loma to its best baseball season ever. The 2004 Sea Lions spent most of the season ranked in the NAIA’s Top Five, won a school-record 47 games against 16 losses, picked up their first outright Golden State Athletic Conference title and earned third place at the 2004 NAIA national tournament.

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January 6th, 2005
HONEKRS OPEN DOOR TO CMSU'S SCHUTT!

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed pitcher Jason Schutt for the 2005 Northwoods League season. Schutt is a junior righthander with Central Missouri State University.

“Jason is coming from one of the elite baseball programs at any division in the country,” says Honkers field manager Greg Labbe. “He will be one of Central Missouri State’s top pitchers and I count on him being the same guy for us. He is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher that can flat out dominate a game. He will be one to watch pitch every fifth day.”

Schutt joins Central Missouri State after anchoring the Des Moines (IA) Area Community College rotation for two years. He collected five wins and struck out 56 hitters for the DMACC Bears in 2004, earning 2nd-team All-Conference honors along the way. The Jamestown, ND native capped his prep career by helping his American Legion squad to a 2002 state title, winning tourney MVP honors as well. He will be the second North Dakota native to play for the Honkers; Mandan’s Ron Bethke played outfield for Rochester in 2003.

CENTRAL MISSOURI STATE: The Mules spent much of 2004 as the top-ranked NCAA Division II team in the country, winning a school-record 57 games. The two-time NCAA Division II national champions (1994, 2003) finished 3rd in the Division II College World Series last year, suffering its only two Series losses against eventual national champion Delta (MS) State. The Mules are tied for 2nd in Collegiate Baseball’s 2005 pre-season NCAA Division II baseball poll, behind only Delta State; the North Florida Ospreys, whose staff includes Labbe and Honkers assistant coach Carlos Rodriguez, is ranked 4th in the same poll.