2007 Total Newsroom Archvie

December 14, 2007
Honkers Announce 2008 Schedule!

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today its complete game schedule for the 2008 season. The four-time Northwoods League Champions begin their 15th season at home on Thursday, May 29th, when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05PM first pitch.

The Honkers will play a 68 game schedule in 75 days, beginning on May 29th and ending on August 11th. The 14th Annual NWL All-Star Game will be on Monday, July 14th at Warner Park in Madison, WI. The NWL Playoff Series will take place from August 12th through August 17th. The winner of each division’s two halves will meet in a best-of-three divisional playoff series (Aug. 12,13,14) with the winners advancing to the NWL Championship Series (Aug. 15,16,17), also a best-of-three.

The Honkers will face each North Division team 8 times (4 home, 4 away) and each South Division team 4 times (2 home, 2 away) with the exception of not playing the Madison Mallards and the Eau Claire Express. The Green Bay Bullfrogs will make their inaugural appearance in Rochester next summer when they hop into Mayo Field for a two-game set beginning on June 13th.

The Rochester Honkers are one of two remaining teams (Wisconsin Woodchucks) from the Northwoods League’s inaugural season of 1994.

Divisional Alignment:
Years in parenthesis denote the franchise’s first season in the league.
^2007 postseason team – *2007 division champion – #2007 Northwoods League Champion

North Division
Alexandria Beetles (2001)
Brainerd Blue Thunder (2005)
^Duluth Huskies (2003)
Mankato MoonDogs (1999)
Rochester Honkers (1994)
^*#St. Cloud River Bats (1997)
Thunder Bay Border Cats (2003)

South Division
Battle Creek Bombers (2007)
^*Eau Claire Express (2005)
^Green Bay Bullfrogs (2007)
La Crosse Loggers (2003)
Madison Mallards (2001)
Waterloo Bucks (1995)
Wisconsin (Wausau) Woodchucks (1994)

The entire NWL schedule is available at www.northwoodsleague.com.



October 1, 2007
Slider Wins Award!

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Slider, the team’s mascot, was awarded the “Known Character” Award, as presented by the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau at their inaugural “More than you Know” Awards.

The “Known Character” Award is based on someone or something that “has a personality all its/their own.”

When asked about his reaction to winning this prestigious award, Slider simply smiled!

The RCVB invited the Rochester community to submit nominations for the awards. Winners were then judged by a panel of local media and city officials. A total of 12 Awards were given out.

The “More Than You Know” Awards are part of the second phase of the RCVB’s Rah Rah Rochester campaign, a marketing initiative created to spark a sense of energy and spirit throughout the Rochester community. The campaign has fostered support of Rochester’s tourism industry and is focused on exposing Rochester residents, visitors and potential businesses to all that Rochester has to offer. The “More Than You Know” Awards highlighted many different “greats” of Rochester, from its friendly residents and growing businesses to its beautiful views and trendsetting entertainment!

 



Spetember 14, 2007
Plourde to Pilot Honkers in 2008!

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today Jason Plourde (pronounced Plored), Assistant Coach at Fort Hays State (KS), as their Field Manager for the 2008 season. Plourde becomes the Honkers 7th field manager in team history.

“I'm grateful to the Honkers for giving me the opportunity to be the field manager for the 2008 season,” said Plourde. “They have a great track record in the best summer collegiate baseball league in the nation. I look forward to working with both Dan and Kim and the rest of the Honkers staff.”

Plourde comes to the Honkers with five years of summer collegiate coaching experience. He spent the last two summers as the Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach with the Fayetteville SwampDogs in the Coastal Plain League. Under his guidance, the 2007 Swampdogs became the single-season winningest team in CPL history. The SwampDogs won a record 42 games (42-14) and posted the second best team ERA (3.04). The 2006 SwampDogs won a record 39 games (39-12) and led the league with a team ERA of 2.12.

“I had a great time in the Coastal Plain League, and our teams did some special things,” said Plourde. “I look for the 2008 Honkers doing some special things as well and look to bring a 5th NWL Championship to the wonderful fans of Rochester!”

Plourde is no stranger to the Northwoods League. He spent the 2003 & 2004 summers with the Madison Mallards as their pitching coach. The Mallards won the 2004 NWL Championship and led the league in team ERA.

“Jason brings a vast amount of experience to our coaching staff next summer,” said Honkers General Manager, Dan Litzinger. “He has teamed up the last five years with one of the most successful field managers in the NWL, Darrell Handlesman. Look for an exciting summer!”

lourde was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Glendale Community College in California before joining Fort Hays in 2006. Prior to Glendale, he was the pitching coach at Los Angeles Valley College from 2000-2004.

As a player, Plourde played baseball at LA Valley College where he was an Academic All Western State Conference player in 1998 & 1999. He graduated from Cal State Northridge in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology-Secondary Physical Education. He then received his master’s degree in Physical Education from Azusa Pacific University in 2004.

 



August 12 , 2007
Robertson, Martin, and Hoisington earn post-season accolades

(Rochester, MN)– Prior to Sunday’s 6-3 victory in the season finale over the La Crosse Loggers, the Rochester Honkers announced their team award winners for 2007. The team named the Most Inspirational Player, the Pitcher of the Year, and the Honker of the Year.

Pitcher Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) was named as the Most Inspirational Player of 2007. Robertson made every scheduled start for the Honkers this season despite traveling back and forth to visit his younger sister, Hannah, at the hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. Hannah, who is 16, had a heart transplant when she was 14 and has since had to make periodical hospital stays because of her weakened immune system. Robertson thrived as a starter for the Honkers while coping with his family situation. Robertson finished the season with a 6-4 record and 74 strikeouts in 68.1 innings, including six strikeouts in a winning effort on Sunday afternoon.

The 2007 Pitcher of the Year was Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro). In his first year with the Honkers, Martin compiled a team-high eight wins on his way to an 8-2 overall record. Martin logged more innings than any other Honker on the staff (73.1) and struck out 50 batters. Martin started in all but one of his 12 appearances, and gave up only one homer on the season, the lowest of any regular Honkers starter.

Drew Hoisington (Toledo) took home the 2007 Honker of the Year award. Hoisington was a catalyst for the Honker offense all season, and led the team in nearly every offensive category. Going into Sunday’s game, Hoisington led the team in batting average (.290) and slugging percentage (.498). He finished the season tied for first on the team in home runs (9), and first in RBI (41), hits (65), extra-base hits (25), and stolen bases (14). Besides his offensive prowess, Hoisington was also one of the most feared defensive center fielders in the league, making a handful of great catches and compiling numerous outfield assists.


August 12 , 2007
Honkers break team home run record

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– Craig Lutes picked a great time to hit his first home run of the season. With two on and two out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Lutes took a delivery from Evan Buhr over the fence in right field to give the Honkers 56 homers on the season, a new team record. Lutes finished the game 2-4 with a double and two RBI to lead the Honkers to a 6-3 win over the La Crosse Loggers (10-25, 27-41) in the final game of the season on Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field.

The home run from Lutes helped the Honkers (14-18, 32-34) surpass the old team record of 55 set in 1999. Rochester finished the season three shy of the Northwoods League (NWL) record, which is 59 set by St. Cloud in 1997.

Zach Robertson gave the Honkers his usual solid performance on the mound, going 6.2 innings and surrendering only one run. Robertson (6-4) struck out six and gave up one hit. He did throw two wild pitches, one of which permitted Dan Chmura to score the first run for La Crosse, making the score 3-1. Mike Morrison pitched the final 2.1 innings, striking out five and giving up to runs to earn the save (6).

The Honkers got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to RBI doubles from Aaron Senne, Brett Featherston, and Lutes. The first three runs of the game came off Loggers starter Randy Johnson (0-2), who went six innings and allowed three runs off nine hits. William Bowman was the biggest producer for La Crosse on the day, going 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Trailing 6-1, Bowman hit a solo shot in the eighth and lined a run scoring single in the ninth that made the score 6-3.

Senne finished the game 2-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. In his final game as a Honker, Featherston went 1-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.


August 11 , 2007
Loggers topple Honkers in home finale

Box Score

(La Crosse, WI)– The La Crosse Loggers shut out the Rochester Honkers for the first seven innings on Saturday night while building a 4-0 lead in the process. The Honkers (13-18, 31-34) salvaged two runs in the eighth inning, but it was too little too late as the Loggers (10-24, 27-40) ended their home schedule with a 4-2 victory at Copeland Park.

Joe Southers drove in the only two runs of the night for Rochester with a two-RBI double in the top of the eighth off Loggers reliever Jordan Herbert. Southers’ hit came with two out in the inning and drove in Derek Norris and Brett Featherston. Norris was hit by a pitch and Featherston reached on a walk.

The Loggers picked up their first two runs of the night in the third inning off Honkers starter Ryan Hill. Spencer Lucian doubled to drive in the first run and Eric Thames made the score 2-0 after his sacrifice fly scored Lucian. They got another run in the sixth after Honkers reliever Ryan Kussmaul walked Gabe Shultz with the bases loaded. The final run for La Crosse came in the next inning, as Trevor Coleman came up with a two-out, RBI single to score Thames.

Thames led the Loggers at the plate, finishing the night 3-3 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Trevor Coleman also had three hits, going 3-4 with an RBI. Wade Kapteyn (1-0) chalked his first win of the season, holding the Honkers to two hits in six innings. He struck out six batters. Don Erdall pitched a scoreless ninth and fanned two to earn his second save in a row and his 14th of the season.

Hill (1-4) suffered the loss for Rochester, as he gave up two runs off four hits in five innings on the rubber. Kussmaul also gave up four hits and two runs while pitching the sixth and seventh innings. Both had four strikeouts.

Southers and Eric Gruhlke were the only Honkers to record hits in the game. Southers went 2-3 with two RBI and Gruhlke was 2-4.

The Honkers will return to Mayo Field on Sunday for the final game of the 2007 season after dropping two in a row to the Loggers at Copeland Park. The Honkers will face the Loggers for the fourth straight game, with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown out at 3:05 p.m.


August 11 , 2007
Hoisington, Martin recognized as post-season all-stars

(Rochester, MN)– The Northwoods League (NWL) announced the members of the 2007 Post-Season All-Star Team and post-season award winners on Saturday. The Rochester Honkers were represented by two players on the All-Star Team. Pitcher Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro) and center fielder Drew Hoisington (Toledo) received the post-season honor. Both were members of the NWL Mid-Season All-Star Team as well.

Going into Saturday night’s game against La Crosse, Hoisington leads the team in batting average (.295), slugging percentage (.507), RBI (41), home runs (9), doubles (13), triples (3), runs (36), hits (64), and stolen bases (13). He is tied for first in the NWL in home runs, third in RBI, fourth in slugging percentage and second in extra-base hits (25).

Martin, a right-handed starter, is currently tied for the NWL-lead in wins (8), and has the eighth best ERA of pitchers who have thrown at least 52 innings (2.09). Martin compiled a record of 8-2 and started in 11 of his 12 appearances. He struck out 50 batters and walked 31 on the year and gave up only one home run. He logged more innings than any other Honker pitcher this season (73.1). With only one game remaining after Saturday, Martin will not make another start before season’s end.

Pitcher Kole Calhoun (Eau Claire) and outfielder Daniel Robertson (Green Bay) were selected as co-MVPs of the league. Green Bay’s field manager, Elliot Strankman, was named the 2007 Manager of the Year while Chandler Rose (Alexandria) was the coach of the year.


August 10 , 2007
Loggers squeeze out win over Honkers

Box Score

(La Crosse, WI)– The La Crosse Loggers got their only run of the night on an RBI bunt by Troy Hanzawa in the seventh inning, but it was enough to take a 1-0 victory of the Rochester Honkers at La Crosse on Friday night. The loss ends a four-game winning streak for the Honkers (13-17, 31-33), while La Crosse (9-24, 26-40) ends their losing streak at six games.

Hanzawa drove in the winning run with runners on second and third and one out in the seventh. Sean Finn (1-7) gave up the run, the only he gave up in relief of starter Dave Sever while pitching the seventh and eighth innings. Sever didn’t allow a run in six innings and gave up only four hits. He struck out three and walked one in the no-decision.

Aaron Dott (2-2) earned the win in seven innings for the Loggers. He didn’t give up a run, allowed only two hits and struck out four. Dott did issue six free passes, but the Honkers failed to capitalize. Don Erdall came out of the bullpen in the ninth inning to shut down the Honkers and notch his 13th save of the season.

Spencer Lucian went 2-2 in the La Crosse victory. Derek Norris came away with two of the three Honker hits, ending the game 2-4. Joe Southers had the other hit for the Honkers, who will finish their two-game road series with La Crosse tomorrow night at 7:05.


August 9 , 2007
Honkers take fourth game in a row

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers came back from an early two-run deficit and made just enough plays to take a 3-2 victory over the La Crosse Loggers on Thursday night at Mayo Field. The pitching staff for the Honkers (13-16, 31-32) struck out 14 batters and allowed only three hits. Rochester got a clutch RBI single from Joe Southers in the sixth to score the winning run. The Loggers (8-24, 25-40) have now dropped six games in a row.

Craig Fritsch (5-1) took the win for the Honkers in six innings on the hill. He struck out 10 and allowed only two hits. One of those hits was a two-run homer off the bat of Matt Lenski in the top of the second inning, which proved to be the only run production for the Loggers on the evening. Fritsch didn’t allow a hit and struck out nine after Lenski’s blast.

Trailing the game 2-0, Aaron Senne came away with an RBI in the third and the fifth innings without even getting the ball out of the infield. In the third he grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Southers, and in the fifth he got an infield single to bring home Jacob Spaeth. Spaeth singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a passed ball.

The Honkers kept themselves in position to win the game with two stellar defensive plays. With the bases loaded and two out in the top of the sixth, first baseman Brett Featherston made a diving stop on a ground ball by Matt Lenski and flipped to Fritsch covering first to get out of the inning. In the eighth, Troy Hanzawa led off the inning with a single and advanced to third with only one out in the inning. With the infield drawn in, shortstop David Flores laid out to catch a low line drive hit by Trevor Coleman to keep Hanzawa from advancing. Ryan Kussmaul, pitching in relief of Fritsch, struck out Sawyer Carroll to end the inning.

Mike Morrison came out of the bullpen and shut down the Loggers in the ninth. He earned his fifth save of the year as he retired La Crosse in order, striking out two. Jessie Van Brunt took the loss for the Loggers, giving up the game winning RBI from Southers. Southers ended the game 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Senne was 1-3 with two RBI and Spaeth was 1-3 with a run scored and stolen base.

The Honkers have now won four games in a row and six of their last seven. They have three games remaining, all of which are against the Loggers. The second game of the series will be on Friday night, when Rochester travels to La Crosse for a 7:05 p.m. game.


August 8 , 2007
Honkers tie team record for homers in a season

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– Drew Hoisington hit his ninth home run and the team’s 55th of the season, which puts them in a tie for the team record of most home runs hit in a season. Hoisington finished the game 2-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored to lead the Honkers (12-16, 30-32) in a 5-2 victory over the Alexandria Beetles (15-15, 33-31) on Wednesday night at Mayo Field.

The Rochester team record for home runs in a season was initially set by the 1999 Honkers. This year’s squad has four games left to set a new mark. They are also chasing the Northwoods League (NWL) record for home runs in a season (59), which was set by the St. Cloud River Bats in 1997.

The Honkers trailed 1-0 in the game before they scored three unanswered runs to take a lead they would not surrender. Hoisington’s homer got Rochester on the board in the third before they took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. Derek Norris picked up his 11th RBI against Alexandria this season with a single that scored David Flores to start the inning. Jacob Spaeth finished the scoring in the inning when he recorded his first RBI of the season on a single that allowed Norris to score.

The Beetles pulled to within one when Keith Castillo hit a sac fly that scored Victor Sanchez in the sixth. Relief pitcher Tim Radmacher got out of a two-on, one-out jam by retiring Blake Murphy and Jeff Tezak to end the Alexandria threat. The Honkers added insurance runs in the eighth after Craig Lutes scored on a throwing error and Hoisington recorded a run-scoring double for his second and final RBI of the night.

Tim Scott (1-2) got the win in his first start for the Honkers. He went five innings and surrendered only one run on three hits. Radmacher had one of his best outings of the year, as he went two innings and gave up two hits and one run. Radmacher set up Reed Woytek for his team-leading fifth save of the year. Robert Dickmann (3-2) took the loss in 4.1 innings on the mound. He gave up seven hits and three runs. Sanchez went 1-2 with a run scored and an RBI for the Beetles in the loss.

The Honkers swept the season series with the Beetles, taking all eight games. The season sweep of the Beetles is only the third time in NWL history that one team has defeated a division opponent in all eight games.

The Honkers will finish their four-game home-stand on Thursday night when they host the La Crosse Loggers at Mayo Field. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m.


August 7 , 2007
Featherston homers again in Honker win

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– Brett Featherston connected on a home run in his third consecutive game as the Rochester Honkers defeated the Alexandria Beetles
5-2 at Mayo Field on Tuesday night. Featherston finished the game 2-4 with two RBI to lead the Honkers (11-16, 29-32) to their fourth win in five games. The Beetles (15-14, 33-30) have not defeated the Honkers in seven tries this season.

Zach Robertson put in another strong performance on the mound, going six innings and striking out 10 batters. Robertson (5-4) allowed six hits and gave up only two runs, as his team-leading strikeout total moves to 68. Sean Finn pitched the final three innings to earn the save (2). He didn’t allow a hit and struck out five. Andrew Robinson (5-4) took the loss for the Beetles, as he went seven innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on nine hits.

The Honkers got off to a hot start in the game, scoring two runs in the first thanks to RBI doubles by Featherston and Brian Spear. Featherston’s solo homer in the third inning gave the Honkers a 3-0 lead before the Beetles could get on the board. They scored for the first time in the fifth when Jeff Tezak came home on a wild pitch. Alexandria cut the lead to 3-2 when Andrew Robinson, the starting pitcher for the Beetles, singled to bring home Blake Murphy. Robinson, who had not stepped to the plate all season, finished the game 2-3 with an RBI.

The Honkers held the slim 3-2 lead until they came away with four hits and two runs in the eighth; one scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Eric Gruhlke and the other on a wild pitch from Ben Jenzen. The 5-2 lead was more than enough for Finn, who retired the Beetles in order in the ninth.

Brian Spear and Craig Lutes each went 3-4 on the night, combining to make up half of the team’s total hits. Robinson was the only player to have multiple hits for the Beetles, who came away with only six all night. The Honkers will try to sweep the season series with the Beetles when the two teams meet for the final time on Wednesday night at Mayo Field. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m.


August 6 , 2007
Honkers notch third straight one-run win

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– Brett Featherston hit his second home run in as many games and Greg Martin picked up his eighth win of the year as the Rochester Honkers defeated the Mankato MoonDogs 3-2 at Mayo Field on Monday night. After starting out the year 5-17 in one-run games, the Honkers (10-16, 28-32) have won three consecutive one-run decisions. The loss ends a two game winning streak for the MoonDogs (14-13, 31-30).

With the game tied at 1-1, Featherston led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, his seventh of the season. Shaver Hansen drove in what would be the winning run in the sixth, when his sacrifice fly brought home David Flores to give the Honkers a two-run cushion, 3-1. Mankato came up with a run by way of a throwing error by catcher Derek Norris that allowed Ben Geelan to score in the seventh, cutting the Honker lead to 3-2. The MoonDogs would get no closer, as Reed Woytek held them scoreless in the eighth and Mike Morrison struck out the side in the ninth to earn the save (4).

The Honker pitching staff was lights-out all night, retiring 11 MoonDogs on strikes. Martin (8-2) got off of the seven win mark in his third attempt since getting out to a 7-0 start. He went six innings, struck out five and gave up one run. He spread out seven hits and was helped by a pair of clutch 6-4-3 double plays that ended the fourth and fifth innings. Reed Woytek pitched two innings and gave up a hit and run (unearned) while striking out three to set up Morrison’s save.

David Flores went 2-4 and scored a run to lead the Honkers. Featherston was 1-3 with one RBI and a run scored, while Drew Hoisington chipped in with an RBI of his own. Sean Nicol and James Kiethly each went 2-4 for the MoonDogs and Mike Lobacz recorded the team’s only RBI. Chris Bennet (2-1) took the loss for Mankato, as he went six innings while giving up five hits and three runs (two earned).

Despite the victory on Monday, the Honkers drop the season series with the MoonDogs, 5-3. The Honkers will open up a two-game set with the Alexandria Beetles at Mayo Field starting Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.


August 5 , 2007
Honkers hit 52nd home run in loss

Box Score

(Mankato, MN)– The Rochester Honkers spotted the Mankato MoonDogs five runs on Sunday night, as Mankato notched a 5-2 win at Franklin Rogers Park. The Honkers (9-16, 27-32) had their winning streak stopped at two games by the MoonDogs (14-12, 31-29), who won their second straight contest.

Brett Featherston provided the only offensive firepower for the Honkers on the night when he belted his sixth home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning. Featherston’s round-tripper brought Brian Spear around to score as Rochester cut into the Mankato lead, making the tally 5-2. The home run brings Rochester’s season total to 52, which is three shy of tying the team record and seven short of the Northwoods League (NWL) record. Joe Southers had a chance to bring the Honkers closer when he came up with the bases loaded in the eighth, but he could not repeat the heroics he displayed in the past two Rochester victories; he grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.

The MoonDogs got a two-run homer of their own in the bottom of the fifth. Alan Oaks’ third home run of the year made the score 5-0 MoonDogs. Sean Nicol drove in a run on a double in the second inning and Adam Abraham connected on a run-scoring single in the third. Abraham would eventually score in the same inning on an error by Honkers center fielder Drew Hoisington after Ben Geelan recorded a single.

The highlight of the game may have come in the fourth inning. With runners at first and second and nobody out, the MoonDogs pulled off one of the rarest feats in baseball: a triple play. Southers grounded out 4-6-3 for the first two outs, and Shaver Hansen (who was on second to start the play) was the third victim when he was tagged out by the shortstop Nicol after getting caught in a run-down between third base and home plate.

Danny Keefe had a no-decision in the start for Mankato, going four innings and giving up three hits. Jordan Tiegs (3-6) took the win in a two-inning relief appearance, surrendering Rochester’s only two runs. Chad Dawson got two strikeouts and walked one to finish the Honkers in the ninth, increasing his save total to 17, which leads the NWL. At the plate, Nicol went 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Abraham was also 2-4, scoring two runs and knocking in another.

Ryan Hill (1-3) suffered the loss for the Honkers. He gave up five runs (four earned) and six hits in five innings on the hill. He also walked four batters. Ryan Kussmaul and Sean Finn pitched effectively in relief of Hill, as neither gave up a run. Kussmaul went two innings and struck out two while Finn retired Mankato in order in the eighth. Featherston’s home run was his only official at-bat on the night; he ended the game 1-1 with a home run, two walks, and was hit by a pitch.

The Honkers will return home to the friendly confines of Mayo Field in Rochester on Monday night, where they will face the MoonDogs in the final game of the two-game set. The 7:05 p.m. match-up will be the last time the two teams meet this season, as Mankato currently holds a 5-2 advantage over Rochester.


August 4 , 2007
Waterlogged

(Rochester, MN)– Saturday night’s game between the Rochester Honkers (9-15, 27-31) and the Waterloo Bucks (10-15, 25-34) was cancelled due to unplayable field conditions.

Storm clouds were settled over Rochester for a majority of the day, finally subsiding at around 5:30 p.m. With the skies appearing to clear, the original 7:05 p.m. start time was pushed back to 7:30 p.m. However, a new system made its way into the area 30 minutes prior to game time. Sloppy playing conditions and a less-than promising forecast led to the decision to call that game at 8:15 p.m. The game will not be made up, as Saturday’s game was the last scheduled match-up between the Honkers and the Bucks.

The Honkers will get the night off before going back in action on Sunday, when they make the short trip to Mankato for a 6:05 p.m. game with the MoonDogs.


August 3 , 2007
Southers, Hoisington come up big again

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– For the second night in a row Joe Southers and Drew Hoisington combined to provide the winning run and the winning RBI for the Rochester Honkers. Southers doubled to lead off the eighth inning and scored on a sacrifice fly from Hoisington as the Honkers (9-15, 27-31) took a 2-1 victory from the Waterloo Bucks (10-15, 25-34) on Friday night at Mayo Field.

The Honkers, who have won only seven of 24 one-run games this season, have now won two one-run games in a row. In order to preserve a 1-1 tie for a majority of the game, the Honkers utilized three inning-ending double plays, keeping the Bucks off the board. A run-down between third and home in the third inning resulted in a double play when Waterloo’s Mark Pappas got greedy. Pitcher Dave Sever took care of that, as he threw out Pappas at third after tagging out Jeff Whitlow at the plate.

In the fifth inning, the Bucks were in a tailor-made run scoring situation. With Scott Dunwoody at third base and one out, Whitlow sent deep fly ball to right field that was caught by Aaron Senne. As Dunwoody tagged from third, Senne launched a bullet to catcher Derek Norris, who applied the tag before Dunwoody could reach home. The Honkers got their final double play in the seventh inning. Sever had worked himself into a bases-loaded, one-out jam when he got Whitlow to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Sever had one of his best outings of the year, spreading out six hits in seven innings while allowing only one run in the no-decision.

Both teams plated runs in the first inning, but the scoreboard would not light up again until the eighth. Jeff Lanning broke the goose egg for the Bucks when he was credited with an RBI on a ground-out the scored Whitlow in the top of the first. Brian Spear got the Honkers started in the home-half of the first. He brought home Aaron Senne with an RBI single after Senne doubled and stole third.

Reed Woytek (4-2) pitched the final two innings for the Honkers. He allowed only one hit in those two innings on his way to the victory. Josh Rickards did well in his no-decision start for the Bucks, as he allowed only four hits and one run in six innings. Josh Schneider (2-1) took the loss in relief for Waterloo. He gave up four hits and one run in two innings on the hill.

Joe Southers led the Honkers at the plate, going 2-3 with a double and a run scored. Derek Norris was also 2-3 on the night. The Honkers and the Bucks will face off one more time this season, as Mayo Field will be the site for the season finale on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.


August 2 , 2007
Honkers end losing streak in thriller

Box Score

(Battle Creek, MI)– Craig Fritsch turned in his best start of the year as the Rochester Honkers got a much needed win on Thursday night in front of a national television audience on ESPNU. Joe Southers drove in two runs and scored the winning run as part of a three-run eighth inning that propelled the Honkers (8-15, 26-31) over the Battle Creek Bombers (7-16, 22-35) by a final score of 3-2 at C.O. Brown Stadium. The win breaks a franchise-high eight game losing streak for the Honkers in a pitcher’s duel that saw only nine total hits in the game.

Fritsch pitched brilliantly for the Honkers, though for seven innings it looked like he would have nothing to show for it. The Honkers did not record a hit until the seventh inning and didn’t score a run until the eighth. Trailing 1-0, the Honkers finally got on the board when Southers stepped in as a pinch-hitter for Jacob Spaeth. He drove a two-out, two-RBI double into the gap in right-center field off Drew Mahan that scored David Flores and Craig Lutes. Drew Hoisington brought Southers around to score in the next at-bat with a single that gave the Honkers a 3-1 lead. Fritsch (4-1) went seven innings and allowed only one run (unearned) while striking out four in the victory.

Sean Finn followed Fritsch on the hill in the bottom of the eighth. He gave up an RBI ground-out to Tony Sanchez that scored Mike Baillargeon, cutting the Honkers lead to 3-2. With runners at second and third and two outs in the inning, Hoisington saved the game with an amazing defensive play in center field. He made a diving, full-extension grab that robbed John Delaney of extra bases and a pair of RBI to end the inning. Mike Morrison silenced the Bombers in the ninth, as he struck out two to earn his third save of the season.

Through seven-plus innings, Battle Creek starter Eric Pettis was perfect. He retired the Honkers in order until Aaron Senne singled off of first base with two outs in the seventh inning. Pettis ended the game having struck out 10 batters in 7.2 innings while giving up three runs (all earned) on three hits. No Honker recorded more than one hit on the night, although Southers finished the game 1-1 with two RBI and a run scored. Tyler Hoechlin drove in the first run for the Bombers in the third inning.

The Honkers defeated the Bombers for the first and last time all season, as Battle Creek takes the season series 3-1. The Honkers return home to Mayo Field on Friday when they host the Waterloo Bucks at 7:05 p.m.


August 1 , 2007
Battle Creek drops bomb on Rochester

Box Score

(Battle Creek, MI)– The Battle Creek Bombers abused the Rochester Honkers pitching staff on Wednesday night, compiling 10 runs and 17 hits in a 10-3 victory at C.O. Brown Stadium. The win snaps a four-game losing streak for Battle Creek (7-15, 22-34) while the loss extends the Rochester (7-15, 25-31) drought to eight games.

The Bombers scored their runs in bunches, putting up three in the fourth, three in the fifth, and four in the seventh. Sean Madigan went 4-5, Tony Asaro had a triple, two RBI and scored two runs, John Lee went 1-3 with two RBI and Clay Sartain had a pair of RBI to lead the Bombers. Jimmy Tanner, John Delaney and Mike Baillargeon each added an RBI to the total.

The Honkers held a 2-0 lead in the game after David Flores knocked in runs in the first and third innings. The Bombers took a 3-2 lead following the fourth before Derek Norris hit a run scoring single to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth. Delaney recorded what was essentially the winning run with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to give the Bombers a 4-3 lead.

Tim Radmacher (1-2) suffered the loss after going four-plus innings in his first start of the season. He gave up six runs (all earned) on 11 hits, issuing one walk and striking out one batter. Tim Scott replaced Radmacher on the Hill, surrendering four runs (two earned) on six hits in three innings. Mike Morrison pitched a scoreless eighth for the Honkers.

J.D. Haver (1-1) got the win for the Bombers. He went 5.2 innings, gave up six hits, allowed three runs, struck out three and walked seven. Matt Bowar notched his first save of the season in 3.1 innings of hitless ball, striking out two in the process. Brian Spear did not record an official at-bat on the night, as he was walked five times for the Honkers.

The Honkers have yet to defeat the Bombers in three tries this season. Thursday night will be their last chance to pick up a win over the expansion team, with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, the third Northwoods League game this season picked up by the ESPN affiliate.


August 1 , 2007
Honkers "Watch Party" at Buffalo Wild Wings

(Rochester, MN)– All Honkers fans are invited to attend the first Honkers “Watch Party” to be held at Buffalo Wild Wings on Thursday, August 2 at 7:05 p.m. The Honkers will be making their national television debut on ESPNU, as they take on the Battle Creek Bombers in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Buffalo Wild Wings will be hosting the “Watch Party” and will be showing the game on their big screen television. Fans will get a chance to gather with other Honkers fans and have the opportunity to win two passes to the Fox47 Sports Deck when the Honkers host the La Crosse Loggers on Sunday, August 12 at 3:05 p.m. The passes will be given to the best-dressed Honkers fan.

Don’t miss the chance to see your four-time Northwoods League (NWL) Champions at Buffalo Wild Wings with the rest of the Honkers faithful on ESPNU!


August 1 , 2007
Honkers on ESPNU

(Rochester, MN)– Your next chance to watch Northwoods League Baseball on national television is this Thursday, August 2nd when the Rochester Honkers visit the Battle Creek Bombers at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan. Game time is set for 8:05 PM Eastern (7:05 PM Central). Clay Matvick and Keith Moreland will return as the broadcast team for the third consecutive game.

The Rochester Honkers are one of two original teams in the Northwoods League that remain playing in the league’s 14th season. The Battle Creek Bombers are one of two expansion teams that began play at the start of the 2007 season. The Green Bay Bullfrogs also joined the NWL this year and the Wisconsin (Wausau) Woodchucks are the other team that was around during the league’s inception in 1994. Thursday’s game will be third and final nationally televised Northwoods League game for the 2007 season.

Directly preceding the game broadcast on ESPNU is “Northwoods Baseball Weekly”. This week’s episode features the Battle Creek Bombers and the La Crosse Loggers from a two-game series played last week in Battle Creek. The weekly show gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the day in the life of those involved in the Northwoods League. The show will begin at 7:30 PM Eastern (6:30 PM Central) and lead into the start of the game broadcast. ESPNU is available on DirecTV Channel 609, Dish Network Channel 148, and some cable companies.

The Northwoods League plays more games, draws more fans, and plays in better venues than any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The league had 119 of its current players or alumni taken in June's Major League Baseball amateur draft and 86 of those players are now competing professionally along with hundreds of other NWL alumni.


July 31, 2007
Big hits escape Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– Jason Christian drove in the only run of the game in the fourth inning, as the Mankato MoonDogs topped the Rochester Honkers 1-0 in Rochester on Tuesday night. MoonDogs starter Danny Keefe (5-2) stifled the Honkers lineup with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Mankato (10-11, 27-28) sweeps the two-game series with the Honkers (7-14, 25-30), who have now dropped seven straight games.

Zach Robertson (4-4) put in a gutsy performance for the Honkers. He threw a total of 127 pitches in seven innings and struck out six, while spreading out eight hits and allowing only one run. In his last inning on the mound, Robertson issued a pair of walks and gave up a single to Ben Geelan, loading the bases. With the little gas he had left in his tank, Robertson struck out Alan Oaks swinging to keep the Mankato lead at the slimmest of margins.

Although the Honkers were out-hit by the MoonDogs 9-5, Rochester was not without opportunities. Aaron Senne and Shaver Hansen led off the sixth and seventh innings with doubles, respectively, but neither was able to score. Senne made it to third before being stranded and Hansen could not move beyond second base. The Honkers stranded a total of 10 base runners on the night; five of them were in scoring position.

The Honkers threatened one last time in the ninth. Hansen led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Southers. MoonDogs closer Chad Dawson got out of the inning when he struck out both Eric Gruhlke and Drew Hoisington to end the game. Dawson’s save (14) ties him for the Northwoods League (NWL) lead and was his second-straight of the series.

The Honkers will travel to Battle Creek on Wednesday to start a two game set with the Bombers. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 6:05 p.m. CDT, 7:05 p.m. EST.


July 30, 2007
Offensive woes continue in loss at Mankato

Box Score

(Mankato, MN)– The Rochester Honkers (7-13, 25-29) could only produce one run on Monday night, as they came up short in their sixth straight game. Garett Claypool picked up his first win of the season and James Keithley scored three times as the Mankato MoonDogs (9-12, 26-28) defeated the Honkers 3-1 at Franklin Rogers Park.

The Honkers got their first and only run of the game when David Flores took MoonDog reliever Adam Abraham deep with two outs in the seventh inning, making the score 2-1. The long ball is the fourth for Flores this season, and number 51 for the Honkers as a team. The Honkers’ record for home runs in a year is 55 (1999) while the Northwoods League (NWL) record is 59 (St. Cloud, 1997).

The lone homer was not quite enough run production for Honkers starter Greg Martin. He did put in a solid performance despite the lack of runs, going 7.1 innings while striking out eight in the loss. Martin (7-2) gave up four hits and three runs (two earned).

Abraham brought Keithley home on an RBI double in the fourth inning for the first run of the game, giving the MoonDogs a 1-0 advantage. Keithley scored two more times in the game, both as a result of sacrifice flies. Sean Nicol brought him home in the sixth to make the score 2-0, and Nate Hanson did the same in the seventh, making the score 3-1 Mankato. Keithley went 2-2 with a pair of walks on the night.

The Honkers did have chances to put up more runs, but couldn’t capitalize. In the top of the fifth, Drew Hoisington led off with a double; as the inning ended, however, he found himself stranded at third. Hoisington ended the game 2-3 with a double and two walks. In the top of the sixth, the Honkers loaded the bases but came away empty handed when pinch-hitter Brian Spear grounded into a fielder’s choice. The game also ended with Spear at the plate and two runners aboard, as he flew out deep to right field.

Chad Dawson made things interesting in the ninth after a hit batter and a walk, but he struck out two and got out of the inning unharmed to earn the save (13) for Mankato. Claypool (1-1) allowed only three hits and struck out nine in 6.1 innings for the win. The MoonDogs, who lead the season series with the Honkers 3-2, will make the trip to Rochester on Tuesday to finish the two-game set. The game will start at 7:05 p.m. at Rochester’s Mayo Field.


July 28, 2007
Honkers come back, still come up short

Box Score

(Thunder Bay, ON)– The Rochester Honkers (7-12, 25-28) erased a four-run deficit against the Thunder Bay Border Cats (8-12, 21-33) on Saturday night, only to give up the winning run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning. The 5-4 loss is their fifth in a row. Two of Thunder Bay’s five runs came as a result of wild pitches.

Aaron Senne hit his Northwoods League-leading ninth homer of the year with a two-run blast in top of the seventh inning that tied the game at 4-4. The other two Honkers runs came in the sixth inning, as Brian Spear hit an RBI double and David Flores knocked in a run with a single.

Thunder Bay recorded the first four runs of the game in the first two innings. Nathan Faulkner scored the first run on a wild pitch by Honkers starter Ryan Hill. Chris Curley and Kyle Dudley gave the Border Cats a 3-0 advantage when each recorded RBI singles to close out the first inning. Steven Boldt made the Border Cat lead 4-0 in the second when he scored after Ryan Hill picked off a base runner that gave him just enough time to cross the plate.

With the game tied at 4-4 going into the eighth, Ryan Kussmaul entered the game out of the Honkers’ bullpen. He issued a walk to Dudley, who advanced to second one batter later on a sacrifice bunt. A passed ball charged to the catcher, Spear, moved Dudley to third base. A wild pitch from Kussmaul brought Dudley home to score the winning run for Thunder Bay.

Josh Moffitt picked up his second save of the series (5) when he struck out the side in the ninth. Ryan Ackland (1-1) earned the win in a relief appearance for Thunder Bay. He gave up two runs (both earned) off three hits and walked a batter in two innings of work. The loss was charged to Kussmaul (0-2), who could only go 0.2 innings while surrendering one run (unearned) off one hit and a walk.

Neither starter had a decision in the game. Matt Fields went six innings, struck out six and allowed two runs for the Border Cats. The six strikeouts for Fields gives him 28 on the year against the Honkers. Ryan Hill gave up four runs (two earned), seven hits, and three walks in five innings for the Honkers.

The loss continues a disturbing trend in close games for the Honkers; they are 5-16 in one-run games and 1-9 when the score is tied after seven innings. Rochester has a day off on Sunday to re-group before taking on the Mankato MoonDogs on Monday in Mankato at 7:05 p.m.


July 27, 2007
Honkers lose early lead

Box Score

(Thunder Bay, ON)– The Rochester Honkers (7-11, 25-27) dropped their fourth straight game on Friday night after building an early 3-0 lead. The Thunder Bay Border Cats (7-12, 20-33) scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning to erase a three-run deficit and take the game, 4-3. Neither team scored after the second inning.

Things looked good early for the Honkers. Drew Hoisington tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the first inning that scored Sam Testa to give the Honkers a 1-0 lead. Rochester extended their lead in the top of the second inning after Testa singled to score Craig Lutes and Aaron Senne knocked in a base hit that brought home Jacob Spaeth. After one and half innings, the Honkers led 3-0.

The momentum switched in the home half of the second. After a pair of walks from Honkers starter Dave Sever, Kyle Dudley notched an RBI double that brought Brandon McCall around to score. Then, with the bases loaded and Thunder Bay trailing 3-1, Gabe Marchant belted a bases-clearing triple that brought home three runs to give the Border Cats a lead they would not surrender.

The Honkers’ pitching staff recorded 10 strikeouts on the night. Sever (2-5), who took the loss, struck out six, Sean Finn struck out one, Tim Scott added one, and Mike Morrison got two Border Cats out on strikes. Sever went five innings and allowed four runs (all earned) on four hits. He also walked four batters. For Thunder Bay, Steven Vasquez (3-0) went five innings and gave up three runs off four hits in the winning effort. Josh Moffitt struck out two batters in the ninth on his way to his fourth save of the season.

The Honkers will try to break their four-game losing streak tomorrow night when they face the Border Cats for the last time this season. The game will begin at 6:05 p.m. CDT. The Honkers currently lead the season series, 4-3.


July 27, 2007
Dorado to negotiate contract

(Rochester, MN)– Reyes Dorado, a starting pitcher for the Rochester Honkers, will be returning home to California for the remainder of the summer to negotiate a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates Organization. The Pirates selected Dorado with the 1,349th pick in the 46th round of the 2007 MLB First Year Player Draft.

The sophomore, who completed his sophomore season at Riverside Community College (CA) this spring, didn’t sign with the Honkers until July 3. He had played in only four games for the team in 2007, starting all of them. Dorado solidified himself in the starting rotation, putting together a 2-1 record with a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings pitched. Dorado had his best outing in a July 19 contest against the St. Cloud River Bats. He went six innings, struck out five, and gave up two runs (one earned) on only three hits.

“Dorado was a quality arm in our starting rotation,” Coach Brett Lindgren said. “We knew that he would give us six strong innings no matter how he was feeling.”

Dorado is the third player the Honkers have lost this year due to professional signings or negotiations. Efren Navarro, Jr. left the team on June 25 to sign with a minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Jareck West departed on July 1 to sign with a minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.

“The team will miss Reyes,” Lindgren said. “He made a positive impact both on and off the field, and the Honkers wish him the best in the negotiation process.”


July 26, 2007
Honkers and River Bats rained out after first

(Rochester, MN)– Thursday night’s game between the Rochester Honkers (7-10, 25-26) and the St. Cloud River Bats (7-10, 28-23) was called due to unplayable field conditions following a one hour and 26 minute rain delay that began after one inning had been completed. The game, which was the last between the two teams this season, will not be rescheduled.

The River Bats take the season series with the Honkers, 4-3.

The Honkers were leading the game 1-0 after a lead-off blast by Sam Testa went over the scoreboard in right field. As the teams were warming up for the second inning, the winds picked up and the rains came down. The delay started at 7:32 p.m. and the game was called at 8:58 p.m.

The Honkers will pack their bags and head north early on Friday morning to open up a two-game series with the Thunder Bay Border Cats. The first game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. CDT on Friday.


July 25, 2007
Honkers drop third straight

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers (7-10, 25-26) rallied with three runs in the seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough to get past the St. Cloud River Bats (7-10, 28-23) on Wednesday night. The River Bats took an early 5-1 lead and would hold on for a 5-4 victory, increasing the Honkers’ losing streak to three while snapping a three game skid of their own. The loss drops Rochester’s record in one-run games to 5-14.

Jeff Hulett hit a solo home run in the top of the second inning off Honkers starter Reyes Dorado to start the scoring for St. Cloud. He picked up another RBI by way of a single in the third inning as part of a two-run inning that would give the River Bats a 3-0 lead. The other run scored because of an error by catcher Derek Norris, when he dropped a throw from Craig Lutes on a play at the plate.

St. Cloud picked up another run in the fifth inning when Adam Yeager drew a bases loaded walk, making the score 4-0 River Bats. The Honkers got on the board for the first time in the sixth inning when Brian Spear hit a pop-up to right field that Hulett lost in the night sky. As the ball dropped to the grass, Aaron Senne came all the way around to score from first, making the score 4-1.

After allowing a fifth run to score in the top of the seventh, the Honkers rallied in the home half. River Bats starter Kurtis Frymier walked a pair and Jacob Spaeth reached on a fielder’s choice that permitted Derek Norris to reach second safely due to a St. Cloud error. With the bases loaded, the River Bats went to the bullpen and Sean Wideberg. The next batter, Aaron Senne, fell in the count 0-2 to Wideberg before battling back and earning a walk that scored Norris. Brian Spear then came through with two-RBI single that scored Spaeth and Sam Testa.

Trailing 5-4, the Honkers took the momentum they gained in the seventh into the eighth. David Flores led off the inning with a single and Norris was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with no out for the Honkers. Following Norris’ trip to first, the River Bats went to their closer, Ryan Wrobel, to get them out of the jam. After a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Drew Hoisington moved the runners to second and third, he did just what he was sent to do. Both Shaver Hansen and Spaeth went down on strikes to end the threat.

Wrobel struck out two more in the ninth and got Spear to fly out to short to end the game. For Wrobel it was his 14th save of the season, as he struck out four and didn’t allow a hit in two innings. Frymier (1-2) got the win, striking out eight and allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits in 6.2 innings. Dorado (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season. He went five innings, allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and walked seven.

Testa went 2-4 and Spear had two RBI to lead the Honkers in the losing cause. Hulett was the main producer for the River Bats, going 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Rochester will host St. Cloud in the finale of the season series on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. The River Bats currently lead the series, 4-3.


July 24, 2007
Honkers lose a pitchers duel

Box Score

(Eau Claire, WI)– Rochester Honkers starting pitcher Zach Robertson and Eau Claire Express starter Shane Dyer went toe-to-toe in a classic pitchers duel on Tuesday night at Eau Claire’s Carson Park. In the end, neither would get a decision as the Express (12-3, 29-20) got a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth from Bryan Frew to defeat the Honkers (7-9, 25-25) by a final of 3-2.

Both pitchers were brilliant, as neither gave up a hit until the sixth inning. In the sixth, the Honkers struck first when Brett Featherston hit a two-RBI double that scored Drew Hoisington and Brian Spear. Featherston ended the game going 1-3 with two RBI, recording Rochester’s only hit of the night.

Trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth, Eau Claire would fight back to even the score. An RBI double by Nick Wichser that scored Jonathan Merritt cut the Rochester lead to 2-1. With Wichser at second, David Caels plated a single to right field. Aaron Senne fielded the single and threw home to try to keep Wichser from scoring the tying run. Senne’s throw was right on, but catcher Joe Southers couldn’t handle the throw and was charged with an error to allow Eau Claire to tie the game, 2-2.

The score would remain 2-2 until the bottom of the ninth, when Honkers reliever Reed Woytek replaced Robertson. Woytek gave up a lead-off single to Bryce Nimmo, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Caels. Frew then recorded a base hit that easily scored Nimmo for the winning run.

Zach Robertson struck out 10 in eight innings of work. He walked only one and gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits. Dyer nearly went the distance for Eau Claire, as he recorded 26 of 27 outs. He went 8.2, struck out six, walked six and allowed only one hit. Woytek (3-2) took the loss for Rochester as he recorded one out in the ninth inning, while Caels (1-0) got the win by getting the last out for Eau Claire.

Eau Claire completed the two-game sweep of the Honkers, and took the season series 3-1. Rochester has lost five of their last seven games as their record falls to 5-13 in one-run games and 1-8 when tied after seven innings. They will try to turn things around when they return to Mayo Field on Wednesday to open a two-game series with the St. Cloud River Bats at 7:05 p.m.


July 23, 2007
Eau Claire hands Martin first loss

Box Score

(Eau Claire, WI)– The Eau Claire Express (11-3, 28-20) scored five runs in the sixth inning to get past the Rochester Honkers (7-8, 25-24) on Monday night in Eau Claire, 6-3. Greg Martin (7-1) was responsible for three of those runs as he suffered his first loss of season.

After giving up a run in the second inning, Martin cruised until the sixth. He recorded two outs before giving up a single, a double, and a walk to load the bases. Martin’s night ended following those three batters, but his final line was not complete. Left-hander Tim Scott came in and issued two walks and threw a wild pitch as three runs scored, all of which were charged to Martin. Another run scored after catcher Derek Norris committed a throwing error following the wild pitch. Kole Calhoun then drove in an RBI to end the big inning for the Express, as they took a 6-3 lead.

The Honkers scored on only one play all evening. Drew Hoisington plated a single that scored two runs in the third inning, and a throwing error from Calhoun in the outfield allowed a third run to cross the plate to give the Honkers a 3-1 lead. The Express scored the first run of the game in the second inning when Bryce Nimmo hit a sacrifice fly off Martin.

Calhoun shut down Rochester in the ninth to earn the save. Wes Simmons (3-2) went eight innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits to get the win. Martin ended up going 5.1 innings in the loss. He allowed four runs off six hits and five walks. Hoisington went 2-4 with two RBI and Sam Testa also went 2-4 for the Honkers. Ian Hollick and Jacob Jefferies each had two hits for the Express and Nimmo had two RBI.

The Honkers will try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Express Tuesday night at Carson Park in Eau Claire. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m. The game will be the last between the Honkers and the Express this year, with Eau Claire currently leading the season series, 2-1.


July 23, 2007
Honkers sign second MATC prospect

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers have announced today the signing of Jacob Spaeth, a 5’8”, 170-pound infielder out of Madison Area Technical College (MATC). The sophomore joins MATC teammate Ryan Kussmaul and future teammates Sean Finn and Ryan hill, as he will attend the University of Dayton in the fall.

Spaeth will play in the infield for the Honkers, although he is capable of playing in the outfield as well. This spring for the Wolfpack, the speedy Spaeth hit .318 in 53 games and led the team in stolen bases (30 in 33 attempts). He also recorded nine doubles, three triples, drove in 36 runs and hit two long balls. Following the departures of shortstop Matt Gaski and third baseman Raynor Campbell, Spaeth will be a big factor in the Honker lineup.

Spaeth comes to the Honkers with previous experience in the Northwoods League (NWL). Last summer, in a stint with the Wisconsin Woodchucks, he played in four games and had two hits, an RBI and a walk. In all four of those games Spaeth served as the left fielder.

The native of West Bend, WI will be in the lineup for the first time on Monday night in Eau Claire. The Honkers open up a two-game set with the Express at 7:05 p.m. Rochester will not be gone for long, as they return to the friendly confines of Mayo Field to host the St. Cloud River Bats on Wednesday, July 25 at 7:05 p.m.


July 22, 2007
Honkers rally in ninth, pick up win

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers (7-7, 25-23) scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to steal a 5-4 victory away from the Thunder Bay Border Cats (5-9, 18-30) on Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field. The Honkers trailed the game 4-1 going into their final at-bat before the Border Cats walked three batters, hit two more and committed an error to help the Honkers avoid a third straight loss.

For eight innings it looked as though the Border Cats had the game well in hand. Sam Testa led off the game with his first home run of the season, giving the Honkers an early 1-0 advantage. They then went scoreless for the next seven innings, surrendering four runs to Thunder Bay in the process.

Terry Goddard picked up two RBI on a bloop single that gave the Border Cats a 2-1 lead in the third inning. They got two more runs in the top of the sixth when Nathan Faulkner took a Ryan Hill delivery deep to left, as the Border Cats took a comfortable 4-1 lead.

Thunder Bay got a solid performance from their starting pitcher, Morgan Carlile. He went seven innings, allowed eight hits and gave up only one run. Dan Zehr followed with a one inning of scoreless pitching before Josh Moffitt came in to close the game out in the ninth. That’s when things went south for the Border Cats.

Moffitt hit Craig Lutes, walked Joe Southers, and gave up a base hit to David Flores to load the bases. He then walked Testa and Aaron Senne, scoring two runs without having recorded an out. With the score 4-3 in favor of Thunder Bay, Ryan Ackland took Moffitt’s place on the mound. Ackland hit Drew Hoisington on his first delivery, allowing Flores to score. With the game tied 4-4, Ackland was able to strike out Brett Featherston to record the first out of the inning. The next batter, Brian Spear, hit a grounder to second baseman Brandon McCall that he could not handle, allowing Testa to score the winning run.

Reed Woytek (3-2) earned the win while Ackland (0-2) took the loss. Testa ended the game going 2-4 with a pair of RBI to lead the Honkers, as both Faulkner and Goddard had two RBI for the Border Cats. Testa’s home run gives the Honkers a total of 49 on the season, which leads the Northwoods League (NWL). The NWL record for home runs in a season is 59, set by St. Cloud in 1997.

There were a few notable absences from the Honkers lineup in Sunday’s game. Third baseman Raynor Campbell and shortstop Matt Gaski will not be with the team for the remainder of the season. Campbell suffered a knee injury that will keep him out of action, while Gaski is going home for family reasons. Rochester will be in action next on Monday, when they travel to Eau Claire to take on the Express in a two game series that is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m.


July 21, 2007
Honkers one-hit in loss to Border Cats

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers (6-7, 24-23) were held hitless by Matt Fields for six innings as the Thunder Bay Border Cats (5-8, 18-29) cruised to a 4-0 victory on Saturday night at Mayo Field. Fields (5-3) ended up going eight innings, allowing one hit and striking out 12 in the win.

Fields faced the Honkers for the first time on June 5. In that game, he struck out 10 batters but took the loss in a 3-1 decision. His counterpart in that game was Dave Sever, who got the win while striking out nine. The two did battle again on Saturday, this time with opposite results. Sever (2-4) took the tough loss, as he went 5.1 innings and struck out eight. He allowed four runs off seven hits, however, which was more than enough cushion for the Border Cats.

Brandon McCall hit a solo homer in the top of the second inning that would prove to be the winning run. Thunder Bay added two insurance runs in the fourth on a two-RBI double by Kyle Dudley, making the score 3-0. Dudley then scored the last run of the game in the sixth, when he came home on a sacrifice fly from Danny Benedetti.

The no-hitter was broken up in the seventh after Brett Featherston hit a double off the right field wall to lead off the inning. He would advance no further, however, as Fields struck out the side. Derek Norris, Brian Spear, and David Flores all fell victim to Fields, ending the threat. The Honkers would threaten again in the eighth inning, as Fields issued two of his four walks on the night to put runners at first and second with one out. Again, Rochester would come up empty as Shaver Hansen and Drew Hoisington both went down on strikes.

Temple MacDonald went 2-5 with a run scored and Kyle Dudley drove in a pair for the Border Cats. Featherston was the only Honker to record a hit; Sam Testa reached on an error.

The once-hot Rochester Honkers offense has been struggling as of late; they have combined for only four hits and no runs in the last two games. The Honkers were also held hitless for nine straight innings in that span, from the seventh inning on Friday through the sixth inning on Saturday. The Honkers will try to wake up their bats on Sunday afternoon when they face the Border Cats for the series finale at 3:05 p.m. in Rochester.


July 20, 2007
Honkers sign RCTC standout

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers have announced today the signing of Eric Gruhlke, a 6’2”, 200-pound outfielder from Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC). The sophomore, who was born in Rochester and attended high school at Kasson-Manterville, will attend Viterbo University in the fall.

Due to a rash of injuries and departures the Honkers have suffered this season, Gruhlke will provide some depth and the ability to play anywhere on the field; he also played infield, pitcher and catcher for the Yellow Jackets in 2007.

This past season, Gruhlke hit .368 for RCTC and led the team with 23 RBI. He also led the team with 10 doubles and had 35 hits, which was good for second on the team. Gruhlke found himself on the mound as well, logging 7.2 innings while recording six strikeouts and compiling a 3.52 ERA.

So far this season the Honkers have lost five players, including two outfielders. Outfielder Chris Jones (Cal State Fullerton) left the team on July 5 due to a wrist injury, outfielder Jareck West signed a minor league contract with Oakland on July 1, infielder Efren Navarro, Jr. signed a minor league contract with Los Angeles of Anaheim on June 25, pitcher Ryan Mullins (Winthrop) left the same day with an injury, and catcher Orlando Torres (Riverside CC) left with a finger injury on June 19.

Gruhlke will join the team when they return home from their most recent road trip, which concludes in St. Cloud on Friday night. The Honkers will open a two-game home stand on Saturday, when they host the Thunder Bay Border Cats. On Monday they will be back on the road, when they travel to Eau Claire for a pair with the Express.


July 20, 2007
River Bats shut-out Honkers for second time

Box Score

(St. Cloud, MN)– For the first time in a long time, it can be said that the Rochester Honkers struggled on offense. The St. Cloud River Bats (5-7, 26-20) used four pitchers to hold the potent Honkers (6-6, 24-22) offense to only three hits on Friday night, coming away with a 9-0 victory in St. Cloud.

The shutout is the third for the Honkers this season, and twice it has been at the hands of the River Bats. St. Cloud held Rochester scoreless in an 8-0 victory on June 20, and the Brainerd Blue Thunder defeated the Honkers 7-0 on June 29. The Honkers had runners in scoring position only three times all night.

Michael Hill (2-1) got the start and the win for the River Bats. He went 6 innings and allowed only three hits and no runs. Sean Wideberg, Andy Suiter and Nick Sutherland threw the last three innings for St. Cloud, holding Rochester hitless. Craig Fritsch (3-1) took the loss for the Honkers, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Sean Finn gave up three runs in one inning and Tim Radmacher allowed two in two innings pitched.

Both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the fourth innings, when an error by first baseman Brett Featherston allowed the first run to score. T.J. Thompson and Jeff Hulett had RBI singles and D.J. Belfonte added a run-scoring triple in the fifth as the River Bats took a 4-0 lead. St. Cloud put up three more in the sixth thanks to RBI by Thompson, Hulett, and Matt Fanelli, making the score 7-0. Fanelli and Thompson each had an RBI in the seventh to round out the scoring.

David Flores and Derek Norris each had a single and Drew Hoisington had a triple as the only Honkers to get hits on the night. For the River Bats, Thompson was 3-4 with three RBI, Fanelli went 3-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored, and Hulett went 2-4 with a pair of RBI. The Honkers will try to get the offense back on track Saturday night when they host the Thunder Bay Border Cats in the first of two at 7:05 p.m.


July 19, 2007
Strong pitching paves way for Honkers win

Box Score

(St. Cloud, MN)– Aaron Senne hit a solo shot in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Rochester Honkers (6-5, 24-21) didn’t look back from there as they went on to defeat the St. Cloud River Bats (4-7, 25-20) by a final of 7-2 on Thursday night.

Senne’s homer gives him eight on the year, tying him with teammate Drew Hoisington for tops in the Northwoods League (NWL). Mike Morrison recorded seven strikeouts in the last three innings and the Honkers scored five unanswered runs to close out the game.

The Honkers got their first two scores of the game thanks to a pair of two-out, RBI doubles by Brett Featherston and Matt Gaski. Featherston picked up his run-producing double in the top of the first inning, while Gaski came through in the second to give the Honkers an early 2-0 lead. The River Bats came back with runs in the second and third innings to tie the game at 2-2 after three innings.

Following Senne’s homer, Rochester broke the game open by scoring four runs in the eighth and ninth innings. David Flores scored from third in the eighth when Craig Lutes stole second base. The Honkers then got three in the top half of the ninth off of a throwing error by River Bats pitcher Nick Sutherland, an RBI single by Flores, and an RBI on a ground out by Shaver Hansen.

Reyes Dorado (2-0) pitched well in his third start of the year, as he went six innings, struck out five and allowed two runs. Morrison had his best outing of the season for his second save, as he held the River Bats hitless in addition to the seven strikeouts. Senne ended the game going 2-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Gaski was 2-4 with an RBI. Kurtis Frymier (0-2) pitched well, but took the loss in six innings. He gave up five hits and three runs.

Rochester will stay in St. Cloud for another night, as they will face the River Bats again on Friday at 7:05 p.m. The Honkers currently lead the season series with the Bats 3-2, and they will try to pick up their first sweep against them on Friday.


July 18, 2007
Big inning lifts Mallards over Honkers

Box Score

(Madison, WI)– The Madison Mallards (3-7, 19-25) put up nine runs in the sixth inning to pull away for an easy 12-4 victory over the Rochester Honkers (5-5, 23-21) on Wednesday night in Madison. The game was tied at 3-3 before the outburst by the Mallards.

Madison scored the first three runs of the game before the Honkers got back into the game by scoring two in the third and one in the sixth. Brett Featherston recorded a two-RBI single in the third to pull within one and Brian Spear scored on a double play in the sixth to tie the game. In a game that was lacking highlights as far as the Honkers were concerned, Featherston was the lone bright spot. He went 2-4 with a home run and three RBI. The home run, which came in the eighth, was his fifth of the season.

The Mallards started their scoring in the home half of the sixth inning when Brandon Wikoff bunted with the bases loaded and one out. The bunt was fielded by Honkers third baseman Raynor Campbell, who committed a throwing error that cleared the bases and resulted in three runs for Madison. Randy Molina had a two-run homer, Adam Pasono hit a double that scored three, and Ryan Tinkoff recorded an RBI single before the Mallards were retired in the inning.

Zach Robertson (4-3) took the loss on the mound for the Honkers in 5.1 innings. He struck out six, walked four, gave up seven hits and allowed six runs, three of which were earned. Michael Hutts (3-2) earned the win for the Mallards, as he went six innings and allowed only two hits and three runs. Tinkoff ended the game going 3-5 with an RBI, Molina had a home run and two RBI, and Eric Nielsen had a pair of RBI in the Mallards’ victory.

With Wednesday’s night’s loss, the Honkers ended their season series with the Mallards at 2-2. Rochester will try to recover from the loss when they travel to St. Cloud to take on the River Bats for a two-game set that will start Thursday at 7:05 p.m.


July 18, 2007
Saddler returns to Honkers

(Rochester, MN )– Mike Saddler, a former player and coach for the Rochester Honkers, will join the team for the remainder of the 2007 Northwoods League (NWL) season. Saddler will arrive in Rochester on Friday, July 20, and will join the team when they return home to host Thunder Bay on July 21.

Saddler started his career with the Honkers as a player in the summer of 2004. As a relief pitcher on a Honkers team that finished the season with a 36-26 record, Saddler notched two saves and compiled an ERA 3.80 in 42.2 innings on the mound. Saddler then returned to the Honkers as a pitching coach in 2005 and 2006, helping the team to the 2006 NWL Championship. Under his tutelage, the Honkers pitching staff set a record with a 3.06 ERA in 2005 only to break it again in 2006 with a 2.31 team ERA.

“I am excited to get a chance to lead the team as we try to get back to the playoffs and defend the title we won last season,” Saddler said. “I thought I wanted to take a summer off from baseball, but the last few weeks I have really been getting the itch to get back on the field.”

Currently the head assistant and pitching coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, Saddler started out as an assistant in 2004. He began his collegiate career as a player at Colby Community College in Kansas, and then had a short stay at Montclair State University in New Jersey before graduating from the University of Kansas in 2006. Despite being a new face to the 2007 team, Saddler will be familiar with a handful of players.

“With so many new guys in the this year, having players like Tim Radmacher, Brett Featherston and Dave Sever will help since they have been around me as a coach before,” Saddler said. “They know what to expect from me and can help me learn about all the new players.”

The Honkers currently find themselves short a coach with the departure of Field Manager Greg Labbe on July 12. Labbe left the team in order to return to Florida and join his wife, Heather, for the birth of their first child. As of July 18, the Honkers are stuck in a four-way tie for first place in the second half of the NWL North Division at 5-4, along with Duluth, Brainerd, and Alexandria.

“I think that with the talent that is in place, this team is poised for a great run in the second half,” Saddler said. “Hopefully we can use that to carry us into the post season."


July 17, 2007
Honkers invade Duck Pond

Box Score

(Madison, WI)– David Flores hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and Greg Martin picked up his Northwoods League (NWL) leading seventh win on the mound as the Rochester Honkers (5-4, 23-20) traveled to the Duck Pond in Madison to defeat the Mallards (2-7, 18-25) 8-4 on Tuesday night.

The Honkers jumped out to an early lead in the game, as they put four on the board before the Mallards had their first score. Drew Hoisington hit a double to score Raynor Campbell in the first inning, who doubled to lead off the game. Craig Lutes picked up an RBI on a ground-out in the second inning and added two more on a single in the sixth, as he ended the game with a season-high three RBI.

Madison made their run in the seventh inning. Trailing 4-0, Brandon Wikoff had a two-RBI single that was followed by an RBI single from Evan LeBlanc as the Mallards cut the Honker lead to 4-3. Flores made sure that would be as close as they would get, however, as his two-run homer gave the Honkers a 6-3 cushion in the top of the eighth. After giving up run in the bottom half, Derek Norris recorded an RBI and the Honkers scored another run thanks to an error by Mallards first baseman Randy Molina in the ninth. Madison committed five errors in the game, as three of the eight runs scored by Rochester were unearned.

Flores finished the game only a triple shy of the cycle, as he was 3-4 with two RBI. Hoisington had a good night at the plate as well, going 3-5 with one RBI. Martin (7-0) went 6.1 innings in the start and allowed only two runs. Reed Woytek earned his team-leading fourth save of the season, as he came out for the final two innings. Madsion starter Nick Kirk (1-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing eight hits and four runs in six innings. Jordan Comadena was 2-4 with a run scored in the loss.

The Mallards and the Honkers will due battle again on Wednesday night in Madison at 7:05 p.m. The Honkers currently lead the season series between the two teams at 2-1, with Wednesday’s match-up to be the last between the two teams this year.


July 16, 2007
Bats Split Series with Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)-The battle of the birds took place tonight at Mayo Field as the River Bats defeated the Honkers 6-5 and gained a split in the two-game series at Mayo Field. Rochester (22-20, 4-4) falls to 4-4 in the second half and St. Cloud (24-18, 3-5) improves to 3-5.

 

St. Cloud broke a scoreless tie in the top of the 3rd plating 2 runs on 1 hit and 2 Honker errors. Rochester responded loudly in the bottom scoring 3 runs of their own to take the 3-2 lead. Drew Hoisington crushed a one out solo home run to left to give the Honkers their first run of the game. This was Hoisington's league leading 8th long ball of the season. Sam Testa then followed with a walk to bring Brian Spear to the plate. Spear then took River Bats starting pitcher Buddy Baumann deep to right center that cleared the 345' marker and give Rochester the 3-2 lead. This was Spear's 4th home run of the season and also the Honkers 45th home run of the season.

 

St. Cloud then took the 4-3 advantage scoring 2 runs in the top of the 5th. Rochester again responded back in the bottom scoring a single run to tie the game at 4. With one out, Sam Testa drew a walk and then stole second and third and was brought home courtesy of a Brain Spear sacrifice fly.

 

The two teams went scoreless into the 9th when with two outs, the River Bats rallied for 2 runs to take the 6-4 lead into the bottom. Rochester made it close scoring 1 run on 1 hit and leaving 2 on base as the Bats earned the 6-5 victory.

 

Ryan Hill started on the mound for Rochester going 4.2 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and striking out 2 before being relieved by Sean Finn. Finn finished the final 4.1 innings of working giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and fanning 4. Finn was given the loss as his record falls to 1-6 on the season.

 

Offensively the Honkers were led by Brian Spear who went 2-4 with 3 RBI including his 4th homer of the season and Drew Hoisington went 1-5 with 2 RBI including his League's best 8th home run on the year.

 

Rochester begins a 4-game road trip starting tomorrow when they travel to Madison for a two-game set with the Mallards followed by a return match with the Bats in St. Cloud, another 2-game affair. The Honkers will then return home on Saturday night when they take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats for the weekend series.


July 15, 2007
Early lead enough for Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Brett Featherston hit a two-run bomb in the first inning as the Rochester Honkers (22-19, 4-3) coasted to a 5-3 win over the St. Cloud River Bats (23-18, 2-5) on Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field. The Honkers scored five runs before the River Bats could get on the board on their way to their fourth win in five games.

Rochester capitalized on an error and two wild pitches by St. Cloud to score four unearned runs in the victory. Dave Sever (2-3) won his first decision since June 5 in a five-inning, four-hit performance. He struck out four, walked one, and didn’t give up a run. Brett Featherston led the Honkers at the dish, going 2-4 with two RBI. Raynor Campbell chipped in by scoring a run and going 2-4.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead after one, the Honkers finished their scoring with three runs in the third. Aaron Senne had an RBI single in the inning, Drew Hoisington hit a sacrifice fly that scored one, and David Flores rounded out the scoring with an RBI single that scored Brian Spear from second.

The River Bats would chip away at the lead, as they scored a run in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings. They looked to have a rally going in the ninth after closer Reed Woytek gave up a pair of walks and an RBI double to Tim Wheeler, cutting the Honker lead to 5-3. He got out of the jam when he sat down Brian Hernandez swinging, recording his third strikeout of the inning and his third save of the year. Tim Radmacher effectively held the Honkers’ lead for three innings between Sever and Woytek, as he allowed two runs on five hits without issuing a free pass.

Issac Morales (4-2) suffered the loss on the mound for St. Cloud, allowing all five Rochester runs in five innings. Tim Wheeler led the River Bats with a great offensive showing in the loss, going 4-5 with an RBI and a run scored. The Honkers and the River Bats will close their two-game series on Monday night, when the two teams square off at Mayo Field in a 7:05 p.m. start.

 


July 14, 2007
Honkers pound MoonDogs late

Box Score

(Mankato, MN)- The Rochester Honkers (21-19, 3-3) didn’t have a hit through the first five innings against the Mankato MoonDogs (18-22, 1-5) on Saturday night in Mankato. That all changed in the final stages of the game, as the Honkers broke out for three home runs in the final two innings to take an 8-4 decision from the MoonDogs.

Brian Spear had a two-run home run in the eighth, Raynor Campbell had a two-run homer in the ninth, and Aaron Senne finished off a big day with a solo shot in the ninth to spark the Honkers, who trailed the game 2-0 before scoring five unanswered runs. Rochester has now hit a Northwoods League (NWL) best 42 home runs on the season.

Besides his home run, Senne picked up an RBI in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2. Derek Norris hit an RBI single in the seventh to give the Honkers their first lead at 3-2. Joe Southers made sure the score would stay that way in the bottom of the inning, when he threw the potential tying run out at home to end a Mankato threat. Spear’s home run in the top of the eighth gave the Honkers what seemed to be a comfortable 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.

The Honkers would get into trouble in the home half, when reliever Ryan Kussmaul loaded the bases without retiring a runner. Tim Scott then came into the game and allowed one run to cross on an RBI single from Mike Lobacz before picking up a crucial 1-2-3 double play. After Scott walked a batter to load the bases again, Jeffrey DeSmidt laced a base hit to right field that allowed a run to score. With the tying run being waved home, Senne fired a strike to catcher Derek Norris who applied the tag at the plate for the second time in as many innings, preserving a 5-4 Honkers lead.

Leading by a run going into the ninth, the Honkers finished off the MoonDogs with three runs, courtesy of the long balls by Campbell and Senne. Mike Morrison came in to pitch a scoreless bottom half as Rochester evened the season series with Mankato at 2-2.

Craig Fritsch (3-0) picked up the win after going seven innings with seven strikeouts and allowing two runs. Luke Vine (3-3) took the loss for the MoonDogs after giving up three runs (two earned) in 6.1 innings. Senne was 2-5 with two RBI on the night and Brian Spear was 1-2 with two RBI for Rochester. For Mankato, Sean Nicol was 3-5 and Nate Hansen went 3-4 in the losing effort. The Honkers will return home to Mayo Field to open up a two-game set with the St. Cloud River Bats on Sunday afternoon at 3:05.


July 13, 2007
Wild pitches hurt Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers (20-19, 2-3) out-hit the Mankato MoonDogs (18-21, 1-4) 6-2 on Friday night, but fell 3-1 at Mayo Field. Honkers pitchers combined to throw a total of five wild pitches, one of which allowed Mankato to score the tying run.

The game started out well for the Honkers, who won two games in a row leading into the All-Star Break. Aaron Senne hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning to give Rochester a 1-0 lead, and starter Reyes Dorado threw four innings of hitless ball. However, in the fifth, Dorado hit the first batter, Ben Geelan, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch and then scored in the same fashion, tying the game at 1-1.

Mankato got the go-ahead and eventual winning run in the sixth off reliever Sean Finn. With two outs in the inning, Finn issued a walk to Jason Christian, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and later scored on a single by Adam Abraham. The MoonDogs picked up an insurance run in the ninth courtesy of an RBI single by Jaime Armendariz. Abraham then came in to get the two-inning save (1) as he struck out five Honkers.

Brendan Lafferty (2-1) earned the win going seven innings and allowing one run on six hits. Dorado (1-0) did not have a decision on the night, as he went five innings and gave up no hits and one run. On the negative side, he walked five batters and issued two wild pitches. Finn (1-4) took the loss after walking four, striking out five, throwing three wild pitches and giving up two earned runs in 3.1 innings.

Raynor Campbell went 2-3 in the game and Senne was 1-4 with an RBI for the Honkers in the losing cause. Abraham went 1-3 with an RBI in addition to earning the save and Armendariz was 1-3 with an RBI in Mankato’s first win of the second half. The MoonDogs made the most of their opportunities on Friday night, stranding no runners in comparison to eight left on for the Honkers.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow as the Honkers seek to even the season series with the MoonDogs, which they currently trail 1-2. The game is to be played at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m.


July 11, 2007
North comes away with 3-2 victory in All-Star Game

Box Score

(Mankato, MN)- Nate Hanson (Mankato) broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning with a two-run double to propel the North over the South, 3-2 in the 2007 Northwoods League (NWL) All-Star Game.

The game, which was played at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, featured four members of the Rochester Honkers. Drew Hoisington went 1-2 with a double and a stolen base. He was thrown out at home on a very close play in the bottom of the first inning that would have given the North a 1-0 lead. Shaver Hansen started the game at shortstop but did not record a hit. On the mound, both Greg Martin and Craig Fritsch had a strikeout as Martin threw one inning and Fritsch threw 0.2 innings.

The North got on the board first when they plated a run in the second inning. The South picked up a run to tie the game in the third, and the score remained 1-1 until Hanson’s hit in the seventh. The South was able to get one run in the top of the ninth until Ryan Wrobel (St. Cloud) shut the door to earn the save. Kris Ruepke (Thunder Bay) was credited with the win while Wes Simmons (Eau Claire) was hit with the loss.

A fifth member of the Honkers, David Flores, participated in the home run derby that took place prior to the game. He finished second to Xavier Scruggs (Brainerd), who hit a total of 11 home runs in two rounds. Flores hit four home runs in the first round to advance to the finals, where he hit five.

Hits were hard to come by in the game, as the North out-hit the South 5-4. Evan Bigley (La Crosse) of the South All-Stars was the only player in the game to have multiple hits, going 2-4 with a home run.

Mankato set an attendance record of 2,319 in its first time hosting the NWL All-Star Game. The Honkers (20-18, 2-2) will return to action on Friday, July 13, when they host the Mankato MoonDogs (17-21, 0-4) at 7:05 p.m.


July 9, 2007
Win one for the skipper

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Sam Testa made a handful of great defensive plays in right field, including two potentially game-saving grabs as the Rochester Honkers (20-18, 2-2) defeated the Brainerd Blue Thunder (12-26, 1-3) 4-2 on Monday afternoon.

The game was the last for Field Manager Greg Labbe this season, as he will return home to Florida for the birth of his first-born child. The win gives Labbe 114 in his career, which is second all-time among Honkers managers. He is also second in all-time winning percentage, at .659.

Aaron Senne hit a solo home run in the first inning and drove in two runs on the day to lead the Honkers at the plate. Shaver Hansen added another solo homer in the sixth to help the Honkers take a 4-1 lead going into the top of the ninth inning.

In the top of the ninth, reliever Tim Radmacher gave up a walk and two hits to load the bases before leaving the game in favor of Mike Morrison. The first batter Morrison faced, Clay Cuno, took a pitch from Morrison deep to the right-center field gap that looked as though it would be an extra-base hit. However, Testa, playing in only his third game, made a great running catch to hold the Blue Thunder to only run on the play as Andy Dirks tagged from third. Raynor Campbell then robbed Andy Symons of hit when he climbed the latter to make a spectacular catch at third base. Testa made another running catch to end the game as the Honkers got out of the jam and took the win.

Testa’s catches in the ninth capped off a great day in the field, as he also took a home run away from Symons in the third inning. Symons took Honkers starter Zach Robertson deep to right with a runner on, but Testa reached over the fence to bring the ball back in play for the third out of the inning.

Robertson (4-2) got the win despite walking seven batters in 5.2 innings. He only allowed two hits and one run, however, which was unearned. Morrison notched the save (1), getting the Honkers out of a jam in the ninth. Dustin Renfrow (1-5) took the loss in five innings of work, giving up three runs, two of which were earned. Drew Hoisington plated an RBI, giving him 28 on the year.

Rochester ended their season series with Brainerd at 4-4 going into the All-Star break. The Honkers will get three days off, with the 2007 All-Star Game to be played in Mankato on July 11 at 7:05 p.m. Rochester will be back at home on July 13, when they host the Mankato MoonDogs at 7:05 p.m.


July 8, 2007
Hoisington becomes a part of NWL history

(Rochester, MN)- On Sunday, Drew Hoisington became one of only five players in Northwoods League (NWL) history to hit three home runs in a game.

Hoisington hit two home runs in the third inning: a solo shot followed by a three-run homer. He followed with another solo home run in the eighth, to complete his 3-6, five-RBI performance.

The last time a player in the NWL hit three home runs in a game was on July 10, 2004, when Sergio Pedroza of Rochester took three out of the yard against La Crosse. The other Honker to accomplish the feat was Doug Barner, who did it against Dubuque on August 1, 1995. Three home runs were hit by non-Honkers in 2000 and 1998.

Hoisington will be playing in the 2007 NWL All-Star Game, which will be played at Mankato’s Franklin Rogers Park on July 11, 2007 at 7:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN360.com and will re-air later that night at 12:30 a.m. on ESPNU.


July 8, 2007
Hoisington, Norris lead Honkers slugfest

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- It took a couple of games, but the Rochester Honkers (19-18, 1-2) showed what they are capable of in a 17-6 drubbing of the Brainerd Blue Thunder (12-25, 1-2) on Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field. The win is the first for the Honkers in the second half of the Northwoods League (NWL) season.

Drew Hoisington led a Honkers lineup that teed-off on Brainerd pitching all day, as he pounded three home runs in the game, two of which came in a nine-run third inning. Derek Norris did more than his fair share as well, knocking in six runs off two homers, one of which was a grand slam in the third. As a team, the Honkers compiled 16 hits and slugged six home runs, the last of which was provided by Raynor Campbell. With the six home runs, the Honkers increased their league-leading total to 36; coming into Sunday’s NWL games, Green Bay and La Crosse were tied for second with 17.

Blue Thunder starter, Jason Banks, took the brunt of the abuse delivered by Rochester on the afternoon. He threw a total of 90 pitches in 2.2 innings of work, allowing seven hits and 11 runs, all of which were earned. Banks (2-4), who took the loss, walked five batters, including three before giving up the grand slam to Norris in the third.

Amidst all of the gaudy offensive numbers, Greg Martin (6-0) earned the win on the mound. Despite a less-than stellar performance, Martin didn’t need to worry with 17 runs of support. He went six innings, allowed seven hits, walked three and gave up four runs, three of which were earned. Mike Morrison came in to throw two innings of scoreless ball in relief of Martin.

Besides the great performances supplied by Hoisington and Norris, several other Honkers had noteworthy numbers as well. Campbell ended up going 2-5 with three RBI, Brian Spear went 2-3 with an RBI, Craig Lutes went 3-5 with three doubles, and David Flores added a pair of RBI. Xavier Scruggs had two RBI and Adam Symons had a home run in the losing effort.

Rochester and Brainerd will close out their season series on Monday at 1:05 p.m. The Honkers will look to even their record in both the second half and in the season series with the Blue Thunder, who currently lead the Honkers by a game, 4-3.


July 7, 2007
Huskies sweep Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Chris Dove had two RBI on the night and drove home the winning run as part of a three-run sixth inning that gave the Duluth Huskies (2-0) a 4-3 victory over the Rochester Honkers (0-2) at Mayo Field on Saturday night.

After the Honkers took two games from the Huskies on July 4 and 5 in Duluth to prevent them from winning the first half of the Northwoods League (NWL) North Division, the Huskies seemed to have a score to settle. Duluth came to Rochester and swept the first two games of the second half, as they close the season series with a 6-2 advantage over the Honkers.

The Honkers fell behind in the game 1-0 in the second inning when Chris House scored an unearned run off Dove’s first RBI of the game. Rochester tied the game when Aaron Senne scored Craig Lutes on an RBI single in the third, and took a 3-1 lead when David Flores blasted a two-run homer off Huskies starter Kyle Blair in the fourth.

The score would remain 3-1 in favor of the Honkers until the sixth, when the Duluth bats started making some noise. Honkers starter Ryan Hill allowed four hits and three runs in the inning, as the Huskies erased a two-run deficit to take the lead.

Hill (1-2) held Duluth in check for five innings, but the sixth inning proved to be a dagger, as he took the loss on the mound. He went six innings and gave up six hits and four runs, three of which were earned. Blair (1-0) would end up with the win, going six innings while striking out nine and allowing three hits. Adain Kummet gave Rochester three of their 13 strikeouts in 1.1 innings to set up Brant Combs for the one pitch save (1), as he induced Joe Southers to ground into a double play to end the game.

Dove went 2-4 in the game, as did House, who had an RBI. Flores went 1-2 on the night with two RBI and Brett Featherston was 1-3 with a run scored. The Honkers will try to get their first win of the second half when they welcome the Brainerd Blue Thunder to Mayo Field Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m.


July 7, 2007
Honkers add outfielder

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced today the signing of Sam Testa, a 5’11”, 195-pound outfielder from Lake City Community College (FL). The sophomore will add much needed depth to an outfield that has suffered two recent losses in Jareck West and Chris Jones (Cal State Fullerton).

Testa joins the Honkers after having a great spring season in 2007 with the Timberwolves. He led the team in batting average (.373), on-base percentage (.467), slugging percentage (.574), doubles (19), triples (4), runs scored (67) and stolen bases (18). He also had 41 RBI and five home runs at season’s end. For his efforts, Testa was awarded with second-team all-state honors, and was named first team all-conference in the Florida State League.

The Honkers outfield has thinned recently because of the departures of Jareck West and Chris Jones. West left to sign a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics on July 1, and Jones left on July 6 due to an injured wrist.


July 6, 2007
Early runs doom Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers (18-17, 0-1) had their four-game winning streak snapped against the Duluth Huskies (21-14, 1-0) in the first game of the second half of the season on Friday night. Duluth scored four runs in the first, one in the second, and six in the third on their way to an easy 11-2 victory at Mayo Field.

The second half started on a sour note for the Honkers and starter Dave Sever (1-3), who was only able to go one full inning. He worked into the second inning, but was pulled after the Huskies loaded the bases in the top of the second. Sever ended up allowing six hits and five runs, four of which were earned.

Tim Radmacher (1-1) took the next crack at the hot-hitting Huskies, and didn’t fare much better than his predecessor. He lasted 1.2 innings and gave up six runs off six hits. Tim Scott (0-2) threw the next 1.1 innings, effectively keeping Duluth off the scoreboard. The Huskies ended up recording 15 hits in the game, compared to Rochester’s six. Rochester also committed four errors on the night, as Duluth was flawless in the field.

In order to save the arms of the bullpen pitchers, Field Manager Greg Labbe decided to try out three position players on the hill. Matt Gaski, David Flores, and Brett Featherston combined to throw five scoreless innings to finish the game, with each recording one strikeout.

Drew Hoisington and Brian Spear accounted for 2/3 of Rochester’s hits on the night, as both recorded two hits. Spear and Featherston each drove in the only runs for the Honkers. The visiting Huskies had several solid offensive performances, highlighted by Joey Bonadonna going 3-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Justin Ellrich added a pair of RBI and Kevin Hansen went 3-5 with one run driven in.

The Honkers had taken the last two games from the Huskies in Duluth before returning to Rochester. The two teams will face each other again tomorrow for the last time this season in a 7:05 p.m. game at Mayo Field. Ryan Hill (1-1) is set to take the mound for the Honkers against Duluth’s Kyle Blair (0-0).


July 5, 2007
Honkers end first half on high note

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers (18-16) completed the two-game sweep of the Duluth Huskies (20-14) on Thursday night, using five Huskies errors to their advantage in a 7-4 victory.

In a first half that has seen one five-game winning streak and a pair of four-game losing streaks, the Honkers ended the first half in style by winning four straight and five out of their last six.

Rochester trailed 1-0 going into the top half of the fourth inning, before Brett Featherston laced a two-RBI double into the outfield off Huskies starter Kris Weber (1-0) to give the Honkers the 2-1 lead. In the same inning, Joe Southers reached base on an error that allowed Derek Norris to score, and Matt Gaski put down a sacrifice bunt that brought Featherston home. The Honkers gave up one run in the bottom of the inning to come out of the fourth with a 4-2 lead.

Following a two-RBI single by Nick Sullivan in the sixth, the game was tied 4-4 entering the Honkers half of the seventh. Rochester would use two Huskies throwing errors in one play to score two runs, as Drew Hoisington and Raynor Campbell crossed the plate. Derek Norris was the next beneficiary of a Duluth blunder, as he came home safely on a passed ball. The score after the inning was 7-4, which is where it would stay until the final out in the ninth.

Starter Craig Fritsch (2-0) took the no decision in 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs while giving up six walks. Mike Morrison (1-1) picked up his first win of the year in 2.1 innings of relief, striking out three and allowing no hits. Tim Scott (0-2) earned his first save of the year, holding Duluth scoreless in the ninth inning. Tim Kelley (0-1) suffered a tough loss for the Huskies; he went three innings and allowed three runs, none of which were earned.

Raynor Campbell led the Honkers at the plate, going 2-5 with a double. Featherston plated the only two RBI of the night in a 1-3 performance. Jason Haniger was 1-3 with two RBI for the Huskies in the loss.

Although the venue will change, Rochester and Duluth will still be facing each other to start the second half of the season on Friday. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m. at Rochester’s Mayo Field. The game is the first of a four-game home stand for the Honkers, with the two-game Duluth series to be followed by a pair against Brainerd that will lead into the All-Star break.


July 5, 2007
Five Honkers named to All-Star team

(Rochester, MN)- The Northwoods League (NWL) has announced its participants in the 2007 All-Star Game that will be played Wednesday, July 11, in Mankato, Minnesota. The North Division All-Stars will have five representatives from the Rochester Honkers. They are:

Craig Fritsch (Baylor) RHP
Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro) RHP
Drew Hoisington (Toledo) OF
Shaver Hansen (Baylor) SS
Jareck West (Delta State) OF

The two pitchers for the Honkers do not have a loss between them, as both were in the top 10 in the NWL in pitching going into Thursday night’s game against Duluth. Martin was second in the league in pitching, posting a 5-0 record with a 1.07 ERA and 30 strikeouts. Fritsch was fifth in the league, with an ERA of 1.47 while compiling a 2-0 record with 28 strikeouts.

Going into Thursday’s game, the Honkers as a team were dominating many offensive categories. They were tied for first in team batting average (.269), first in runs scored (192), first in home runs (29, 12 more than LaCrosse in second), and second in hits (304). With those gaudy numbers came some great performances.

Drew Hoisington led the way offensively for the Honkers; going into Thursday night’s game, he was first in the league in extra base hits (15), third in slugging percentage (.557), third in runs scored (23), fourth in batting average (.339), fifth in RBI (22), and fifth in hits (39). Shaver Hansen is also off to a good start after hitting .291 with a home run and five RBI in addition to playing stellar defense at shortstop.

Jareck West was also voted onto the North Division All-Star Team despite having left the team to sign a professional contract with the Oakland Athletics. At the time West left, he was hitting .270 with four home runs, 18 RBI and nine stolen bases.


July 5, 2007
Injury sends 2006 Honker of the Year home

(Rochester, MN)- His 2007 season had just begun when the injury bug struck Chris Jones (Cal St. Fullerton) for the second time in his career as a Rochester Honker. Jones suffered an injury to his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch in a game against the Waterloo Bucks on July 1, 2007. The severity of the injury is such that Jones will not be able to play another game for the Honkers this season.

“The big bone in my wrist is not broken, but I have to go home to see a hand specialist about the smaller bones and ligaments surrounding it,” Jones said. “Even if there are no breaks, I will not be able to swing a bat anywhere from three to five weeks.”

His coaches at Cal State Fullerton would like to monitor Jones’ progress throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall after his second injury wearing a Honkers jersey; his 2006 season was shortened due to a hamstring injury. Despite only appearing in 39 games last summer, Jones compiled a Northwoods League (NWL)-best eight home runs and 38 RBI, which ranked third in the NWL. He was also won the 2006 NWL Home Run Hitting Contest at the all-star game, and was voted as the 2006 Honker of the Year.

“We are going to miss his attitude, his presence in the lineup, and his presence in the locker room,” Honkers Field Manager, Greg Labbe said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to see what he could do this year.”

Jones is the fifth player to leave the Honkers during the 2007 campaign. Orlando Torres left the team on June 19 due to an injury, Ryan Mullins left because of injury on June 25, Efren Navarro, Jr. left the team the same day to sign a professional contract with the Rookie League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Jareck West left the team to sign with the Rookie League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics on July 1.

“I wish I could help these guys win the second half and make the playoffs, but it’s just one of those things that you need to swallow and move on,” Jones said. “I’m going to miss the guys, the coaches, and all the people affiliated with the team.”


July 4, 2007
Honkers take first from Huskies

Box Score

(Duluth, MN)- It took five tries, but the Rochester Honkers (17-16) finally got the monkey off their backs against the Duluth Huskies (20-13), as they earned a 9-2 victory at Duluth on Wednesday night.

In their first meeting of the season against Duluth, Rochester fell 8-1. Every game between the two teams since then has been close, as the Honkers have fallen 3-1, 2-1, and 3-2. The Honkers bucked that trend in a big way on Wednesday, getting key performances from newcomer Reyes Dorado (Riverside CC), Drew Hoisington, and Brett Featherston.

Dorado (1-0), who joined the team only a day ago, took the win on the mound. He went five innings while striking out four and surrendering only two hits and one unearned run. With the sticks, Drew Hoisington went 3-5 with a home run, a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Brett Featherston also had a home run and a double, as he went 3-5 with two RBI.

Andy Marks (2-3) took the loss on the mound, the first he has suffered against the Honkers in three starts. He got roughed up by the Rochester lineup, surrendering 10 hits and seven runs in 5.1 innings. Marks’ college teammate at Kansas, Joe Southers, joined in on the fun, as he went 2-3 against the left-hander.

The win is Rochester’s third in a row, as they will try to make it four when they take on the Huskies on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. The loss prevents Duluth from gaining any ground on St. Cloud, who they were trailing by a half game in the Northwoods League (NWL) North Division race heading into Wednesday night’s contest. Thursday night will mark the end of the first half in the NWL.


July 3, 2007
Dorado adds another arm to Honkers staff

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club have announced the signing today of pitcher Reyes Dorado, a 6’1”, 180-pound sophomore out of Riverside Community College (CA).

Dorado joins his pitching coach, Dave Martinez, in Rochester for the summer after the two were together this fall at Riverside. The right-handed throwing Dorado sports an overpowering fastball that will be welcomed by the Honkers pitching staff.

Pitching for Riverside, Dorado started in 11 of the 14 games he appeared in, en-route to compiling a 4-2 record in addition to two saves. On the year he had a 4.01 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 67.1 innings of work.

In the 2007 MLB First Year Player Draft, Dorado was chosen with the 1,349th pick in the 46th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.


July 3, 2007
Rochester reels, but beats Beetles

Box Score

(Alexandria, MN)- Despite a furious comeback attempt from the Alexandria Beetles (17-16), the Rochester Honkers (16-16) were able to get out of two jams late in the game to come away with an 8-7 victory at Alexandria on Tuesday night.

Leading 8-4 in the bottom of the eighth, Tim Radmacher was able to get out of a bases loaded, one-out jam after a strikeout and a fly out. Radmacher was not so fortunate in the ninth, as the Beetles loaded the bases before he could record an out. With that, Radmacher exited the game in favor of Reed Woytek. Woytek gave up an RBI base hit to Doug Pickens, hit one batter and walked the next with only one out in the inning, pulling the Beetles to within one run. Woytek then induced a fly out to left field and got Logan Hoch to ground out at first base to end the game.

The Honkers led by as many as five runs in the game, as they built a 7-2 advantage going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Aaron Senne hit his second home run in as many days on a two-run home run in the first inning and Derek Norris did the same in the third, as the Honkers took 4-0 lead. Rochester surrendered a run in both the third and fourth, but picked up two more in the fifth courtesy of a Norris RBI double and an RBI single from Brett Featherston. Back to back doubles from Matt Gaski and Craig Lutes gave the Honkers another run in the top half of the sixth inning.

Zach Robertson (3-2) got the win on the mound, going six innings and allowing four runs off of four hits while striking out five. Robertson surrendered solo home runs to Pickens in the fourth and Tim Dellwo in the sixth. Andrew Robinson (2-2) took the loss for the Beetles, as he went five innings and gave up six runs. Woytek (2) earned the save, as he got the Honkers out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth.

The Honkers were led at the plate by Norris, who went 2-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. Lutes was 2-3 with a double and two RBI. He brought home the eighth run for the Honkers off a single in the eighth, which proved to be the difference between a victory and possible extra innings. Pickens went 3-4 with a home run and two RBI for the Beetles in the losing effort.

Rochester will look to finish the first half of the season above the .500 mark as they travel to Duluth to take on the Huskies for a two-game set. The first game between the two teams is scheduled to start at 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday.


July 2, 2007
Honkers continue dominance against Beetles

Box Score

(Alexandria, MN)- The Rochester Honkers love facing the Alexandria Beetles. The Beetles have struggled against the Honkers this year, to say the least, and Monday night was no different, as the Honkers cruised past the Beetles with a 12-1 victory in Alexandria. The Honkers out-hit the Beetles 17-4 in their fifth win in as many tries against Alexandria this year.

The Honkers scored one run in the first inning, two in the second, and three in each the third, fourth, and fifth innings to bring their total against the Beetles this year to 52 runs against only 14. Alexandria, who was one of three teams with a chance at capturing the first-half crown in the Northwoods League (NWL) North Division coming into the night, was knocked out of contention with the loss.

Rochester got big offensive performances from three players, led by Raynor Campbell who was only a triple shy of the cycle. He went 4-5 with three RBI on the night, including a leadoff home run in the first inning. He also had two doubles, a single, and a walk in the game. Aaron Senne also had a very productive night, going 3-5 with a three-run home run in the fifth inning that gave the Honkers the 12 run total that they would hold until the end of the game. Derek Norris chipped in with three RBI as well, as he went 2-4. The Honkers did not strike out once after striking out 16 times on Sunday against Waterloo.

Greg Martin (5-0) picked up the win after throwing six innings of shutout ball against the Beetles and allowing only three hits. Logan Hoch (1-4) took the loss for the Alexandria, as he lasted only 2.2 innings while allowing nine hits and six runs, all of which were earned.

The Honkers (15-16) will look to continue their success against the Beetles (17-15) tomorrow night, when they take on Alexandria at 7:05 p.m.


July 1, 2007
West signs with Athletics

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced that outfielder Jareck West (Delta State) has signed a professional contract with the Arizona Athletics of the Arizona League, a rookie league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.

In his first and only season with the Honkers, West established himself as one of the most exciting players in the Northwoods League (NWL). As of his last game with the Honkers on June 29, West was tied for second in the NWL in home runs (4), fifth in on-base percentage (.431), and fifth in slugging percentage (.472). He was also tied for the team lead in RBI (18) and had two stolen bases to his credit. His prowess at the plate put aside, West made sure that no fly ball was safe in the outfield, often making difficult catches look routine.

Prior to joining the Honkers this summer, West had a season to remember as he led a Delta State University (Mississippi) squad that finished the season with a record of 45-16 in NCAA Division II. He led the Statesmen in batting average (.399), slugging percentage (.697), on-base percentage (.489), and home runs (12). On defense he recorded a fielding percentage of .979. At St. Catharine College of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), West set single season records in batting average (.464) and stolen bases.

West made a great first impression with Honkers fans, when he hit a towering shot over the left-field fence at Mayo Field in his first swing in Rochester. He was awarded NWL Player of the Night honors on June 9, when he went 3-4 with a double and two RBI. A junior in 2007, West was drafted by the Athletics with pick number 780 in the 25th round of the 2007 MLB First Year Player Draft.


July 1, 2007
Rochester's woes continue in close games

Box Score

(Waterloo, IA)- The Rochester Honkers lost their 10th one-run game of season on Sunday afternoon, as they fell to the Waterloo Bucks, 6-5 in 10 innings at Riverfront Stadium. Rochester is 3-10 in games that are decided by a single run.

Despite committing four errors that allowed two runs in the first inning and striking out 16 times in the game, the Honkers were right in the thick of things coming down the stretch. Brian Spear hit his second home run of the year with a solo shot in the top of the sixth that gave Rochester a 5-3 lead.

The Bucks tied the game with two runs in the seventh, one off of a Bryn Henderson RBI single and another from a delayed steal at second base that allowed a run to score from third. Going into the eighth inning, the Honkers and the Bucks were tied, 5-5.

The Honkers survived serious threats from the Bucks in the last two innings of regulation. In the bottom of the eighth, Waterloo loaded the bases on Ryan Kussmaul. Kussmaul got out of the jam thanks to a 4-6-3 double play. Then, in the ninth, Travis Hendrix thought he had the game-winning hit after he singled to center with a runner on second. Drew Hoisington had other thoughts, as he gunned down Aaron Jarosh at the plate to end the inning.

The Honkers ran out of luck in the tenth. After playing with fire the previous two innings, Waterloo scored the winning run when Adam Gaylord laid down a bunt that brought home Brent Milleville to give the Bucks a thrilling, 6-5 extra-inning victory.

Ryan Hill had no-decision in the start that saw him go six innings and strike out nine batters. He allowed only three hits and one earned run, but was hurt by the first inning errors committed by the Honkers that led to two un-earned runs. His counterpart for the Bucks, Robert Sorensen, also did not record a decision after going five innings and striking out eight. Tom Boleska got the win in two innings of work, in which he allowed one hit and struck out four. Tim Scott was charged with the loss after coming into the game in the tenth and allowing the winning run to score. At the plate, Spear was 2-4 with two RBI for the Honkers and David Flores chipped in a pair of RBI as well.

With the loss, the Honkers fall to 14-16 overall and 3-5 against Northwoods League South Division opponents. The win improves Waterloo to 12-18 on the season. The next stop for Rochester is Alexandria, where they will take on the Beetles in a two-game set that will start on Monday at 7:05 p.m. Following the two games with Alexandira, the Honkers will finish off the first half with a pair at Duluth.


June 29, 2007
Honkers blank Blue Thunder

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers put an end to the recent frustrations they have experienced against Brainerd when they handled the Blue Thunder on Friday night, 7-0.

Coming into the game, the Honkers had dropped four straight contests to the Blue Thunder. They made those losses seem like a distant memory, as every Rochester batter reached base and Craig Fritsch (2-0) shut-out the Blue Thunder in eight innings on the mound. Derek Norris proved to be the toughest out for Brainerd, as he went 4-4 with one run scored and one RBI.

The Honkers had two, three-run innings in the game; one in the second and one in the fifth. Jareck West broke out of a 0-11 slump when he hit a two-RBI double in the second off Blue Thunder starter, Bryan Evans. In the fifth, Aaron Senne drove in a run and later scored off of an error. Drew Hoisington drove home the final run of the inning and the game with a base hit to left field, making the score 7-0 in favor of Rochester.

Tim Scott entered the game in the ninth, striking out two of three batters. In the shutout, Fritsch and Scott combined to give up only four hits, as no Blue Thunder base runner advanced beyond second base.

The loss went to Bryan Evans (0-2), who lasted five innings and gave up nine hits and all seven Honker runs. West would end the night going 1-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. Raynor Campbell had only one hit on the night, but that hit was a solo home run in the third. Hoisington and Senne each had an RBI and a stolen base. Senne was all over the Blue Thunder pitching staff in the two-game series, as he went 4-8 with three RBI.

With the win, the Honkers improve to 14-15, while the Blue Thunder fall to 11-17. Rochester has the day off on Saturday and will travel to Waterloo to open up a five-game road trip on Sunday. The Honkers and Bucks will square off at Riverfront stadium at 3:05 p.m.


June 28, 2007
Early deficit too much for Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers have not been at their best when facing the Brainerd Blue Thunder this season, and Thursday night was no different. The Blue Thunder batted around in the first inning, scoring five runs off six base hits. A comeback attempt by the Honkers came up short, as Brainerd defeated the Honkers for the fourth time this season, 9-6.

Honkers’ starter Reed Woytek got knocked around by Brainerd, as he lasted only two innings while giving up six runs, all of which were earned. Ryan Royster had Woytek’s number in particular, as he went 2-2 with a towering home run into the trees overlooking right field. When Woytek left the game after the second, the Honkers were staring at a 6-0 deficit.

A solo shot that went off the Mayo Field scoreboard in the second inning from Aaron Senne put the Honkers on the board. Three innings later, in the fifth, the Honkers made a comeback bid. After the first two batters were retired, back to back singles by Drew Hoisington and Matt Gaski extended the at-bat. One batter later, Blue Thunder second baseman Patrick Rose booted a ball hit by Shaver Hansen, allowing Hoisington to score. The Honkers capitalized with three more runs in the inning, pulling to within one at 6-5.

The Honkers started throwing the ball around in the sixth and seventh innings, which was enough to deflate any momentum the Honkers built up in the fifth. Tim Radmacher had three wild pitches in the two innings, two of which allowed runs to score. In an attempt to throw out a runner following one of the errant pitches in the sixth, Joe Southers sailed a throw to third, resulting in an additional run. Rochester fell behind 9-5 and would not recover.

The Honkers got a solo home run from Hansen in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough. The win went to Mihai Burlea (2-1), as Woytek (2-1) suffered the loss. Ryan Royster went 3-5 with an RBI and Andrew Pascoe went 3-4 with one run driven in to lead Brainerd. Senne finished the night with two RBI in a 3-4 peformance.

With the loss, the Honkers fall to 13-15 as Brainerd improves to 11-16. The Honkers will try to salvage a split in the series when they host the Blue Thunder tomorrow at 7:05 p.m.


June 27, 2007
Honkers split fowl series with Mallards

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Madison Mallards erased a four-run deficit in the final two innings to defeat the Rochester Honkers 5-4 on Wednesday night at Mayo field.

Honkers starter Dave Sever shut down the Mallards for seven innings, allowing only two hits as Rochester built a 4-0 lead. Madison figured out Sever in the eighth, when they recorded four hits and three runs, highlighted by a two-RBI triple from Bobby Hubbard. The Mallards would get two more in the top half of the ninth, as Evan LeBlanc hit a seeing-eye single off of Mike Morrison to deliver the winning run.

The Honkers got home runs on the night from Brian Spear (1) and Raynor Campbell (2). Chris Jones, last year’s “Honker of the Year,” went 2-4 with two RBI in his first game of 2007, as the Honkers built a 4-0 lead by the fifth inning.

Sever (1-2) had a great performance on the mound, going eight innings with seven strikeouts while surrendering three runs off six hits. Madison’s starter, Craig Meier (1-0), also pitched well, save for Spear and Campbell’s long balls. He struck out 10 batters in six innings and was responsible for all four Honkers runs. Neither starter would have a decision on the night.

The difference in the game proved to be the performance of each team’s bullpen. Thomas Stillson (1-0) pitched two innings in relief of Meier, striking out the first four batters he faced, as he went on to earn the win. For Rochester, Morrison struggled in his first appearance of the year. The freshman from Cal State Fullerton gave up two hits, hit one batter, and threw a wild pitch that led to Madison scoring the tying run in the top of the ninth. Bubba O’Donnell recorded the save (6), as he sat the Honkers down in order in the ninth.

The Honkers have blown leads of two or more runs in their last four games and have an overall record of 3-9 in games decided by one run. The loss drops Rochester back below the .500 mark, at 13-14. On the flip side, the Mallards inch toward .500, as they are now 12-14. Rochester will try to figure things out tomorrow when they host the Brainerd Blue Thunder in the first of a two-game set at 7:05 p.m.


June 26, 2007
Honkers survive against Mallards

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers struggled to score runs on Tuesday night, but had just enough firepower to get by the Madison Mallards. The Honkers used a three-run second inning and seven scoreless innings from Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro) to bring home a 3-2 win over the Mallards at Mayo Field. The win improves Rochester’s record in one-run games to 3-8.

In the second inning, David Flores (Sacramento State) took Mallards starter Trevor Feeney (Northern Illinois) deep over the left field fence with one runner aboard, giving the Honkers a 2-0 lead. The next batter, Derek Norris (Delta State), reached base on an error, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Craig Lutes (Illinois). A Drew Hoisington (Toledo) single advanced him to third base, and he eventually scored on a passed ball to give the Honkers a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Martin turned in yet another stellar performance on the mound. He shut down Madison in seven innings of work, allowing only three hits. Along the way he benefited from some great defensive plays. Raynor Campbell (Baylor), gunned down a runner at the plate in the third inning following a text-book relay throw by right fielder, Jareck West (Delta State). In the fourth, Hoisington robbed Randy Molina (Stanford) of an extra-base hit and proceeded to double up Neil Mechill (Chandler-Gilbert CC), who retreated too far off of first base. Hoisington would leave the game in the fifth inning due to an injured groin.

In the eighth inning, Martin gave way to the Rochester bullpen, as Tim Scott (Nebraska) made his seventh appearance of the season. Scott walked two batters who would eventually score off of a two-RBI single from Medchill. Following the top half of the eighth, a rain delay stopped play for 45-minutes, before the Honkers were retired without scoring in the bottom of the inning.

In the ninth, the ball went to Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Tech). Kussmaul, who plays for Madison’s field manager, CJ Thieleke, at college, gave his skipper reason for hope after giving up two singles to put runners at the corners with only one out. The Honkers got just what they needed, however, when the next batter, Adam Pasono (Xavier), went down swinging at a Kussmaul heater. After hitting the next batter, Kussmaul had the bases loaded with Mallards. He then induced Robert Hubbard (Furman) to ground to first baseman Aaron Senne (Missouri), who made a diving stab and flipped to Kussmaul covering first for the final out, preserving the 3-2 win.

Martin (4-0) picked up the win, while the save was recorded by Kussmaul (1). Feeney (2-2) was hit with the loss, allowing only two earned runs in six innings. Flores led the Honkers offensively, going 2-3 with a home run and two RBI. Brian Spear (Kentucky) was 3-4 on the night and Hoisington was 2-2 before leaving the game in the fifth. Medchill was 1-3 with two RBI in the losing cause.

With the win, the Honkers improve to 13-13 while the loss drops the Mallards to 11-14. The two teams will do it all over again tomorrow evening, with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown out at 7:05 at Mayo Field.


June 25, 2007
Home sweet home

Box Score

(Waterloo, IA)- Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) felt right at home in Waterloo’s Riverfront Stadium on Monday night. The first baseman was only a double shy of hitting for the cycle as he went 3-4 with a home run, a triple, a single, and two RBI to lead the Rochester Honkers over the Waterloo Bucks, 6-4. The win snaps a four game losing streak for the Honkers.

Featherston, who attends the University of Northern Iowa in nearby Cedar Falls, Iowa, put together his best offensive showing of the year. His performance was timely, as Monday marked the first day the Honkers were without Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV), who signed a contract to play with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Featherston’s work load will increase at first base with Navarro, Jr.’s departure.

In the second inning, Featherston hit a blast to dead center off of Bucks starter and his Northern Iowa teammate, Tim Flattery. He also had an RBI-triple as a part of a four-run sixth inning that gave the Honkers a 6-2 lead. David Flores (Sacramento State), Craig Lutes (Illinois) and Joe Southers (Kansas) each had an RBI in the inning as well.

Zach Roberston (Iowa Central CC), another Iowa native, made his first start on the mound since an ankle injury caused him to miss two starts. He was able to make up for lost time on Monday, as he struck out nine batters in 6.2 innings and allowed four runs off of six hits.

Robertson left the game after giving up two runs in the seventh inning, as the Bucks pulled to within two runs, 6-4. Sean Finn (Dayton) made sure Waterloo would get no closer, as he finished the game, earning his first save of the year. In 2.1 innings of relief work, he struck out five batters and gave up only one hit.

Robertson (2-2) was credited with the win while his counterpart, Flattery (2-3) took the loss. Raynor Campbell (Baylor) went 2-4 with an RBI, as he and Featherston combined for five of Rochester’s six hits. Jeff Whitlow (Stanford) was 3-4 with an RBI in the loss. The Honkers now move to 12-13 on the season, while the Bucks fall to 10-15. The Honkers end their seven-game road trip with a 2-5 record and will start a four-game home stand on Tuesday when they host the Madison Mallards at 7:05 p.m.


June 25, 2007
Navarro, Jr. signs with Angels

(Rochester, MN)-The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced today that Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Angels selected Navarro, Jr. in the 50th round of the 2007 MLB First Year Player Draft with the 1,450th pick. Navarro Jr., will play for Los Angeles of Anaheim’s rookie league affiliate, the Tempe Angels of the Arizona League.

A three-year veteran with the Honkers and the 2006 Northwoods League (NWL) MVP, Navarro, Jr. was having another great season. As of June 24, he had played in 15 games and was hitting .408 with an on-base percentage of .532.

“I’m ready, excited and nervous,” said Navarro, Jr. “Ever since I was little getting drafted has always been a dream of mine, and now the time is here.”

Navarro, Jr. will leave the team on Monday. In his last game in a Honkers uniform, he went 3-3 with a double and a run scored in a losing effort at Duluth. “I’m excited to move on but I am going to miss playing in Rochester,” said Navarro, Jr.


June 24, 2007
Honkers drop third straight in ninth

Box Score

(Duluth, MN)- A disturbing trend has been emerging for the Rochester Honkers. For the third straight game, the Honkers could not hold on in the ninth inning, as they dropped yet another one-run game to the Duluth Huskies on Sunday night, 3-2. The Honkers have now lost four games in a row, and five of their last six.

After leading the game 2-0 following an Aaron Senne (Missouri) two-RBI single in the top of the first, the Honkers would not be able to muster any more runs the rest of the game. The Honkers did have opportunities, however, as in both the third and the eighth innings Rochester had the bases loaded with only one out and failed to score.

Slowly but surely, the Huskies crawled back into the game. After scoring a run in the third inning to pull within one, Duluth was able to tie the game in the eighth after Chris Dove (Elon) singled off of reliever Tim Scott (Nebraska), bringing the Huskies even with the Honkers at 2-2.

After shutting down the Honkers in the top half of the ninth, the Huskies got an extra-base hit to lead off of the bottom of the inning for the second night in a row. On Saturday, it was Chase Austin (Elon) who tripled to start the ninth. Kevin Hansen (San Diego) filled the role on Sunday, as he doubled in the first at-bat of the inning. A sacrifice bunt to advance Hansen to third set the stage for last night’s hero, Austin, to send the Honkers home winless at Duluth. Austin sent a drive to left field over the head of Joe Southers (Kansas) for the walk-off single.

Ryan Hill (Dayton) pitched well in the start for the Honkers, as he went seven strong innings, allowing only one run off two hits. Scott (0-1) was charged with the loss, as he gave up two runs in 1.1 innings. Brant Combs (Missouri) got the win in relief for the Huskies in 1.2 innings of work. Senne ended the game going 1-3 with two RBI, while Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) went 3-3 with two singles, a double and a run scored.

The Honkers are now 11-13 on the season, while the Huskies improve to 15-9. Rochester will try to turn things around on Monday, when they travel south to take on the Waterloo Bucks in Waterloo at 7:05 p.m.


June 23, 2007
Honkers let opportunity pass

Box Score

(Duluth, MN)- The Rochester Honkers can’t catch a break. After the pitching staff struggled as a whole on Friday, their fortunes seemed to change on Saturday night. However, the Duluth Huskies exercised the same demons that haunted the Honkers the night before. For the second straight game, a passed ball in the bottom of the ninth led to a one-run loss, as the Huskies beat the Honkers 2-1 at Wade Stadium in Duluth.

In a classic pitchers duel, Craig Fritsch (Baylor) and Andy Marks (Kansas) went back and forth for over seven innings. Neither pitcher allowed the opposing team to score until the eighth, when Justin Elrich (Kansas) doubled off of Fritsch to put the Huskies ahead, 1-0. Fritsch went 7.2 innings, struck out four, and gave up only one run in the no-decision. Marks also had no-decision, as he went 7.1 innings and allowed no runs.

Needing a run to extend the game, Rochester’s offense kicked in just when it needed to. To start the ninth, Jareck West (Delta State) was hit by a pitch. The next batter, Aaron Senne (Missouri) was called on to lay down a sacrifice bunt. After failing to do so, Senne succeeded on a hit and run, pounding a single that would advance West to third, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Senne then used a delayed to steal to allow West to take off for home and score when the throw home from second baseman Joey Bonadonna (Illinois) went over the head of the catcher. The Honkers would fail to put themselves ahead, however, as Senne was tagged out in a rundown between third and home.

The inability to come away with more than one run in the top half of the inning would prove costly for the Honkers. With Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Tech) on the hill in relief of Fritsch, a leadoff triple by Chase Austin (Elon) put the Honkers in a serious bind. After Kussmaul struck out Chris Dove (Elon) for the first out, a passed ball allowed Austin to prance home for the winning run.

Kussmaul (0-1) was saddled with the loss, while Josh Syberg (Missouri State) got the win. The Honkers fall to 11-12 overall, and have lost four out of their last five. The Huskies improve to 14-9 on the season and will host the Honkers again on Sunday afternoon at 4:05.


June 22, 2007
Honkers self-destruct against Thunder

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers allowed only seven hits on Friday night, but gave up eight runs in an 8-7 loss to the Brainerd Blue Thunder. After mounting a comeback to even the score at 7-7 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Honkers walked three batters and allowed the winning run to score on a passed ball.

Walks, passed balls, and hit batters were the Achilles heel for the Honkers all night, as they totaled seven walks, hit two batters and gave up two passed balls.

In the bottom of the first inning, Reed Woytek (Baylor) walked the bases loaded before giving up a two-RBI single to Adam Symons (Northern Colorado). Brainerd came out of the first inning with five runs, including one as a result of a passed ball charged to catcher, Brian Spear (Kentucky).

Despite the early 5-0 deficit, the Honkers refused to go quietly into the night. They would score four runs in the fourth, highlighted by a single from Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) that scored two. Spear and David Flores (Sacramento State) also had an RBI in the inning to cut the Blue Thunder lead to 5-4.

The Honkers would complete the comeback in the fifth inning, when a sacrifice fly from Jareck West (Delta State) and a single from Spear drove in one run each, giving the Honkers a 6-5 lead.

The Blue Thunder wasted no time taking the lead back from the Honkers, however, as a pair of RBI singles swung the lead back in Brainerd’s favor, 7-6.

The score would remain 7-6 going into the final frame, until Drew Hoisington (Toledo) gave the Honkers a spark with a one-out single. The next batter, Shaver Hansen (Baylor), executed perfectly on a hit-and-run, as he stroked a single into the outfield that allowed Hoisington to score. Raynor Campbell (Baylor) then reached on an error, giving the Honkers runners at first and third with only one out. The next batter, Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV), hit a ground ball to short that forced Campbell out at second. Hansen, who was on third, took off for home on the play but was thrown out at the plate, ending the inning.

With the game tied at 7-7, Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) came out for his fourth inning of work in the ninth, but was pulled after he allowed a leadoff walk. Sean Finn (Dayton) came into the game to try to force extra innings and got his first out on a sacrifice bunt that moved the leadoff runner to second. Finn proceeded to walk the next two batters before Erik Komatsu (Oxnard CC) came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. The Honkers got just what they wanted, as Finn got Komatsu to fan at the third strike. However, Spear could not handle the pitch and the passed ball ended the game as Jared McDonald (Pima CC) scored the winning run.

Woytek went five innings in the start and was responsible for seven Blue Thunder runs. Radmacher (1-1) took the loss in three-plus innings of relief, as he allowed one hit and one earned run to score. Bryan Westphal (Northern Iowa) notched the win for the Blue Thunder, who got a big performance at the plate from Symons, who was 3-4 with a double and three RBI. Featherston was 1-3 with two RBI for the Honkers, Spear was 1-4 with two RBI, and David Flores went 2-4 with a double and an RBI.

With the loss, Rochester falls back to .500 on the season at 11-11, while the win improves Brainerd to 9-13. The Honkers will try to get back on the winning track and gain some ground in the North Division of the Northwoods League when they travel to Duluth to take on the Huskies Saturday at 7:05 p.m.


June 21, 2007
Honkers fall to last place Thunder

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers have yet to figure out their identity. They traveled to Brainerd on Thursday night to take on a Brainerd team that has already suffered a 10-game losing streak this season and fell to the Blue Thunder, 5-3.

In their last two series, the Honkers split with the St. Cloud River Bats and swept the Alexandria Beetles, two teams fighting for supremacy atop the Northwoods League (NWL) North Division. Rochester looked to travel to Brainerd to avenge the split they settled for the last time these two teams faced. After Thursday night, however, the Honkers are hoping for the same result from their first outing after dropping the series opener to the Blue Thunder, who are currently in the basement of the North Division.

The up and down game started off relatively well for the Honkers. Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, Derek Norris (Delta State) hit a sacrifice fly and Craig Lutes (Illinois) plated an RBI double in the second to give the Honkers a 2-1 lead after two innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, Brainerd was the beneficiary of a Dave Sever (St. Louis) wild pitch, as Erik Komatsu (Oxnard CC) scored to tie the game at 2-2. The Honkers answered again in the top of the fifth, as Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) hit an RBI single that scored Drew Hoisington (Toledo), making the score 3-2, Honkers. Navarro, Jr. would finish the game going 2-4 with a double and an RBI.

The Blue Thunder would tie the game for the last time in the bottom of the sixth inning when Xavier Scruggs (UNLV) hit an RBI single to make the score 3-3. A David Wilson (Barton County CC) RBI double in the Brainerd half of the seventh would give them all the cushion they would need, making the score 4-3. An error on Rochester’s Brian Spear (Kentucky) allowed one more run to score in the inning.

Bryan Westphal (Northern Iowa) earned the save by shutting the door on the Honkers in the ninth after getting some help from Ryan Royster (UC-Davis) in right field. Royster made a great, diving catch to rob Lutes of what looked to be an extra-base hit for the first out in the inning.

Sever (1-2) was saddled with the loss while Brandon Roberts (Charleston Southern) was credited with the win. With the loss, the Honkers fall to 11-10 while the Blue Thunder improve to 8-13. The Honkers will try to salvage a series-split tomorrow, when they take on Brainerd again at 7:05 p.m.


June 20, 2007
"My favorite" Martin

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro) turned in the best start of any Honkers pitcher this season in an 8-0 victory over the St. Cloud River Bats on Wednesday night.

Providing a much needed break to a bullpen that has been getting a lot of work lately, Martin did just that and more. He extended his previous longest performance of the year by one inning, throwing a total of eight innings while allowing only three hits. Throughout the game, Martin allowed no more than four batters to come to the plate in any one inning. Ryan Mullins (Winthrop) came in relief of Martin in the ninth inning to complete Rochester’s first shutout of the season.

Leading 1-0, the Honkers broke the game open in the fourth inning. Derek Norris (Delta State) hit a routine grounder to second with two outs that would have ended the inning. However, an error by Derek McCallum (Minnesota) extended the at-bat. Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) made the River Bats pay for the mistake when he cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple. The Honkers would go on to score five in the inning and take a 6-0 lead over St. Cloud.

Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) stole the show offensively for the Honkers, knocking in four RBI while going 2-3 with two doubles. Jareck West (Delta State), Shaver Hansen (Baylor), Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro) and Brian Spear (Kentucky) all added an RBI to the cause. Gaski also scored three runs on the evening.

With the win, Martin (3-0) becomes the first Honkers pitcher to get to three wins on the season. Nick Buchta (Sacramento State) took a tough loss on the mound for the River Bats, as he went five innings and gave up six runs, only one of which was earned. Rochester leaves St. Cloud with a split in the two-game series and improves to 11-9. St. Cloud falls to 13-8 with the loss. The Honkers continue their seven-game road trip on Thursday, when they travel to Brainerd to take on the Blue Thunder at 7:05 p.m.


June 19, 2007
Honkers drop thriller to River Bats

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- In a match-up that featured two teams at or near the top of the Northwoods League (NWL) North Division, the Rochester Honkers and the St. Cloud River Bats battled for 13 innings on Tuesday night. Despite holding off several advances from the River Bats, the Honkers could not get by David Brumagin (Indiana State), who hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 13th inning off Sean Finn (Dayton).

The Honkers fell behind 2-0 before coming back to take a 5-2 lead by taking advantage of River Bats miscues. Drew Hoisington (Toledo) had a two-RBI double that scored three in the second inning and David Flores (Sacramento State) had an RBI single that scored two in the third. On the night, the Honkers scored a total of three unearned runs.

The River Bats answered in the third by plating two runs off of Honkers starter Ryan Hill (Dayton), making the score 5-4. Aaron Senne (Missouri) then hit a single that brought home a run in the fourth, giving the Honkers a 6-4 cushion.

Tim Wheeler (Sacramento State), who hit a two-run home run in the first inning, had an RBI single in the sixth that tied the game after the River Bats plated one run in the fourth inning. The score would remain 6-6 until the 13th.

The Honkers were able to get out of several jams before surrendering the final run of the game. In the eighth, Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) threw a runner out at the plate and Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Tech) struck out Adam Kampsen (Northern State) to eliminate a threat that saw runners on second and third with one out. Kussmaul also struck out two batters to finish the ninth inning and forced the River Bats into consecutive ground outs after advancing a runner to third with only one out in the inning.

Hill (1-1) went five innings, struck out seven and allowed five runs in the no-decision. Finn (1-3) was charged with the loss, his only hit allowed being Brumagin’s walk-off. Ryan Wrobel (Nebraska-Kearney) picked up the win in 2.2 innings of work, in which he allowed only one hit. The second of the two-game set is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud.


June 18, 2007
Honkers make it rain on Beetles

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Nothing could stop the offense of the Rochester Honkers on Monday. Neither the Alexandria Beetles nor a prolonged rain delay could slow down the Honkers’ bats, as they plated a season high 17 runs on 22 hits. In the two-game sweep of the top team in the Northwoods League (NWL) North Division, the Honkers combined for 28 runs on 34 hits. The Beetles scored just five runs and had 12 hits.

Drew Hoisington (Toledo) and Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro) both had career days for the Honkers. Hoisington hit a leadoff home run off starter, Casey Coleman (Florida Gulf Coast). He didn’t slow down from there, hitting a three-run home run in the sixth. He ended the day going 3-6 with two home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored. Gaski went 5-7 with four singles, one double, four RBI and two runs scored.

In the second inning, with Rochester leading 1-0, Jareck West (Delta State) lined a three run homer over the wall in left field. After an RBI by Gaski, the Honkers led 5-0 when the skies darkened and a storm front made its way through Rochester. The rain delay began with two outs in the third inning and lasted two hours and 36 minutes. The break didn’t affect the Honkers, as they would pick up right where they left off only two innings later.

In the fifth, Gaski hit a base-clearing double that brought in three runs for the Honkers, making the score 8-0. After Hoisington’s three run shot in the sixth, the Honkers picked up five more runs in the eighth. Shaver Hansen (Baylor) had an RBI single, Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) grounded into a fielder’s choice that resulted in an RBI, Hoisington knocked in a run, and Gaski recorded two RBI on a double in the inning.

The Beetles were able to pick up two runs off reliever Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) in the seventh inning. The loss drops the Beetles (who came into the game as the first place team in the North Division) to 12-7.

Although Hoisington and Gaski stole the show for the Honkers, West put together another solid outing. He went 3-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Raynor Campbell (Baylor)l put together his second straight four-hit performance, going 4-6. Radmacher (1-0) got the win in the relief appearance for the Honkers. Craig Fritsch (Baylor) started the game, going three innings, striking out four and surrendering no hits before he was replaced because of the delay. Coleman (0-2) was charged with the loss after he gave up five runs on six hits in two innings.

The win improves the Honkers to 10-8 on the season and 5-5 throughout the 10-game homestand. Tuesday, the Honkers will travel to St. Cloud to take on the River Bats at 7:05 p.m. to begin a seven-game road trip.


June 17, 2007
Honkers blow out Beetles

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers got off to a shaky start against the first place Alexandria Beetles on Sunday. They finished the game as steady as could be, though, erasing a 3-0 deficit by scoring 11 unanswered runs to take the first game of the series, 11-3. The win snapped the Beetles’ five-game winning streak.

Reed Woytek (Baylor) got the win on the mound in his first start of the year. He allowed only one earned run, in six innings. In the second inning, Woytek gave up one unearned run when a single by Casey Coleman (Florida Gulf Coast) scored Caleb Curry (Iowa). The Beetles picked up two more in the third off of an RBI single by Keith Castillo (USC) and a Honkers error that led to an unearned run. The Beetles led in the middle of the third, 3-0.

To start off Rochester’s half of the third, Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro) entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Shaver Hansen (Baylor). Gaski hit a chopper off of home plate that got through the infield. Never breaking stride, he advanced all the way to second base. Gaski’s hustle play seemed to spark a Honkers offense that had scored only one run in the last eleven innings, as they went on to score five runs in the inning and six in the fourth.

Aaron Senne (Missouri), who was hitting only .100 coming into the game, broke out of his slump with a 2-5 performance and contributed three RBI to the cause. Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) and David Flores (Sacramento State) both had two RBI and Raynor Campbell went 4-5 in addition to a stellar defensive performance at second base. Jareck West (Delta State), Brian Spear (Kentucky) and Derek Norris (Delta State) all added one RBI.

Richard Bleier (Florida Gulf Coast) was charged with the loss, leaving the game with two out in the third inning. Castillo went 1-3 with an RBI in the loss.

With the win, the Honkers pick up a full game on Alexandria, the first place team in the North Division of the Northwoods League. Rochester is now 9-8, while Alexandria is 12-6. The two teams will square off in the latter of a two game series at 1:05 p.m. on Monday at Mayo Field.


June 16, 2007
Express earn first win in Rochester

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Coming into Saturday’s game against Eau Claire at Mayo Field, the Rochester Honkers enjoyed an undefeated record against the Express on their home turf. That streak came to an end on Saturday night, as a wild pitch in the eighth allowed Eau Claire to escape with their first win in ten tries at Mayo Field, 2-1.

Wes Simmons (Nebraska) grounded a Honkers offense that was flying high after scoring 14 runs the previous night. Simmons pitched a gem, going eight innings and striking out seven while giving only one run on six hits. The lone blemish for Simmons (1-1), who picked up the win, came in the fifth inning, when Drew Hoisington (Toledo) hit his first home run of the season. With the Hoisington blast, the Honkers tied the game at 1-1.

Rochester starting pitcher Dave Sever (St. Louis) also had a solid outing. He threw 6.1 innings of three-hit baseball, allowing only one run. Joe Bonfe (Creighton) took Sever deep in the third inning, giving the Express a 1-0 lead.

The breaking point for the Honkers came in the eighth, when Kyle Calhoun (Yavapai) took control of the game. Calhoun drove a double off Honkers reliever Sean Finn (Dayton) before advancing to third on a ground out. He scored what would be the winning run in the next at-bat when a wild pitch by Finn (1-3) trickled to the backstop, and he beat the play at the plate with a head first slide.

The Honkers wouldn’t go down without a fight, threatening in both the eighth and ninth innings. With two out and Raynor Campbell (Baylor) on third, David Flores (Sacramento State) hit what looked to be a bloop RBI single. However, Calhoun came charging in from right field and made a diving catch to end the inning.

In the ninth, Calhoun made the trip from right field to the pitcher’s mound to close out the game. With one out in the inning, Aaron Senne (Missouri) sent a deep drive to dead center that brought the crowd of 1,814 at Mayo Field to their feet. Going to the deepest part of the field at 390 feet, however, Senne came up just short as center fielder Pat Colwell (San Diego State) tracked it down at the warning track. Calhoun shut the door on the Honkers and earned the save (1) when he struck out Shaver Hansen (Baylor) to end the game.

With the loss, Rochester falls to 8-8, while Eau Claire improves to 7-9. The Honkers held the same 8-8 record last year before going on to win 50 games in the regular season. The Honkers will try to get back on the winning track tomorrow afternoon, when the Alexandria Beetles come to Mayo Field at 3:05 p.m.


June 15, 2007
Honkers de-rail Express

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers know how to end a losing streak in style. After dropping four straight games that were predicated by defensive mistakes, missed opportunities and a nearly non-existent offense, the Honkers seemed to remedy all of that on Friday night. Rochester put on an offensive clinic, using home runs by Derek Norris (Delta State) and Raynor Campbell (Baylor) to defeat the Eau Claire Express, 14-5.

An RBI ground-out by Jareck West (Delta State) got the Honkers off to a good start in the first inning, leading 1-0. In the second, with Brian Spear (Kentucky) aboard, Norris lifted his third home run of the year over the wall in left field. A Drew Hoisington (Toledo) double scored one more run in the inning, as the Honkers held a 4-0 advantage.

The Express would cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth. Joe Bonfe (Creighton) had an RBI single and Mike LaLuna (New York Tech) recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly, giving Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro) the only blemish on his great evening. Martin (1-1) gave up only those two runs off seven hits in seven innings as he picked up the win for the Honkers.

The Honkers answered in their very next at-bat, adding three more runs to the scoreboard. Celebrating his 20th birthday, Craig Lutes (Illinois) recorded a double with one out in the fifth. Following a Hoisington walk, Campbell hit a three-run home run to extend the Honkers lead, 7-2.

For good measure, the Honkers scored seven insurance runs in the fifth. Norris had a two-RBI single, Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) drove in a run and Spear hit a sacrifice fly in the inning. In addition, Express pitchers walked in two runs and threw a wild pitch that allowed another run to score. After the Honkers batted around and the dust had settled, the score was 14-2.

Eau Claire was able to muster three runs in the ninth before Tim Radmacher (Nebraska) picked off Bryan Frew (Nebraska-Omaha) in-between first and second base to end the game.

The Honkers were led on the night by Norris, who had a great performance. He went 3-5 with four RBI, Campbell was 2-5 with four RBI, Hoisington went 2-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, and Lutes was 2-4, scoring two runs. Casey Schmidt (Creighton) took the loss for Eau Claire.

The win puts Rochester over the .500 mark, at 8-7. Eau Claire falls to 6-9 with the loss. The two teams will face each other again tomorrow in a 7 p.m. start at Mayo Field.


June 14, 2007
Honkers drop fourth straight at home

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Defensive miscues and a quiet offensive performance by the Rochester Honkers was the culprit in a 5-2 loss to the Battle Creek Bombers on Thursday afternoon. The loss at Mayo Field is the fourth straight for the Honkers at their home stadium.

After putting together strong offensive performance in an 11-7 loss to the Bombers on Wednesday night, the Honkers could muster only five hits and left 11 runners on base in the series finale against Battle Creek. The Honkers were shaky defensively as well, with a total of three errors that resulted in two unearned runs.

Those runs came in the second inning off Honkers starting pitcher, Ryan Hill (Dayton). After getting two quick outs in the inning, Hill gave up three straight singles to load the bases. A walk issued to Justin Wilson (Oakland University) scored one run, which was followed by an RBI single from John Delaney (Quinnipiac), making the score 2-0 in favor of the Bombers. The next batter, David Sappelt (Coastal Carolina), hit a soft grounder back to the mound. With the bases loaded, Hill thought about going home, but changed his mind and decided to get the force at first. His throw floated over the head of first baseman, Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV), resulting in two unearned runs and a 4-0 Bombers lead.

The Honkers would make it interesting in the fourth. Arriving in Rochester on Thursday morning, Raynor Campbell (Baylor) hit a two-RBI double that scored Joe Southers (Kansas) and Aaron Senne (Missouri), cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Honkers would not cross home plate again, however, and surrendered one more run to the Bombers before arriving at the final tally of 5-2.

Hill (1-1) got the loss for the Honkers, pitching seven innings and allowing five runs, three of which were earned. He pitched well in every inning except for the second, in which he allowed four of his seven hits, walked one batter, and committed a throwing error. Andre Benjamin (Grand Rapids CC) notched his first victory of the year for the Bombers, as Drew Mahan (Western Michigan) closed the game out with the save. Offensively, Battle Creek was lead by Delaney, who went 2-4 with an RBI. Campbell went 1-5 in his Honkers debut, driving in the only two runs for Rochester.

The loss drops the Honkers to 7-7 overall and improves the Bombers to 6-8. Rochester will try to end their four-game losing skid tomorrow evening, when they host the Eau Claire Express at 7:05 p.m.


June 13, 2007
Bombers survive rally, defeat Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers fought hard to battle back into the game on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough. After trailing the Battle Creek Bombers 4-0 going into the fifth inning, the Honkers rallied to take a one-run lead in the sixth. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Bombers scored five in the ninth on their way to an 11-7 victory at Mayo Field.

After three innings of scoreless baseball, Battle Creek was the first team on the scoreboard when they got four runs off of Craig Fritsch (Baylor) in the fourth. After giving up two straight singles and hitting a batter, Fritsch loaded the bases. With one out, Brett Bivens (Valparaiso) hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run. John Lee (Nebraska) then roped a single that scored one, and another run was allowed to score after an errant throw from the outfield skipped by the catcher, Joe Southers (Kansas). A single by Nick Jowers (Maryland) ended the Bomber barrage as they took a 4-0 lead.

Rochester’s bats finally woke up in the fifth. An RBI single from Drew Hoisington (Toledo) and an RBI double from Jareck West (Delta State) brought the Honkers to within two, 4-2. After holding the Bombers scoreless in the sixth, back-to-back solo shots from Southers (Kansas) and Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro) tied the game at 4-4. With two out in the inning, a wild pitch from Drew Mahan (Western Michigan) resulted in a run for the Honkers, courtesy of Craig Lutes (Illinois); that gave Rochester their first lead, 5-4.

In the seventh inning, the Honkers went to the bullpen with Tim Scott (Nebraska) replacing Fritsch. Scott walked three batters, gave up a single, and was responsible for two runs crossing the plate, as the Bombers re-took the lead, 6-5. The Honkers battled back again when West hit his third home run of the season in the seventh. At that point, the game was tied, at 6-6.

With the game still tied going into the ninth, things quickly went south for the Honkers. Sean Finn (Dayton) walked two batters and committed a throwing error, loading the bases. Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Technical) then entered the game. The very next batter, Clay Sartain (Delta State) hit a two RBI single that gave Battle Creek an 8-6 lead. They would go on to score five in the inning, making the score 11-6. Rochester was able to manufacture one run in the bottom of the ninth, as the final score was 11-7 in favor of the Bombers.

Eric Lawrence (Central Michigan) pitched the final two innings for the Bombers, picking up the win. Finn (1-2) was saddled with the loss. Lee, Sartain, and Jowers all had two RBI for the Bombers, who move to 5-8 on the season. West went 2-4 at the plate with a double, a home run, and two RBI to lead the Honkers. Rochester has dropped three straight and is now 7-6. The two teams meet again tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 p.m. at Mayo Field, where the Honkers will try to salvage a split in the series.


June 12, 2007
Huskies complete two-game sweep

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- For the second game in a row, the Rochester Honkers were unable to crack the Duluth pitching staff. Rochester got only two hits on the night, as they dropped their second straight by a score of 3-1, in front of a crowd of 2,781 at Mayo Field.

Rochester had several hard-hit balls off of Huskies starter, Andy Marks (Kansas), but they always seemed to be hitting right at a Duluth defender. Marks (2-0) got the win on the mound, going seven strong innings while allowing only one hit. Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) took the loss for the Honkers, as he allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.

The only run the Honkers were able to muster came in the eighth inning. Joe Southers (Kansas) legged out a triple after he hit a high fly ball that dropped between left fielder Chris House (Georgia Tech) and center fielder Chris Dove (Elon). Still struggling with a groin injury, Southers then left the game as Craig Lutes (Illinois) entered as a pinch-runner. The next batter, Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro), fought off a 2-2 deliver from Josh Syberg (Southeast Missouri), grounding out to third and allowing Lutes to score. The run pulled Rochester to within one, 2-1.

Duluth picked up an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Following a controversial call that resulted in catcher, Derek Norris (Delta State), being ejected from the game, the Honkers had to juggle their defensive lineup in the ninth. Jason Haniger (Georgia Tech) started off the inning with a double to dead center, and then advanced to third when the relay from the shortstop, Gaski, sailed over the head of Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) at third. Two batters later, Kevin Hansen (San Diego) laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Haniger to score, making it 3-1, Duluth.

Rochester threatened in the bottom of the ninth, as Aaron Senne (Missouri) and Featherston both drew walks, putting runners at first and second with one out. Duluth then called on Jim Klocke (Southeast Missouri State) to close the game out. He did just that, as he coaxed both David Flores (Sacramento State) and Brian Spear (Kentucky) to pop out, ending the game.

Haniger went 2-4 for the Huskies, as he hit two doubles, scored once, and had one RBI. Klocke (1) picked up his first save of the year. In the losing effort, Spear hit one double in addition to the Southers triple. The loss drops the Honkers to 7-5 on the year, while the Huskies improve to 8-4. The Honkers will try to get back on the winning track tomorrow at Mayo Field, when the Battle Creek Bombers make the trip to Rochester. The opening pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m.


June 11, 2007
Huskies quiet Honker bats

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers’ five-game winning streak came to a screeching halt at Mayo Field on Monday night. Powered by a game-high four RBI from Logan Gelbrich (San Diego) and solid team pitching, the Duluth Huskies took care of the Honkers, 8-1.

Duluth took advantage of a sub-par outing by Dave Sever (St. Louis), who allowed seven hits and eight runs (seven of which were earned) in 4.1 innings of work. A Kevin Hansen (San Diego) double in the second inning opened up the scoring for the Huskies, scoring Gelbrich. Sever then struck out the next batter; but his pitch went over the head of catcher, Joe Southers (Kansas), allowing Christian Overstreet (Missouri State) to advance safely to first and Chase Austin (Elon) to score. After two innings, the Honkers found themselves trailing, 2-0.

The Huskies got two more runs on Sever in the third. An RBI single from Gelbrich scored Joey Bonadonna (Illinois), but the ball was bobbled in left field. Because of the error, another run came around to score, making it 4-0 in favor of the Huskies.

After a solo home run by Austin in the fourth, Gelbrich sent Sever to the bench after a three-run homer with one out in the fifth inning. The Honkers scored their only run of the game after Craig Lutes (Illinois) grounded into a double-play that allowed Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) to score in the bottom half of the seventh inning.

The Huskies pitching staff put a stop to the hot-hitting Honkers, giving up only six hits on the night. Mike Nihsen (Nebraska) got the win, going five innings and striking out six. Sever (1-1) was hit with his first loss of the season. Offensively, Gelbrich was a perfect 2-2 with three walks and a home run. Bonadonna was able to steal two bases on the night, bringing his season total to a league-high 13. Featherston went 2-3 in the losing effort for the Honkers.

With the Duluth win and the Rochester loss, both teams sit at 7-4 overall. The Honkers will try to settle the score with the Huskies tomorrow night, when the two teams do battle in the series finale at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field.


June 9, 2007
Senne shines in Honkers debut

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- On a night when Rochester native, Dan Lyons, became the first Rochester Honker to have his number retired, another Rochester prep stepped into the spotlight. As though a torch were being passed from one generation to the next, Rochester Mayo graduate, Aaron Senne (Missouri), showed that he is up to the task of following in the footsteps created for him by Lyons. In his first night as a Honker, Senne sent the home crowd into a frenzy when he hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning to help lead the Honkers past the Thunder Bay Border Cats, 8-3.

After the Border Cats tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth, Senne came up to bat with one out and two on in the bottom half of the inning. As Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV) and Jareck West (Delta State) stood on base, Border Cats starter, Kris Ruepke (Iowa Central CC) worked ahead in the count, 1-2. Then he made his last mistake of the game. Ruepke left a letter-high fastball on the inside part of the plate that Senne turned on and pulled over the fence in right field. With that, Ruepke’s night was over and the Honkers took a comfortable 5-1 lead.

The Border Cats made a run in the sixth inning, as they got to Honkers starter, Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro). After hitting a batter and giving up a single, a passed ball moved two runners into scoring position. A base hit by Temple Macdonald (Campbellsville University) scored a run, cutting the Honkers lead to 5-2. Reed Woytek (Baylor) then entered the game in relief of Martin. Woytek allowed one unearned run to score before getting out of the inning with the score 5-3 in favor of the Honkers.

West answered for Rochester in the bottom of the sixth, as he hit an RBI double into left field that scored Craig Lutes (Illinois). The Honkers would post two more insurance runs in the seventh, on their way to a fifth straight victory and a sweep of Thunder Bay. In the two game series, the Honkers tagged Border Cats for 29 hits and 23 runs.

Martin (1-0) got the win on the mound while Ruepke (1-1) took the loss. Offensively, Senne went only 1-4 in his debut, but had three RBI on his fifth inning home run. West went 3-4 with a double and Navarro, Jr. went 3-5, both chipping in with one RBI. Drew Hoisington (Toledo) plated two RBI with a double. On the losing side, Andrew Macdonald (Campbellsville University) went 3-4.

Rochester is now 7-3, and sits atop the North Division of the Northwoods League along with St. Cloud and Alexandria. Thunder Bay falls to 3-7 with the loss. After an off day on Sunday, the Honkers will host Duluth at 7:05 p.m. on Monday.


June 8, 2007
Honkers send Cats scurrying

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The arrival of the reigning Northwoods League (NWL) MVP, Efren Navarro, Jr. (UNLV), seemed to give the Rochester Honkers a spark on Friday night. The Honkers compiled 15 runs on 16 hits on their way to a 15-4 pounding of the Thunder Bay Border Cats, extending their winning streak to four games.

After getting into some trouble in the first inning, Honkers starter, Ryan Hill (Dayton) got out of it virtually unscathed. He gave up two hits and two walks, but allowed only one run, as Thunder Bay took a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the first. Hill (1-0) earned his first win of the season after he went five innings, struck out six batters, and allowed three runs off of eight hits.

The top of the first inning was the last time the Border Cats would lead in the game. Rochester broke out with three home runs in the bottom of the inning, putting them ahead 5-1, a lead they would not surrender. Derek Norris (Delta State) hit a solo shot over the left field fence to tie the game at 1-1 with one away in the inning. Then, with Navarro aboard, Norris’ Delta State teammate, Jareck West, crushed a two-run bomb that easily cleared the wall in left field. Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) finished the onslaught by sending a Chris Lemay (Campbellsville) delivery over the Mayo Field scoreboard. The Honkers led 5-1 after the first inning.

Rochester would go on to post 10 more runs in the game. They scored one in the third inning, two in each the fifth and sixth innings, and five again in the eighth. By game’s end, every starting position player had at least one hit for the Honkers. Featherston had three RBI on the night, as did Brian Spear (Kentucky), who also had two doubles. Drew Hoisington (Toledo), Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro), Norris and West all had two RBI. In his return to Rochester, Navarro, Jr. seemed to pick up right where he left off; he went three for five batting and scored three runs.

Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Technical) pitched three innings in relief of Hill, allowing three hits and striking out four. The win moves the Honkers into a three-way tie for first place in the North Division of the NWL with Alexandria and St. Cloud. All three teams have a record of 6-3. The loss drops the Border Cats to 3-6. The Honkers will attempt to pick up the series sweep on Saturday night in Rochester, taking on the Border Cats at 7:05 p.m.


June 7, 2007
Honkers sweep first place Beetles

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers took full advantage of Beetles blunders on Thursday night to come away with a 5-3 victory at Alexandria. The win gives the Honkers a sweep over the Beetles and is their third in a row. Rochester now moves into a tie for second in the North Division at 5-3.

Leadoff hitter, Drew Hoisington (Toledo), started the action with a double in the top of the first inning. He scored two batters later when Jareck West (Delta State) pounded out his first triple of the year to give the Honkers an early 1-0 lead. The Beetles managed to tie the game in the fourth when a single by Blake Smith (California-Berkley) scored Donny Jobe (Elon) to tie the score at 1-1.

That’s when things went south for the Beetles. In the seventh, David Flores (Sacramento State) took off from second base in an attempt to steal third. The throw from catcher, Brian Oliver (Indiana State), flew over the head of the third baseman and into left field, permitting Flores to score the go-ahead run at 2-1. After that, Alexandria replaced starter, Logan Hoch (Hutchinson CC) with Gunner Glad (Eastern Oklahoma JC). A wild pitch by Glad scored Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro), giving the Honkers a 3-1 lead. Glad finished the game having thrown 1.1 innings with one walk, two wild pitches and one hit batsman.

Rochester was the beneficiary of one more Alexandria miscue in the eighth. West scored from second base after Flores hit a grounder back to Glad on the mound, who overthrew first base, giving Rochester a 4-1 lead. In the ninth, the Honkers got one more insurance run after a triple by Craig Lutes (Illinois) set the stage for an RBI single by Joe Southers (Kansas) to make the score 5-1 in favor of the Honkers.

Reed Woytek (Baylor) came in for the ninth inning to close the game out. Woytek made the game interesting, as he walked two and gave up two hits resulting in two runs for the Beetles. The door was closed on the Beetles comeback, however, when Woytek sent Tim Dellwo (Texarkana CC) to the bench after swinging at a third strike, securing a 5-3 victory for the Honkers.

Honkers starter, Craig Fritsch (Baylor) got the win on the mound. Fritsch (1-0) went six innings, allowing only one run off of one hit. Ryan Mullins (Winthrop) went two innings allowing only one hit and no runs in relief of Fritsch. At the plate, Hoisington went 2-3 with a double, a single, two walks, and one run scored. Hoch (0-1) took the loss for the Beetles, going 6.2 innings and throwing two wild pitches; Alexandria had four on the night. The Honkers return home from their long road trip to open up a 10-game home stand which begins tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. against the Thunder Bay Border Cats at Mayo Field in Rochester.


June 6, 2007
Bats come alive in win against Beetles

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers got the offense they’ve been waiting for on Wednesday night, as they had 16 hits and plated seven runs against the Alexandria Beetles on their way to a 7-5 win at Alexandria. Prior to the game against the Beetles, the most runs the Honkers had scored in a game was four and the most hits they had recorded was eight.

Coming into the game, the Honkers had the third-best team ERA in the Northwoods League (NWL) at 2.19, but the lowest overall batting average (.184). The offense finally gave the pitching staff some support on Wednesday, as the Honkers jumped on the Beetles early and never looked back. In the top of the second inning, Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro), Joe Southers (Kansas), and Derek Norris (Delta State) all provided RBI singles to give the Honkers a 3-0 lead.

Rochester’s starter, Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC), had a great performance on the mound, allowing only two runs in his six innings of work. Those runs came in the Alexandria half of the fourth, after a leadoff triple by allowed Keith Castillo (USC) and Dallas Cawiezell (Valparaiso) to knock in runs, making the score 3-2. Robertson (1-1) got the win on the mound in his second start, as he struck out eight and allowed only two walks after issuing six free passes in his first start.

The remainder of the scoring for the Honkers came off of four, two-out hits in the top of the fifth inning. Following back-to-back singles by Craig Lutes (Illinois) and Gaski, Drew Hoisington (Toledo) came away with his second triple of the year, scoring both runners. Norris, the very next batter, sent a two-run bomb over the fence in left-center field to give the Honkers a comfortable 7-2 lead.

There was no quit in the Beetles, however. Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Technical) entered the game in the seventh inning and got himself into a bit of trouble. With two outs in the inning, he gave up consecutive walks followed by an RBI single to Castillo to pull the Beetles within four, at 7-3. With runners at the corners, Kussmaul gave up another walk, loading the bases. He got himself out of the jam in the next at-bat, coming away with a clutch strike out. Sean Finn (Dayton) came into the game in the ninth and allowed two runs to score before closing out the Beetles.

Offensively, the Honkers were led by Norris who went 2-5 with three RBI. Hoisington was 4-6 at the plate with two RBI, while the injured Southers was able to contribute a 4-5 performance, with one RBI and one run scored. The win improves Rochester to 4-3 overall, while the loss leaves the North Division-leading Alexandria Beetles at 5-2. The Honkers will look to tie Alexandria in the division tomorrow night, with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown at 7:05 p.m.


June 5, 2007
Honkers fend off Border Cats

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Joe Southers (Kansas) got his restitution on Tuesday night. After committing a costly error that allowed a run in Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Border Cats, Southers made a game-saving play in the field and fueled Rochester’s third run of the game to preserve a 3-1 victory at Thunder Bay.

Still waiting on nine players to finish their collegiate seasons, Honkers field manager, Greg Labbe (North Florida), is forced to use creativity when he fills out the lineup card each night. It is not uncommon to see third basemen playing second, first basemen playing third, or pitchers posing as the designated hitter.

Southers is one of those players. One of three playing away from their natural position in the Honkers infield, the catcher has been forced to play first base in the last two games. He is also suffering from an injured hamstring. On Tuesday, with runners at first and second in the bottom of the eighth and Rochester clinging to a 2-1 lead, Southers saved what would have been a game-tying double down the first base line by making a diving stop, ending the Border Cats threat. Then, with two out in the top of the ninth, Southers drew a walk, putting runners at the corners. After missing two steal signs from Labbe, the field manager yelled at Southers from across the diamond to steal second base. This prompted Border Cats pitcher, Eric Van Matre (Northeastern), to make a pitch-out attempt. The pitch sailed all the way to the backstop, allowing David Flores (Sacramento State) to score from third and give the Honkers a two-run cushion, 3-1.

For the third straight night, the Honkers drew first blood on the scoreboard. A pair of RBI doubles, one by Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro) in the second inning and one by Jareck West (Delta State) in the sixth, gave Rochester a 2-0 lead.

Thunder Bay scored their only run of the evening when Danny Benedetti (Irvine Valley JC) singled off Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Technical) in the seventh inning to score Terry Goddard (Avila University) from second base. The Border Cats had a similar situation in the bottom of the first inning, with Goddard at second and Benedetti at the plate. Benedetti singled to center, but Goddard was unable to score as he was gunned down at the plate by Drew Hoisington (Toledo). Hoisington has thrown out two runners in that situation in six games.

In his second start of the year, Dave Sever (St. Louis) picked up his first win after he struck out seven batters in the first three innings, ending with nine in six innings. Reed Woytek (Baylor) earned his first save after allowing no runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Matt Fields (Gonzaga) struck out 10 batters in the loss. The win evens Rochester’s record at 3-3, while the loss drops Thunder Bay to 2-4. The Honkers enter the last series of their seven-game road trip on Wednesday, as they travel to Alexandria to take on the Beetles in the first of two games at 7:05 p.m.


June 4, 2007
Offense sputters in loss at Thunder Bay

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- For the second night in a row, the Rochester Honkers failed to hold on to a two-run lead, with this loss being at the hands of the Thunder Bay Border Cats. A solo home run by Temple Macdonald (Campbellsville University) in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and gave Thunder Bay the 3-2 victory. The win improves the Border Cats to 2-3 on the season, while the loss moves the Honkers to 2-3.

All seemed to be going well for the Honkers early on, as the offense produced runs in the second and third innings. In the top of the second, David Flores (Sacramento State) doubled off of Thunder Cats starter, Carlo Testa (Belmont University) and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Craig Lutes (Illinois). With the score 1-0 in favor of the Honkers, speedy Drew Hoisington (Toledo) plated the first triple of the year for Rochester. The next batter, Derek Norris (Delta State), drove him in with an RBI single, giving Rochester a 2-0 advantage. The closest the Honkers would get to scoring again was in the fifth inning, when Lutes was stranded at third after taking the base with only one out.

Despite the lack of offense, the Honkers had a chance to secure the victory. However, untimely miscues spelled Rochester’s demise. In the third, starter Greg Martin (UNC Greensboro) gave up an RBI single to Terry Goddard (Avila University) after he had worked ahead in the count 0-2. The run pulled the Thunder Cats to within one, at 2-1. Then, in the fifth, Kyle Dudley (Tennessee Martin) scored from second base after Joe Southers (Kansas) misplayed a ball on a put-out opportunity at first. A catcher by trade, Southers found himself at first base tonight because of a lack of available position players. The error tied the game at 2-2, setting the stage for Macdonald’s game-winner in the eighth.

Martin went six innings in the start, allowing six hits and two runs, one of which was earned in the no-decision. Ryan Mullins (Winthrop) was charged with his second loss of the season after pitching two innings of relief. Offensively, Hoisington led Rochester with two of the team’s six hits. The Honkers will see if they can get the offense going tomorrow when they take on the Border Cats again at 6:05 p.m. in Thunder Bay.


June 3, 2007
Honkers can't silence Thunder in ninth

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers dominated the Brainerd Blue Thunder for eight innings on Sunday night. It was the ninth inning that caused Rochester problems, as Brainerd overcame a 2-0 deficit to tie the game after nine innings. In the bottom of the 10th, a walk-off single by Arin Fowble (Coffeyville CC) gave the Blue Thunder a 3-2 victory over the Honkers. Brainerd improves to 3-1 on the year while Rochester evens their record at 2-2.

Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) started the scoring for the Honkers in the third inning when he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Jareck West (Delta State). The Honkers plated their next run in the sixth after Joe Southers (Kansas) hit an RBI double that scored Derek Norris (Delta State), giving the Honkers a 2-0 lead. West was solid offensively, going 3-5 at the plate with three singles and two stolen bases on the night.

Rochester felt comfortable with the two-run lead, as for the second straight night a Honkers starting pitcher put in a quality outing. Ryan Hill (Dayton) went six innings, allowing only one hit and striking out eight Blue Thunder batters. Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Technical) made a relief appearance for the second straight night, throwing scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth.

The final frame of regulation proved to be the thorn in the side of the Honkers. Ryan Mullins (Winthrop) entered the game with a save opportunity as Rochester led, 2-0. For Brainerd, Ryan Lipkin (Solano) started the inning with a single, and was moved into scoring position after a fielder’s choice. The next batter, Tyler Metcalf (Barton County CC), also singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Mullins then walked Mike Germaine (North Dakota State), loading the bases. An RBI single by Jared McDonald (Pima CC) followed, tying the game at 2-2 and forcing extra innings.

Norris reached first base with a two-out single in the top half of the 10th, and advanced to second on a stolen base. However, the Honkers were unable to bring him any further. Sean Finn (Dayton) came out to pitch the bottom half of the inning after getting the last two outs of the ninth. Brainerd was able to get to Finn after a walk, a single, a passed ball, and an intentional walk loaded the bases with no out. That’s when Fawble hit a blooper into shallow left field that just cleared the heads of the drawn-in infield. Finn (1-1) suffered his first loss of the year. The Honkers will try to get back above .500 when they travel into Canada to take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. CDT.


June 2, 2007
Featherston soars in clutch for Honkers

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Although the season is only three games old, Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) has already established himself as a great clutch hitter for the Rochester Honkers. Featherston had his second game-winning RBI of the season on Saturday night, giving the Honkers a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Brainerd Blue Thunder in Brainerd. The win gives Rochester a 2-1 record on the season while Brainerd suffered their first loss, giving them a 2-1 record.

Both teams benefited from great performances by their starting pitchers. Craig Fritsch (Baylor) performed well in his first start for the Honkers, going six innings, allowing only two hits as he held the Blue Thunder offense scoreless. Mihai Burlea (Northwestern College) threw six innings of hitless ball for the Blue Thunder, and finished the game having thrown seven innings while recording seven strikeouts. Mihai did have some control problems, as he issued four walks and hit two batters. He was responsible for two earned runs on the game.

After neither team was able to cross home plate for the first six innings, things got interesting in the seventh. In the bottom half of the frame, Brainerd broke the scoreless tie when a ball hit up the middle deflected off of pitcher Ryan Kussmaul (Madison Area Technical). Third baseman, David Flores (Sacramento State), made a play on the ball, but was unable to throw out Mike Germaine (North Dakota State) at first, enabling the first run of the game to score. Later in the inning, a passed ball allowed another run to score, giving the Blue Thunder a 2-0 advantage.

Rochester wasted little time getting back into the game. In the top of the eighth inning, consecutive base hits by Brian Spear (Kentucky) and Jareck West (Delta State) knocked Mihai out of the game. Flores was then able to bring home Spear on a fielder’s choice. To return the earlier favor by Rochester, a passed ball allowed West to score the tying run.

After Sean Finn (Dayton) shut down the Blue Thunder in the eighth inning, Lutes earned a walk to start off the ninth for Rochester. Lutes then stole second base and advanced to third when the throw to second sailed into center field. Then, with two outs in the top of the ninth and the game tied 2-2, Featherston delivered an RBI single to center that allowed Lutes to score, securing a Honkers victory.

Finn (1-0) picked up the win for the Honkers after holding the Blue Thunder scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings. The Honkers and the Blue Thunder will finish their two-game set tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. in Brainerd.


June 1, 2007
Honkers settle for split with MoonDogs

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Unable to muster a second straight, late-inning rally, the Rochester Honkers suffered their first loss of the season on Friday night, falling 3-2 to the Mankato MoonDogs. The loss at Mankato drops the Honkers to 1-1 on the young season, while the MoonDogs improve to 1-1.

Ben Geelan (Iowa) opened up the scoring for the MoonDogs when he ripped an RBI double into the outfield off of Honkers starter, Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC), giving Mankato the early 2-0 lead. Robertson (0-1) took the loss on the mound, going five innings with five strike outs and five walks, allowing two earned runs.

Offensively, the Honkers had trouble keeping up with MoonDog pitching throughout the evening. Coming up with only four hits in the game, the third inning proved to be the only run-producing inning of the game for Rochester. In the third, Matt Gaski (UNC Greensboro) drove in Craig Lutes (Illinois) on a fielder’s choice to cut the deficit to one. Gaski later scored on a sacrifice fly by Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa), tying the game at 2-2.

The final run of the game, and what proved to be the winning run for the MoonDogs, came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Robertson delivered a pitch that got by catcher, Joe Southers (Kansas), allowing Jovan Rodriguez (Sacred Heart) to score and give the MoonDogs all the insurance they would need at one, 3-2.

Matthew Mossy (North Dakota State) had a strong performance on the mound for the MoonDogs, throwing five scoreless innings in relief of starter Joshua Castanza (Hillsborough CC). Castanza (1-0) picked up the win after throwing the first four innings of the game. For the Honkers, Reed Woytek (Baylor) provided a solid outing coming out of the bullpen for the second straight night, giving up only one hit in two innings.

The Honkers will enter the second game of their seven-game road trip tomorrow, when they travel to Brainerd to take on the Blue Thunder at 7:05 p.m.


June 1, 2007
Honkers strengthen pitching staff

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club today announced the signing of Ryan Kussmaul, a 6’4”, 185-pound pitcher out of Madison Area Technical College (MATC).

Kussmaul will add immediate depth to a pitching staff that is still waiting to fill spots. In his sophomore year at MATC in 2007, Kussmaul finished the season with a perfect 7-0 record on the mound. The right-hander and Fennimore, Wisconsin, native had a 2.78 ERA in his 15 appearances for the Wolfpack. MATC’s most reliable pitcher, Kussmaul struck out 58 batters in 45.1 innings of work, allowing only 14 earned runs.

In his first year of action in the Northwoods League, Kussmaul will meet a familiar when the Honkers take on the Madison Mallards. The field manager for the Mallards, C.J. Thieleke, also serves as an assistant coach at MATC.

Kussmaul joins the team as they begin their first road trip of the year, following a 4-3 opening night victory over the Mankato MoonDogs. The Honkers travel to Mankato tonight, before heading north for two-game sets at Brainerd, Thunder Bay, and Alexandria.

For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


May 31, 2007
Go West, young man

Box Score

(Rochester, MN)- Jareck West (Delta State) wasted little time making himself feel at home in Rochester. After arriving in town no more than three hours prior to suiting up in the Honkers’ home opener against Mankato, West made the most of his first at-bat, taking a pitch from Jordan Tiegs (Sauk Valley CC) 400-plus feet to give the Honkers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. He then finished the game by scoring all the way from first base on a Brett Featherston (Northern Iowa) double in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Rochester an exciting 4-3 win on opening night at Mayo Field.

Following West’s home run in the bottom of the second inning, the teams went scoreless until Mankato’s Danny Keefe (Pasco-Hernando CC) hit a three-run home run over the left field fence in the top of the fourth. The three runs were the only surrendered by Rochester’s starter, David Sever (St. Louis), who threw six strong innings, allowing four hits and striking out six MoonDogs on the night. Tiegs also allowed three earned runs in 5.1 innings of work.

The Honkers wasted no time getting back in the game. After surrendering the lead in the top of the fourth, David Flores (Sacramento State) hit a two-run double scoring West and Brian Spear (Kentucky) to tie the game, 3-3.

The game remained tied at three after nine innings, as neither team was able to score a run. In the top of the tenth, the MoonDogs threatened. After Jaime Armendariz (Midland College) stole second, Bobby Munozv (Santa Fe CC) singled to center. On his way to home, Drew Hoisington (Toledo) fielded the ball cleanly and fired a strike to catcher, Derek Norris (Delta State), who applied the tag on Armendariz and preserved the tie.

Flores led the Honkers on the night with two RBI. West scored three times on the night, while Reed Woytek (Baylor) (1-0) picked up the win on the mound after pitching a scoreless tenth. Blake Devries (Concordia-St. Paul) (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on one hit and walking two in two innings.


May 24 , 2007
Haley Named New "Voice of the Honkers"

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club will have a new face in the press box this summer, as Mark Haley will take over the duties of radio announcer for the 2007 season.

Haley, a Rochester native, will serve as the fourth radio announcer the Honkers have had in their 14-year history. He can be heard calling the action at Mayo Field all summer long on Sports Radio AM 1520 “The Ticket” and online at www.rochesterhonkers.com. The Web site will also include a blog of Haley’s thoughts and comments on his inaugural season with the Honkers.

"After being born and raised in Rochester, I am well aware of how wonderful this community is, and I look forward to becoming the voice of an important aspect of what makes this community so great."

Familiar with being on the air in Rochester, Haley was employed by Cumulus Broadcasting in Rochester, where he was an on-air personality. A 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin,-River Falls, Haley served as the play-by-play announcer for Falcons athletics on the campus radio station, WRFW. He also called several high school football and basketball games in the Twin Cities Metro area for the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network, in addition to engineering and producing broadcasts.


May 16 , 2007
Baylor Bear Solidifies Infield

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Shaver Hansen, a 6-foot, 185-pound true freshman infielder from Baylor University. The switch hitting starting second baseman for Baylor is the fourth Bear on the Honkers squad this summer.

Currently, Hansen is hitting .283 with nine doubles and 26 RBI. Hansen is also 5-5 in stolen bases and has started 40 games for the 28-24 Bears. Baylor concludes their regular season this weekend with a three-game, Big 12 Conference set against Kansas State.

Hansen graduated from Fruita Monument High School in Grand Junction (CO) where he earned all-conference and all-city honors as a senior and was all-conference as a junior. He hit .490 over his junior and senior seasons. Hansen graduated in the top-five percent of his graduating class and was a member of the National Honor Society. He is also the son of former professional wrestler, Stan “The Lariat” Hansen.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


May 9 , 2007
League MVP Returns to Rochester

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that the 2006 Northwoods League MVP, Efren Navarro, Jr. from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, will return to the Rochester Honkers lineup this summer. The 6’0” 200-pound junior infielder will return for his third season in Rochester.

Currently Navarro is hitting .310 with nine doubles, 2 home runs and 27 RBI. The Rebels every day first baseman has only committed 1 error in 46 games played.

Last summer for the Honkers, Navarro hit .277 with six doubles and 26 RBI while playing a stellar first base. The sophomore lefthander was also dominating on the mound, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.02 ERA. He pitched 49.0 innings, allowing only 11 earned runs, striking out 34 and held opponents to a .221 batting average.

“Beloved by both teammates and fans, respected by opposing teams and their managers,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe, “we would not have won the 2006 Northwoods League Championship without Efren and that is why he was the MVP.”

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


April 20 , 2007
Runnin Rebel Runs to Rochester!

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced the signing of freshman Matt Hutchison, a 6’4” 190-pound right-handed pitcher from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Currently, Hutchison is 1-6 with a 6.21 ERA for the 14-26 Rebels. Hutchison, a true freshman, has been a starter since the beginning of the season, leading the team in starts with 12. He has pitched 62.1 innings, allowing 43 runs on 77 hits and striking out 39, which is second best on the team. Hutchison’s last start was on Sunday, April 15th when he pitched 5.2 strong innings against Texas Christian University. Hutchison allowed just three hits through 5 innings and recorded the first two outs in the 6th before running into trouble.

Hutchison graduated from Quartz Hill High School in Quartz Hill, CA in 2006. He earned first-team all-league honors as a junior and senior and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Pitcher in 2006. Hutchison is a teammate of two-year Honker and reigning Northwoods League MVP, Efren Navarro, Jr.

UNLV takes on the No. 9 and defending national champions, the Oregon State Beavers for a three-game series beginning tonight in Corvallis, OR. The Rebels have lost seven consecutive games going into this weekend’s non-conference match up.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


April 12 , 2007
West Wins Weekly Honor

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced today that Jareck West, a 5’9” 210 lb. junior outfielder from nationally ranked Delta State University was named the Gulf South Conference West Division Player of the Week. West will join the Honkers after DSU’s season.

West was given the honor after finishing the week going 9-19 with three home runs, seven RBI and a .947 slugging percentage. He led Delta State to a midweek win over William Carey University (13-0) and a three-game sweep of Henderson State University.

Overall, West is hitting .361 with 25 RBI and a team high eight home runs. He is also 9-10 in stolen bases.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


April 11 , 2007
Round 3 for Radmacher!

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Tim Radmacher, a 6’0” 170 lb. red shirt sophomore from the University of Nebraska, will return for his third year with the Honkers.

“This will be Tim's third season in Rochester and we are very pleased to have him back,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “We used him as a starter and a reliever last summer. We don't have a lot of guys returning on the mound and when you can bring a guy back that has been an all-star I think that can solidify your staff right away.”

Last summer, Radmacher was 2-2 with a 7.80 ERA. He struck out 20 batters in 30 innings of work. In 2005, Radmacher had an outstanding summer going 5-0 en route to being named a mid-season all-star. He pitched 48.1 innings, allowing only 15 earned runs while striking out 34 and walking just 9. Radmacher’s 2005 season was cut short by injury.

Radmacher, a native of Rosemount, MN, was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 2006 for the Cornhuskers. He struck out 9 hitters in 10 innings and held opponents to a .143
batting average. Radmacher was the 2004 Minnesota High School Pitcher of the Year.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


April 5 , 2007
Iowa Central Lefty Joins the Honkers

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced today the signing of Zach Robertson, a 6’0” 190 lb. freshman left-handed pitcher from Iowa Central Community College.

Currently Robinson is 2-2 with a 3.08 ERA. He has made 5 starts, pitching 26.1 innings, allowing only 9 earned runs, walking 9 and striking out a team high 33. He has held opposing batters to a .190 average and picked off 3 base runners.

Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe is excited to see Robinson in a Honkers uniform.

“Zach is a very polished pitcher for being just a freshman. We have a great relationship with Iowa Central the past two seasons, and I believe that Zach will continue that success with Rochester this summer. He should be able to come in here this summer, compete for a starting job, and help us repeat as Northwoods League Champions.”

Robinson graduated from Des Moines Lincoln High School in 2006 where he led his team to the 4A State Baseball Tournament and named an all-conference honoree. He finished his senior season 10-2 with a 2.59 ERA. He compiled 114 strikeouts and 2 saves. He became the first pitcher in Iowa to throw two documented perfect games, and also had three one-hitters and five shutouts.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


April 3 , 2007
Former Honker, Jay Marshall, Makes the Pros!

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that former Rochester Honker, Jay Marshall, has made it to the Major Leagues with the Oakland Athletics. Marshall, a 6’5” 185 pound left-handed pitcher played for the Honkers in 2002.

Marshall made his major league debut last night against the Seattle Mariners. He came in relief in the bottom of the 8th with two out to get the left handed hitting Raul Ibanez to ground out to end the inning. The A’s however lost to the Mariners 4-0.

Marshall, who attended Jefferson CC (MO) was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 25th round of the 2002 Amateur Baseball Draft, but did not sign. He then reported to the Honkers in July and made an immediate impact as a reliever. Marshall pitched 21.0 innings, allowing only 5 earned runs and striking out 19. He finished the season 0-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 2 saves.

Marshall signed with the White Sox in May of 2003 and then reported to Bristol Sox (Rookie Ball) of the Appalachian League. He spent the entire 2003 and part of the 2004 season with the Sox before being moved up to the Great Falls White Sox (Rookie Ball) of the Pioneer League. He finished the 2004 and entire 2005 season with Great Falls. In 2006, Marshall made the Winston-Salem Warthogs (Class A Advanced) of the Carolina League.

He was then picked by the Oakland Athletics in December of 2006 courtesy of the Rule 5 Draft. The A’s picked Marshall on his merits of his tremendous numbers against left-handed hitters at Winston-Salem. He held them to a batting average against of just under .100. Marshall finished spring training with a 2.76 ERA in a team-high 12 appearances. On April 1, 2007, Marshall was given the news that he had made the A’s 25-man roster.

Marshall is the second player with the Oakland Athletics that has played in the Northwoods League. He joins former Kenosha Kroaker, Bobby Kietly (1996) to the A’s organization.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


March 30 , 2007
Honkers Sign Pitcher from UNC Greensboro

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Greg Martin, a 6’2” 190 lb. sophomore right-handed pitcher from the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Currently Martin has made 13 appearances on the season, pitching 11.2 innings, allowing 8 earned runs while striking out 8. He has been used exclusively out of the bullpen for the Spartans this year but may see action as a starter this summer.

“We are very fortunate to have a pitcher like Greg with us this summer,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He’s a true power arm that can sit in the low 90's with his fastball and he throws his slider in the mid 80's. I like his demeanor and I see him making a push to be one of our starting guys.”

During his freshman campaign, Martin was 2-0 with a 5.70 ERA. He pitched 47.1 innings, striking out 33 and only walking 16. He finished the season third on the team in total appearances (28) and games in relief (24).

Martin graduated from Chapel Hill HS (Chapel Hill, NC) where he was a four-year letter winner as a pitcher and infielder. As a senior he earned all-state accolades and received the S.H. Basnight Award as the team MVP in 2005. He was also voted PAC VI Player of the Year as a junior and senior.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


March 28 , 2007
Honkers Sign Sophomore Pitcher from Baylor

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Reed Woytek, a 5’11” 160 lb. sophomore right-handed pitcher from Baylor University.

“Reed is a guy we will expect a lot out of this summer,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He pitched a lot last summer and could be one of their go-to guys out of the pen this year at Baylor. Having guys that can pitch on back-to-back days are a must when you play everyday and Reed gives us that luxury.”

Last summer, Woytek played for the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk Summer Collegiate League. He finished the season 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA, 28 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 24.2 innings of work. His 17 total appearances came mostly in relief.

As a freshman at Baylor, Woytek made 15 appearances, all in relief. He did not gain a decision and finished with a 4.60 ERA.

Woytek, a native of Round Rock, Texas, pitched and played shortstop at Round Rock High School. He was a three-year letterman and earned second-team all-district honors after going 7-2 with a 2.10 ERA his senior season. As a junior, he went 7-3 with a 3.17 ERA and 69 strikeouts, earning him all-district honors. Woytek received honorable mention all-district honors and named to the 2003 Texas 5A All-Tournament Team as a sophomore.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


March 23 , 2007
Pirate Catcher Heads for Rochester!

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Corey Kemp, a 6’1” 215 lb. junior catcher from nationally ranked East Carolina University. Baseball America has ECU as the #22 team in the country.

Currently, Kemp is hitting .250 with 2 doubles, 1 home run and 10 RBI for the 16-6 Pirates.

Kemp transferred to ECU after spending his sophomore season at Young Harris C.C. (GA). He finished his sophomore campaign hitting .393 with four home runs, 45 RBI and set the all-time record for doubles in one season with 25. For his efforts, Kemp was named to the NJCAA Regional All-Tournament Team and was a First-Team GJCAA All-Conference selection.

Kemp spent his freshman season playing for Tennessee Tech where he hit .286 with 6 home runs, 25 RBI and was named a Preseason Newcomer-of-the-Year.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


March 22 , 2007
Statesmen Slugger Makes Way to Rochester

(Rochester, MN)The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced today the signing of Jareck West, a 5’9” 210 lb. junior outfielder from nationally ranked Delta State University. The Division II Statesmen are ranked #17 by Baseball America.

Currently West is hitting .319 with 12 RBI, 4 doubles, a triple and 4 home runs. He is also 6-6 in stolen bases. West started off the 2007 season with an injury, but now has played in 19 games for 22-7 Statesman.

“Jareck is a legitimate impact player,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He plays the game with all five tools and has shown he can do it with wood bats. When you look at this guy's numbers from last summer you can't help but get excited about what he can do to help our team repeat.”

Last summer West led the Laramie Colts to the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League championship. The Cincinnati native led the Colts in several offensive categories: batting average(.409), runs scored(42), total bases(104), slugging percentage(.591), hits(72), triples(3), RBI(51) and stolen bases(23). Baseball America then listed West as one of the Top Ten Summer League Prospects and was named the Top Prospect from the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


March 19 , 2007
Honkers Add to Front Office, Justin Time.

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Justin Lutjen has joined their front office. Lutjen, a native of Story City, Iowa, will focus on stadium and game day operations while assisting with sales and marketing.

"I'm excited to move to Rochester to join an organization that has such awinning tradition and a commitment to excellence,” said Lutjen. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about the Northwoods League and the Honkers.”

Lutjen graduated from Iowa State University in 2005 where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a major in Sport Management. He then went on to work for the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference where he planned, prepared and managed various athletic contests. Lutjen also worked for Championship Productions, Inc. where he helped coordinate coaches to produce instructional videos and assisted in the sales and marketing of those videos.

In his free timehe enjoys watching sports, following the Chicago Cubs, playing golf, bowling, and hanging out with his three younger brothers (Bryce 21, Jordan 12, Doran 5).

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


March 15 , 2007
Honkers Sign Delta State Catcher

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has announced today the signing of Derek Norris, a 5’11” 190 lb. sophomore catcher from nationally ranked Delta State University. The Division II Statesmen are ranked #10 by Baseball America.

Norris is currently hitting .225 with 5 doubles, 3 home runs and 21 RBI for the 21-4 Statesmen.

“Derek is exactly what I look for in a catcher,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He is tough, he’s caught a lot of games, and he can hit. He’s everything you could ask for in a catcher. With his attitude and defensive skills he gives us immediate strength behind the plate.”

Norris spent last summer with the Laramie Colts of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. He was second on the team with a .385 batting average while collecting 7 doubles, 2 triples and drove in 13 runs. Norris was also 8-9 in stolen base attempts and committed only 3 errors in 37 games played.

Norris had a fantastic freshman campaign for DSU in 2006. He hit .331 with 12 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs and 36 RBI. For his efforts, he was named the Gulf South Conference West Division Freshman of the Year.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


March 7 , 2007
Jones Named Big West Player of the Week

(Rochester, MN)- Rochester Honkers sophomore outfielder Chris Jones, from #7 ranked Cal State Fullerton, was recently named the Big West Player of the Week for March 5th. He was given the award for his outstanding weekend against San Diego State and nationally ranked Rice.

Jones, in four games against San Diego State and No. 6 Rice, hit .429 with six hits in 14 at bats in the week that saw the Titans go 3-1. The San Clemente-native shared the team lead in hits with six. He posted six RBI, scored 3 runs and boasted a .643 slugging percentage to lead the team. The first of Jones' three doubles on the week capped a six-run first inning that ensured the Titans their first victory over Rice on Friday night. He later doubled, singled and scored two runs and finished a perfect 3-for-3. On Sunday, his third double of the weekend proved to be the game-winning hit, bringing home a pair of runs in the second inning off Rice All-American Joe Savery. The right fielder jumped his batting average from .234 to .279 with the solid effort at the plate.

Overall, Jones is hitting .279 with 6 doubles, one triple, 18 RBI and a .410 slugging percentage. He is also a perfect 3 for 3 in stolen base attempts this season.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


March 6 , 2007
Billiken Back for More

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Dave Sever, a 6’4” 195 lb. sophomore right-handed pitcher from St. Louis University will return for his second season with the Honkers.

Currently Sever is 0-1 with a 2.30 ERA, tops on the Billiken pitching staff. He has made 3 starts, pitching 15.2 innings, striking out 13 and allowing only 4 earned runs.

Sever was a big part of the Honkers championship run in 2006. He posted a 4-1 record with a 1.55 ERA over 52.1 innings and held opponents to a .222 batting average.

“Dave was a key part to our championship season last year,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “When we had the chance to get him back I was really excited. Dave gives us another quality starter with experience, which should help us get back in the playoffs and repeat as Northwoods League Champions.”

As a freshman, Sever tied the SLU freshman record with 7 wins while compiling an ERA of 4.40. He ended the season with a 7-3 record in 16 appearances, including 13 starts. Sever was heavily relied upon as a freshman, pitching 94.0 innings while striking out 46. For his efforts, Sever was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team.

Sever attended high school at Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) where he was named All-Conference as a senior after going 7-0 with a 2.05 ERA. He also played golf and ran cross country.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


 


March 3 , 2007
Honkers Sign Lefty from Winthrop College

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Ryan Mullins, a 5’11” 184 lb. junior left-handed pitcher from Winthrop College for the 2007 season.

Currently, Mullins is 2-2 with a 1.80 ERA in 15.0 innings. He has 14 strike outs while allowing only 3 earned runs in 8 relief appearances for the 8-6 Eagles.

“Ryan will add immediate depth and experience to a young staff,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He has pitched in summer baseball before and knows how to compete. He can fill a number of roles out of the bullpen and should be a vital part of the pitching staff with his live arm and above average off-speed stuff.”

Mullins spent the 2006 summer playing for the Columbus All-America (OH) team in the Great Lakes Summer League (GLSCL). Mullins had a stellar season going 7-1 with 2 saves and surrendered only 3 earned runs in 24 innings. He held opponents to a meager .163 batting average and led his team with a 1.12 ERA. For his efforts, Mullins earned All-GLSCL First Team honors.

Mullins joined the Eagles after completing his freshman and sophomore seasons with the College of Wooster. As a freshman, Mullins tied a school record with 22 appearances. He posted a 7-0 record with a 2.89 ERA, 2 saves and 32 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. In 2006, Mullins went 2-0 with a 3.99 ERA in 19 appearances. He recorded 3 saves, 26 strikeouts and only 9 walks in 29.1 innings.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


March 1 , 2007
Featherston to Return to Honkers.

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Brett Featherston, a 6’2” 250 lb.junior infielder from the University of Northern Iowa, will return for his second season with the Honkers.

Featherston was just named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week (2/26) after going 6-12 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI in 3-game series at Centenary. Overall he is hitting .286 with 3 home runs, 9 RBI and a .607 slugging percentage.

“Brett was one of the top RBI guys in the league last summer,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He improved his offense and defense as the summer went on, and we feel that as a second year player he will bring a lot of needed experience to a rather young team.”

Featherston was a big part of the Honkers championship run in 2006. He hit .195 with 9 doubles, 2 home runs and 29 RBI in 53 games. His 29 RBI were good for third best on the team.

During his sophomore season at UNI, Featherston hit .315 with a .522 slugging percentage while earning second-team All-MVC honors. His 6 home runs, 19 doubles, 40 walks and 48 RBI led the team. As a freshman, he hit .227 with 3 doubles and 18 RBI.

Featherston, a native of Epworth, IA, graduated from West Dubuque High School. He received all-state, all-district and all-conference honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He was also named the Telegraph Herald co-Player of the Year.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


February 23 , 2007
Tiger Goes on the Prowl in Rochester

(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Angelo Songco, a 6’0” 175 lb. freshman outfielder from Loyola Marymount University.

Songco is currently hitting .300 with 5 doubles and 2 triples. He has knocked in 8 runs and scored 10 more, good for second on the team.

“Angelo is a highly touted young outfielder with a lot of upside,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He has all the tools to make an impact in this league as a freshman. He brings gap power, speed, and solid defense to our club.”

Songco graduated from Bishop Alemany High School (Mission Hills, CA) where he earned four varsity letters in baseball and was a three-time captain and two-time all-league selection. As a sophomore in 2004, Songco was second on the team in home-runs (3) and third in RBI (10). He finished the season with a .310 batting average, 5 doubles, 2 triples and a whopping .621 slugging percentage. He also drew 5 walks and scored 14 runs in only 58 plate appearances.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


February 20 , 2007
Honker of the Year Returns for Round Two

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Chris Jones, a 6’2” 225 lb. sophomore outfielder from California State University-Fullerton. Jones, the 2006 “Honker of the Year” is the third member of the #10 ranked Titans to join the team for 2007.

Currently, Jones is hitting .265 with 3 doubles, 1 triple and 11 RBIs for the nationally ranked Titans. Fullerton took 2 of 3 games this past weekend at home versus Arizona. Jones’s eight-game hitting streak was snapped Friday night when he went 0-3 in the 2-1 loss to the Wildcats.

“He has all the tools to make it at the next level, but his attitude and work ethic really are what separate him,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He will be one of the most experienced guys on this club and that experience in the league should have a calming effect on this younger team. He gives the line-up immediate potential.”

Jones will begin his second season with the Honkers after making an immediate impact in 2006. Jones led the team with 8 home-runs and drove in 37 more, second on the team. He hit .270 with 4 doubles, 18 walks and had a slugging percentage of .500. Jones also was the winner of the 2006 Home Run Derby at the All-Star game in La Crosse, WI.

As a freshman in 2005, Jones was a member of the Texas A&M baseball team as a right-handed pitcher. He did not figure in a decision and pitched only 7.2 innings with a 2.35 ERA. Jones took a redshirt in 2006 when he transferred to Cal-State Fullerton.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


February 15 , 2007
Honkers Sign UNC Greensboro Infielder

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Matt Gaski, a 6’0” 185 lb. junior infielder from the University of North Carolina Greensboro for the 2007 season.

Gaski spent his freshman and sophomore seasons with the University of Florida before joining UNCG. As a freshman, Matt appeared in 30 games and hit .364 for the Gators and often saw time as a defensive replacement at third base for former Honker Brandon McArthur. During his sophomore season, Gaski appeared in 47 games and finished with a .227 batting average. He drove in seven runs with 2 doubles and scored 14 runs while committing only 5 errors in 153 chances. Matt was also named to the SEC’s Academic Honor Roll.

“Matt is a very experienced infielder who can play all three infield positions,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He can hit in a number of spots in the line-up and I envision him being a 1 or 2-hole guy for us. He’s a great baserunner and bunter and can create a lot of trouble for opposing pitchers and defenders.”

Gaski has spent the past two summers playing in the Clark C. Griffith Collegiate Baseball League (CGL) with the Herndon Braves (VA). In 2006, Gaski played in all 40 games accumulating a .275 batting average with a team leading 8 doubles and 20 RBI’s. In 2005, Matt hit .278 with 12 RBI’s and 15 runs scored in 22 games. Both seasons resulted in championships for the Braves.

Gaski was a three-year letter winner while attending Northwest Guilford High School (N.C.). He was selected as All-area and All-Metro 4A Conference after hitting .392 as a senior while being named his school’s Athlete of the Year. Matt earned All-area and All-Conference honors again after hitting .372 as a junior. His sophomore campaign was a success as well, Gaski hit .301 while collecting All-area honors. Matt was a three-sport athlete in high school. He played baseball, football and basketball for the Guilford High Vikings. Gaski’s father Mike is also the head coach at the University of North Carolina Greesboro and the President of USA Baseball.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


February 14 , 2007
Senne Leads Missouri In Opening Weekend Sweep

(Rochester, MN)- Aaron Senne, a member of the 2007 Rochester Honkers and Mayo High School standout, helped lead the Missouri Tigers to a 3-game sweep of Florida International last weekend in Miami.

The Tigers opened up the season with a 12-6 win behind a three-hit performance from freshman Aaron Senne. Senne finished the night going 3-5 with 3 RBI and one run scored in his first collegiate game. Senne batted 8th in the lineup and started in left field.

The Tigers went on to win game #2 15-7 and finished the sweep by winning 3-2. For the weekend series, Senne hit .417 with 4 RBI and one run scored. He only struck out twice in his 12 at bats.

Missouri takes their 3-0 record to the Valley of the Sun this week when they take on the 16th ranked Arizona State Sun Devils for a single game Thursday. Following that, the Tigers and Sun Devils will be joined by Gonzaga and 15th ranked Oregon State at the Coca-Cola Classic in Surprise, AZ. MU will face ASU on Friday in the first day of the Classic, before taking on Gonzaga on Saturday and Oregon State on Sunday. The Coca-Cola Classic will be played at Surprise Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


February 13 , 2007
Dayton Lefty to Play for Honkers

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Ryan Hill, a 6’0” 210 lb. junior left-handed pitcher from the University of Dayton for the 2007 season. So far the Flyers are 0-3 and Hill has made one relief appearance. It came on February 10th vs. Wofford in a 4-3 loss.

Hill spent his freshman and sophomore seasons with West Virginia University before joining the Flyers. During his sophomore season he was 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA over 9 appearances. Hill worked 19.2 innings striking out 22, walking 7 and surrendering just 10 earned runs. As a freshman, he went 3-2 with a 7.17 ERA in 13 appearances and was named Big East Pitcher of the Week on April 10th, 2005.

“When I had the chance to add a quality left-handed arm like Ryan I was very excited about the opportunity,” said Honker Field Manager Greg Labbe. “His versatility as a pitcher will only make this staff stronger. He can start, match-up against left-handed hitters, or can even close. He is a great young man and we are lucky to have him be a part of the Honker organization.”

While in high school, Ryan was captain of his baseball, football and basketball teams at Seymour High (IN) and was a 2004 Associated Press all-state baseball selection. Hill played for the Indiana Bulls of the National Amateur Baseball Federation where he helped his team win the championship twice.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


 


February 9 , 2007
Honkers Titan Up Roster

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of two players from 12th ranked California State University-Fullerton. Joe Scott and Mike Morrison will play for the Honkers in 2007.

Scott, a 6’1” 175 lb. sophomore infielder, is currently hitting .750 with 9 hits in 12 at-bats, adding 2 doubles and 4 RBIs. Scott will play in his first season in the Northwoods League. A native of Corona, Ca, Scott appeared in 20 games mostly as a defensive replacement with only 15 at-bats in 2006.

Scott attended Centennial High School (Corona, CA) where he was a first-team All-Mountain View League selection as a sophomore, junior and senior. He hit .300 as a freshman, .355 as a sophomore and .370 as a senior. Scott was named the team captain for his junior and senior seasons.

Morrison, a 6’1” 190 lb. freshman right-handed pitcher is a native of Cypress, CA. So far in 2007; he has pitched 3 innings, striking out two and recording the save in an opening day victory, 11-5 over Stanford. He attended Cypress High School (CA) where he played varsity baseball for four years. Morrison earned All-Empire League recognition at three different positions (3B, P, OF).

As a junior, Morrison went 11-1 with a 1.83 ERA and 73 strikeouts. For his efforts, he was awarded the Empire League Pitcher of the Year award for 2005. Morrison followed up his junior season with a senior year that saw him post a perfect 9-0 record. He recorded a 1.71 ERA with 81 strikeouts and helped his cause by hitting .297 with four home runs at the plate.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.

 


February 6 , 2007
Honkers Sign A Pair of Baylor Bears

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of two players from Baylor University. Raynor Campbell, a 5’10” 175 lb. freshman infielder, and Craig Fritsch, a 6’4” 180 lb. freshman right-handed pitcher will join the Honkers in 2007.

Campbell, who hails from Katy, TX, earned four letters as an infielder at Taylor High School and is ranked as the 266th top prospect by Baseball America. He holds eight Taylor High records, including a .495 batting average and was named as first-team all-district as a senior. As a junior, he hit .495 with 10 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 27 RBI’s and a whopping .822 slugging percentage. For his efforts, he was named to the first-team all-district, Texas Sports Writers Association all-state and second team All-Greater Houston.

Campbell has played summer ball in the past. In 2005 he played for the Houston Heat of the Texas Premier Baseball League where he hit .424 with 10 doubles, five home runs, 25 RBI’s and a .677 slugging percentage.

Fritsch, from Round Rock, TX attended Round Rock High where he was named to the First-team all-CenTex, all-county and all-district teams as a senior. He earned 2006 Texas Sports Writers Association all-state honors after posting a 7-2 record with a 1.44 ERA and 77 strikeouts. Fritsch logged four shutouts and threw a perfect game against Westlake in 2006. As a junior, he was 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA.

Fritsch played summer ball in 2005 for the Austin Wings (TX). He was 8-2 with a 1.55 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. Fritsch has earned academic excellence awards all four years of high school as well as being a member of the National Honor Society.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


February 1 , 2007
Toledo Rocket Fires For Rochester

(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Drew Hoisington, a 6’1” 177lb. junior outfielder from the University of Toledo for the 2007 season.

Hoisington started 52 games as a sophomore, hitting .316 with 11 doubles, 3 triples, three home-runs, 20 RBI’s and 45 runs scored. His efforts earned him second-team All-MAC honors. As a freshman he started 51 games hitting .280 with 16 doubles, three home-runs, 23 RBI’s and 35 runs scored. His 16 doubles ranks him third all-time for doubles in a season in Toledo Rocket history.

“He is a very talented true center fielder,” said Honker Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He has all the tools to be a great player for us. He can hit in either the 1 or 2 hole in your line-up, and when on base he’s a game changer that can steal second and third in two pitches. I am very excited about the signing of Drew.”

Drew is no stranger to summer baseball. He spent last summer with the Lima Locos of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL), helping them to a 23-14 overall record. Hoisington hit .283 with 9 doubles, 1 home-run, 8 steals and was tied for the team lead with 18 RBI. He led the team with 120 at-bats and was named to the ALL-GLSCL 2nd team as an outfielder.

Hoisington, a graduate of Walsh Jesuit High School (OH), was a four-year letter winner in baseball. He hit .458 as a senior with 43 runs scored, 23 stolen bases and 10 doubles.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


January 26, 2007
Hornet Infielder to Fly in Rochester

(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of David Flores, a 6’1” 210 lb. junior infielder from Sacramento State, for the 2007 season.

As a sophomore in 2006, Flores broke out by hitting a stout .331 with a team-leading 16 doubles, 29 runs scored, 3 home-runs and 28 RBI’s. For his efforts, he earned all-WAC second team honors. Flores also posted a robust .485 slugging percentage and a .422 on-base percentage. During his freshman campaign, Flores hit .200 with 16 runs scored, 6 doubles, 2 home-runs and 11 RBI’s.

“He’s one of the best defensive third baseman you can find in college baseball,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He has all the tools to be an impact player in our league. He can run, field, hit for power and has shown that he can be successful in summer baseball.”

David spent the summer of 2006 playing for the Little Falls Diamond Miners of the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL). Flores led the Miners in five offensive categories; home-runs (6), RBI’s (36), doubles (14) and slugging percentage (.535%). He was second on the team with a .331 batting average and led his team to a playoff birth against eventual champion Saratoga.

Flores graduated from James Logan H.S. (Union City,CA) where the two-year captain led his team to the 2004 Mission Valley Athletic League Championship as a senior shortstop. He was named to the All-League first team and elected team MVP after hitting .460 with five home-runs.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


January 24, 2007
Honkers Sign Dayton Flyer

(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signings of Sean Finn, a 6’4” 215 lb. sophomore right-handed pitcher from University of Dayton.

Finn finished his freshman season with a 1-1 record while leading the pitching staff with a 2.75 ERA. He pitched 36.0 innings, stuck out 33 and walked only 19. He held opposing hitters to a modest .205 batting average against, also a team best.

 

“Sean is a major power arm that should fill a vital role for us in the bullpen,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “Having three very qualified arms out of the pen the past two years, I was looking for a pitcher with experience and a track record of success in that roll. I think we have found that guy in Sean.”

Finn, a native of Marion, IL helped lead Marion High School to three conference championships and two regional titles. As a senior, he was named the Conference Co-MVP while leading his team to a 30-5 record. Finn was a two-sport athlete earning All-Conference honors in both baseball and basketball, and was a two-time selection to the SIBCA All-Star Team.

The Rochester Honkers open their 14th season of play in the NWL on Thursday, May 31st at 7:05pm versus the Mankato MoonDogs. For information on tickets, suites and patio reservations, call the Honkers office at (507)-289-1170.


January 18, 2007
Honkers Ink Illini Outfielder

(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Craig Lutes, a 6’0” 175 lb. freshman outfielder from the University of Illinois for the 2007 season.

Lutes graduated from Normal Community High School (Normal, Ill) where he was a three-sport athlete. He was a four-year letterwinner in baseball and football and earned three letters in basketball. As a senior, Lutes hit .377 with a .520 on base percentage. He also played quarterback for the Normal Community Class 6A state runner-up football team and averaged 12.9 points per game in basketball. For his efforts, he was named the 2006 Bloomington Pantagraph Male Athlete of the Year.

“Craig brings speed, gap-to-gap power, and great defense in the outfield,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “I like what I have heard about his athletic ability, work ethic and he can hit in almost any part of the line-up. He should be a great fit for what we look for in players in Rochester.”

Lutes was a two time first team All-Big 12 conference selection as a junior and senior, while being named second team All-Conference in football as a junior. He played in the 2005 IHSCA All-Star game, the 2006 ICA All-Star game, and the 2006 Bloomington Pantagraph All-Star game. He is the ninth player in Honker history to be sent from the University of Illinois.


January 15, 2007
Kansas Jayhawk Takes Flight for Rochester

(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Joe Southers, a 6’2” 195 lb. junior catcher from the University of Kansas for the 2007 season.

Southers spent his freshman and sophomore seasons with Phoenix College (AZ) of the National Junior College Athletic Association before joining Kansas. As a freshman, he hit .297 with 5 doubles, 1 triple and 10 RBI’s. He finished his sophomore season hitting .393 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home-run and 24 RBI’s while boasting a .516 slugging percentage. For his efforts, Southers was named to the All-ACCAC First Team and to the NJCAA All-Region I Division II First Team.

“He’s a great catch and throw guy that has the potential to really be able to hit in this league,” said Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe. “He is a very athletic catcher that has the ability to handle a very talented pitching staff. He’s hit every where he's been and I expect him to continue that success with us in 2007.”

Southers graduated from Eagle High School (Boise, ID) where he earned three letters in baseball. As a junior he led his team to the 5A state championship and a 2003 Southern Idaho Conference title. He was selected as a TPX Louisville Slugger All-American in 2002 and 2003 and was named a TPX Louisville Slugger pre-season All-American in 2003 and 2004. Southers also lettered in basketball. He is currently pursuing a business degree at Kansas.


January 09, 2007
Honkers Finalize Coaching Staff

(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the completion of their coaching staff for the 2007 season. David Martinez from Riverside Community College (CA) and Brett Lindgren from Cal State Fullerton will assist Honkers Field Manager Greg Labbe as they try to become the first team in NWL history to win back-to-back championships.

David Martinez is in his second season as a member of the Riverside Community College (CA) coaching staff where he is an assistant to the pitching staff.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the rich tradition the Rochester Honkers have established in the Northwoods League,” said Martinez. “I am excited to be coaching along side Coach Labbe (Field Manager) and working with young athletes from various institutions across the nation."

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Martinez served as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles organization. He became an assistant coach at Cal State San Bernadino in 2003, guiding the Coyotes to a birth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. In 2005, Martinez joined Purdue University as a volunteer assistant coach where his staff finished the season ranked number one in the Big Ten.

Lindgren has been a member of the Cal-State Fullerton baseball team as a facilities manager since 2006. Prior to working for the Titans, Lindgren spent his freshman and sophomore years of college as an infielder for Fresno City College before finishing his last two years playing for East Carolina University.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to coach in the Northwoods League, especially with a respected franchise such as Rochester,” said Lindgren. “I look forward to working with Coach Labbe and Coach Martinez and can’t wait to start the season and defend Rochester’s championship.”


 

 

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