2008 Total Newsroom Archive
December 22, 2008
River Bats Owner Sutherland Takes Over Brainerd
Bats VPs Voz and Jerzak Will Help Operate Second Team
(Rochester, MN)—The Northwoods League announced today that St. Cloud River Bats Owner Joel Sutherland has purchased the Brainerd Blue Thunder and has taken over operations of the team beginning immediately. The Northwoods League had owned the franchise since early September.
Sutherland has owned the St. Cloud River Bats since the team’s inception into the Northwoods League in 1997. He also started the Alexandria Beetles as owner in 2001. Both of those franchises continue their longstanding success in central Minnesota. The River Bats have won three Northwoods League championships in 12 seasons and have averaged better than 1,850 fans per game since 2000. Alexandria, a city of roughly 10,000 people, has averaged better than 1,000 fans per game in their 8-year history.
Assisting Sutherland in turning the Brainerd franchise into a thriving Northwoods League affiliate will be the management staff that works with him in St. Cloud. River Bats Vice Presidents Ryan Voz and Marc Jerzak will share duties operating both the River Bats and the Brainerd-Baxter affiliate. Voz has been involved with the NWL since starting as the Assistant General Manager in St. Cloud in 1998-99. He rejoined the River Bats in 2007 after a six-year run as General Manager of the Alexandria Beetles. Voz joined Sutherland in starting that franchise in 2001 and carried it for the next five years into its current day successful state. Jerzak began his Northwoods League career with in internship in Alexandria during that 2001 season. He joined the River Bats full-time staff in 2002 before taking over as the team’s General Manager in 2005. Both men have once been named the Northwoods League Executive of the Year; Voz earned the award in 2003 and Jerzak earned it in 2007.
As of today, the “Blue Thunder” nickname is officially removed from the Brainerd-Baxter franchise. The organization will be holding a name-the-team contest beginning today through Monday, January 5th. Fans can submit their ideas with an email to nametheteam@hotmail.com with the winning submission receiving two season tickets for life.
The Northwoods League plays more games than, draws more fans than, and plays in venues superior to any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The Northwoods League will release its 2009 schedule in early January.
November 19, 2008
Honkers Team Up with Toys for Tots!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that their office will once again be the central drop off point for the Toys for Tots 2008 campaign. This is the second season the Honkers and Toys for Tots have teamed up.
The Rochester Honkers office is located at 307 East Center St. in downtown Rochester. Drop-off hours will be Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.
“I would like to thank the Rochester Honkers for their continued support for the Toys for Tots campaign with their generous donation of use of their office space downtown,” said Dan Eggler, Local Charity Organizer. “This is a prime central location for the drop off point for all our volunteers who pick up toys from various locations.”
Last year the Toys for Tots campaign helped over 8900 children in Rochester and the surrounding area. All toys that were donated locally stayed locally. The Toys for Tots mission is to make sure every child has a little Christmas. Our goal is to meet the need, our ultimate goal is for there not to be a need.
For more information on the Toys for Tots, feel free to visit their web site at www.toysfortots.org.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season is scheduled to begin on May 28, 2009. Their 2009 schedule is slated to be released in December.
October 16, 2008
Senne, Vaughn Each Named Top Prospect
(NWL-Rochester, MN)—La Crosse Loggers outfielder Cory Vaughn (San Diego State) and Rochester Honkers outfielder Aaron Senne (Missouri) each recently earned the honor of top prospect in the Northwoods League according to a pair of national baseball publications. Baseball America released its top 10 list led by Vaughn, and Perfect Game Crosschecker announced their top 25 headed by Senne. Mankato MoonDogs catcher Carlos Ramirez (Arizona State), the 2008 Northwoods League Most Valuable Player, was rated at number four in each list.
Vaughn came to the La Crosse Loggers following his freshman season at San Diego State. Vaughn put his big game ability on display in July when he earned the Stars of Stars award at the Northwoods League All-Star Game for going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. Cory’s father Greg, a former Major League All-Star, spent part of the season coaching the Loggers team that Cory led in games (68), home runs (8), and stolen bases (26). Vaughn batted .251 for the season while driving in 41 runs and scoring 35. He did show a tendency to strike out leading the League with 82 punch outs in 255 at bats. Defensively, he collected nine outfield assists that tied him for second in the League. Vaughn was drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 43rd round of the 2007 MLB Draft.
Senne, a Rochester, MN native, played less than half of the season for the hometown Honkers. It was his second year with Rochester, joining the club this summer only after suffering an injury that likely kept him off of Team USA’s roster. Senne had a below average season with the Honkers hitting .226 with no home runs and 10 RBI in 26 games. This followed a 2007 summer where he shared the Northwoods League-lead with nine home runs. Senne returns to Missouri this spring after leading the team with a .347 average and 67 RBI as a sophomore. He also launched 13 home runs, good for second on the team. The Minnesota Twins drafted Senne out of high school in the 13th round in 2006.
Ramirez has transferred to Arizona State after a two-year stint at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona. He played a major role in the Mankato MoonDogs clinching their first postseason appearance this past season. He was among the League leaders in batting average (.315), doubles (19), RBI (44), and on-base percentage (.433) while leading the League in home runs (10), extra-base hits (29), and slugging percentage (.560).
The complete prospect lists can be found below:
PGCrosschecker.com top 25
1) Aaron Senne, OF, Rochester (Missouri)
2) Cory Vaughn, OF, La Crosse (San Diego State)
3) Josh Prince, SS, Green Bay (Tulane)
4) Carlos Ramirez, C, Mankato (Arizona State)
5) James Jones, LHP/OF, Waterloo (Long Island)
6) Derek McCallum, 2B, St. Cloud (Minnesota)
7) Xavier Esquivel, RHP, St. Cloud (Loyola Marymount)
8) Mike Nesseth, RHP, Duluth (Nebraska)
9) Cole Green, RHP, La Crosse (Texas)
10) Brendan Lafferty, LHP, Mankato (UCLA)
11) Brian Pearl, RHP/3B, Green Bay (Washington)
12) Chris Sale, LHP, La Crosse (Florida Gulf Coast)
13) Ryan Goins, SS, Waterloo (Dallas Baptist)
14) Eric Stephens, 1B/OF, Rochester (Cal State Chico)
15) Rob Lyerly, OF, Madison (Charlotte)
16) Nate Woods, RHP, Thunder Bay (Belmont)
17) Jimmy Reyes, LHP, Mankato (Elon)
18) R.J. Hively, RHP, Battle Creek (Cal State Fullerton)
19) Mitch Mormann, RHP, Duluth (Des Moines Area CC)
20) Andy Burns, INF, Duluth (Kentucky)
21) Moises Montero, C, Duluth (SIGNED/Cleveland)
22) Aaron Dott, LHP, La Crosse (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
23) Zach Robertson, LHP, Rochester (Iowa)
24) Michael Rockett, OF, Mankato (Texas-San Antonio)
25) Gabriel Shaw, RHP, Madison (Louisville)
Baseball America top 10
1) Cory Vaughn, OF, La Crosse (San Diego State)
2) Mike Nesseth, RHP, Duluth (Nebraska)
3) James Jones, LHP/OF, Waterloo (Long Island)
4) Carlos Ramirez, C, Mankato (Arizona State)
5) Rob Lyerly, OF, Madison (Charlotte)
6) Aaron Barrett, RHP, Duluth (Mississippi)
7) Derek McCallum, 2B, St. Cloud (Minnesota)
8) Ryan Goins, SS, Waterloo (Dallas Baptist)
9) Andy Burns, INF, Duluth (Kentucky)
10) Nick Gaudi, RHP, Alexandria (Pepperdine)
October 8 , 2008
Voice of Honkers Returns in 2009!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today Mike “Wags” Wagenheim will return next summer as the official radio voice of the Rochester Honkers. Wags is currently the Director of Broadcasting at the University of New Orleans and the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Broadcaster of the Year.
"This past seasonin Rochester was a fantastic experience with a first-class organization,a terrific, loyalfan base and a wonderful city,” said Wagenheim. “I am thrilledabout the opportunity to return to the Honkers in 2009!"
Wags began his Northwoods League career in 2007 as the voice of the Battle Creek Bombers. When the Bombers did not have a radio contract for 2008, that opened the microphone for Wags to come to Rochester.
“We were extremely fortunate to find someone of Wags’ caliber and professionalism to be our radio voice last summer,” said Rochester Honkers general manager Dan Litzinger. “In just a few short days we realized we had someone special behind the microphone. He is one of the best!”
Since 1999, Wags has been calling games from West Virginia to California and points in between. In 2002 he served as the play-by-play announcer for the West Virginia University men’s and women’s soccer teams on WVU’s radio network. He was the first student announcer in the 56-year history of the network. Wags began calling professional games in 2004 as the Assistant Director of Broadcasting for the Inland Empire 66ers, the Seattle Mariners’ affiliate in the California League. In 2005 he was the Director of Broadcasting for the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate in the Midwest League. The following year the Devil Rays pulled out of Michigan which landed him the job with the Battle Creek Bombers.
"I'm pleased that Mike Wagenheim is returning as play-by-play voice of the Honkers,” said Brent Ackerman, Operations Manager for Cumulus Radio-Rochester. “Wagsdoes a great job describing the action on the field and his preparation, knowledge and passion for the game is second-to-none. Plus he's a heckuva nice guy too.”
The Rochester Honkers 16th season is scheduled to begin on May 28, 2009. Their 2009 schedule is slated to be released in December.
September 26, 2008
Rusty McNamara Hired to Guide Honkers in 2009!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Rusty McNamara, Assistant Coach at the University of California-Riverside, as their Field Manager for the 2009 season. McNamara brings over 11 years of professional baseball playing experience to the Honkers coaching staff this summer and is the team’s 8th field manager since their inaugural season of 1994.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to work for a first class organization in the Rochester Honkers,” said McNamara. “Rochester has a rich tradition in the Northwoods League and I'm looking forward to adding to that tradition this summer.”
McNamara finished his collegiate career at Oklahoma State in 1997 where he led the Cowboys that year in Homeruns (24), RBI (93), Hits (109), Triples (7), At Bats (282) and hit .387. His name is scattered all over OSU’s career record book among such greats as Robin Ventura and Pete Incaviglia. McNamara began his professional career in 1997, when the Philadelphia Phillies drafted him in the 21st round. Over the next four years he worked his way up to the AA level and finally in his 5th year (2001), he made it to the Phillies AAA club in Scranton, PA. During this time, he was named to 4 All Star Teams.
“We are really excited to have such an energetic coach guide our club next season,” said Rochester Honkers General Manager Dan Litzinger. “His collegiate and professional success and strong work ethic is something our team will definitely look up to this summer. Rusty epitomizes what hard work is all about!”
After the Phillies, McNamara spent the 2002 season with the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and was named a Southern League All-Star. The next 6 seasons, McNamara spent time in the Atlantic and Northern independent leagues and also spent 3 years in Italy playing in San Marino and Nettuno, where he was an all star all 3 seasons. McNamara served last summer as Head Assistant Coach for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots of the Alaska Baseball League, guiding them to the 2008 ABL Championship.
“The Honkers have put their trust in me and I will do everything I can to return their trust with a final product of a winning team,” added McNamara.
The Rochester Honkers 16th season is scheduled to begin on May 28, 2009. Their 2009 schedule is slated to be released sometime in December.
September 4, 2008
Jennifer Holubar Joins Honkers' Front Office
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Rochester, MN native Jennifer Holubar has joined their front office. She will focus on public relations, marketing and sales.
Holubar, 22, joins the front office after spending an intense 3 month internship with the Honkers this past summer. She focused on merchandise and corporate relations.
“I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to become a part of the Honkers front office,” said Holubar. “I get the chance to build on my experiences from this summer as an intern, and have been given the opportunity of bringing innovative ideas and new opportunities to the organization.”
Holubar earned a Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences degree in Mass Communications-Public Relations with a minor in Marketing from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (May, 2008). She was a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the Director of Public Relations for the AMA from 2007-2008.
“We are extremely excited to have Jennifer join us full time as part of our front office team,” said Honkers Owner Kim Archer. “Jenny brings a strong work ethic, creativity and enthusiasm that works well in our environment. We are lucky to have her.”
Holubar spent her first two years of college at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) where she was on the Dean’s List for both years and also was the Varsity Dance Team Captain for the RCTC Yellow Jackets. Holubar graduated from John Marshall High School in 2004.
August 14, 2008
Honkers Announce Postseason Award Winners
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today their 2008 postseason award winners. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) was named the Most Valuable Player, Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) was awarded this year’s Pitcher of the Year, and Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) won the Most Inspirational Player of the Year Award.
Goodwin was the most consistent position player for the Rochester Honkers all season long. He received playing time at shortstop, third base, and in the outfield. Goodwin was named to the midseason North Division All-Star Team and had a hit and scored a run in the All-Star Game in Madison, WI. He finished the season near the top of every Honkers offensive category. Goodwin led the team in hits (71), stolen bases (24), and he tied for the team lead in batting, with a .307 average. He finished 2nd on the team with 36 RBI’s, 38 runs scored, and 6 home runs.
After being named last year’s Rochester Honkers Inspirational Player of the Year, Zach Robertson returned to Rochester and had a fantastic summer on the mound. He finished with a 4-3 record, a 2.52 ERA, and a Northwoods League leading 97 strikeouts. His season strikeout total moved him into a tie for 7th place on the all-time Northwoods League single season strikeout list with 171. Robertson was also selected as both a midseason North Division All-Star and a postseason NWL All-Star this season.
Last summer Peter Burg worked on the rounds crew and in the concession stand at St. Cloud River Bats games. This summer he was a midseason North Division All-Star, a postseason NWL All-Star, and the obvious choice for Inspirational Player of the Year. A Division III pitcher from the College of St. Scholastica, Burg proved that some Division III players are capable of big things. He consistently threw strikes the entire season, and finished with a 5-3 record, a miniscule 2.09 ERA ranking him 7th overall in the Northwoods League, and 30 strikeouts. He tied for the lead in the NWL with two shutouts.
August 11, 2008
Three Honkers Named to Postseason All-Star Team
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers tied for the league-lead in players selected to the 2008 Northwoods League Postseason All-Star Team with three. Position player Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton), and starting pitchers Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) and Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) were all voted on to the team by Northwoods League coaches and media members.
Entering the final day of the season, Stephens was batting .303 with seven home runs, and a league-leading 49 RBI’s. He batted in the cleanup spot for the Honkers virtually the entire season, and played a lot at first base and in the outfield.
Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) had a very successful season for the Honkers in his second straight year playing in Rochester. He finished with a 4-3 record, a 2.52 ERA, and a league-leading 97 strikeouts. His strikeout total moved him into a tie for seventh place on the all-time Northwoods League single season strikeout list.
Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) was quite possibly the most consistent starter for the Honkers all season long. The crafty left-hander didn’t have overpowering stuff, but he threw a lot of strikes and used his defense behind him. He was near the top of the league in ERA practically the entire season. Burg finished with a 5-3 record, a 2.09 ERA, and 30 strikeouts.
August 11, 2008
Honkers Win 13-1 in Finale
(Rochester, MN)—It was Fan Appreciation Night at Mayo Field tonight, and the Honkers put on quite the show. A pitcher had three RBI’s, an outfielder played catcher, a position player batted from the opposite side of the plate, and the 2008 interns took some spills on the field during the dizzy bat race.
The Rochester Honkers (30-38, 12-23) played loose and demolished the Brainerd Blue Thunder (22-44, 13-24) by a score of 13-1 Monday night in the regular season finale in front of 1,203 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. It was a great finish to a frustrating second half for the Honkers.
Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) had a great offensive night for Rochester, he batted from both sides of the plate and went 5 for 6, with a double, two runs, and two RBI’s. Jeff Edlefsen (Texas-Arlington) earned the win on the mound, he threw a complete game, allowed only one run, gave up five hits, walked one, and struck out four.
The Honkers erupted in the bottom of the first to score six runs. Justin Hilt (Louisburg) and Dallas Tarleton (Elon) started things of with back-to-back singles. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) followed by hitting an RBI single, making the score 1-0. Then, Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead. An Austin Wates RBI double scored Goodwin to make the score 3-0. Aaron Senne (Missouri) followed with a single, and Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) walked to load the bases for Sean Claugherty (St. Scholastica). Claugherty cleared the bases with a double to deep left center field, which gave the Honkers a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Blue Thunder committed two errors in the bottom of the 3rd to make matters even worse. The Honkers scored three runs in the inning, two of the unearned variety, making the score 9-0 after three innings.
With a 9-0 cushion, coach Jason Plourde let the Honkers have some fun. Pitcher Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) entered as a pinch hitter for Cole Tyrell (Dayton) in the designated hitter spot. Don’t let Burg’s robust build fool you, he’s a pure athlete and he proved it tonight. Burg hit an RBI single to right field in his first at bat of the season to make the score 10-0.
The Honkers offense wasn’t done, and neither was the bizarre strategy. Pitcher Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) pinch ran for Stephens in the bottom of the 5th, Scott ended up getting a base hit later in the game. After Scott came in to run, right-handed Austin Wates stepped up to the plate as a left-handed batter. To the surprise of many, Wates hit a line drive single as a lefty. Later in the inning, Burg hit a two RBI single to right center field to make the score 12-0. The Honkers added another run in the inning when Tarleton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, which gave the Honkers a 13 run lead.
Edlefsen was in a rhythm on the mound all night long. He threw a lot of strikes and utilized good defensive play behind him. Brainerd scored their only run of the game in the top of the 6th, when Jeff Lockwood (Tennessee) hit an RBI single with two outs in the inning. Edlefsen pitched a shutout in the final three innings to seal the 13-1 victory for the Honkers.
The Honkers finished the season with a 30-38 overall record, placing them in 11th place out of the 14 Northwoods League teams in the overall season standings. The Honkers will seek their fifth Northwoods League Championship next season. Log on to rochesterhonkers.com for the latest updates on Rochester Honkers baseball.
August 10, 2008
Honkers Lose 2-1 in Pitcher's Duel
(Rochester, MN)—If you are a baseball fan that likes good pitching and defense, you were in for a treat on Sunday afternoon. If you prefer offense, at least you witnessed an entertaining Cha Cha Slide during a break in the action.
The Rochester Honkers (29-38, 11-23) lost 2-1 in a pitcher’s duel this afternoon to the Brainerd Blue Thunder (22-43, 13-23) in front of 859 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) pitched well in a losing effort, he lasted 5.1 innings, allowed two runs, one earned, gave up seven hits, walked two, and struck out six. Cole Tyrell (Dayton) went 2 for 3 to lead the Honkers offensively.
Brainerd opened the scoring in the top of the 1st, when Noble Enriquez (San Diego) scored on a Tim Scott wild pitch, making the score 1-0.
The Honkers battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the 2nd on an RBI fielder’s choice by Justin Hilt (Louisburg).
The Blue Thunder regained the lead in the top of the 6th when Nick Jelacie (Bemidji State) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, putting the Blue Thunder up 2-1.
Two runs proved to be enough for Brainerd’s pitching staff, who did a nice job of throwing strikes all game. Starter Adam Kohls (Luther College) picked up the win, pitching 8 innings, allowing one run, giving up seven hits, while walking one, and strike out four. Brett Kramer (St. John’s University) retired the Honkers in order in the 9th to pick up his first save of the season.
The Honkers will host the Brainerd Blue Thunder in the season finale tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Fan Appreciation Night presented by Charter Communications. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive free baseball note pads.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 9, 2008
Honkers Win 4-3 Over Brainerd
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers are built around speed and they have run the bases aggressively all season long. Tonight, another aggressive play on the basepaths gave the Honkers a much needed win at home.
The Rochester Honkers (29-37, 11-22) used some heads up baserunning to beat the Brainerd Blue Thunder (22-42, 12-23) by a score of 4-3 Saturday night in front of 1,377 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. The win snapped Rochester’s seven game losing streak.
Phil Haig (Illinois) earned the win for the Honkers, pitching 7 strong innings, allowing three runs, giving up six hits, while walking three, and striking out three. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) continued to stay hot for the Honkers at the plate, going 3 for 3 in the game.
Brainerd used the long ball to take the lead early in the game. Trey Lucas (Austin Peay State) hit a solo home run over the center field wall in the top of the 1st inning to put the Blue Thunder ahead 1-0.
An RBI single by Adam Pettersen (Minnesota) in the 2nd made the score 2-0 in favor of the Blue Thunder.
Rochester battled back in the 4th to get on the scoreboard. Aaron Senne (Missouri) hit an RBI single to right field that scored Dallas Tarleton (Elon) and made the score 2-1.
The Honkers used some deception on the basepaths in the 5th to tie the game at 2. With two outs and runners on first and third, Justin Hilt (Louisburg) stole second base. An alert Cole Tyrell (Dayton) broke home and scored after Brainerd’s catcher threw to second base, which tied the game.
The Blue Thunder scored a run in the 7th on a Honkers fielding error to go up 3-2.
Then, the Honkers used some more crafty baserunning in the bottom of the 7th to take a 4-3 lead. With runners on second and third and one out, Dallas Tarleton hit a ground ball to first base. Brainerd’s first baseman Michael Gedman (Massachusetts) fielded the ball and contemplated trying to throw the runner out at home before running over to first and tagging the base for the out. Sean Claugherty (St. Scholastica) scored easily from third on the play, and Tyrell hustled the whole way from second base to score when Gedman hesitated after touching first base, giving the Honkers a 4-3 lead.
Honkers reliever Ross Speed (Baylor) pitched a scoreless 8th, and Adian Kummet (St. Scholastica) shut the Blue Thunder down in the 9th to pick up his fourth save of the season.
The Honkers and Blue Thunder play again tomorrow afternoon at 3:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow is Host Family Appreciation Day and Family Fun Pack Day at Mayo Field. Family Fun Packs consisting of 4 general admission tickets, 4 large fountain drinks, 4 popcorns, and 4 Honker dogs, normally priced at 48 dollars, will be available for a discount price of 35 dollars tomorrow afternoon.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 8, 2008
Blue Thunder Beat Honkers 7-5
(Rochester, MN)—Inclement weather never hit Mayo Field in Rochester tonight. But, the Brainerd Blue Thunder struck late in the game to steal a victory.
The Brainerd Blue Thunder (22-41, 12-22) scored three unanswered runs in the 8th and 9th Friday night to come from behind and beat the Rochester Honkers (28-37, 10-22) 7-5 in front of 804 fans at Mayo Field. The heartbreaking loss was the seventh straight for the Honkers.
Justin Hilt (Louisburg) had a solid night for the Honkers, going 2 for 5, with a home run, an RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) also homered in the loss.
Hilt sparked the Honkers in the bottom of the 1st by leading off with a single and a stolen base. Then, Dallas Tarleton (Elon) roped a single down the left field line to score Hilt and put the Honkers up 1-0.
The Honkers extended their lead in the bottom of the 3rd, when Devin Goodwin hit a two-run home run over the left field wall, making the score 3-0.
Rochester starter Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) shut down the Blue Thunder for the first three innings, but they solved him in the 4th to get back in the game. An RBI sacrifice fly by Michael Gedman (Massachusetts) put the Blue Thunder on the board. Later in the inning, Nick Jelacie (Bemidji State) hit an RBI double with two outs to make the score 3-2. The Blue Thunder added two more in the top of the 5th to take a 4-3 lead.
The Honkers battled back in the bottom of the 5th to regain the lead. Hilt led the inning off with a solo home run to tie the game at 4. An RBI double by Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) put the Honkers up 5-4.
The Blue Thunder struck again in the 8th and the 9th to steal the win. With one out in the 8th, Gedman tripled to deep center field. Later in the inning, he scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at 5. Trey Lucas (Austin Peay) hit an RBI double in the 9th to give Brainerd the lead. They added another insurance run in the 9th to go up 7-5.
Brett Kramer (St. John’s) pitched a scoreless 8th to get the win for the Blue Thunder. Devon Ramirez (Cal State Los Angeles) retired the Honkers down in order in the 9th to record his first save of the season.
The Honkers and Blue Thunder play again tomorrow night at Mayo Field at 7:05 p.m. Tomorrow night at Mayo Field there will be postgame fireworks after the game presented by your Rochester Honkers and KTTC TV-10.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 7, 2008
Honkers Lose 3-2 in Extras
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers are out of the playoff hunt, but they still can have an effect on who makes the playoffs. They battled hard, but were unsuccessful tonight in their new role as spoilers.
The 2nd half North Division leading Thunder Bay Border Cats (39-25, 20-10) narrowly defeated the Rochester Honkers (28-36, 10-21) Thursday night by a score of 3-2 in 10 innings in front of 1,508 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) had a phenomenal start on the mound for the Honkers, pitching 7.1 innings, allowing two runs, no earned, giving up five hits, walking one, and striking out 10 in a no-decision. Robertson’s 97 strikeouts this season moves him into a tie for 7th place for the most strikeouts in a single season in Northwoods League history.
The Honkers only managed two hits tonight, but they were able to take advantage of some Border Cats miscues to score some runs. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) led the bottom of the 2nd off with a single, and later advanced to third when Thunder Bay starter Danny Rosenbaum (Xavier) threw wildly over to 1st on a pickoff attempt. A passed ball on Border Cats catcher Dean Forthun (Columbia) allowed Goodwin to score, giving the Honkers an early 1-0 lead.
The Border Cats responded in the top of the 3rd. With two outs, Jon Kelton (Alabama) singled and Derek Wiley (Belmont) doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Then, Nate Woods (Belmont) hit a line drive to right center field that bounced off the glove of a charging Justin Hilt (Louisburg). Two runs scored on the error, making the score 2-1 in favor of the Border Cats.
Rochester responded in the bottom of the 5th to tie the score. Dallas Tarleton (Elon) scored on a wild pitch by Rosenbush, making the score 2-2.
But, Thunder Bay put together a big two-out rally in the top of the 10th to take the lead. Wiley doubled off Adian Kummet (St. Scholastica) to get the rally going. Then, Woods drove in Wiley with a sharply hit single down the left field line, making the score 3-2. Jimmy Stanley (Belmont) retired the Honkers in order in the bottom of the 10th to pick up his league leading 15th save.
Dan Zehr (Northeastern) earned the win for Thunder Bay, pitching 2 shutout innings, allowing only one hit, while walking one and striking out two. Kummet took the loss and dropped to 1-1 on the season.
The Honkers host the Brainerd Blue Thunder tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Toys for Tots Drive Night presented by Schmidt Goodman and Clear Channel. All fans are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy to the game to help the needy in the surrounding area.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 6, 2008
Border Cats Beat Honkers 3-2
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers won the battle of the bullpens tonight and didn’t commit any errors. But, they never really got the bats going and were unable to come back from an early deficit.
Despite playing a clean game Wednesday night, the Rochester Honkers (28-35, 10-20) lost 3-2 to the Thunder Bay Border Cats (38-25, 19-10) in front of 1,663 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. With the win, the Border Cats moved into first place in the 2nd half North Division standings.
J.C. Bredengerd (Northwestern State) kept the Honkers close, pitching 4 shutout relief innings, giving up only two hits, while walking one, and striking out five. Justin Hilt (Louisburg) homered for the second consecutive night in a 2 for 4 effort, with an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base.
The Border Cats jumped on the Honkers early with two runs in the top of the 1st inning. Honkers starter Sam Campitella (Malone College) walked three batters in the inning and two of them came around to score on a two-out RBI single by Josh Ashenbrenner (Lewis-Clark State), making the score 2-0.
The Honkers answered in the bottom of the 1st. Hilt led the inning off with a solo home run over the right field wall to cut the Border Cats lead in half at 2-1.
Thunder Bay struck once again in the top of the 5th when Mike O’Neill (USC) hit an RBI single to right field, making the score 3-1.
After a shaky 1st inning, Campitella settled down and had an overall solid outing on the mound, pitching 5 innings, allowing three runs, giving up four hits, while walking five, and striking out one. Bredengerd held the Border Cats scoreless in the final four innings to give the Honkers a chance to win.
An RBI single by Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) in the bottom of the 6th scored Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) and made the score 3-2 in favor of Thunder Bay. But, the Border Cats bullpen shut down the Honkers in the final three innings to preserve the 3-2 win. Thunder Bay closer Jimmy Stanley (Belmont) pitched a shutout 9th inning to pick up his league leading 14th save of the year.
The Honkers will host the Border Cats again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Team Trading Card Set Night presented by Pepsi and 106.9 KROC. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive free team sets.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 5, 2008
Honkers Lose 10-4 to Beetles
(Rochester, MN)—Timing is everything. The Honkers fought hard and played well tonight, but they lacked timely hitting. Unfortunately, their opponent was able to find the seams in their defense in key situations.
The Rochester Honkers (28-34, 10-19) racked up 11 hits and didn’t commit any errors, but lost 10-4 to the Alexandria Beetles (32-30, 18-11) Tuesday night in front of 1,040 fans at Knute Nelson Memorial Park in Alexandria, MN.
Justin Hilt (Louisburg) had a great night at the plate for the Honkers, going 4 for 5, with a home run, three RBI’s, and a run scored. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) also had an impressive game, going 2 for 3, with an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base.
The Beetles took advantage of some early control issues by Honkers starter Jeff Edlefsen (Texas-Arlington) to take a lead in the bottom of the 1st. Edlefsen walked three Beetles in the inning, including two with the bases loaded, making the score 2-0. Later in the inning, the Beetles scored another run on a wild pitch to take an early 3-0 lead.
The Honkers battled back to score a run of their own in the 2nd inning. A two-out RBI single by Austin Wates plated Devin Goodwin (Delta State) and made the score 3-1.
The Beetles would answer in the bottom of the 3rd, when Dan DeGeorge (Princeton) hit an RBI double to right center field, making the score 4-1. Alexandria added two more runs in the bottom of the 4th, when Brian Harrison (Furman) and Tim Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast) both hit RBI doubles, giving the Beetles a 6-1 lead. They scored another four runs in the 7th to go up by a score of 10-1.
Rochester hit the ball pretty well all night, but didn’t produce any more runs until the 9th. With one out, Hilt launched a three-run home run over the right center field wall, making the score 10-4. The Honkers were unable to score any more runs in the 9th and lost by a score of 10-4.
Alexandria’s Robert Dickmann (Pepperdine) earned the win, pitching 7 innings, allowing only one run, scattering nine hits, while walking one, and striking out five. Edlefsen took the loss for the Honkers.
The Honkers return home tomorrow night to host the Thunder Bay Border Cats at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Think’s Night presented by Think Mutual Bank. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 4, 2008
Honkers Lose 9-1 to Beetles
(Rochester, MN)—It’s awfully tough to win when you walk a lot of batters. When you distribute an average of two free passes an inning, it’s hard not to get blown out.
The Rochester Honkers (28-33, 10-18) walked 16 batters in their 9-1 loss to the Alexandria Beetles (31-30, 17-11) Monday night in front of 927 fans at Knute Nelson Memorial Field in Alexandria, MN. It was Rochester’s 12th loss in their past 14 games.
Cole Tyrell (Dayton) had two singles for the Honkers in a losing effort.
The Beetles opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st, when a Brian Harrison (Furman) RBI fielder’s choice scored Josh Upchurch (Florida Gulf Coast).
The Honkers countered in the top of the 2nd to tie the game at 1. Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) scored what proved to be the only Honkers run of the game on an RBI groundout by Austin Wates (Virginia Tech).
Alexandria regained the lead in the bottom of the 2nd, when Eddie Murray (UCLA) scored on a wild pitch by Honkers starter Tim Scott (St. Cloud State), making the score 2-1.
The Beetles took advantage of some walks to break the game open in the bottom of the 6th. Honkers reliever Ross Speed (Baylor) walked a total of four guys in the inning. An RBI single to left field by Keith Castillo (USC) made the score 3-1 in favor of the Beetles. Later in the inning, Tim Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast) hit a two-out grand slam over the center field wall to give the Beetles a commanding 7-1 lead.
Alexandria never looked back, they scored two more runs in the bottom of the 7th when Ryan Dawson (Missouri) walked both Castillo and Harrison with the bases loaded to make the score 9-1.
The Honkers pitching staff combined to walk 16 batters in 8 innings. Believe it or not the score could have been worse, the Beetles stranded 14 total baserunners in the game.
Alexandria’s Andrew Robinson (Georgia Tech) picked up his second win of the season on the mound, pitching 7 innings, allowing one run, giving up only four hits, while walking one, and striking out eight. Austin Siwiec (Valparaiso) pitched two shutout innings of relief to secure the victory. Tim Scott took the loss, falling to 2-5 on the season.
The Honkers and Beetles will play again tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. at Knute Nelson Memorial Field in Alexandria, MN. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 2, 2008
Honkers Lose 8-6 to Woodchucks
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers hit the ball well enough tonight to win the ballgame. It’s too bad they decided to leave their gloves at home.
The Rochester Honkers (28-32, 10-17) committed six errors tonight in their 8-6 loss to the Wisconsin Woodchucks (37-22, 15-10) in front of 1,692 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. The loss paired with wins from Mankato and Thunder Bay means that the Honkers are mathematically eliminated from the 2008 postseason.
Devin Goodwin (Delta State) continued to perform at the plate, going 4 for 5, with a run scored. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) and Sean Claugherty (St. Scholastica) both homered in the game for Rochester.
The Woodchucks took the lead in the top of the 2nd inning when they scored an unearned run off Honkers starter Phil Haig (Illinois). Terrance Jackson (Seminole College) scored on a throwing error by Claugherty, making the score 1-0. Later in the inning, Jeff Cowan (High Point) hit an RBI single to center to give the Woodchucks a 2-0 lead.
Wisconsin added three more runs in the top of the 3rd, two of the unearned variety, to take a commanding 5-0 lead.
The Honkers battled back to score a run of their own in the bottom of the 3rd when Aaron Senne (Missouri) hit an RBI single to center field.
A two-run home run by Cowan in the top of the 5th off Honkers reliever Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara) made the score 7-1 in favor of the Woodchucks.
To the Honkers credit they didn’t give up. They scored two runs in the bottom of the 5th to cut the Wisconsin lead down to four runs at 7-3. Justin Hilt (Louisburg) led the inning off with a walk. Then, Northwoods League RBI leader Eric Stephens hit a two-run home run that landed well beyond the right center field wall, making the score 7-3.
The Honkers weren’t done, they scored another two runs in the bottom of the 7th. A one out RBI single by Senne made the score 7-4. Later in the inning, an RBI fielder’s choice by Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) scored Goodwin, making the score 7-5.
Sean Claugherty brought the Honkers even closer to tying the game in the bottom of the 8th, when he launched a solo home run over the right center field wall off Wisconsin reliever Clint Tilford (Kentucky).
But, the Woodchucks added a much needed insurance run in the top of the 9th when Brent Weaver (Oklahoma City) hit a solo shot off J.C. Bredengerd (Northwestern State), making the score 8-6.
Brad Riddle (Oklahoma City) retired the Honkers in order in the bottom of the 9th to pick up his fifth save of the season. Robert Young (Dartmouth) picked up the win for the Woodchucks to improve to 2-3 on the season.
The Honkers have an off day on Sunday before they head to Alexandria to play the Beetles on Monday and Tuesday night. Both games are set to start at 6:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
August 1, 2008
Honkers Lose 3-2 to Woodchucks
(Rochester, MN)—Coach Jason Plourde preaches small ball. He loves to steal bases, bunt, and sacrifice. However, he can only call the signals, it’s up to the players to execute. The Honkers simply were unable to execute in the bottom of the 9th, which cost them a shot at winning the game.
The Rochester Honkers (28-31, 10-16) fought hard but lost 2-1 to the Wisconsin Woodchucks (36-22, 14-10) Friday night in front of 1,094 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Devin Goodwin (Delta State) nearly hit for the cycle for the Honkers, going 3 for 3, with a single, double, triple, run scored, and a stolen base. Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) had a nice performance on the mound in a losing effort for Rochester, pitching 7 innings, allowing three runs, giving up seven hits, walking two, and striking out four.
Goodwin ignited the Honkers in the bottom of the 2nd to give them an early advantage. He led off with a triple, and scored on a wild pitch to make the score 1-0 in favor of the Honkers.
The Woodchucks battled back in the top of the 3rd to tie the game at 1, when Brent Weaver (Oklahoma City) hit an RBI double off Burg. An RBI single by Chris Slater (Baylor) in the top of the 4th gave the Woodchucks a 2-1 lead. They added another run in the bottom of the 6th on a Troy Frazier (Kentucky) solo home run, making the score 3-1.
The Honkers needed a pick me up, and Goodwin delivered once again in the bottom of the 8th. Goodwin doubled with one out, and scored on a double by Aaron Senne (Missouri), to cut the Woodchucks lead down to only one run. But, Senne was picked off second base later in the inning, ending the Honkers threat.
Rochester had another shot to tie or win the game in the bottom of the 9th, when closer Aaron Varnum (Embry Riddle) entered the game for Wisconsin. Dallas Tarleton (Elon) and Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) both walked to start the inning. Then, Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) attempted to lay down a bunt, but he popped it up slightly and Varnum made an athletic diving catch to retire Wates. However, Tarleton and Overstreet both advanced on a wild pitch, which brought Justin Hilt (Louibsurg) to the plate with one out. Hilt was unable to make contact and get the tying run home, he struck out for the fifth time in the game. Cole Tyrell (Dayton) followed by grounding out sharply to third base to end the game.
Varnum picked up his 11th save by pitching the scoreless 9th, and Woodchucks starter Bobby Pritchett (Central Arkansas) picked up the win to improve to 6-2 on the year.
The Honkers host the Wisconsin Woodchucks again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Home Run for Health Saturday and Library Night at the ballpark.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 31 , 2008
Honkers Beat MoonDogs 2-1
(Rochester, MN)—It was Cinematic Theatre night at Mayo Field on Thursday, and the Honkers gave all the fans one heck of a show with a great ending.
The Rochester Honkers (28-30, 10-15) beat the Mankato MoonDogs (35-23, 15-9) in dramatic fashion by a score of 2-1 on Thursday night in front of 1,530 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. The game ended when right fielder Aaron Senne (Missouri) threw out the potential game-tying run at the plate with two outs in the top of the 9th inning.
Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) had a great start for the Honkers, pitching 7 shutout innings, allowing only two hits, walking three, and striking out 11. Justin Hilt (Louisburg) provided some pop at the plate for Rochester, going 1 for 3, with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st, when Hilt hit a solo home run over the right center field fence off MoonDogs starter Ryan Demmin (UW-Oshkosh).
Robertson was nearly perfect on the mound for the Honkers, shutting out the MoonDogs for 7 innings and preserving the 1-0 lead. Already the Northwoods League strikeout leader entering the game, Robertson tallied 11 more for a total of 87 strikeouts on the season.
The Honkers added a key insurance run in the bottom of the 7th. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) led off the inning with a single, and he moved over to second base on an Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) sacrifice. Later in the inning, Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) plated Wates with an RBI single, making the score 2-0 in favor of the Honkers.
J.C. Bredengerd (Northwestern St.) pitched a shutout 8th inning to keep the Honkers lead intact. However, the MoonDogs showed they still had some bark in the top of the 9th, with Adian Kummet (St. Scholastica) on the mound for the Honkers. After a hit batsmen and a double, the MoonDogs had runners on second and third with nobody out. Then, Kummet forced Mike Lobacz (Elon) to pop out, and struck out Tony Strazzara (San Diego). With two outs, Brett Krill (UCLA) singled to right field. One run scored easily and the runner from second was gunned down by Senne on a close play at the plate, giving the Honkers a 2-1 victory.
The Honkers host the Wisconsin Woodchucks tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Mini Bat Night presented by Mr. Electric and Newstalk 1340. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive complimentary mini bats.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 30 , 2008
Honkers Lose 5-2, 4-2 in Doubleheader
(Rochester, MN)—Baseball is a game of streaks and rallies, the complexion of a game can change instantly with a swing of a bat. As of late, the Honkers seem to be on the wrong side of those game-changing moments.
The Mankato MoonDogs (35-23, 15-8) used a couple of three run innings to down the Rochester Honkers (27-30, 9-15) 5-2 and 4-2 in a doubleheader consisting of two 7 inning games tonight in front of 1,228 fans at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, MN. The Honkers have dropped 9 out of their last 10 games, most of those being as close and frustrating as tonight’s two losses.
Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) went 2 for 3, with a home run, a run scored, and an RBI in game one for the Honkers. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) also had an impressive offensive night for Rochester, going 3 for 5, with an RBI, and a stolen base.
The MoonDogs opened the scoring in game one, when Tony Strazzara (San Diego) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, making the score 1-0. The Honkers scored a run of their own in the top of the 3rd to tie the game at 1, when Tomkins homered off Cory Harrilchak (Elon).
Mankato put together a big 5th inning to take control of the game. An RBI triple by C.J. Belanger (Cal State Northridge) made the score 2-1. Then, Bobby Munoz (St. Leo) knocked in Belanger with a single to give the MoonDogs a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning, starting pitcher Cory Harrilchak helped his own cause by hitting a run-scoring sacrifice fly to cap the three run inning for Mankato.
The MoonDogs added another run in the bottom of the 6th to take a commanding 5-1 lead. The Honkers battled back to score one run in the top of the 7th off a Justin Hilt (Louisburg) RBI double, but the MoonDogs held on to win by a score of 5-2.
In the second game, an error by Honkers catcher Dallas Tarleton (Elon) in the 2nd inning gave the MoonDogs an early advantage. Tarleton overthrew third base in an attempt to throw out a stealing Brett Krill (UCLA), Krill eventually scored on the play to make the score 1-0.
Rochester countered in the 3rd inning, when Cole Tyrell (Dayton) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1.
Mankato produced their second three run inning of the day in the bottom of the 4th to break the game open. After a single and a walk, Belanger hit a three run home run off Honkers starter Sam Campitella (Malone College) that landed just beyond the right field fence, making the score 4-1. The home run ruined an all-around solid effort for Campitella on the mound, who pitched 6 innings, allowed four runs, three earned, gave up seven hits, walked one, and struck out three in a losing effort.
The Honkers added a run in the top of the 6th when Goodwin hit an RBI single, but they couldn’t muster up any more offense and lost the second game by a final count of 4-2.
The Honkers return home to host the Mankato MoonDogs tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Cinematic Theatre Night, with Y-105 free movie tickets for the first 500 fans in attendance. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 29 , 2008
Honkers Lose 12-9 to Huskies
(Rochester, MN)—There were plenty of Lutherans at Mayo Field tonight for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Channel One Food Drive Night, but it was a Mormann that made the big difference in the game. Huskies closer Mitch Mormann stopped a late Honkers rally to secure the win for Duluth.
The Rochester Honkers (27-28, 9-13) rallied in the late innings, but eventually lost 12-9 to the Duluth Huskies (21-34, 9-12) on Tuesday night in front of a huge crowd of 2,476 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. It was the second consecutive loss for the Honkers, and their seventh defeat in their last eight games.
Devin Goodwin (Delta State) had a nice offensive effort for the Honkers, going 2 for 4, with a home run, four RBI’s, and a run scored.
Duluth opened the game with a big four run 1st inning off Honkers starter Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) to take a quick lead. An RBI single by Steve Chatwood (San Diego) gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead. An RBI single by Taylor Krick (Long Beach State) and a two RBI single by Thomas Nichols (Georgia Tech) made the score 4-0 Huskies after the first half inning of play.
Rochester countered and scored a run of their own in the bottom half of the 1st, when Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) doubled in Cole Tyrell (Dayton).
Duluth and Rochester both scored one run in the 2nd and one run in the 3rd, to make the score 6-3 after three innings. In the bottom of the 5th inning the Honkers pulled within a run of the Huskies when Goodwin hit a two run home run to make the score 6-5.
But, the Huskies came back to score three runs in the top of the 6th to cushion their lead. An RBI sacrifice fly by Krick made the score 7-5. Later in the inning, Andy Burns (Rocky Mountain High) hit a two-run scoring double to give the Huskies a 9-5 advantage. The Huskies added another run in the 7th, and two more in the 8th, to take a 12-5 lead.
Rochester rallied to score four runs in a wild 8th inning. Huskies reliever Sam Murphy (Arkansas) walked Dallas Tarleton (Elon) with the bases loaded to make the score 12-6. The Huskies turned to their first baseman Tim Jobe (Indian River CC) to relieve Murphy, and he responded by striking out Tyrell and Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) in consecutive at bats with the bases loaded. Then, Jobe walked Goodwin, Stephens, and Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) with the bases loaded, to plate three more runs and make the score 12-9. Jobe retired Senne on a pop fly to shallow right field to end the inning.
After a Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) strikeout, and a Sean Claugherty (St. Scholastica) double to start the bottom of the 9th, Mitch Mormann (Des Moines Area CC) took the mound for the Huskies. Mormann pitched out of the jam without allowing a run to score, giving the Huskies a 12-9 victory.
The Honkers travel to Mankato tomorrow night to play the MoonDogs in a doubleheader consisting of two 7 inning games. The first game is set to start at 6:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 28 , 2008
Errors Haunt Honkers in 3-2 Loss
(Rochester, MN)—It’s usually not a good sign when you have only one more hit in a game than errors. In a game that exemplified their second half performance, the Honkers pitched well enough to win but lost due to untimely hitting and several defensive miscues.
The Rochester Honkers (27-27, 9-12) committed three errors and stranded nine baserunners in their 3-2 loss to the Duluth Huskies (20-34, 8-12) Monday night in front of 1,116 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. It was the fifth loss in six games for the Honkers, who are starting to fade out of contention in the 2nd half North Division standings.
Phil Haig (Illinois) turned in a solid game on the mound for the Honkers in a losing effort, pitching 7.1 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, giving up six hits, while walking five, and striking out two.
A critical error on the first play of the game was an early indication of how the game would go for the Honkers. Catcher Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) bobbled a bunt attempt from Chris House (Georgia Tech), causing House to reach first base on the error. House advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and came around to score when Todd Baumgartner (Arkansas State) singled, making the score 1-0.
The Honkers countered to tie the game at 1 in the bottom half of the 2nd inning, when Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) knocked in Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) with a line drive single down the left field line.
Another Honkers error proved costly in the top of the 4th inning. Balisteri committed an error on a ground ball off the bat of Taylor Krick (Long Beach State) to start the inning. Later in the inning, Krick came around to score on a sacrifice fly by House, giving the Huskies a 2-1 advantage. The Huskies added another run in the top of the 6th off an RBI single by Robby Price (Kansas), making the score 3-1.
Rochester battled back to score a run of their own in the bottom of the 6th, when Balisteri hit an RBI sacrifice fly to deep right field. But, the Honkers were unable to bring across the game-tying run in the final three innings and lost the game by a final count of 3-2.
Matt Benedict (Western Carolina) picked up the win for the Huskies despite walking seven Honkers and hitting two batters in 5.2 innings of work.
The Honkers will host the Huskies again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Channel One Food Drive Night. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the game. Tomorrow’s game is also another Always Low Price Tuesday presented by Wal-Mart. One child per each paid accompanying adult will receive a free general admission ticket to the game.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 27 , 2008
Honkers End Losing Streak, Win 7-0
(Rochester, MN)—Last summer Peter Burg worked on the grounds crew and in the concession stands at St. Cloud River Bats home games at Joe Faber Field. This afternoon the River Bats wished Burg was still making cheese curds, as he shutout the River Bats as the starting pitcher for the Rochester Honkers.
The Rochester Honkers (27-26, 9-11) used a phenomenal pitching performance by Peter Burg and a seven run 7th inning to beat the St. Cloud River Bats (29-24, 12-9) 7-0 in front of 1,591 fans at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN. The win ended a five-game losing streak for Rochester, and could be just the spark the Honkers need to get hot and get back into the North Division 2nd half pennant race.
Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) pitched his second consecutive complete game shutout in the Honkers victory, allowing only 3 hits, while walking none, and striking out two. Cole Tyrell (Dayton) had a nice offensive night for Rochester, going 2 for 3, with two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Burg and River Bats starter Jordan Thibodeaux (Lamar) held their opponents scoreless for the first six innings of the ballgame, but the Honkers finally solved Thibodeaux in the 7th inning to give Burg a lead. With two outs and the bases loaded, Tyrell hit a two RBI single into left center field to make the score 2-0. After a Justin Hilt (Louisburg) hit, Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) hit a two RBI single down the right field line off St. Cloud reliever Ryan Beard (Rutgers) to give the Honkers a 4-0 lead. Then, Devin Goodwin (Delta State) reached base on an error, and another run scored making the score 5-0. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) followed by mashing a two-run double to the off the right field fence to give the Honkers a commanding 7-0 lead.
Seven proved to be plenty for Burg, who retired the River Bats in order in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings to record his second straight complete game shutout. The win had to have been especially sweet for Burg, since the River Bats didn’t pursue signing him despite the fact that he played his high school home games for the St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders at Joe Faber Field.
The Honkers return home to host the Duluth Huskies tomorrow night at Mayo Field at 7:05 p.m. Tomorrow is Non-Profit Day at the ballpark.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 26 , 2008
Honkers Blow Late Lead, Lose 3-2
(Rochester, MN)—Bullpens are often overlooked, yet they are essential to a team’s success. Look no further than tonight’s game for proof that bullpens truly matter.
The Rochester Honkers’ (26-26, 8-11) bullpen blew a late lead tonight in their 3-2 loss to the St. Cloud River Bats (29-23, 12-8) in front 1,859 fans at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN. It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Honkers, four of which have been of the one-run variety.
Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) had a great start on the mound, pitching 7 innings, allowing only one run, giving up seven hits, while walking two, and striking out nine in a no decision. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) had a solid night at the plate, going 2 for 4, with a clutch RBI single that gave the Honkers a 2-1 lead late in the game.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 5th inning. An RBI double by Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) scored Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) to put the Honkers up 1-0.
The River Bats countered in the bottom half of the 6th to tie the game at 1. With two outs and nobody on base, Robertson walked two consecutive batters. Then, Kevin Johnson (Cincinnati) hit an RBI single to make the score 1-1.
Rochester regained the lead in the top of the 8th with a nice two-out rally. Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) reached first base on a single with one out in the inning, and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Justin Hilt (Louisburg) singled up the middle and Tomkins held at 3rd. The River Bats intentionally walked the Northwoods League RBI leader Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) to load the bases for Goodwin. Goodwin responded by hitting an RBI single to left field to give the Honkers a 2-1 lead.
But, the struggling Rochester bullpen entered the game in the bottom of the 8th and immediately surrendered the lead. Ryan Dawson (Missouri) started the half inning by hitting Brian Hernandez (College of the Canyon), and then served up a two-run home run to Johnson over the center field wall, making the score 3-2 in favor of the River Bats.
St. Cloud’s shutdown closer Xavier Esquivel (Loyola Marymount) entered the game in the 9th and picked up his 11th save of the season to seal the 3-2 win. River Bats reliever Lee Roberts picked up his first win of the season, and Dawson took the loss to drop to 1-2 on the year.
The Honkers hope to end their five-game slide tomorrow afternoon when they play the River Bats at 1:05 p.m. at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 25 , 2008
Beetles Down Honkers 6-5
(Rochester, MN)—Beetles relief pitcher Matt Hill looked like John Randle when he took the mound. Despite sporting some serious war paint like a former All-Pro NFL football player, Hill pitched like a ballplayer and propelled the Beetles to victory.
The Alexandria Beetles (25-27, 11-8) used a good performance from their bullpen and some powerful hitting to beat the Rochester Honkers (26-25, 8-10) Friday night in front of 1,752 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Honkers, three of which were one-run defeats.
Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) had a nice performance for the Honkers, going 1 for 3, with a home run, two RBI’s, and a run scored. J.C. Bredengerd (Northwestern State) pitched three shutout relief innings for Rochester in a losing effort.
The Honkers started the game off the right way, when Wates hit a two-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the 2nd to give the Honkers a quick 2-0 lead.
The Beetles countered with a big 3rd inning. Denny Duron (Pepperdine) hit a two-run shot off Honkers starter Jeff Edlefsen (Texas-Arlington) to tie the game at 2. A costly error by Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) on a ground ball off the bat of Tim Dellwo (Southern Arkansas) gave the Beetles the lead at 3-2. Then, Bryan Holaday (Texas Christian) scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-2.
An RBI single by Josh Upchurch (Florida Gulf Coast) in the top of the 4th, gave the Beetles a 5-2 lead.
To the Honkers credit, they continued to battle and rallied to put together a big 4th inning at the plate. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) started the inning off with a towering solo home run well beyond the right field fence, making the score 5-3. Later in the inning, Dallas Tarleton (Elon) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to trim the Beetles lead down to only one run. A clutch two-out RBI single by Overstreet to center field scored Aaron Senne (Missouri) and tied the game at 5.
The valiant Honkers comeback proved to be for naught. D.J. Leonard (St. Petersburg JC) hit a home run over the left center field wall in the top of the 6th to give the Beetles a 6-5 lead and they never looked back.
Matt Hill (West Alabama) had a great relief appearance to earn the win, pitching 3.2 shutout innings, surrendering only two hits, while walking one, and striking out one. Nick Gaudi (Pepperdine) recorded the last four outs of the game to pick up his eighth save of the season.
The Honkers look to end their four-game losing streak tomorrow when they travel to St. Cloud to take on the River Bats at 7:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 24 , 2008
Honkers Lose 12-2 to Beetles
(Rochester, MN)—Many of Slider’s furry friends were in attendance tonight at Mayo Field to celebrate his 12th birthday. As for the game, Slider was most certainly the only Honkers fan who kept a smile on his face the entire time.
The Alexandria Beetles (24-27, 10-8) beat the Rochester Honkers (26-24, 8-9) by a score of 12-2 Thursday night in front of 1,201 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. It was the third consecutive loss for the Honkers, who need to right the ship soon if they have any intentions of making the playoffs.
Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) had a solid night for the Honkers, going 2 for 4, with an RBI, and a run scored.
The Beetles opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd inning, when Tim Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast) scored from third base after Honkers catcher Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) threw a ball into center field in an attempt to throw out a stealing Ryan LaMarre (Michigan) at second base. They added another run in the top of the 4th, when Andy Cotton (Nebraska) hit an RBI single, making the score 2-0.
The Beetles weren’t done yet, they scored five runs in the top of the 5th to completely silence the crowd at Mayo Field. LaMarre walked with the bases loaded to make the score 3-0. Then, Dan DeGeorge (Princeton) hit a two RBI double down the left field line to give the Beetles a commanding 5-0 lead. The final two runs of the inning scored when the Honkers committing a fielding error.
Alexandria added two more in the 6th, and three in the 8th, to take a 12 run lead. The Honkers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the 8th, when Aaron Senne (Missouri) hit a grounder that ricocheted off shortstop Dan DeGeorge’s glove, making the score 12-1. They added another run in the bottom of the 9th, when Gump hit an RBI single to right field. However, the late rally proved to be too little and too late, as the Honkers lost by a final score of 12-2.
Robert Dickmann (Pepperdine) earned the win for the Beetles, pitching 7 shutout innings, allowing four hits, while walking three, and striking out three. Sam Campitella (Malone College) took the loss and dropped to 3-3 on the season.
The Honkers and Beetles will play again tomorrow night at Mayo Field at 7:05 p.m. Tomorrow night is Cap Night presented by YellowBook USA and 106.9 KROC. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive free caps.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 23 , 2008
Honkers Blow Lead, Lose 4-3
(Rochester, MN)—Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades. It’s too bad the Honkers play baseball, because they have come extremely close in their past two games.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats (30-20, 11-5) beat the Rochester Honkers (26-23, 8-8) 4-3 in walk-off fashion for the second night in a row on Wednesday in front of 904 fans at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, ON. With the loss, the Honkers are now 3 full games behind the Border Cats in the 2nd half North Division standings.
Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) had a solid performance on the mound for the Honkers, pitching 5 innings, allowing one run, no earned, giving up two hits, while walking six, and striking out three. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) had a productive offensive night, going 1 for 3, with an RBI and a run scored.
The Honkers drew first blood in the top of the 1st inning, when Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) singled in Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) to make the score 1-0. An RBI double by Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) in the top of the 5th gave the Honkers a 2-0 lead.
The Border Cats battled back in the bottom half of the 5th to get on the scoreboard. Connor Lind (Furman) scored on a Tim Scott wild pitch to cut the Honkers lead in half at 2-1. The Honkers would eventually get that run back in the top of the 7th, when Wates hit an RBI single that scored Justin Hilt (Louisburg), making the score 3-1.
Thunder Bay would storm back to score three runs and win the game in the bottom of the 9th inning. Dean Forthun (Columbia) reached base to start the inning when an errant throw by shortstop Devin Goodwin (Delta State) caused first basemen Eric Stephens to pull his foot from the bag. Honkers reliever Bret Mitchell (Iowa Central CC) walked the next batter, and then Mike O’Neill (USC) reached base on a bunt single. A wild pitch by Mitchell allowed Forthun to score and make the score 3-2. Later in the inning, Nate Woods (Belmont) hit an RBI single to tie the game at 3. Then, Chris Curley (Campbellsville) delivered a walk-off RBI single with one out to give the Border Cats a 4-3 victory.
Jimmy Stanley (Belmont) picked up the win for the Border Cats after pitching two shutout innings of relief.
The Honkers return home tomorrow night to host the Alexandria Beetles at Mayo Field. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. The Honkers will be celebrating Slider’s 12th birthday at the game. Some of Slider’s mascot friends will be in attendance, and compete in the Mascot Olympics throughout the game. Twins organist Sue Nelson will also perform throughout the game.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 22 , 2008
Honkers Lose 8-6 in 13 Innings
(Rochester, MN)—If there is such a thing as a good loss, the Honkers had one tonight. Despite a furious comeback and hard fought effort, the Honkers came up just short in extra innings.
The Rochester Honkers (26-22, 8-7) showed a lot of character tonight in their heartbreaking 13 inning 8-6 loss to the Thunder Bay Border Cats (29-20, 10-5) in front of 860 fans at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, ON. With the loss, the Honkers fall two full games behind the Border Cats in the 2nd half North Division standings.
Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) had a solid offensive night for the Honkers, going 3 for 6, with two doubles, and two RBI’s. J.C. Bredengerd (Northwestern State) and Adian Kummet (St. Scholastica) kept the Honkers in the game, by combining to pitch 5 shutout innings of relief.
The Border Cats jumped ahead early in the bottom half of the 2nd, when Dean Forthun (Columbia) hit an RBI single to make the score 1-0. A Derek Wiley RBI single in the bottom of the 3rd gave the Border Cats a quick 2-0 lead. The Border Cats added two more runs in the bottom of the 6th, and another run in the bottom of the 7th, to take a 5-0 lead.
Rochester battled back in the top of the 8th to score five runs and tie the game at 5. An RBI single by Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) put the Honkers on the scoreboard. Later in the inning, Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) hit a two RBI single to make the score 5-3. Stephens delivered the game-tying blow with a two RBI double with two outs in the inning, making the score 5-5.
Solid relief pitching by both the Honkers and Border Cats kept the score tied at 5 entering the 13th inning. A two-out RBI single by Aaron Senne (Missouri) scored Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) to give the Honkers a 6-5 lead in the top of the 13th. But, Thunder Bay’s Jon Kelton hit a walk-off three run home run over the right field fence off Honkers reliever Ryan Dawson (Missouri) to make the final score 8-6.
Dan Zehr (Northeastern) picked up the win for the Border Cats, pitching 3.1 relief innings, allowing one run, no earned, giving up only two hits, while walking one, and striking out five.
The Honkers and Border Cats will play again tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. CDT at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, ON. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 21 , 2008
Honkers Win 4-0 in Duluth
(Rochester, MN)—Peter Burg has pitched at Wade Stadium in Duluth, MN many times before as a starting pitcher for the College of St. Scholastica Saints. Tonight he pitched for the visiting Rochester Honkers, but he certainly appeared to be right at home.
The Rochester Honkers (26-21, 8-6) used a strong pitching performance by starter Peter Burg to down the Duluth Huskies (17-30, 5-8) by a score of 4-0 tonight at Wade Stadium in Duluth, MN. With the Honkers win and a Thunder Bay Border Cats loss, the Honkers only trail the Border Cats by one game in the second half North Division standings.
Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) had a fantastic outing for the Honkers, pitching 9 shutout innings, allowing only five hits, walking three, and striking out two. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) had a productive offensive night for Rochester, with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning. An RBI sacrifice fly by Goodwin scored Cole Tyrell (Dayton) to give the Honkers a quick 1-0 lead. Rochester scored another run in the top of the 6th, when Goodwin scored on a wild pitch, making the score 2-0.
In the top of the 8th inning, the Honkers padded their lead by adding a couple more runs. An RBI single by Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) scored Goodwin to make the score 3-0. Later in the inning, Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) hit an RBI single to give the Honkers a four run lead.
The Huskies put together somewhat of a rally in the 9th, but Burg forced the final Huskies hitter to pop out to second base with runners on first and third to preserve the complete game shutout.
The Honkers travel to Thunder Bay to take on the first place Thunder Bay Border Cats tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. CDT. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 20 , 2008
Honkers Lose 6-0 to Huskies
(Rochester, MN)—Zach Roberston took a one-hitter into the 8th inning, and pitched phenomenally for the Honkers. Unfortunately, Huskies starter T.J. Walz was even more impressive.
The Rochester Honkers (25-21, 7-6) squandered a great pitching performance in their 6-0 loss to the Duluth Huskies (17-29, 5-7) in front of 1,641 fans at Wade Stadium in Duluth, MN. A six run sixth inning paired with little offensive punch by Honkers hitters snapped Rochester’s three game winning streak.
Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) was the hard luck loser for the Honkers, pitching 7 plus innings, allowing three runs, surrendering only four hits, while walking four and striking out seven. T.J. Walz (Kansas) had a dominant performance on the mound for the Huskies, pitching 6.1 shutout innings, giving up five hits, walking four, and striking out 12.
The Honkers had a great opportunity to break a scoreless tie in the top of the 6th, when they had the bases loaded with only one out. But, Walz was able to pitch out of the jam by striking out Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) and Dallas Tarleton (Elon) in consecutive at bats to end the inning.
The Huskies produced the only runs of the game in a big 8th inning. After back-to-back singles by Ty Main (Florida International) and Chris House (Georgia Tech), Robby Price (Kansas) laid a bunt down the third base line. Robertson cut off third basemen Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) on the play and fielded the bunt, but his momentum and position kept him from being able to throw to first, which allowed Price to reach base and load the bases.
J.C. Bredengerd (Northwestern St.) relieved Robertson after Price’s at bat, and threw a wild pitch that allowed Main to score and give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. An RBI single to left field by Tim Jobe (Indian River CC) made the score 2-0. Then, Bredengerd walked Collin Kuhn (Arkansas) to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Andy Burns (Rocky Mountain High) hit a two-out RBI single to left field to make the score 4-0. Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara) relieved Bredengerd and walked two batters with the bases loaded before getting the final out of a disastrous half inning for the Honkers.
Evan Cox (Arkansas) and Mitch Mormann (Des Moines Area CC) combined to pitch 2.2 innings of shutout relief for Duluth. Honkers batters struck out 15 times in the game.
The Honkers look to rebound tomorrow night when they play the Duluth Huskies again at Wade Stadium in Duluth, MN. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 19 , 2008
Honkers and MoonDogs Rained Out
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers game against the Mankato MoonDogs was rained out tonight at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, MN. The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday July 30th. It will be part of a doubleheader consisting of two 7 inning games in Mankato at Franklin Rogers Park starting at 6:05 p.m.
The Honkers travel to Duluth tomorrow to take on the Duluth Huskies at 4:05 p.m. They will play Duluth again on Monday night, before crossing the Canadian border to play the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 18 , 2008
Honkers Win 5-2 Over MoonDogs
(Rochester, MN)—In order for a team to be successful in baseball, they have to do the little things right. Throwing strikes, making routine defensive plays, moving runners over, and running the bases intelligently are some of the small things that make a big difference over the course of a game.
The Rochester Honkers (25-20, 7-5) did all of the little things right tonight and it resulted in a 5-2 victory over the Mankato MoonDogs (26-19, 6-5) in front of 1,207 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Jeff Edlefsen (Texas-Arlington) had a great game for the Honkers on the mound, pitching 7 innings, allowing two unearned runs, scattering eight hits, while walking one and striking out two. Justin Hilt (Louisburg) had a nice game at the plate, going 3 for 4, with two runs scored.
The Honkers drew first blood in the bottom of the 3rd inning to take an early lead. With nobody out and Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) on second base, Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) laid down a bunt. Mankato’s catcher Carlos Ramirez (Chandler Gilbert CC) fielded the bunt and threw the ball into left field in an attempt to get Balisteri out at third, which allowed Balisteri to score and give the Honkers a 1-0 lead.
Later in the inning, Cole Tyrell (Dayton) hit an RBI single to left field to make the score 2-0. An RBI sacrifice fly to deep center field by Devin Goodwin (Delta State) put the Honkers up by three runs. Then, Aaron Senne (Missouri) plated Tyrell with a two-out RBI double to left center field, making the score 4-0 in favor of the Honkers.
The four runs proved to be plenty for Edlefsen, who threw strikes and used his defense effectively. The MoonDogs scored their only two runs of the game in the top of the 7th, when Bobby Munoz (St. Leo) hit a two-run scoring single with two outs, moments after the Honkers committed their only error of the night to keep the inning going.
A suicide squeeze bunt by Goodwin in the bottom of the 7th notched the final run of the game for the Honkers. Ryan Dawson (Missouri) pitched a shutout 8th inning, and Adian Kummet (St. Scholastica) pitched a shutout 9th to pick up his second save of the season.
The Honkers travel to Mankato tomorrow night to take on the MoonDogs at 7:05 p.m. at Franklin Rogers Park. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 17 , 2008
Honkers Win Big, Sweep River Bats
(Rochester, MN)—The easiest way to catch the first place team in the standings is to beat them when you play them. The Rochester Honkers did just that the last couple of nights against the St. Cloud River Bats.
The Rochester Honkers (24-20, 6-5) used an offensive onslaught to pummel the St. Cloud River Bats (24-19, 6-4) 17-6 Thursday night in front of 1,798 fans at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN. With the win, the Honkers trail the first place River Bats, Thunder Bay Border Cats, and Mankato MoonDogs by only a half a game in the 2nd half North Division standings.
Dallas Tarleton (Elon) had a nice offensive night for the Honkers, going 2 for 4, with a double, and four RBI’s. Sam Campitella (Malone College) earned the win for Rochester, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, scattering eight hits, and walking none.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd, when Justin Hilt (Louisburg) hit a two RBI single up the middle off River Bats starter Cole Cook (Pepperdine) to make the score 2-0. Later in the inning, the Honkers added another run when Tarleton delivered with an RBI sacrifice fly.
The River Bats came back to score two runs of their own in the bottom of the 2nd to cut the Honkers lead down to only one run. A Brian Hernandez (College of the Canyon) RBI double put St. Cloud on the board, and an RBI groundout by Adam Weisenburger (Miami of Ohio) made the score 3-2.
Rochester countered with a big five run inning in the top of the 3rd. Bases loaded walks to both Hilt and Tarleton gave the Honkers a 5-2 lead. Then, Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) came up with the bases loaded and hit a bases clearing three RBI double to make the score 8-2 in favor of the Honkers.
St. Cloud scored a run in the bottom of the 4th to make the score 8-3 and keep their hopes alive for a comeback. However, the Honkers responded with another big five run inning in the top of the 6th. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) scored on a wild pitch, and Ian Tompkins (Wake Forest) and Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) both hit two RBI doubles to extend the Honkers lead to 13-3.
The Honkers never looked back. The River Bats and Honkers each scored a pair of runs in the 7th inning, and one in the 8th inning to make the final score 17-6.
The Honkers return home tomorrow night to host the Mankato MoonDogs at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. Tomorrow night is Plunger Night at the ballpark presented by Mr. Rooter Plumbing and Classic Hits 103.9. The Plunger Girls will be performing during the game.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 16 , 2008
Honkers Win 7-3 in St. Cloud
(Rochester, MN)—One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Trying out with an aggravated hamstring, Aaron Senne was cut from the United States Olympic baseball team. That means he is playing for the Rochester Honkers for the rest of the summer. Two games into his return, Honkers field manager Jason Plourde and the rest of the team couldn’t be any happier with their new addition.
The Rochester Honkers (23-20, 5-5) beat the St. Cloud River Bats (24-18, 6-3) by a score of 7-3 on Wednesday night in front of 1,629 fans at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN. With the win, the Honkers crept within a game and a half of the first place River Bats in the 2nd half North division standings.
Aaron Senne (Missouri) had a big night in his first start for the Honkers this season, going 3 for 4, with a double, and two RBI’s. Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) earned the win for the Honkers, pitching 7 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, surrendering only five hits, while walking two, hitting one batter, and striking out six.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning, when Devin Goodwin (Delta State) hit a two-out solo home run off River Bats starter John Atteo (North Florida) to give the Honkers a quick 1-0 lead.
The River Bats countered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the 3rd to take the lead. A two RBI double by Kevin Johnson (Cincinnati) put St. Cloud up by a score of 2-1.
The River Bats lead proved to be short-lived, as the Honkers scored two runs of their own in the top of the 4th to regain the lead. A picture perfect safety squeeze by Aaron Johnson (Illinois) plated Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) and tied the game at 2. Later in the inning, Senne hit a two-out RBI double to give the Honkers a 3-2 lead.
The Honkers added another run in the top of the 5th off a Cole Tyrell (Dayton) RBI groundout, making the score 4-2. In the top of the 6th, Senne struck again, with an RBI single up the middle that scored Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) and gave the Honkers a commanding 5-2 lead.
Field manager Jason Plourde implemented the suicide squeeze effectively for the second time of the night in the top of the 7th. A nice squeeze bunt by Tyrell scored Justin Hilt (Louisburg) to make the score 6-2 in favor of the Honkers.
The River Bats would score a run on a Honkers error in the bottom of the 7th to cut the lead down to three runs, but the Rochester bullpen would come in and preserve the lead. J.C. Bredengerd (Northwestern St.) retired the side in the 8th in his Honkers pitching debut. The Honkers added another insurance run in the top of the 9th, and Bret Mitchell (Iowa Central CC) shutout St. Cloud in the bottom half of the 9th to put a stamp on the 7-3 Rochester victory. Rochester’s pitching triumvirate of Scott, Bredengerd, and Mitchell combined for 11 strikeouts in the win.
The Honkers and River Bats play once again tomorrow at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 12 , 2008
Honkers Lose 6-0 to Beetles
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers had a lot of geese on the pond in tonight’s game. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to drive any of them home.
The Rochester Honkers (22-20, 4-5) stranded 12 baserunners tonight in their 6-0 loss to the Alexandria Beetles (18-24, 4-5) in front of 1,624 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) had a fantastic outing in a losing effort for the Honkers, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing two runs, giving up only three hits, while walking five, and striking out ten. Bryan Holaday (Texas Christian) was clutch for the Beetles, going 2 for 5, with a home run, two RBI’s, and a run scored.
Holaday made Robertson pay for the first mistake he made, when Holaday hit a solo home run off Robertson in the top of the 6th to break up his no-hitter and give the Beetles a 1-0 lead.
An RBI double by Holaday in the top of the 8th made the score 2-0 in favor of the Beetles. Alexandria scored four unearned runs in the top of the 9th to take a 6-0 lead.
The six runs proved to be plenty for the Beetles pitching staff, who repeatedly pitched out of jams without allowing any runs to score. They were bailed out in a few instances by shortstop Denny Duron (Pepperdine) and second basemen Andy Cotton (Nebraska), who were smoother than butter in the field tonight on a number of tough defensive plays.
Justin Jackson (Sam Houston State) pitched 6 shutout innings for the Beetles to pick up the victory.
The Honkers are off for the next three days due to the Northwoods League All-Star Game. Six Honkers will play in the All-Star Game on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. in Madison, WI. The game will be televised on ESPN U. The Honkers travel to St. Cloud, MN on Wednesday to take on the River Bats at 7:05 p.m.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 11 , 2008
Honkers Prevail 9-6 in 12 Innings
(Rochester, MN)—Critics always have something to say about who should have or should not have made a certain All-Star team. As for Tony Balisteri’s election, consider the case closed after his performance tonight.
The Rochester Honkers (22-19, 4-4) kept battling and finally came from behind to beat the Alexandria Beetles (17-24, 3-5)in dramatic fashion by a score of 9-6 tonight in 12 innings in front of 1,078 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) had a huge game for the Honkers, going 2 for 6, with a walk off three-run home run in the bottom of the 12th, 3 RBI’s, and one run scored. Adian Kummet (St. Scholastica) pitched a shutout 12th inning to pick up his first victory of the season for Rochester.
The Beetles started out hot in the top of the 1st inning with a huge two-out rally. Brian Harrison (Furman) hit a two-run home run off Honkers starter Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) with two outs in the inning to give the Beetles a quick 2-0 lead. Alexandria scored two more runs in the inning to go up 4-0 when D.J. Leonard hit a two-run single to left field.
The Honkers got on the board in the bottom of the 2nd, when Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to make the score 4-1. They added another run in the bottom of the 3rd on a perfectly executed double steal by Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) and Devin Goodwin (Delta State). Goodwin stole second, and once the throw from the catcher went to second, Gump broke home and scored to cut the Beetles lead down to two runs.
The Beetles added one run in both the top of the 3rd and the top of the 4th to make the score 6-2.
A two-run home run by Aaron Johnson (Illinois) in the bottom of the 5th brought the Honkers within two runs of the Beetles once again, with the score being 6-4.
The Honkers scored another two runs in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game at 6. Gump scored on a wild pitch to make the score 6-5, and an RBI sacrifice fly by Johnson made the score 6-6.
Then, All-Star Tony Balisteri came to the plate with runners on first and second and one out in the bottom of the 12th. Alexandria brought in their closer Nick Gaudi (Pepperdine), and Balisteri crushed his first offering over the left center field wall to win the game.
Kummet picked up the win for the Honkers to improve to 1-0 on the season. Logan Hoch (Wichita State) picked up the loss for the Beetles despite a great relief effort. Hoch pitched 6 innings of relief, allowed two runs, on two hits, while walking four, and striking out four.
The Honkers and Beetles will play again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. Tomorrow night is Pennant Night presented by City Auto Glass and Quick Country 96.5. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive complimentary pennants. Saturday night is also Scout night at Mayo Field.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 10 , 2008
Honkers Swept in Doubleheader
(Rochester, MN)—Pitchers that throw strikes and force the opposing team to put the ball in play typically have success. That wasn’t the case tonight, as Honkers pitchers threw strikes but suffered losses due to poor defensive play behind them.
The Rochester Honkers (21-19, 3-4) committed several errors tonight, causing them to lose by scores of 5-4 and 3-2 in two 7 inning games to the Brainerd Blue Thunder (13-24, 3-5) in front of 330 fans in Brainerd, MN.
Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) had a nice night offensively for the Honkers, going 3 for 7, with a run scored. Newly acquired left-handed pitcher Jeff Edlefsen (Texas-Arlington) pitched well in the second game in a losing effort, he threw 6 innings, allowed three runs, one earned, walked four, and struck out three.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd inning in the first game to take an early 1-0 lead when Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) reached on an error, allowing Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) to score.
Brainerd bounced back and had a huge inning in the bottom of the 3rd. The Blue Thunder scored their first two runs when A.J. Pettersen (Minnesota) reached on an RBI fielder’s choice, an error by Balisteri allowed the second run to score, making the score 2-1. Later in the inning, Trey Lucas (Austin Peay) hit a three-run home run to give the Blue Thunder a 5-1 lead. All five runs scored by the Blue Thunder were unearned.
A two RBI triple by Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) in the top of the 6th cut the Blue Thunder lead down to only two runs, at 5-3. Then, Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) reached on an error by Brainerd’s third basemen, which allowed Stephens to score, making the score 5-4.
However, the Honkers weren’t able to muster any more offense in the game and they lost by a score of 5-4. Kris Jiggitts (Tennessee Wesleyan) pitched all 7 innings for the Blue Thunder to pick up his second win of the season.
In the second game, the Honkers jumped out to an early lead once again. Balisteri scored in the 2nd inning when Brainerd committed an error on a ground ball off the bat of Cole Tyrell (Dayton), making the score 1-0 Honkers. Rochester added another run in the top of the 3rd inning when Balisteri scored on another fielding miscue by Brainerd.
The Blue Thunder battled back in the bottom of the 5th to score three runs thanks in part to some poor defense by the Honkers. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Jonathan Schmidt (Missouri) laid down a sacrifice bunt and Overstreet made an error on the play, which caused one run to score. An RBI suicide squeeze bunt by Jared McDonald (Pima CC) tied the score at 2. Then, the Honkers had a chance to end the inning with a tailor made double play ball. They retired the runner at second, but an errant throw by Tyrell to first base on the turn allowed the winning run to score.
Matt DeGagne (Nebraska-Omaha) pitched shutout 5th, 6th, and 7th innings for the Blue Thunder to pick up the win.
The Honkers return home tomorrow night to host the Alexandria Beetles at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Logo Glass Night presented by Budweiser and KXLT Fox 47 TV. The first 500 fans 21 and older will receive complimentary logo glasses.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 9 , 2008
Honkers Beat Blue Thunder 11-9
(Rochester, MN)—It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up and keep fighting. After being knocked down and beaten brutally yesterday at home, the Rochester Honkers brushed themselves off and dealt a blow of their own tonight. Early indications suggest the Honkers are going to fight until the final bell rings this season.
The Rochester Honkers (21-17, 3-2) showed some real character in their 11-9 7 inning win over the Brainerd Blue Thunder (11-24, 1-5) on Wednesday night in front of 270 fans at Stewart C. Mills Sr. Field in Brainerd, MN. The second game of the doubleheader was cancelled due to rain. The two teams will play two 7 inning games tomorrow in Brainerd starting at 5:35 p.m.
Justin Hilt (Louisburg) stayed hot for the Honkers, going 3 for 4, with a triple, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Newly acquired pitcher Adian Kummet (St. Scholastica) pitched a shutout 7th inning to pick up his first save of the season for Rochester.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning, when Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) singled down the right field line to score Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara). Two out RBI hits by Dallas Tarleton (Elon), Austin Wates (Virginia Tech), and Craig Lutes (Illinois) made the score 4-0 Honkers before the Blue Thunder were given a chance to hit.
Brainerd scored a run in the bottom half of the 1st, when Jeff Lockwood (Tennessee) hit an RBI fielder’s choice, making the score 4-1.
Phil Haig (Illinois) retired the first two Brainerd batters in the bottom of the 2nd before they put together a huge two-out rally to score four runs. A two RBI double by Nick DeBiasse (Rice) capped a huge inning for the Blue Thunder and made the score 5-4 in favor of Brainerd.
Rochester regained the lead in the top of the 4th, when Hilt hit a two RBI single to right field, making the score 6-5 Honkers. An RBI sacrifice fly by Gump later in the inning increased the Honkers lead to two runs.
Once again, the Blue Thunder stormed back. After scoring one run in the bottom of the 4th, Brainerd scored three in the bottom of the 5th to take a 9-7 lead.
The Honkers responded by putting together some runs in the top of the 6th inning. An Aaron Johnson (Illinois) RBI single made the score 9-8. Then, Tarleton and Wates both walked with the bases loaded to give the Honkers a 10-9 lead. They added an insurance run in the top of the 7th, and Brainerd native Adian Kummet pitched a shutout 7th inning to preserve the victory and pick up his first save of the season.
The two teams will play a doubleheader consisting of two 7 inning games tomorrow night at Stewart C. Mills Sr. Field in Brainerd, MN. The first game is set for 5:35 p.m.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 8 , 2008
Honkers Drop Two to Border Cats
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers simply didn’t have it tonight. Unfortunately for them, they had to play two games in their funky state.
The Rochester Honkers (20-17, 2-2) played poorly and lost two games tonight to the Thunder Bay Border Cats (21-17, 2-2) at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. The first game was a continuation of yesterday’s suspended game, and the Border Cats won by a score of 15-3. The second game consisted of 7 innings, and the Border Cats held on to win 8-5.
Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) was one of few bright spots for the Honkers, he went 4 for 8 on the day, with a home run, three RBI’s, and two runs scored. The Honkers center fielder even pitched two shutout innings and struck out two batters in the first game.
The first game resumed in the bottom of the 2nd inning with the Border Cats having a 6-3 lead. Thanks to solid pitching and good defense, that score remained the same until the top of the 6th inning, when the Border Cats scored three runs. An errant throw by catcher Aaron Johnson (Illinois) allowed Mike O’Neill (USC) to score and give Thunder Bay a 7-3 lead. The Border Cats scored two more runs in the inning off of Honkers errors to make the score 9-3.
Thunder Bay broke the game wide open in the top of the 7th. An RBI double by Derek Wiley (Belmont) made the score 10-3. Then, Chris Curley (Campbellsville) launched a grand slam over the left field wall to give the Border Cats a commanding 14-3 lead. They added another run in the 7th and never looked back.
In an attempt to rest some of his pitchers, Honkers field manager Jason Plourde had Gump come in from center field and pitch the last two innings. He shut down the Border Cats in the 8th and the 9th and struck out two batters in the process.
Thunder Bay opened the scoring early in the second game, when Tim Palincsar (Texas-San Antonio) hit an RBI single to make the score 1-0. An RBI groundout by Nate Woods (Belmont) increased the Thunder Bay lead to two runs. The Border Cats added another run in the top of the 2nd to make the score 3-0.
Clutch hitting coupled with poor defense allowed Thunder Bay to put up five runs in the 5th inning. Two runs scored on a throwing error by second basemen Cole Tyrell (Dayton), making the score 5-0 Border Cats. An RBI double, a passed ball, and another RBI double put the Border Cats up 8-0.
To the Honkers credit, they never gave up and almost came back to win the ballgame. An RBI fielder’s choice by Craig Lutes (Illinois) produced the first run of the game for Rochester in the bottom of the 6th inning. Justin Hilt (Louisburg) followed with an RBI single to right field to make the score 8-2. Later in the inning, Gump crushed a three-run home run over the right field wall to cut the Border Cats lead down to only three runs.
The Rochester rally ended once closer Jimmy Stanley (Belmont) entered the game. Stanley shutout the Honkers for the final 1.1 innings, and secured the sweep and 8-5 victory for Thunder Bay.
The Honkers travel to Brainerd tomorrow to take on the Blue Thunder in a doubleheader consisting of two 7 inning games. The first game is set to start at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 8 , 2008
Six Honkers Named to All-Star Game
(Rochester, MN)—(Rochester, MN) The Northwoods League announced the rosters for the 2008 All-Star Game that will be played Monday, July 14 at 7:05 PM Central in Madison, Wisconsin.
The host South Division All-Stars will take on their North Division counterparts at Warner Park, “The Duck Pond”, home to the NWL's Madison Mallards. The two-day event, which begins with a fan fest Sunday afternoon July 13, will conclude with the main attraction, the 2008 Northwoods League All-Star Game, beginning with the first pitch at 7:05 PM Central on Monday. The All-Star Game will again be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, with the telecast starting at 7:00 PM. During Sunday’s portion of the two-day event will be the Home Run Derby at 4:30 PM followed by a special exhibition game, the “All American Challenge”, pitting U.S. Military All-Stars vs. Home Talent League All-Stars at 6:05 PM. Monday at noon will be the All-Star Luncheon at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.
The Rochester Honkers and St. Cloud River Bats lead the way with six all-stars per team. The North Division First-Half Champion Mankato MoonDogs placed five all-stars while the South Division Champions, and host, Madison Mallards landed four all-stars. Headlining Mankato’s selectees is the Northwoods League’s leader in home runs with seven, catcher Carlos Ramirez (Chandler-Gilbert CC). Second baseman Derek McCallum (Minnesota), one of the six selected from St. Cloud, leads the Northwoods League with a .376 batting average. Of the six all-stars for Rochester left-handed pitchers Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) and Phil Haig (Illinois) are both ranked in the top four in NWL pitching with earned run averages of 0.72 and 1.05, respectively.
Madison placed one of the four second-time all-stars on this year’s teams. Mallards catcher Eric Nielsen (Purdue) will make his second appearance for the South Division as will reigning NWL Co-MVP Kole Calhoun (Yavapai) of the Eau Claire Express. A pair of Alexandria Beetles will appear for the second time as Josh Upchurch (Florida Gulf Coast) and Tim Dellwo (Southern Arkansas) will help patrol the North Division’s outfield.
This year's All-Stars were chosen in a vote by the 14 member teams of the Northwoods League. Ballots were cast by each team's field staff and radio and media contacts. The complete list of All-Stars is below:
North Division All-Stars
Player Position Year NWL Team School
Matt Hill RHP JR Alexandria West Alabama
Alex Kalogrides RHP SO Brainerd San Francisco (CA)
Brendan Lafferty LHP JR Mankato UCLA
Jimmy Reyes LHP FR Mankato Elon (NC)
Peter Burg LHP JR Rochester St. Scholastica (MN)
Phil Haig LHP FR Rochester Illinois
Zach Robertson LHP SO Rochester Iowa Central CC
John Atteo LHP SO St. Cloud North Florida
Xavier Esquivel RHP SO St. Cloud Loyola Marymount (CA)
Ryan Sheldon RHP JR St. Cloud Nebraska-Kearney
Jimmy Stanley RHP JR Thunder Bay Belmont (TN)
Nate Woods RHP FR Thunder Bay Belmont (TN)
Carlos Ramirez C SO Mankato Chandler-Gilbert CC (AZ)
Keith Castillo C SO Alexandria Southern California
Eric Stephens 1B JR Rochester Cal State Fullerton
Derek McCallum 2B SO St. Cloud Minnesota
Tony Balisteri SS FR Rochester Virginia Tech
Devin Goodwin 3B JR Rochester Delta State (MS)
Brian Hernandez X-INF SO St. Cloud College of the Canyons (CA)
Derek Wiley X-INF JR Thunder Bay Belmont (TN)
Josh Upchurch OF JR Alexandria Florida Gulf Coast
Cory Harrilchak OF JR Mankato Elon (NC)
Michael Rockett OF JR Mankato Texas-San Antonio
Tim Dellwo X-OF JR Alexandria Southern Arkansas
Christian Ramirez X-OF FR St. Cloud Cal State L.A.
Mike O’Neill X-OF SO Thunder Bay Southern California
Tim Jobe DH SO Duluth Indian River CC (FL)
South Division All-Stars
Player Position Year NWL Team School
RJ Hively RHP FR Battle Creek Cal State Fullerton
Chris Odegaard RHP SO Eau Claire Minnesota State-Mankato
Matt Lange RHP JR Green Bay Portland (OR)
Aaron Dott LHP SO La Crosse Wisconsin-Whitewater
Chris Sale LHP FR La Crosse Florida Gulf Coast
Matt Jansen LHP SO Madison Purdue (IN)
Gabriel Shaw RHP JR Madison Northern Illinois
Bob Lackovic RHP SO Waterloo Creighton (NE)
Josh Rickards LHP JR Waterloo Marist (NY)
Kyle Gumieny RHP SO Wisconsin Lamar CC (CO)
Bobby Pritchett RHP SO Wisconsin Central Arkansas
Aaron Varnum RHP JR Wisconsin Embry-Riddle (FL)
Rocky Gale C SO Green Bay Portland (OR)
Eric Nielsen C SO Madison Purdue (IN)
Derek Melton 1B JR La Crosse Evansville (IN)
AJ Shindler 2B JR Battle Creek Michigan State
Ryan Goins SS SO Waterloo Dallas Baptist (TX)
Jeff Cowan 3B JR Wisconsin High Point (NC)
Brooks Pinckard X-INF FR Eau Claire Baylor (TX)
Nick O’Shea X-INF FR Green Bay Minnesota
Josh Prince X-INF SO Green Bay Tulane (LA)
Roy Lyerly OF SO Madison Charlotte (NC)
Joey Register OF JR Waterloo Texas A&M
Troy Frazier OF SO Wisconsin Kentucky
Kole Calhoun X-OF SO Eau Claire Yavapai (AZ)
PJ Polk X-OF FR La Crosse Tennessee
Cory Vaughn DH FR La Crosse San Diego State (CA)
July 7 , 2008
Honkers and Border Cats Suspended
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers and Thunder Bay Border Cats Northwoods League game was suspended due to rain today at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
The Border Cats were up by a score of 6-3 when the rain delay started. Tomorrow night the two teams will resume play at 6:05 p.m. as part of a doubleheader. Tomorrow's regularly scheduled game will be played shortly after the conclusion of the 6:05 game. The resumed game will be a full 9 inning game, and the second game will be a 7 inning game.
Tomorrow night is Teal T-Shirt Giveaway Night at Mayo Field presented by RNeighbors, Sixta Insurance, National Night Out, and KAAL TV-6. The first 500 fans will recieve a free teal t-shirt.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 5 , 2008
Honkers Win 7-6 in Extras
(Rochester, MN)—Green Bay sports fans are probably going to have a hard time sleeping tonight. Rumors are circulating about Brett Favre coming out of retirement to join the Minnesota Vikings, and the Bullfrogs have lost two nail-biters in the last two days.
The Rochester Honkers (20-15, 2-0) completed an impressive road sweep by beating the Green Bay Bullfrogs (17-18, 0-2) 7-6 in 11 innings on Saturday night in front of 1,131 fans at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay, WI. The win keeps the Honkers atop the North division second half standings after two full days of play.
Justin Hilt (Louisburg) had a nice night for the Honkers, going 3 for 5, with two RBI’s, a run scored, and a stolen base. Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) had a nice effort for Rochester on the mound, pitching 8 innings, allowing four runs, giving up eight hits, while walking two, and striking out nine, in picking up the no decision.
Green Bay took a quick 1-0 lead when Nick O’Shea (Minnesota) hit an RBI single off Robertson in the bottom of the 1st inning.
After being shutout by Green Bay starter Jason Dovel (Cal State Fullerton) for the first four innings, the Honkers solved Dovel and put up a crooked number in the 5th. An RBI suicide squeeze bunt single by Hilt allowed Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) to score and tie the game at 1. The Honkers took a 2-1 lead when Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) laced an RBI double down the right field line. An RBI sacrifice fly by Cole Tyrell (Dayton) and an RBI groundout by Devin Goodwin (Delta State) made the score 4-1. Then, Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) singled through the ride side of the infield, which scored Goodwin and gave the Honkers a 5-1 lead.
The Bullfrogs battled back to score three runs of their own in the bottom half of the 5th. A bases loaded double by Ryan Cavan (UC-Santa Barbara) scored three runs to make the score 5-4.
The Honkers scored a much needed insurance run in the top of the 7th when Gump scored on a wild pitch to increase the Honkers lead to two runs. But, the Bullfrogs would rally in the bottom of the 9th off Honkers closer Bret Mitchell (Iowa Central CC). RBI singles by O’Shea and Brian Pearl (Washington) tied the game at 6. Mitchell knuckled down and struck out Cameron Satterwhite (Cincinnati) with two outs and the bases loaded to force extra innings.
A clutch two out RBI single by Hilt scored Tarleton in the top of the 11th to give the Honkers a 7-6 lead. Sam Campitella (Malone College) picked up the win for the Honkers by pitching shutout 10th and 11th innings.
The Honkers return home to host the Thunder Bay Border Cats at 1:05 p.m. on Monday at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. Monday is Kids Buck Day at the ballpark, which means that all kids 12 and under can gain admission for only one dollar.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 4 , 2008
Honkers Beat Bullfrogs 6-5
(Rochester, MN)—At the beginning of each semester, trimester, or quarter, each student has a clean slate and a chance at attaining good grades. In a similar fashion, every Northwoods League baseball team starts out with a clean slate and an equal shot at gaining a playoff spot when the second half begins.
After one second half game the Honkers still have perfect marks. The Rochester Honkers (19-15, 1-0) celebrated their new beginning with a 6-5 win over the Green Bay Bullfrogs (17-17, 0-1) in front of 1,113 fans at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay, WI on Friday afternoon.
Aaron Johnson (Illinois) had a nice game for the Honkers, going 2 for 4, with two RBI’s. Bret Mitchell (Iowa Central CC) pitched a shutout 9th inning for Rochester to pick up his first save of the season.
The Honkers came out flying in the top of the 1st inning. An RBI double by Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) scored Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) to give the Honkers a quick 1-0 lead. Then, Devin Goodwin (Delta State) singled to right center to plate Balisteri and make the score 2-0.
Green Bay cut the Honkers lead in half in the bottom of the 1st when Josh Prince (Tulane) hit a triple and advanced home to score on an errant throw to third base by right fielder Justin Hilt (Louisburg).
Rochester put together a nice rally in the top of the 3rd to increase their lead. An RBI groundout by Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) made the score 3-1. A two-RBI single by Johnson with two outs put the Honkers up by a score of 5-1.
Green Bay added another run in the bottom of the 4th, to make the score 5-2. Then, Rochester scored what would prove to be the game winning run in the top of the 5th, when Stephens hit an RBI double down the right field line, making the score 6-2.
The Bullfrogs battled back in the bottom of the 6th to score three more runs to cut the Honkers lead down to only one run, but the Honkers bullpen would hold on in a crazy 9th inning.
With two outs and a runner on second base, Cameron Satterwhite (Cincinnati) singled off Mitchell, which forced a play at the plate. The throw by Goodwin in left field caused Johnson to come up the line and catch the ball. After Johnson caught the ball Green Bay’s Austin Holt (Missouri) plowed him over, causing Johnson to lose possession of the baseball. In accordance with official Northwoods League rules, Holt was called out for running over the catcher.
The Honkers will play in Green Bay, WI again tomorrow night against the Bullfrogs at 7:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 3 , 2008
Honkers Lose 1-0 in Pitcher's Duel
(Rochester, MN)—It’s a good thing there were postgame fireworks tonight at Mayo Field, because nothing exciting really happened during the game.
The St. Cloud River Bats (18-15) beat the Rochester Honkers (18-15) 1-0 tonight in a pitcher’s duel in front of 1,383 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. The game concluded the first half of the season for both teams.
Phil Haig (Illinois) had a great pitching performance for the Honkers, throwing 7 innings, allowing only one run, giving up three hits, while walking five, and striking out three. Unfortunately, Haig was outdueled by St. Cloud’s Bobby Holmes (Holy Cross), Andy Suiter (UC-Davis), and Kevin Johnson (Cincinnati), who combined their individual pitching efforts to shutout the Honkers.
Derek McCallum (Minnesota) hit a solo home run over the left center field wall off Haig in the top of the 4th inning to put St. Cloud up by a score of 1-0. The one pitch was Haig’s only real mistake, and St. Cloud’s pitching by committee held the Honkers scoreless for the entire game.
The Honkers travel to Green Bay tomorrow afternoon to take on the Bullfrogs at 4:05 p.m.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 2 , 2008
River Bats Beat Honkers 9-7 in Thriller
(Rochester, MN)—If your going to go down, you might as well go down swinging.
The Rochester Honkers (18-14) hit the ball well tonight in their thrilling 9-7 loss to the St. Cloud River Bats (17-15) in front of 942 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. With the Honkers loss, the Mankato MoonDogs (20-13) clinched the North division first half title.
Devin Goodwin (Delta State) had a phenomenal game for the Honkers, going 2 for 3, with a home run, three RBI’s, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Derek McCallum (Minnesota) was pivotal in the St. Cloud victory, going 2 for 6, with the game-winning home run, three RBI’s, and two runs scored.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st inning, when Aaron Johnson (Illinois) hit an RBI single to center field to give the Honkers a quick 1-0 lead. The River Bats bounced back in the top of the 2nd inning to score two unearned runs of their own to make the score 2-1.
Rochester regained the lead in the bottom of the 3rd, when Goodwin hit a 2-run home run off River Bats starter Rashad Tucker (Sonomo State), making the score 3-2 in favor of the Honkers. A Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) RBI double to center field in the bottom of the 4th scored Overstreet to give the Honkers a 4-2 lead.
The seesaw battle continued, with St. Cloud scoring two more runs in the top of the 5th to tie the game at 4. The tie proved to be short-lived, the Honkers regained the lead in the bottom of the 6th when Goodwin hit an RBI fielder’s choice to second base, making the score 5-4.
The River Bats put together a big top of the 7th inning to change the lead once again. A two RBI double by Steve Cochrane (Saddleback JC) put St. Cloud up by a score of 6-5. Then, Dan Betteridge (Rutgers) hit an RBI single to center field to make the score 7-5.
The Honkers bats were not done, they continued to hammer River Bats pitching in the bottom half of the 7th. Overstreet tripled down the right field line to score Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) and cut the deficit down to one run. Overstreet came around to score and tie the game at 7 on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Justin Hilt (Louisburg).
St. Cloud matched Rochester’s resilience by coming back strong in the top of the 9th. McCallum hit a no-doubter two-run home run that landed well beyond the right field fence to give the River Bats a 9-7 lead. Xavier Esquivel (Loyola Marymount) pitched shutout 8th and 9th innings for the River Bats to pick up the win.
The Honkers host the River Bats again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. There will be a fireworks display at the conclusion of the game.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
July 1 , 2008
Honkers Lose 9-0 to Bucks
(Rochester, MN)—A home run is a special play in baseball. It has the ability to lift the team up that hit the homer, and drain the team that served it.
The Waterloo Bucks (13-16) used the long ball to demoralize and beat the Rochester Honkers (18-13) 9-0 Tuesday night in front of 950 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. The Honkers dropped a game and a half behind the Mankato MoonDogs in the North division standings after the loss, with two games remaining in the first half.
Josh Rickards (Marist) picked up the win for the Bucks, pitching 7 shutout innings, giving up only three hits, walking three, and striking out six. Bret Mitchell (Iowa Central CC) was the lone bright spot for the Honkers, he pitched two shutout relief innings in his Northwoods League debut.
The Bucks opened the scoring in the top of the 3rd inning, when Steven Irvine (East Oklahoma St.) launched a solo home run over the left center field wall off Honkers starter Sam Campitella (Malone College) to give the Bucks a 1-0 lead. A three-run home run by Joey Register (Texas A&M) later in the inning quickly made the score 4-0 in favor of the Bucks.
Waterloo added five more runs in the top of the 7th inning to take a huge 9-0 lead. Chris Macek (Northern Iowa) pitched shutout 8th and 9th innings for the Bucks to seal the victory.
Waterloo racked up 12 hits as a team, and each Bucks starter recorded at least one hit in the game.
The Honkers will host the St. Cloud River Bats tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. Comedian Myron Noodleman will be performing throughout the game, which is presented by McNeilus Steel.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 30 , 2008
Honkers Win 4-2 in Waterloo
(Rochester, MN)—Only one day matters when it comes to the standings, the final day when the standings are official and complete. The Rochester Honkers (18-12) are trying to finish in first place at the end of the 1st half without being in first place yet the entire season.
Rochester got one step closer to their goal of winning the first half this afternoon when they beat the Waterloo Bucks (12-16) 4-2 in front of 112 fans at Waterloo West High School in Waterloo, IA. The Honkers are now only 1 game behind the Mankato MoonDogs in the 1st half North division standings, with three games remaining. The MoonDogs host the Madison Mallards tonight in Mankato.
Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) had another phenomenal outing on the mound for the Honkers to get the win, pitching 6 innings, allowing one run, no earned, giving up only three hits, walking two, and striking out two. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) also had a nice performance for Rochester, going 2 for 4, with a triple, an RBI, and a stolen base.
The Honkers drew first blood in the top of the 2nd inning, when Justin Hilt (Louisburg) hit a two-RBI single to center field to give the Honkers an early 2-0 lead. They added another run later in the inning to take a 3-0 lead when Cole Tyrell (Dayton) hit an RBI double.
Stephens made the score 4-0 Honkers in the top of the 6th, when he hit an RBI triple that rolled to the right center field wall.
Waterloo battled back and scored their first run of the game in the bottom half of the 6th, when a ground ball off the bat of Joey Register went under the legs of Tyrell to make the score 4-1. The Bucks scored another run in the bottom of the 7th on a double steal, in which Johnson threw down to second base and the runner from third base took off and scored, cutting the Honkers lead down to two runs.
But, Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara) pitched a shutout 9th inning to earn the save and give the Honkers a 4-2 victory.
The Honkers return home tomorrow night when they host the Waterloo Bucks at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. It is another ‘Always Low Price Tuesday’ presented by Wal-Mart. One kid per each accompanying paid adult will receive a free general admission ticket to the game.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 29 , 2008
Honkers Beat Bombers 6-3
(Rochester, MN)—The outcome of a baseball game can be decided by bounces and mere inches. Today, the Rochester Honkers (17-12) received a good bounce and made the opposing team pay for it.
The Honkers took advantage of the opportunities they were given as they beat the Battle Creek Bombers (9-21) this afternoon in front of 514 fans at CO Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, MI. With the win, the Honkers are just a game and a half behind Mankato in the first half North division standings, with the MoonDogs still playing a doubleheader in Alexandria, MN against the Beetles later today.
Justin Hilt (Louisburg) had a great game for the Honkers, going 1 for 3, with a triple, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Ryan Dawson (Missouri) picked up the win for Rochester to improve to 1-0 on the season after pitching three shutout innings of relief.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 1st, when a base running miscue allowed them to score a run. Cole Tyrell (Dayton) got caught up between 2nd and 3rd base, with Hilt already occupying third base, after Devin Goodwin (Delta State) singled. Hilt ended up scoring in the run down to make the score 1-0 in favor of the Honkers.
Battle Creek battled back in the bottom of the 2nd, they tied the game at 1 when Trevor Hairgrove (UC-Riverside) hit an RBI single to right field. The Bombers scored another run later in the inning when Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) committed an error at shortstop, making the score 2-1.
Rochester stormed back in the top of the 6th to take the lead. They tied the game when Aaron Johnson (Illinois) hit an RBI fielder’s choice, which allowed Tyrell to score from third base. Later in the inning, Johnson scored when Bombers catcher Braxton Miller (Ohlone College) threw the ball into left field in an attempt to pick Johnson off at third base, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Honkers.
The Honkers lead proved to be short lived. An RBI double by Tillman Pugh (Arizona State) scored Andrew Workman (Arizona State) to tie the game at 3. On the same play a great relay by Craig Lutes (Illinois) and Balisteri caused Hairgrove to be thrown out at the plate, to keep the score 3-3.
In the top of the 9th the Honkers took advantage of an awkward bounce. Lutes bunted to start the inning, and the ball landed with some wicked backspin and hit catcher Braxton Miller’s mask that was lying in fair territory, which allowed Lutes to reach first base and start the rally. Then, Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) singled to left field to put runners on the corners with no outs. A clutch two-RBI triple to right field by Hilt made the score 5-3. Johnson hit a two-out RBI single to right field to increase the Honkers lead to 6-3.
Dawson finished his third consecutive shutout relief inning of the game by holding the Bombers scoreless in the bottom of the 9th, to give the Honkers the 6-3 victory.
The Honkers will take on the Waterloo Bucks tomorrow afternoon in Waterloo, IA at Waterloo West High School. Game time is set for 1:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rocheterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 28 , 2008
Bombers Beat Honkers 2-1
(Rochester, MN)—Everyone says that pitching and defense wins championships, but you can’t win without hitting or scoring runs.
The Rochester Honkers (16-12) simply didn’t string together hits tonight to produce enough runs to win the game in their 2-1 loss to the Battle Creek Bombers (9-20) in front of 783 fans at Co Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, MI. With the tough loss, the Honkers fell to two games behind the Mankato MoonDogs in the North division standings with five games left in the first half.
Devin Goodwin (Delta State) went 2 for 4, with an RBI single for the Honkers, and Ross Speed (Baylor) pitched three shutout innings of relief for Rochester in a losing effort.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 1st, when Goodwin’s RBI single scored Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) to give the Honkers a quick 1-0 lead.
Battle Creek responded by tying the game at 1 in the bottom of the 1st inning when Garret Smith (Boston College) hit an RBI single to right field. The Bombers scored what proved to be the game winning run in the bottom of the 3rd, when Parker Berberet (Cypress College) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to right field, making the score 2-1.
The Honkers had plenty of opportunities to score more runs, but failed to get timely hits. Rochester left nine runners on base in the game, including three in the top of the 9th.
The Bombers practically used a silver platter to give the Honkers a great chance to at least tie the game in the 9th inning, when they made two fielding errors on routine plays. After the two errors, Rochester had the bases loaded with one out, but Justin Hilt (Louisburg) struck out and Gump flew out to center field to end the game.
The two teams will play again tomorrow in Battle Creek at 12:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 27 , 2008
Honkers Win 4-2 in La Crosse
(Rochester, MN)—Timing is everything. The Rochester Honkers (16-11) are starting to play some very good baseball at the most opportune time, they are quietly inching closer to winning the first half of the North division and clinching a playoff berth.
The Honkers jumped ahead early and held on to beat the La Crosse Loggers (17-10) Friday night in front of 3,637 fans at Copeland Park in La Crosse, WI. The win paired with a Mankato MoonDogs loss put the Honkers only a game and a half behind Mankato for first place in the North division, with six games left in the first half.
Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) turned in another clutch performance for the Honkers at the plate, going 1 for 2, with two RBI’s, a double, three walks, and a stolen base. Phil Haig (Illinois) picked up the win for Rochester, pitching 6 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, scattering five hits, while walking two, and striking out four.
The Honkers drew first blood in the top of the 2nd inning, when Justin Hilt (Louisburg) walked with the bases loaded to make the score 1-0. Then, Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Balisteri hit a two-RBI double to make the score 4-0 in favor of the Honkers.
An RBI sacrifice fly by Justin Toole (Iowa) in the bottom of the 3rd put the Loggers on the board and cut the Honkers lead to 4-1. The Loggers added another run in the bottom of the 6th, when Andy Pascoe (Evansville) hit an RBI double to make the score 4-2.
Rochester’s bullpen performed well and was able to shut out the Loggers offense in the last three innings to seal the victory. Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara) pitched shutout 7th and 8th innings, and Greg Martin (UNC-Greensboro) pitched a shutout 9th to pick up his first save of the season.
The Honkers will play Saturday night in Battle Creek, MI against the Battle Creek Bombers. Game time is set for 6:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 26 , 2008
Honkers Win 3-2 Over Loggers
(Rochester, MN)—Style points are not awarded in baseball games. The team that ends the game ahead simply notches a win, and the team that is down when the final out is made is the loser.
It certainly wasn’t glamorous, but the Rochester Honkers (15-11) beat the La Crosse Loggers (17-9) 3-2 in extra innings Thursday night in front of 796 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Dallas Tarleton (Elon) came up with the game-winning RBI for the Honkers. Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) had his best performance of the year on the mound for Rochester, pitching 6 innings, allowing one run, no earned, giving up four hits, while walking two, and striking out four.
The Honkers scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the 5th when Aaron Johnson (Illinois) blasted a solo home run to left center field off Loggers starter Pete Woodworth (Florida Gulf Coast). Woodworth had an impressive night for La Crosse, he pitched 6.2 innings, allowed two runs, surrendered only three hits, walked four, and struck out six in the game.
La Crosse tied the game at 1 in the top of the 6th, when Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) made a fielding error at first base on a ground ball off the bat of Derek Melton (Evansville), which allowed the runner from third base to score.
Stephens quickly redeemed himself for his fielding miscue in the bottom half of the 6th, when he laced an RBI single into center field to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Honkers.
With closer Mace Thurman (Baylor) signing a professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds, the Honkers have gone to the closer by committee. Ryan Dawson (Missouri) had his opportunity tonight. He blew the save in the top of the 9th, when he threw a wild pitch with two outs and the bases loaded, which allowed Justin Toole (Iowa) to score and tie the game at 2.
Then, Tarleton roped a one out game-winning RBI single down the right field line off La Crosse pitcher Troy Watson (UNLV) in the bottom of the 11th to end the game and give the Honkers a 3-2 victory. Jonathon Turner picked up the win for the Honkers after holding the Loggers scoreless in the top half of the 11th.
Rochester will play tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. in La Crosse, WI against the Loggers. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 24 , 2008
Honkers Beat Bucks 9-6
(Rochester, MN)—Speed and power is a potent combination for a baseball team. Throw solid starting pitching into the mix, and it can make a team nearly impossible to beat.
The Rochester Honkers (14-11) used speed, power, and a good performance by their starting pitcher to beat the Waterloo Bucks (10-13) Tuesday night at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN, in a flood relief game for the Waterloo Bucks.
The game was played in Rochester due to flood damage at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa. The Bucks were the home team in the game, and all proceeds went directly to the Waterloo Bucks flood relief effort.
Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) had a huge night for the Honkers, going 3 for 5, with a home run, a double, four RBI’s, three runs scored, and three stolen bases. Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) picked up his second victory of the season for Rochester, pitching 6 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, scattering six hits, while walking four, and striking out none.
Rochester used their team speed to gain an early lead in the top of the 1st inning. The Honkers stole seven bases in the inning and scored three runs on only one hit. A two-run single by Stephens gave the Honkers a 2-0 lead. An RBI sacrifice fly by Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) put the Honkers up 3-0 after the first half inning.
A very resilient Waterloo team would fight their way back into the game. The Bucks scored a run in the bottom of the 2nd, when Michael Giller (Illinois) hit an RBI ground out to second base. An RBI single by Ryan Goins (Dallas Baptist) in the bottom of the 5th made the score 3-2.
Rochester increased their lead to two runs, when Stephens scored on a wild pitch in the top of the 6th inning.
The Honkers showed they could score runs in a different manner in the top of the 7th inning, when they used power to add to their lead. After Devin Goodwin (Delta State) hit an RBI sacrifice fly, Stephens bombed a two-run home run off the scoreboard in right center field to make the score 7-2. They added another run in the inning, and one more in the 8th to go up by a score of 9-3.
The Bucks battled back in the bottom of the 9th to score three runs. Alex Safranac (San Jose St.) singled to right field with two outs and the bases loaded to score the sixth run of the game for the Bucks. But, Bryan Resnick (UNLV) rounded second base too far and Craig Lutes (Illinois) threw to second to retire him, effectively ending the rally and the game.
The Honkers will host the La Crosse Loggers at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field on Thursday night. Thursday is singles night at Mayo Field, where fans can win a date with some of the Honkers interns. Apollo Wine and Spirits will also be providing beer tasting on the Sports Deck at the game.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rocheterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 24 , 2008
Honkers Lose 5-4 to Bucks
(Rochester, MN)—When someone repeatedly kicks at a door, the door is bound to eventually give in and fall over. The Waterloo Bucks persisted this afternoon and dealt a powerful roundhouse kick that finally knocked down the Honkers after several small blows.
Waterloo’s (10-12) offense produced 15 hits, and their persistence gave them a 5-4 victory over the Rochester Honkers (13-11) in front of 1,538 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN on Tuesday afternoon.
Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) had a nice game for the Honkers, going 2 for 4, with a home run, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Bryan Resnick (UNLV) had the winning hit in an impressive 4 for 5 effort, including a double and three RBI’s.
The Bucks opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd inning, when Resnick singled to score Michael Giller (Illinois) and give the Bucks a quick 1-0 lead. A Will Campbell (Oregon St.) single in the top of the 3rd made the score 2-0 in favor of the Bucks.
The Honkers battled back in the bottom of the 3rd to take the lead. Devin Goodwin (Delta St) had a clutch two-out two RBI single to left field to spark the Honkers and tie the game at 2. Then, Stephens launched a two-run home run off the scoreboard in right center field to put Rochester up by the score of 4-2.
The Rochester pitching staff did an excellent job of pitching out of jams for most of the game. Honkers starter Sam Campitella (Malone College) had a solid start in his Rochester debut, pitching 5 innings, allowing only two runs, one earned, scattering seven hits, while walking three, and striking out three.
However, the Bucks hitting barrage finally produced some runs. The Bucks scored a run in the top of the 8th to make the score 4-3. In the top of the 9th inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Resnick delivered with a clutch two RBI single to left field to give the Bucks a 5-4 lead.
To the Honkers credit, they never threw in the towel. Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) struck out with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th to end the game. Derek Ott (Northern Iowa) earned the win for the Bucks, and James Jones (Long Island) picked up his first save of the season for the Bucks by holding the Honkers scoreless in the 9th.
The Honkers and Bucks will play again at 7:05 p.m. tonight at Mayo Field. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa yesterday, but was moved to Rochester due to flood damage. Waterloo will be the home team, and all of the proceeds from tonight’s game will go directly to the Riverfront Stadium flood relief effort.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 22 , 2008
Honkers Blow Lead and Lose 9-7
(Rochester, MN)—One unique thing about baseball that sets it apart from many other sports, is the fact that there is no game clock. A baseball team cannot run out the clock, they have to get their opponent out 27 times to win a ballgame.
The Rochester Honkers (13-10) learned that lesson the hard way tonight, as they struggled to acquire three outs in the bottom of the 5th inning in their 9-7 loss to the Mankato MoonDogs (17-7) in front of 1,226 fans at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, MN.
Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) had a great offensive night for the Honkers, going 3 for 4, with a home run, an RBI, a walk, and three runs scored. Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) also had an impressive game for Rochester, going 2 for 3, with two RBI’s, two walks, a run scored, and two stolen bases.
The Honkers jumped all over Mankato starting pitcher Travis Smith (Michigan) in the top half of the 1st inning. Gump scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Devin Goodwin (Delta State) to make the score 1-0. Later in the inning, Goodwin stole third base, and scored when MoonDogs catcher Carlos Ramirez (Chandler-Gilbert CC) made a throwing error on the play to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead. A solo home run by Aaron Johnson (Illinois) to left center field put the Honkers up 3-0 after the first half inning.
Rochester added another run in the top of the 2nd, when Gump hit a two-out RBI single to left field in an epic 17 pitch at bat against Smith. Balisteri increased Rochester’s lead to 5-0 in the top of the 4th when he mashed a solo home run of his own.
Mankato would storm back in their half of the 5th to put a very crooked number on the scoreboard. After Honkers starter Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) walked the bases loaded, Wes Freie (Iowa) delivered with a clutch two RBI double to make the score 5-2. Mike Lobacz followed with an infield RBI single to quickly trim the Honkers lead down to two runs.
Jonathon Turner (North Florida) came on to relieve Robertson, he acquired the first out of the inning on a sacrifice bunt. Then, CJ Belanger (Cal-State Northridge) hit an RBI sacrifice fly to deep center to make the score 5-4. Consecutive hits by Michael Rockett (Texas-San Antonio), Matt Prokopowicz (Hofstra), Cory Harrilchak (Elon), and Ramirez gave the MoonDogs a 9-5 lead before all was said and done in the bottom half of the 5th inning.
The Honkers battled back in the top of the 6th to keep the game interesting. An RBI walk with the bases loaded by Gump made the score 9-6. Criag Lutes (Illinois) scored a run on a passed ball to cut Mankato’s lead down to only two runs. However, the MoonDogs bullpen was able to hold the Honkers in the final three innings to give Mankato a 9-7 victory.
Turner took the loss for the Honkers, Joshua Castanza (Hillsborough CC) got the win for Mankato. Harrilchak pitched shutout 8th and 9th innings for the MoonDogs to pick up his first save of the season. With the loss, the Honkers are currently 3.5 games behind Mankato in the North division standings, with 11 games remaining in the first half.
The Honkers have an off-day tomorrow and will host the Waterloo Bucks in a unique doubleheader on Tuesday. The first game will start at 1:05 p.m., with the stadium clearing after the conclusion of the first game. Then, the second game will start at 7:05 p.m. and will be dedicated to the Waterloo Bucks, who have been unable to play at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, IA since June 11th due to flooding problems. The Bucks will be the home team in the second game, and all proceeds from the game will go directly to the Bucks to help aid them in their flood relief efforts.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 21 , 2008
Honkers and MoonDogs Split
(Rochester, MN)—The fastest way to catch a team you are chasing in the standings is simply to beat them whenever you get the chance to play them. The Rochester Honkers (13-9) took a big step forward in their pursuit of the Mankato MoonDogs (16-7) tonight, and then took a step backward to end in the same place where they began.
The Honkers beat Mankato 7-4 in the first game of a doubleheader tonight in front of 1,037 at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN. Then, the MoonDogs avenged their previous loss by beating Rochester 5-0 in the second game of the night. In accordance with Northwoods League doubleheader rules, both games were 7 innings long.
Dallas Tarleton (Elon) performed well in the first game for the Honkers, going 1 for 1, with a double, three RBI’s, a sacrifice fly, and a walk. Carlos Ramirez (Chandler Gilbert CC) had two solid games for the MoonDogs, going 2 for 5, with two home runs, and three RBI’s.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the first game in the bottom of the 1st, when Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) hit a one-out RBI single to make the score 1-0. Rochester added another pair of runs in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 3-0 lead, when Tarleton hit a two RBI double down the right field line.
Mankato battled back with a big inning of their own in the top of the 4th inning. Their first two runs came from a two-run home run by Ramirez off Honkers starter Phil Haig (Illinois) that landed well beyond the left field wall. The MoonDogs added another two runs when Cass Via (Garden City CC) hit a two RBI single, to give Mankato a 4-3 lead.
The Honkers stormed back to regain the lead in the bottom of the 5th. A sacrifice fly by Tarleton scored Devin Goodwin (Delta State) to tie the game at 4. An RBI double by Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) plated Stephens to make the score 5-4 in favor of the Honkers.
Rochester added two more in the bottom of the 6th to take a 7-4 lead. Mace Thurman (Baylor) struck out the side in the top of the 7th to notch his fifth save on the season and seal the victory for the Honkers.
The second game started as a pitcher’s duel between Rochester’s Kevin Manson (Illinois) and Mankato’s Jimmy Reyes (Elon). Manson pitched 5 strong innings, allowed one run, scattered four hits, walked two, and struck out four in the game in a losing effort. Reyes picked up the win, pitching 6 shutout innings, surrendering only one hit, while walking two, and striking out seven.
The MoonDogs scored the first run of the game in the top of the 4th from a solo home run by Ramirez. Mankato scored another run in the top of the 6th to make the score 2-0, when Tony Strazzara (San Diego) hit an RBI double off Honkers reliever Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara).
Mankato broke the game open in their half of the 7th by scoring three more runs to take a 5-0 lead. Erik Hamren (UC-Irvine) pitched a shutout 7th inning for the MoonDogs to finish the game, and complete the split of the doubleheader. Rochester remains 2.5 games back of first place Mankato after the busy night of baseball.
The Honkers travel to Mankato tomorrow to play the rubber match in the three game series against the MoonDogs. Game time is set for 6:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 20 , 2008
Honkers Lose 7-0 to River Bats
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers not only faced the daunting task of playing against a hot pitcher, but a flexible pitcher as well. The Rochester Honkers (12-8) failed to hit against the unorthodox River Bats (9-12) starting pitcher in their 7-0 loss Friday night in front of 1,307 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) was one of the only bright spots for the Honkers on the night, going 2 for 3 with a double. St. Cloud’s Connor Lambert (Washington State) was dominant on the mound, pitching 7 shutout innings, allowing no runs, walking two, and striking out seven.
The River Bats drew first blood in the top of the 3rd inning, when Christian Ramirez (Cal State Los Angeles) hit an RBI single off Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) to make the score 1-0. Later in the inning, an RBI single by Derek McCallum (Minnesota) gave the River Bats a 2-0 lead.
St. Cloud broke the game open in the top half of the 6th when they scored four more runs. A two-RBI double by Adam Weisenburger (Miami of Ohio) made the score 4-0 in favor of the River Bats. They scored another two runs when Kevin Johnson (Cincinnati) hit a deep two-run home run to right center field off Scott to give the River Bats a 6 run lead. St. Cloud scored all four of their runs in the 6th inning before Scott recorded an out.
Lambert was simply overpowering on the mound for the River Bats. When working out of the windup, the right hander Lambert would literally lift his left leg up to his head before delivering a pitch. His unorthodox mechanics silenced Honkers hitters throughout the game.
St. Cloud added another run in the top of the 8th to make the final score 7-0.
The Honkers will host the Mankato MoonDogs for a doubleheader consisting of two seven inning games tomorrow night at Mayo Field. The first game is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., and the second game will start shortly after the conclusion of the first game. Tomorrow night is Ladies Night at Mayo Field, all ladies can get on the deck for just $20.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 19 , 2008
Honkers Win 3-2 Over St. Cloud
(Rochester, MN)—Certain plays or moments in a baseball game can have an energizing effect on a team. Today, the Rochester Honkers came together and rallied late in the game after their field manager Jason Plourde was ejected.
The Rochester Honkers (12-7) persevered and beat the St. Cloud River Bats (8-12) 3-2 this afternoon in front of 1,692 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) had a clutch game for the Honkers, going 1 for 3, with a triple, an RBI, and a run scored. Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) was nearly perfect on the mound for Rochester, pitching 7 innings, allowing one run, no earned, giving up only two hits, walking one, and striking out three.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd, when Craig Lutes (Illinois) singled with two outs to give the Honkers an early 1-0 lead. Burg and River Bats starter Ryan Sheldon (Nebraska-Kearney) dueled from that point on, mowing down opposing hitters with ease.
The River Bats finally scored a run on Burg in the top of the 7th, despite not even hitting a ball out of the infield. With one out, St. Cloud’s Dan Betteridge (Rutgers) reached first base on an error by Honkers shortstop Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech). Betteridge eventually scored on an infield single by Matt Fanelli (Washington State) with two outs in the inning to tie the score at 1.
In the bottom of the 7th, Rochester’s Justin Hilt was thrown out trying to steal second base in a really close play. Plourde argued over the call and was dealt his first ejection of the year.
St. Cloud added another run in the top of the 8th, when Christian Ramirez (Cal State Los Angeles) hit an RBI single to left field to give the River Bats a 2-1 lead.
With the River Bats getting all the bounces, and their field manager ejected from the game, the Honkers could have packed it in. Instead, they got fired up and came back strong in their half of the 8th inning.
Craig Lutes started the bottom of the 8th with a leadoff walk. Then, Overstreet tripled down the right field line, which scored Lutes and tied the game at 2. Shortly thereafter, Overstreet scored the winning run on a wild pitch by St. Cloud’s Tyler Newsome (Michigan State) to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Honkers.
Mace Thurman (Baylor) retired the side in the top of the 9th to record his fourth save of the season. Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara) notched the win for the Honkers, allowing one run in the top of the 8th.
The Honkers host the St. Cloud River Bats again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. Tomorrow night is Seat Cushion Night at Mayo Field, presented by the Minnesota School of Business and KTTC TV-10. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive complimentary seat cushions.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 18 , 2008
Woodchucks Beat Honkers 8-4
(Rochester, MN)—Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains. Unfortunately for the Honkers, the only thunder that appeared at Athletic Park in Wausau, WI on Tuesday night came from Woodchucks batters.
Timely and powerful hitting contributed to the Wisconsin Woodchucks’ (16-3) 8-4 victory over the Rochester Honkers (11-7) Tuesday night at Athletic Park in Wausau, WI.
Devin Goodwin (Delta State) had a nice game for the Honkers in a losing effort, going 3 for 5, with a home run, two RBI’s, and two runs scored.
The Honkers took the lead in the top of the 1st inning, when Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) scored Goodwin with an RBI double to make the score 1-0 Honkers.
The Woodchucks battled back in a big way in their first at bats in the bottom of the 1st inning. Jonathan Kaskow (Stanford) crushed a grand slam home run off Rochester’s starting pitcher Greg Martin (UNC-Greensboro) to give Wisconsin a 4-1 lead.
Wisconsin scored three more runs in the bottom of the 3rd with help from some defensive miscues by the Honkers, to grasp a substantial 7-1 lead.
Rochester didn’t go away without a fight. In the top of the 6th, Goodwin hit a two-run home run to make the score 7-3. They scored another run in the top of the 7th when Stephens hit an RBI ground out that scored Cole Tyrell (Dayton) to cut the Woodchucks lead down to only three runs.
However, a fielding error by Rochester’s Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) allowed a Woodchuck to score in the bottom of the 7th, to make the score 8-4. The extra run made it awfully tough for the Honkers to come back. Despite putting together some good at bats, the Honkers were unable to score any more runs in the last two innings.
Wisconsin’s Bobby Pritchett (University of Central Arkansas) earned the win, pitching 6 innings, allowing three runs, scattering five hits, walking two, and striking out eight. Martin received the loss for the Honkers, he left the game in the bottom of the 3rd in some pain with an injury.
The Honkers return home tomorrow and host the St. Cloud River Bats at 1:05 p.m. in a day game presented by IBM. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 17 , 2008
Honkers Beat Woodchucks 6-2
(Rochester, MN)—When you consistently do the little things right and work hard, success seems to find you. Cole Tyrell (Dayton) and the rest of the Rochester Honkers (11-6) staff and players have been working hard, and it showed in their impressive 6-2 victory over the Wisconsin Woodchucks (16-3) in front of a large Tuesday night crowd at Athletic Park in Wausau, WI.
Rochester’s win ended Wisconsin’s 10-game winning streak, and dealt the South division leader only their third loss in 18 games this season.
After attaining the winning RBI last night on a suicide squeeze bunt, Tyrell had a breakout offensive night for the Honkers, going 4 for 5, with a home run, a double, four RBI’s, and two runs scored. Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) picked up the victory in the statement game for Rochester, pitching 6 innings, allowing one run, walking six, giving up three hits, and striking out nine.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the top of the 1st, when Dallas Tarleton (Elon) walked with two outs and the bases loaded to make the score 1-0. They added another run in the top of the 3rd, when Tyrell launched a solo home run over the center field wall off Woodchucks starting pitcher Zak Moore (Creighton).
Wisconsin cut the Honkers lead in half in the bottom of the 4th, when Brent Weaver (Oklahoma City) scored on wild pitch to make the score 2-1.
The Honkers offense erupted again in the top of the 5th to score some more runs. After Jake Oester (Toledo) reached first base on a fielding error, Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) doubled, which brought Tyrell up to the plate with nobody out and runners on second and third. Tyrell successfully put the bat on the ball to pick up an RBI, he grounded out to second base which allowed Oester to score and make the score 3-1. Then, Devin Goodwin (Delta State) grounded out sharply to third, and Gump aggressively scored on the play after the Woodchuck third basemen threw to first to retire Goodwin. The Honkers led 4-1 after five full innings.
Tyrell struck again with a one-out RBI double in the top of the 7th, which scored Oester and put the Honkers up 5-1. The Woodchucks battled back in the bottom of the 7th, when they scored a run on a bases loaded walk distributed by Honkers reliever Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara), which made the score 5-2.
Rochester added their final insurance run in the top of the 9th to go ahead 6-2. Ryan Dawson (Missouri) came on to pitch shutout 8th and 9th innings for the Honkers to pick up his second save of the season and seal the huge 6-2 victory for Rochester.
The Honkers play again tomorrow night at Wausau, WI against the Woodchucks. Game time is set for 6:35 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 16 , 2008
Honkers Comeback and Win 8-7
(Rochester, MN)—The suicide squeeze is one of the most exciting plays in all of sports. When perfected, it’s a thing of beauty. When failed, it can be humiliating, cost a team a game, and have fans calling for the field manager’s job.
The Honkers exhibited the pros and the cons of the suicide squeeze tonight. Fortunately for the Honkers (10-6), their first squeeze attempt was a thing of beauty and propelled them to an 8-7 come from behind victory over the Duluth Huskies (5-13) in front of 863 fans at Wade Stadium in Duluth, MN.
Cole Tyrell (Dayton) laid down a textbook suicide squeeze bunt in the top of the 8th to score the eventual winning run for the Honkers. Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara) was also instrumental in the victory, he had a two RBI double to tie the game in the 8th, and made a great defensive play in the bottom half of the inning to preserve the Rochester lead.
The Honkers drew first blood in the top of the 1st the old fashioned way, with small ball. Gump walked, then Tyrell moved him over to second base on a ground out. Gump used his speed to steal third base, and then Devin Goodwin (Delta State) plated Gump with an RBI ground out to give the Honkers a quick 1-0 lead.
Rochester further roughed up Huskies starting pitcher Josh Godfrey (Wabash Valley) in the top of the 3rd. Goodwin scored on an error by the Huskies second basemen to make the score 2-0. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) scored the third run of the game for the Honkers when the Huskies shortstop committed an error to increase the score to 3-0. Later in the inning, Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) doubled to plate Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) and Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) to give the Honkers a 5-0 lead.
Duluth slowly but surely chipped away at the Rochester lead. Tim Jobe (Indian River CC) homered off Honkers pitcher Kevin Manson
(Illinois) in the bottom half of the third to make the score 5-1. The Huskies scored two more runs in the inning to make it a 5-3 ballgame after the 3rd inning.
A two-out two RBI double by Thomas Nichols (Georgia Tech) in the bottom the 4th tied the game at 5 runs a piece. The Huskies scored their sixth and seventh consecutive unanswered runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a 7-5 lead over the Honkers.
The Honkers fought their way back in the top of the 8th by taking advantage of some free passes distributed by Duluth pitching. Overstreet and Balisteri walked to start the inning, and both advanced when Ian Tompkins (Wake Forest) laid down a sacrifice bunt. The next batter, Dallas Tarleton (Elon), also walked to load the bases with one out. Then, Gump doubled to knock in two runs and tie the game at 7.
Tyrell came up with runners on the corners and one out, and laid down a great suicide squeeze bunt that scored Tarleton to give the Honkers an 8-7 lead. Miscommunication ensued In the next at bat for the Honkers, when Gump was tied up between third and home and tagged out, when Goodwin looked at a fastball.
Luckily, great defense and pitching prevented the miscue from haunting the Honkers. Gump made an outstanding defensive play in the bottom of the 8th, when he caught a fly ball in center field with no outs and threw out Collin Kuhn (Arkansas) who was trying to tag and advance to third on the play. Mace Thurman (Baylor) pitched the final two innings for the Honkers to pick up the save. Jacolby Anderson earned the win for the Honkers by shutting down the Huskies in the 7th inning.
The Honkers travel to Wausau, WI tomorrow to take on the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Game time is set for 6:35 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, and by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be watched by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 15 , 2008
Honkers Beat Huskies 7-1
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers gave starting pitcher Phil Haig some good run support on Sunday as they scored seven runs in the game. It’s too bad they can’t put those runs in the bank and use them for future games, because Phil Haig typically doesn't need that many.
Outstanding pitching coupled with timely hitting allowed the Honkers (9-6) to beat the Duluth Huskies (5-12) 7-1 Sunday afternoon in front of 1,175 fans at Wade Stadium in Duluth, MN.
Phil Haig (Illinois) was dominant for Rochester, pitching 8.2 innings, allowing one run, scattering five hits, walking four, and striking out five in improving to 2-0 on the season. Haig extended his streak of consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run to start the season from 15 to 23.2 innings today, but surrendered a run in the bottom of the 9th to kill the streak.
Rochester opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning, when Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) scored on a two-out RBI double by Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) to make the score 1-0.
After being held scoreless for the next four innings, the Honkers were finally able to generate more runs off of Duluth’s starting pitcher T.J. Walz (Kansas) in the top half of the 6th inning. Stephens drove in Cole Tyrell (Dayton) with a double to put the second run of the game on the scoreboard for the Honkers. The next batter, Jake Overstreet (South Alabama), followed with a double of his own, which scored Wates and Stephens to make the score 4-0 in favor of the Honkers. Overstreet scored later in the inning to make the score 5-0 when Huskies relief pitcher Brant Combs (Missouri State) committed a throwing error to first base after knocking down a line shot of the bat of Craig Lutes (Illinois).
Rochester added two more runs in the top of the 9th when Tyrell hit a two RBI single, giving Haig a 7-0 lead going into the final half inning.
After retiring the first batter with ease, Haig gave up a single, hit a batter, and gave up another single, to load the bases with one out in the inning. He then forced Duluth’s Tim Jobe (Indian River CC) to hit a ground ball to Overstreet at third base. Overstreet retired the runner at second base, and the turn and throw to first base by Wates beat Jobe, but the umpire ruled first basemen Jake Oester’s (Toledo) foot was off the bag. A run scored on the play, effectively ending Haig’s very impressive streak of 23.2 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run.
Jesse Meaux (UC-Santa Barbara) came out of the bullpen to retire the next batter and end the game in his first appearance for the Honkers.
The Honkers play in Duluth again tomorrow night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, and by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 14 , 2008
Honkers Lose 8-7 in 12 Innings
(Rochester, MN)—The only thing missing at Mayo Field on Saturday night was the giant bear riding a bike. Several other events that took place during the baseball game would have made the Ringling Brothers Circus very proud.
A near bench clearing brawl started, a batter was hit in the helmet on a routine throw back to the pitcher, and normally soft-spoken Rochester hitting coach Brent Biggs was ejected in the Green Bay Bullfrogs’ (7-9) 8-7 victory over the Rochester Honkers (8-6) in front of 1,857 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) had a big night for the Honkers, going 2 for 4 with a home run, five RBI’s, and a run scored.
The Bullfrogs opened the scoring in the top of the 1st, when Jon Karcich (Santa Clara) hit an RBI single to make the score 1-0. Green Bay added another run in the inning on a fielder’s choice to take a 2-0 lead.
A near fight broke out between the teams in the bottom of the 2nd inning, after Aaron Johnson (Illinois) slid into second base to break up a double play. After four Bullfrogs surrounded Johnson, both benches cleared, but no punches were thrown and order was quickly restored.
After Green Bay scored a run in the top of the 3rd, the Honkers battled back to score three runs of their own in the bottom half of the 3rd. A two-out RBI single by Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) scored Craig Lutes (Illinois) and gave the Honkers their first run of the game. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) followed with a double, which advanced Wates to third base. Then, Stephens delivered with a two-out two RBI double to tie the score at 3-3.
The Honkers pulled ahead in the bottom of the 4th when Justin Hilt (Louisburg) scored on a balk by Green Bay pitcher Bryce Smolen (Oral Roberts). The Bullfrogs added three runs in the top of the 6th and another run in the top of the 8th to take a 7-4 lead over the Honkers.
The Honkers and the Mayo Field crowd were re-energized in the bottom of the 8th when Stephens hit a three-run home run with no outs to tie the game at 7 a piece. However, Green Bay ended up scoring the winning run when Austin Holt (Missouri) was walked on a 3-2 count by Jonathon Turner (North Florida) with the bases loaded in the top of the 12th.
Green Bay’s Jamie Hayes (Rider) pitched four shutout innings against the Honkers at the end of the game to pick up his first win of the season.
Rochester travels to Duluth tomorrow to take on the Huskies at 4:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 13 , 2008
Errors Hurt Honkers in 6-3 Loss
(Rochester, MN)—One of the toughest parts about being a baseball player is that everything you do is fully exposed to everyone in the stadium. If a player makes an error, the whole stadium knows it and there is no place to hide.
If baseball players were ostriches, numerous Honkers players would have buried their heads in the infield dirt at Mayo Field. The Honkers (8-5) committed seven errors tonight in their 6-3 loss to the Green Bay Bullfrogs (6-9) in front of 1,871 fans at Mayo Field.
Peter Burg pitched (1-1) well in a losing effort for the Honkers, pitching 6 innings, allowing four runs, no earned, giving up five hits, walking none, and striking out two.
In the top of the 1st inning, a two-out Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) error allowed Nick O’Shea (Minnesota) to reach base. The error proved costly, as the next batter drove in a run with an RBI double to make the score 1-0 in favor of the Bullfrogs.
The Honkers notched a run of their own in the 3rd to tie the score at 1-1, when Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) walked with the bases loaded to score Brian Gump (UC-Santa Barbara).
The Bullfrogs added another two runs in the top of the 5th due to two more errors by the Honkers, which made the score 3-1. An error by first basemen Eric Stephens in the top of the 6th allowed Drew Hedman (Pomona-Pitzer) to reach base, and he eventually scored to make the score 4-1 after the 6th.
Rochester battled back in the bottom of the 7th to get back in the game. Cole Tyrell (Dayton) had an RBI groundout that scored Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest), and Devin Goodwin’s (Delta State) RBI sacrifice fly scored Gump to make the score 4-3.
Green Bay scored two more runs in the top of the 8th inning to make the score 6-3.
The Honkers host the Bullfrogs again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Tomorrow night is Atlas Insurance Brokers Night at the ballpark. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, and by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed on rochesterhonkers.com.
June 12 , 2008
Honkers Muzzle Huskies 8-2
(Rochester, MN)—If tonight’s game was any indication of how good the Rochester Honkers can be, there is no reason why the Honkers will settle for anything less than their fifth Northwoods League Championship at season’s end.
Rochester (8-4) played small ball, hit home runs, and pitched effectively in their 8-2 victory over the Duluth Huskies (5-9) in front of 1,207 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN on Thursday night.
Greg Martin (UNC-Greensboro) picked up the win for the Honkers in his season debut, pitching 6 innings, allowing one run, no earned, scattering five hits, walking three, and striking out five. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) was outstanding at the plate for Rochester, going 3 for 3, with a home run, three RBI’s, a walk, and two runs scored.
For the third consecutive night, the Honkers scored at least two runs in the bottom of 1st inning to take a commanding early lead. After a Craig Lutes (Illinois) bunt single and an errant throw by Duluth’s catcher, Cole Tyrell (Dayton) scored from second base to give the Honkers an early 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Stephens hit an RBI single to plate Lutes and make the score 2-0.
Duluth scored an unearned run off Martin in the top of the 3rd when shortstop Tyrell committed a throwing error to first base, cutting the Honkers lead in half. Rochester immediately made up for their fielding blunder in the bottom half of the inning when Stephens scored on a one-out sacrifice fly by Lutes, making the score 3-1 in favor of the Honkers.
Both teams turned to the long ball in the seventh inning to put additional runs on the scoreboard. Duluth’s Andrew Durden (Indian River CC) hit a towering shot over the left center field wall in the top of the seventh off Ryan Dawson (Missouri) to make the score 3-2.
However, the Honkers quickly responded to Duluth’s short-lived comeback attempt with power of their own in the bottom half of the seventh. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) doubled in Tyrell with two outs to keep the inning alive. Then, Eric Stephens blasted a ball that ricocheted off the top of the scoreboard in right center field for a two-run home run. Two batters later, Dallas Tarleton (Elon) sliced a two-run shot of his own down the left field line to put the Honkers up 8-2.
Ross Speed (Baylor) pitched shutout 8th and 9th innings for the Honkers to seal the victory and the two-game series sweep of the Huskies. The Honkers have won four games in a row, and seven out of their last eight games.
The Honkers will try for their fifth consecutive win tomorrow night when they host the Green Bay Bullfrogs at Mayo Field. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Tomorrow night is Advanced Financial Consultants Night at Mayo Field.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 11 , 2008
Honkers Beat Huskies 11-0
(Rochester, MN)—When it rains it pours. Unfortunately for the Duluth Huskies (5-8) that adage also applies to the manner in which the Rochester Honkers (7-4) beat them on Wednesday night, not just the severe weather that engulfed Rochester in the eighth inning.
The Honkers used a steady onslaught of hitting and good pitching in their 11-0 victory over the Duluth Huskies in a weather-shortened game in front of 1,852 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) was nearly perfect for the Honkers on the mound, pitching 7 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only two hits, walking none, and striking out seven, to improve to 2-1 on the season. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) had a very productive night for Rochester, going 1 for 3 with three RBI’s.
The Honkers started their half of the 1st inning with three consecutive hits, the third one being an RBI single by Devin Goodwin (Delta State) to put the Honkers up 1-0. Then, clean up hitter Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) drove a sacrifice fly deep to center field, which plated Craig Lutes (Illinois) to make the score 2-0. Later in the inning, Aaron Johnson (Illinois) singled to score Goodwin and put the Honkers up 3-0 after one inning of play.
Rochester added another run in the bottom of the third to increase their lead to 4-0, when Stephens knocked in Lutes with an RBI single. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) scored on a one-out Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) sacrifice fly to left field in the fourth to make the score 5-0.
The Honkers added six more runs in the bottom of the 7th to make the score 11-0. The game was called in the top of the 8th due to lightning and severe weather. Josh Godfrey (Wabash Valley) took the loss for Duluth, pitching 3 innings, allowing five runs, giving up seven hits, walking one, and striking out none.
The Honkers will seek their fourth consecutive victory tomorrow night when they host the Duluth Huskies at Mayo Field. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. Tomorrow night Buy Rochester presents Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Night.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, and by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 10 , 2008
Honkers Win 7-5 Over Battle Creek
(Rochester, MN)—At the end of the season people don’t ask about the fashion in which you won baseball games, but simply how many games you won. Although the Honkers (6-4) were less than perfect tonight, they managed to collect another win, by the score of 7-5 over the Battle Creek Bombers (3-9) in front of 965 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Ross Speed (Baylor) picked up the win for Honkers, pitching 2 innings, allowing two runs, no earned, walking two, giving up three hits, and striking out three in the game. Rochester’s Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt, and collected 3 RBI’s in a 1 for 2 effort at the plate.
Rochester pulled ahead early in the bottom of the 1st inning, when Justin Hilt (Louisburg) scored on a passed ball to make the score 1-0. Later in the inning, Balisteri had a two-out RBI single that scored Jake Oester (Toledo) and Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) to increase the score to 3-0 in favor of the Honkers.
The Honkers put up another run in the bottom of the 2nd, when Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) scored on a wild pitch, making the score 4-0. The Bombers battled back in the top of the 4th when they scored two unearned runs off Kevin Manson (Illinois) to cut the Rochester lead in half at 4-2. A two-out RBI single by Oester in the bottom of the 4th increased the score to 5-2.
Battle Creek didn’t go away without a fight, they scored two more unearned runs off Speed in the top of the 5th to make the score 5-4. The Honkers countered by scoring their sixth run of the game in the bottom of the 5th, when Balisteri laid down a picture-perfect suicide squeeze to score Wates.
Once again, the Bombers responded by scoring a run in the top of the 7th off an RBI ground out by Garret Smith (Boston College) to make the score 6-5. The Honkers effectively used the suicide squeeze a second time in the bottom of the eighth to notch the final run of the game.
Mace Thurman (Baylor) struck out the side for the Honkers in the top of the 9th to pick up his second save of the season.
The Honkers host the Duluth Huskies tomorrow night at Mayo Field, game time is set for 7:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, and by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 9 , 2008
Honkers Prevail 1-0 in Pitcher's Duel
(Rochester, MN)—Baseball fans that enjoy good pitching and solid defense were treated to a gem tonight. For fans that like offense, hopefully they enjoyed the cow-milking contest in between the 5th and 6th inning, and the post game fireworks. The Rochester Honkers (5-4) beat the Battle Creek Bombers (3-8) in an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel 1-0 Monday night in front of 1,332 fans at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Phil Haig (Illinois) was outstanding on the mound for the Honkers, pitching 8 shutout innings, allowing only two hits, walking two, and striking out ten batters in claiming his first win of the season. Battle Creek’s Kenny Ferrer (Elon) was almost equally impressive in a losing effort, he pitched 6 innings, allowed two hits, gave up one run, walked four, and struck out seven.
The Honkers scored what proved to be the only run of the game in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Dallas Tarleton (Elon) started the inning with a walk, and advanced to second base on a wild pitch by Ferrer. After failing to bunt Tarleton over to third, Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) hit the eventual game-winning RBI single to center field to put the Honkers up 1-0.
Most pitchers tend to lose steam gradually as a game gets older, but Haig seemed to get stronger every inning he took the mound. Haig’s most dominating stretch came in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings, when he struck out six consecutive Bombers.
Battle Creek made the game interesting in the ninth when Mace Thurman (Baylor) came on to pitch for the Honkers. After retiring the first two batters with ease, Battle Creek’s A.J. Shindler (Michigan State) hit a grounder to short, and ultimately advanced to second base when Balisteri committed a throwing error. Shindler then advanced to third on a wild pitch by Thurman. But the Battle Creek comeback was all for naught, as Thurman struck out Garret Smith (Boston College) to complete the 1-0 victory for the Honkers.
The Honkers host the Bombers again tomorrow night, game time is set for 7:05 p.m. Comedian Myron Noodleman will be performing throughout tomorrow night’s game. Tomorrow’s game is also the first ‘Always Low Price Tuesday’ presented by Wal-Mart. For each adult who pays full price for a ticket at the gate before the game, one kid (age 12 and under) they are accompanying gets in for free.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, and by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed by logging on to rochesterhonkers.com.
June 7 , 2008
Honkers Lose 5-0 to Border Cats
(Rochester, MN)—What a difference a day makes. Yesterday the Rochester Honkers were on top of the world after beating the Thunder Bay Border Cats by a score of 6-2. Today, the Honkers head back to Rochester with their tails between their legs after losing to the Border Cats 5-0 in front of 528 fans at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario on Saturday afternoon.
Thunder Bay’s Blaine Hardy (Lewis-Clark State) picked up his first victory of the season in a dominant outing, pitching 7 shutout innings, allowing six hits, striking out one, and walking none. Derek Wiley (Belmont) provided some power for Thunder Bay in his 3 for 4 effort, with a home run, a double, four RBI’s, and a run scored.
The Border Cats opened the scoring in the bottom half of the 3rd with a two-out rally. An error by Rochester’s Cole Tyrell (Dayton) allowed Thunder Bay’s Mike O’Neill (USC) to get on base. Then, Tim Palincsar (Texas-San Antonio) doubled, which scored O’Neill to make the score 1-0. Palincsar came around to score later in the inning when Wiley singled to increase the Border Cats’ lead to 2-0 after three innings.
Thunder Bay struck again in the fifth inning when Wiley plated Matt Darr (Odessa College) with a two-out RBI double to make the score 3-0. The Border Cats added two more runs to cap the game’s scoring at 5-0 in the bottom of the eighth when Wiley hit a one-out two-run home run off Rochester’s Ross Speed (Baylor).
Scott had a solid outing for the Honkers in picking up his first loss of the season, pitching 6 innings, allowing 3 runs, one earned, giving up five hits, striking out four, and walking none. Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) stayed hot at the plate for Rochester in the loss, with a 2 for 3 effort.
The Honkers finished their road trip with three wins and two losses, and will return to Rochester to start a six-game home stand beginning Monday when they host the Battle Creek Bombers at Mayo Field. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.
Monday night is Logo Baseball Night at Mayo Field, presented by the American Dairy Association and Newstalk 1340 KROC. The first 500 fans will receive free logo baseballs. The 14th annual cow milking contest will take place during the game and a post game fireworks extravaganza, presented by Olmsted Medical Center, will conclude the evening’s festivities.
The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed via the internet by visiting rochesterhonkers.com.
June 7 , 2008
Eleven Honkers Taken in Draft!
(Rochester, MN)—Two Current and nine former Rochester Honkers were selected in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft that was held on June 5th & 6th in Lake Buena Vista, FL.
Mace Thurman (Baylor-Jr/LHP) and Brian Gump (UC Santa Barbara-Jr/OF) are the current Rochester Honkers that were selected. Thurman is currently with the team and Gump is scheduled to arrive early this week.
Thurman was selected in the 19th round by (569 overall pick) by the Cincinnati Reds and Gump was chosen by the New York Mets in the 46th round (1389 overall pick). Both are expected to stay with the team all summer.
The following is a complete list of Rochester Honkers, both current and former who were picked in this year’s draft.
Raymond Kruml (2005) 11th Round by the New York Yankees
Corey Kemp, (2007) 14th Round by the Milwaukee Brewers
Reyes Dorado (2007) 14th Round by the Los Angeles Angels
David Flores (2007) 18th Round by the Houston Astros
Mace Thurman (2008) 19th Round by the Cincinnati Reds
Dave Sever (2006,2007) 21st Round by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Adam Jorgenson (2006) 26th Round by the Colorado Rockies
Matt Gaski (2007) 34th Round by the San Diego Padres
T.R (Travis) Keating (2005) 34th Round by the Baltimore Orioles
Zach Herr (2006) 38th Round by the San Diego Padres
Brian Gump (2008) 46th Round by the New York Mets
June 6 , 2008
Honkers Blast Border Cats 6-2
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers were firing on all cylinders tonight. Stellar Honkers pitching made the Border Cats batters look as if they were holding hockey sticks in their hands instead of baseball bats, and Rochester batters collected 13 hits against Border Cats pitching. A well-rounded effort helped the Rochester Honkers defeat the Thunder Bay Border Cats 6-2 on Friday night in Thunder Bay, ON at Port Arthur Stadium in front of 484 fans.
Eric Stephens had a solid offensive effort for the Honkers, going 3 for 5 with three doubles, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) had his second consecutive good outing on the mound for Rochester, he pitched 6 innings, allowed two runs, one earned, gave up two hits, struck out two, and walked none, while picking up his first victory of the season and pushing the Honkers’ winning streak to three games.
Rochester opened the scoring in the top half of the third when Jake Overstreet (South Alabama) singled in Nic Obey (Des Moines Area CC) in his Honkers debut. The Honkers further flexed their offensive muscles in the top of the 4th when Cole Tyrell (Dayton) doubled in Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) to make the score 2-0. Later in the inning, Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) had a two-out single that scored Tyrell to increase the Rochester lead to 3-0.
The Border Cats clawed their way back into the game in their half of the 4th, when Tim Palincsar (Texas-San Antonio) tripled in Mike O’Neill (USC). Thunder Bay scored another run later in the inning when Palincsar scored on a Derek Wiley (Belmont) single to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Honkers.
A one-out double by Stephens in the top of the 5th scored Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) to give the Honkers a 4-2 lead. The same combination feasted on Border Cats pitching in the top of the 7th as well, when Stephens once again drove in Wates with a two-out RBI double. The Honkers notched their final run of the game later in the inning when Stephens scored on a two-out RBI single by Tyrell, which made the score 6-2.
After the top of the 7th, the Honkers bullpen came again and picked up right where Peter Burg left off. Jacolby Anderson (Augustana) pitched shutout 7th and 8th innings for Rochester, and Mace Thurman (Baylor) struck out two Thunder Bay hitters in his shutout 9th inning effort to seal the 6-2 victory for the Honkers.
The Honkers look to end their road trip on a high note tomorrow night with their fourth consecutive win, when they take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Thunder Bay, ON. Game time is at 12:05 p.m. CDT. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed on the internet by visiting rochesterhonkers.com.
June 5 , 2008
Honkers Rained Out In Brainerd
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers game against the Brainerd Blue Thunder was rained out tonight in Brainerd, MN. The two teams will play a double-header consisting of two 7 inning games on July 9th in Brainerd at Stewart C. Mills Field starting at 5:05 p.m.
The Rochester Honkers will conclude their 6 game road trip by traveling across the Canadian border tomorrow to take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats for a two game set. Game time Friday night is 6:05 p.m. CDT and Saturday has a 12:05 p.m. CDT first pitch.
The Honkers will then return home, after their longest road trip of the season, on Monday, June 9th when the Battle Creek Bombers buzz into Mayo Field for two games. This will begin a six-game home stand for the Honkers.
Monday night is Logo Baseball Night at Mayo Field, presented by the American Dairy Association and Newstalk 1340 KROC. The first 500 fans will receive free logo baseballs. The 14th annual cow milking contest will take place during the game and a post game fireworks extravaganza, presented by Olmsted Medical Center, will conclude the evening’s festivities.
The Rochester Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520 The Ticket, or by visiting Rochesterhonkers.com. All home games can be viewed via the internet by visiting rochesterhonkers.com.
June 4 , 2008
Honkers Beat Blue Thunder 5-0
(Rochester, MN)—Zach Robertson (Iowa Central CC) silenced any potential thunder from the bats of the Blue Thunder batters in a very dominant pitching outing for the Honkers Wednesday night. Rochester beat the Brainerd Blue Thunder 5-0 in front of 188 fans Wednesday night in Brainerd, MN.
Robertson pitched 6 shutout innings, struck out seven, walked none, and gave up five hits while picking up his first victory in the season. Rochester’s Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) delivered what proved to be the game winning RBI single in the top of the 6th in his 3 for 5 outing.
The Honkers opened the scoring in the 6th when Wates plated Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) with a single. Aaron Johnson (Illinois) then scored on a passed ball to make the score 2-0. Jake Oester (Toledo) then scored when Justin Hilt (Louisburg College) was hit by a pitch. Cole Tyrell (Dayton) increased the lead to 4-0 when he scored on a pass ball against Brainerd’s catcher.
Rochester added a final run in the top of the 7th when Johnson stole home. Ryan Dawson (Missouri) pitched three shutout innings of relief for the Honkers to seal the 5-0 victory.
The Honkers will play Brainerd again tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520.
June 3 , 2008
Honkers Win 6-4 In Extras
(Rochester, MN)—It seemed like the Rochester Honkers and Alexandria Beetles were providing everyone at Knute Nelson Memorial Field with a déjà vu experience Tuesday night. Rochester nearly lost game two to the Beetles in an eerily similar fashion to the way they lost game one of the doubleheader. Instead, the Honkers held on to force extra innings and eventually beat the Beetles 6-4 in Alexandria, MN to split the doubleheader at one game a piece.
Rochester’s Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) went 2 for 3 on the night, with a home run, a single, two runs, two RBI’s and a walk. Devin Goodwin (Delta State) also provided some power for the Honkers, he finished the game 2-4, with a home run, a single, two runs scored, and two RBI’s.
The Honkers drew first blood in the top of the 1st when Goodwin hit a two-run home run. Alexandria countered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st on a two RBI single by Tim Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast) to make the score 2-2.
The Beetles scored another run in the bottom of the 2nd against Rochester starter Jonathan Turner (North Florida) to make the score 3-2. Turner settled in after the 2nd and went on to pitch three consecutive shutout innings over his five innings of work on the night.
Rochester bounced back in the top half of the 3rd and took a 4-3 lead when Stephens belted a two-run home run deep over the right field fence. Jacolby Anderson (Augustana) held the Beetles in check in the 6th inning, with the Honkers taking a 4-3 lead into the final inning.
Mace Thurman (Baylor) came in to pitch the 7th for the Honkers in his Northwoods League debut. After surrendering two singles in a row, Thurman struck out a batter, leaving the Beetles with runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Alexandria’s Josh Upchurch (Florida Gulf Coast) then stole third base, making it possible for the Beetles to tie the game without getting a hit. Alexandria did just that, as Upchurch scored on an infield single to tie the score at 4-4. However, Thurman was able to wiggle out of the inning and force the second extra inning game between the teams on the night.
An Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) RBI single gave the Honkers a 5-4 lead in the 8th, and an RBI groundout by Ian Tomkins (Wake Forest) added insurance to the Rochester lead, making the score 6-4. Thurman retired the Beetles in order in the bottom of the 8th to pick up his first win of the season Rochester.
The Rochester Honkers travel to Brainerd to play the Blue Thunder on Wednesday and Thursday, and they will be crossing the Canadian border to take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Friday and Saturday. The Honkers have an off-day on Sunday before hosting the Battle Creek Bombers next Monday at Mayo Field. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520.
June 3 , 2008
Honkers Lose 3-2 In Extra Innings
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers got a dose of their own medicine Tuesday night when the Alexandria Beetles successfully ran the bases aggressively against the Honkers. A perfectly executed double steal by the Beetles proved to be the difference in the Beetles’ 3-2 victory over the Honkers in eight innings in the first game of two 7 innings games scheduled between the Beetles and the Honkers Tuesday evening at Knute Nelson Memorial Park in Alexandria, MN.
Phil Haig (Illinois) had a phenomenal outing in his Honkers debut, pitching seven innings, allowing one run, scattering five hits, walking two, and striking out one. He showed great poise on the mound, as he constantly pitched out of innings without allowing a run when the Beetles had runners in scoring position with less than two outs.
The Honkers scored the first run of the game in the top half of the 4th on a play Rochester fans are starting to become accustomed to this season. With two outs and Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) on third and Aaron Johnson (Illinois) on first, Johnson intentionally broke early to second base, which caused the pitcher to throw over to first in an attempt to pick him off. With Johnson in a hotbox, Stephens broke home and scored the Honkers’ first run after he was safe on the throwing attempt at the plate, making the score 1-0.
The Beetles tied the score at 1-1 in their half of the 5th inning when Brian Harrison (Furman) scored on a pass ball by Haig. The Honkers regained the lead by score of 2-1 in the top of the 8th when Devin Goodwin (Delta State) singled home Justin Hilt (Louisburg College) with two outs in the inning.
Rochester’s Ross Speed (Baylor) came on in an attempt to close the game out for the Honkers in the bottom of the 8th. Speed retired the first batter, and then Justin Hilt committed an error in center field on a fly ball off the bat of Alexandria’s Josh Upchurch (Florida Gulf Coast), which allowed Upchurch to advance to second base. A hit by pitch and a fly out left the Beetles with runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. In a gutsy move, the Beetles successfully completed a double steal. Both runners eventually scored on a single by Tyler Moyneur (Tennessee Wesleyan) to give the Beetles the 3-2 victory.
Speed took the hard loss for the Honkers, allowing two runs, one earned, giving up one hit, and walking one in .2 innings of work. Austin Siwiec (Valparaiso) picked up the win for the Beetles after giving up one run in 3 innings of work.
The Honkers will play the Beetles in another 7 inning game later tonight. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520.
June 2 , 2008
Honkers Rained Out
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers game against the Alexandria Beetles in Alexandria, MN was rained out on Monday night. The two teams will play a doubleheader consisting of two 7 inning games on Tuesday night in Alexandria, first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Phil Haig, an Inver Grove Heights, MN native from the University of Illinois, will make his Honkers pitching debut in the first game of the doubleheader. After tomorrow's games the Honkers will play two games in Brainerd, and two more in Thunder Bay to conlcude their six game road trip. The Honkers will host the Battle Creek Bombers at 7:05 p.m. on Monday June 9th at Mayo Field. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520.
June 1 , 2008
Honkers Win Home Opener 9-7
(Rochester, MN)—Jason Plourde’s coaching philosophy centers around aggressive base running. It is safe to say that the Jason Plourde era has officially started in Rochester after today’s game. The Honkers stole seven bases in their wild come from behind 9-7 victory over the La Crosse Loggers Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN in front of 1,380 fans in their home opener.
In addition to successfully turning the baseball game into a track meet, the Honkers also hit the snot out of the ball for an entire game for the first time this season. Tony Balisteri (Virginia Tech) had an impressive performance, going 3 for 3, with a homerun, two doubles, an RBI, and three runs scored. Justin Hilt (Louisburg College) went 4 for 5 at the plate, with two doubles, two singles, two RBI’s, four runs scored, and two stolen bases.
The Loggers started the game on fire at the plate, with four consecutive hits before Rochester starter Tim Scott (St. Cloud State) recorded his first out. Scott would eventually settle down after giving up four runs in the first, he practically held the Loggers at bay the rest of the game in picking up his first win of the season. Scott pitched 6 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, while walking two, and striking out four.
The Honkers added a run of their own in the bottom half of the first on a one-out RBI groundout by Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) to make the score 4-1. La Crosse’s Derek Melton (Evansville) singled home P.J. Polk (Tennessee) in the top of the second to increase the Loggers’ lead to 5-1.
Balisteri sparked the Rochester comeback in the bottom of the third when he blasted a solo home run over the left field wall to make the score 5-2. The Honkers scored two more in the third on sacrifice flies by Stephens and Devin Goodwin (Delta State) to cut the Loggers’ lead to one.
The Honkers struck again in the fourth. Hilt singled in Balisteri to even the score at 4-4. The Honkers took the lead for good shortly after, when Devin Goodwin struck out and reached first on a throwing error by catcher Kellen Hoime (Sacramento CC), which allowed Hilt to score from third base on the play.
In the bottom of the sixth the Honkers added two more runs to make the score 8-5. Consecutive doubles by Balisteri and Hilt respectively produced the first run in the sixth inning for the Honkers. Their eighth run came later in the sixth from aggressive base running typical of a Jason Plourde coached baseball team. With Hilt on third and Lutes on first, Lutes stole second, and Hilt ran home after the catcher threw down to second base.
Eight runs proved to be enough for the Honkers bullpen. Newly acquired Jacolby Anderson (Augustana) pitched shutout 7th and 8th innings for the Honkers in his season debut. The Honkers added another run in the 7th to further pad their lead, making the score 9-5. La Crosse scored two more runs in the ninth when Cory Vaughn (San Diego State) homered with two outs off Ryan Dawson (Missouri), but Dawson forced the next batter to groundout, sealing the 9-7 victory.
The Honkers travel to Alexandria tomorrow to take on the Beetles. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520.
May 31 , 2008
Honkers Lose 5-4 in Extra Innings
(Rochester, MN)—Playing in a ballpark nicknamed the Lumberyard didn’t seem to have any positive effects on Rochester’s lack of clutch hitting. The Honkers struggled to get big hits in important situations as they lost 5-4 to the La Crosse Loggers in 11 innings Friday night in front of 3,121 fans at Copeland Park in La Crosse, WI.
Rochester’s Peter Burg (St. Scholastica) pitched well in a no decision, giving up two runs, one earned, scattering eight hits, walking three, and striking out four in 6.2 innings of work. La Crosse’s Scott Kuhns (Austin Peay State) shutout the Honkers in the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings to pick up the win for the Loggers.
La Crosse started the scoring in the bottom half of the first inning on a one-out single by Cory Vaughn (San Diego State). The Honkers were held in check by Loggers starting pitcher Aaron Dott (UW-Whitewater) for the first six innings of the game, with Dott retiring the first 10 Honkers he faced. Rochester finally got to Dott in the top of the seventh when Cole Tyrell (Dayton) scored Eric Stephens (Cal State Fullerton) and Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) with a one-out double to give the Honkers a 2-1 lead.
Rochester’s lead proved to be short-lived, an RBI double by Chris Elder (Sacramento City College) and an RBI single by Kellen Hoime (Sacramento CC) gave the Loggers a 4-2 lead after eight innings. The Honkers fought back and tied the score 4-4 in the ninth when Stephens scored on a wild pitch by Kuhns.
The Honkers had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the top of the 10th with Justin Hilt on third base with only one out in the inning. However, a strikeout by Devin Goodwin (Delta State) and a lineout by Stephens squelched Rochester’s scoring threat and ended the inning.
After the Honkers went down in order in the top of the 11th, Ross Speed (Baylor) ran into trouble in the bottom half of the inning. Speed allowed three consecutive singles to Loggers hitters, the third hit being a bunt single to Justin Toole (Iowa). Speed fielded the bunt and committed an error on the throw over to first base, which allowed Randy Rundgren (Sacramento CC) to score the winning run for the Loggers.
The Rochester Honkers will host the La Crosse Loggers on Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field in their home opener. First pitch is at 3:05 p.m. The Honkers can be heard all season long on KOLM AM 1520.
May 30 , 2008
MoonDogs Beat Honkers 6-2
(Rochester, MN)— Every baseball coach knows that walking batters can kill a team’s chances of winning. The Mankato MoonDogs’ 6-2 victory over the Rochester Honkers in front of 2,022 fans at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, MN Friday night is a prime example. Seven combined walks and hit batsmen by the Rochester pitching staff proved costly on Friday night in Rochester’s 2008 season opening loss.
Mankato’s Bryan Longpre (Grossmont JC) pitched 6 solid innings for the MoonDogs, surrendering only four hits and two runs, while collecting two strikeouts in the win. Rochester’s Zach Robertson (Iowa Central C.C.) picked up the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, walking four, and striking out seven hitters in 5.2 innings. The Honkers’ Devin Goodwin (Delta State) recorded Rochester’s first hit and first RBI of the season in his 1 for 3 effort, he also scored a run and made several great defensive plays.
The Honkers drew first blood when Goodwin knocked in Justin Hilt (Louisburg College) for the first run of the game in the top half of the first inning. Rochester increased their lead to 2-0 later in the first when Jake Oester (Toledo) scored Goodwin on an RBI groundout.
The MoonDogs battled back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, Mankato’s Wes Freie (Iowa) singled to right, two runs eventually scored on the play when Rochester’s Daniel Putnam (MATC-Madison) misplayed the short hop in right field, making the score 2-2.
After Zach Robertson walked two batters in the bottom of the sixth, Frei struck again with a two RBI double to make the score 4-2 in favor of Mankato. The MoonDogs added another pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 6-2. Mankato’s Erik Hamren (UC-Irvine) shutout the Honkers in the top of the ninth to seal the victory for the MoonDogs.
The Rochester Honkers travel to La Crosse, WI on Saturday night to take on the Loggers. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. All season long the Honkers can be heard on KOLM AM 1520.
May 30 , 2008
Honkers Sign Obey
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced the signing of Nic Obey, a 6'0'', 190 pound freshman outfielder from Des Moines Area Community College, to a 10-day contract.
Obey hit .344 with six home runs and 25 RBIs for the Bears this season. He appeared in 42 games, starting 29. His six homers came in just 90 at-bats this spring. He was the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Player of the Week in the final week of April, when he hit three home runs in five games. He helped the Bears advance to the NJCAA Division II World Series.
Obey is a graduate of Chatfield High School in Chatfield, MN. He was an All-Three Rivers Conference selection three consecutive seasons (2005-2007), and was the 2006 Section 1A Player of the Year in 2006.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season continues on May 30th, 2008 when the Honkers travel to Mankato to face the Mankato MoonDogs for a 7:05pm first pitch. Rochester Honkers season tickets, Bonus Books, and Suites are still. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 29 , 2008
Rain Wipes Out Honkers Opener
(Rochester, MN)—Rain has caused the postponement of the 2008 Rochester Honkers season and home opener at Mayo Field with the Mankato MoonDogs. It is the first opening night rainout in franchise history.
Rain developed in the late afternoon in Rochester, and after several heavy downpours, officials ruled the game would be canceled at 6:30 p.m.
The game will be made up as part of a double-header Saturday, June 21st, when Mankato once again travels to Rochester. The double-header will consist of two 7-inning games beginning at 6:05 p.m.
The opening night fireworks extravaganza that was to be presented by Olmsted Medical Center and KTTC-TV 10 has tentatively been rescheduled for Monday, June 9th, when the Honkers host the Battle Creek Bombers. The make-up of the fireworks extravaganza will be officially set after city approval.
The Rochester Honkers will next be in action Friday night, May 30th, when they travel to Mankato. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Games can be heard on KOLM AM-1520 The Ticket, and a live audio stream can be accessed online at www.rochesterhonkers.com.
May 27 , 2008
Honkers Report for Opening Week
(Rochester, MN)—Members of the 2008 Rochester Honkers Baseball Club have begun arriving for the first week of team activities.
Players began reporting Sunday afternoon and got their first chance to meet their coaching staff, their host families, and acquired their schedules for the week. Field Manager Jason Plourde called for his first team meeting Monday afternoon, followed by the team’s first official practice at Mayo Field.
Players will continue to report throughout the week leading up to opening night. There will be players that are unable to report this week due to post-season baseball with their college clubs, schooling, or injury rehabilitation.
Fans will have a chance to view the Rochester Honkers in action Wednesday, May 28th, during Fan Day at Mayo Field from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. During Fan Day, the Rochester Honkers will be in full practice mode. Fans will be welcomed to the grandstand and lower deck area at no charge, and there will be a limited menu available in the main concession stand.
Fans can also attend on the upper deck area, where the Rochester Honkers will be serving their regular deck menu. Admission to the upper deck area will be $20.00 per person. Following the conclusion of practice, Rochester Honker players will gather in the deck area to greet fans and sign autographs.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 23 , 2008
Honkers Sign Haig
(Rochester, MN) —The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Phil Haig, a 6’3” 205 pound freshman left-handed pitcher from the University of Illinois.
Haig finished the regular season 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA. He had his best outing of the year May 17th against Purdue, earning a complete game win in a 2-0 shutout. He allowed just two hits, walked just two, and threw only 76 pitches in the win. His performance netted him Co-Pitcher of the Week honors from the Big Ten Conference. Illinois is currently playing in the Big Ten Tournament.
Haig was a prolific athlete at Henry Sibley High School in his hometown of Inver Grove Heights, MN. He won All-Suburban Conference awards in five different sports: baseball, football, basketball, wrestling, and tennis. He earned a total of 16 different varsity letters.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 20 , 2008
Honkers Sign Statesmen Infielder
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Devin Goodwin, a 5’11”, 185 pound junior infielder from Delta State University (MS).
Goodwin finished the 2008 regular season hitting .311 with 13 home runs and a team-leading 58 RBIs. He led the Statesmen to the 2008 Gulf South Conference (GSC) tournament championship, and was named to the All-GSC Tournament team. He was also selected to the All-GSC first team.
Goodwin has been productive since his freshman year at Delta State. He started 36 games his first season, and hit .307 over 114 at bats. As a sophomore, he hit .350 with 11 stolen bases, and earned All-GSC first-team honors. He has also been the backup quarterback on the Statesmen football team.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 16 , 2008
Honkers Fill Final Coaching Spot
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Brent Biggs from Fort Hays State University, becomes the third coach on the Honkers staff. He will be in charge of the hitters and coaching first base.
With the addition of Biggs, the Honkers now have a full staff, with Jason Plourde (Fort Hays State, KS) as Field Manager, Mike Gilner (Washburn University, KS) as pitching coach, and Biggs as hitting coach.
Biggs just finished his playing career for the Tigers this spring. He hit .335 with 11 doubles, four homers, and 37 RBIs, led the team in being hit by pitches, with 12. He was the only Tiger to start all 55 games this season.
Biggs has two previous years of summer collegiate baseball under his belt. He spent last summer with the Wichita Wheat Kings of the Walter Johnson League. He played with the Bellingham Bells of the Western Coach Collegiate League in 2006. He was also an All-Jayhawk West Conference first team selection at Barton Community College in his hometown of Great Bend, KS, before joining Fort Hays State.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 9 , 2008
Honkers' Burg Leads Saints
(Rochester, MN) St. Scholastica’s Peter Burg, who will pitch for the Rochester Honkers this summer, reached the 10-win plateau Thursday, May 8th, versus Northland College in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament.
Burg threw six innings, giving up just one on four hits, in the Saints’ 14-1 rout of the Lumberjacks. He struck out eight in the contest, and worked his record to 10-0 in 11 starts this season. He has thrown five complete games this year, and has lowered his ERA to 2.35. He has also recorded 59 strikeouts in 65 innings.
Behind Burg’s efforts, the Saints finished the regular season 29-4, and claimed the regular season UMAC title with a 17-1 record in conference play. They will play in the tournament’s semi-finals Friday night.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 5 , 2008
Honkers Sign Hurricane
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Justin Hilt, a 6’0” 195 pound sophomore outfielder from Louisburg College in Louisburg, NC. Hilt has signed to play next season for Elon University in Elon, NC.
Hilt finished the 2008 regular season as the Hurricanes’ top hitter, batting .406 with a team high 11 homers and 42 RBIs. He was also among the leaders in Division I junior college baseball in base stealing, swiping 27 bases in 30 attempts.
Recruited as a pitcher by NCAA Division I Marshall University, Hilt chose the position player route at Louisburg following his high school career. He was an all-state pitching selection in New Jersey while at Deptford High School in Woodbury, NJ. He was also a runner-up for the Colonial Conference Player-of-the-Year award as a junior.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 3 , 2008
Former Honker All-Star Hits First Pro Homer
(Rochester, MN) The only Rochester Honker ever to have his number retired has broken through with his first home run as a professional.
Rochester native Dan Lyons, playing for the Hagerstown Suns of Hagerstown, Maryland (“A” affiliate of the Washington Nationals), launched a solo homer in the top of the first inning to give the Suns an early 1-0 lead over the Greensboro Grasshoppers of Greensboro, NC on Thursday, April 24th. The Suns won the game 8-7.
Lyons had a prolific, three-year career for the Rochester Honkers from 2004-2006. He hit .268 for his career, with eight homers and 72 RBIs. He also stole 56 bases in three seasons, including 32 in 2004, eight shy of the franchise record. He was selected for the Northwoods League All-Star game in 2005 and 2006. He also received the “Honker of the Year award in 2005, along with the Rochester Mayor’s Award, given the “Keys to the City” when his number “10” was retired after the Honkers 2006 NWL championship season.
Following his Honker career, he returned to the University of Minnesota for the 2007 season. After hitting .315 with nine homers and 50 RBIs as a senior for the Gophers, he was drafted by the Nationals in the 14th round (430th pick) of the 2007 June amateur draft. He spent his first year with the Vermont Sea Monsters, the Nationals short-season “A” affiliate in Winooski, VT. He began this season with Hagerstown, the Nationals low “A” affiliate.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 28 , 2008
Gump's Grand Slam Powers Gauchos
(Rochester, MN) 2008 Rochester Honker Brian Gump played the hero role for the University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) Sunday, blasting a ninth inning grand slam to push the Gauchos past Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 5-3.
After the Gauchos were unable to score through eight innings, a last inning rally brought in a run and loaded the bases, bringing Gump to the plate with two out. He drove the first pitch out of the park to straight-away center, putting UCSB up by the eventual winning score. It was Gump’s fourth homer of the season, and it delivered Gaucho head coach Bob Brontsema his 400th career win.
Gump, a junior, leads UCSB in hitting with a .372 average. He also leads the Gauchos in at-bats, hits, runs, and doubles, hitting his thirteenth of the season in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game before his grand slam heroics in the ninth.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 25 , 2008
Honkers Add Coach to Staff
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the addition of Mike Gilner, associate head coach at Washburn University, to the Honkers’ coaching staff this summer. He will assist Honkers’ field manger, Jason Plourde.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to come be a part of a great organization such as the Honkers,” said Gilner. I’ve heard that it is a class act from top to bottom, and I’m looking forward to spending time in the city and with the great fans of Rochester.”
Gilner, 27, is in his third year with Washburn, spending his first two years as the pitching coach before being promoted to the associate head coach position for this season. Washburn is an NCAA Division II university located in Topeka, KS. They are a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).
Last summer, Gilner was a coach for the Florence Red Wolves, a summer collegiate program in the Coastal Plains League (CPL). Under Gilner, The Red Wolves finished 27-27 and made an appearance in the Petitt Cup Tournament, the championship tournament of the CPL. Gilner has also coached basketball and baseball at Tonganoxie High School in Tonganoxie, KS, his hometown. His American Legion baseball team amassed a 50-15 record over two summers.
Gilner played collegiately as a catcher. He began his career at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, KS. After two years at Coffeyville, he signed with the University of Kansas where injuries forced the end of his collegiate playing career.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 21 , 2008
Honkers Sign Titan Infielder
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Eric Stephens, a 6’2” 215 pound junior infielder from California State University-Fullerton. The Titans are currently ranked #15 in the nation.
Before joining the Titans, Stephens played his first two years of college baseball at East L.A. Junior College. He was a two-time All-South Coast Conference selection, once as a first baseman and once as an outfielder. He hit .342 with 8 home runs and 42 RBIs his freshman year, and then .341 with 6 home runs and 49 RBIs his sophomore season.
As a senior at Monrovia High School in Monrovia, CA, Stephens hit .443 with 2 homers and 12 doubles. He was a first team All-Rio Hondo League selection as well as a first team All-State selection.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 18 , 2008
Honkers Sign Gaucho Pitcher
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Jesse Meaux, a 6’4”, 210 pound freshman right-handed pitcher from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Meaux is currently 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA. He earned his first win April 15th, throwing four innings of scoreless baseball in a 25-3 Gaucho win over Westmont University. Meaux had previously thrown 3.1 shutout innings in an earlier appearance versus Westmont University and against California Polytechnic.
As a starter for Glendale High School in Glendale, CA, Meaux finished his senior year with a 2.14 ERA and 52 strikeouts versus 14 walks. He also hit .451 for the Nitros, and was a three time All-Pacific League selection. He played summer baseball last year for the Playa Vista Orioles in the Southern California Connie Mack League.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 14 , 2008
Incoming Honkers Impressive in Spring Seasons
(Rochester, MN)–Two incoming Rochester Honkers had big weekends for their college clubs this past weekend, and a third continues to produce terrific numbers.
Virginia Tech’s Austin Wates used the weekend to add to an already fantastic year. The Hokies’ center fielder had three hits and three RBIs in a 13-4 Tech win over Wake Forest on Saturday. Wates legged out his team-leading fourth triple, and pushed his batting average to .345, another team high.
Saturday was a career day for another Hokie and future Honker. Infielder Tony Balisteri hit his first collegiate home run, with a two-run shot in the third inning Saturday versus Wake Forest. The homer was one of Balisteri’s three hits in the game, along with two runs and two RBIs.
Former Rochester Mayo star Aaron Senne continues to produce for 8th ranked Missouri. Senne had a pair of hits both Saturday and Sunday to lead the Tigers in routs of #12 Texas. He hit his tenth double and seventh homer Saturday in a 31-12 win, and collected a pair of singles Sunday in a 13-2 victory. Senne is hitting .351 with seven homers and 40 RBIs.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 11 , 2008
Honkers Sign Saints Pitcher
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Peter Burg, a 6’0”, 235 pound junior left-handed pitcher from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN.
As of March 24th, Burg was 5-0 in 5 starts, with a 3.55 ERA. He had struck out 28 batters and walked just nine in 33 innings of work. Burg has thrown three complete games this season, including a four-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over Lebanon Valley in Fort Pierce, FL, on March 7th. St. Scholastica has had all games scheduled since March 24th postponed due to weather.
Burg is a native of St. Joseph, MN, and attended St. Cloud Cathedral High School. The Crusaders won the state “AA” championship his sophomore year. He finished his junior year 6-1 with a 1.31 ERA, and was a Minnesota Class “AA” All-State selection as a senior.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 10 , 2008
Former Rochester Honker Named Future MLB Star
(Rochester, MN) Former Rochester Honker and current Los Angeles Dodger Andre Ethier has recently been named as a “Future MLB Star” by Sports Illustrated magazine. The feature ran as a photo gallery on the magazine’s website (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com).
Sports Illustrated wrote of Ethier, “After fellow outfielder Matt Kemp suffered an injury at the start of last season, Ethier filled in admirably, batting .284, belting 13 home runs while driving in 64 runs. He beat out veteran Juan Pierre for the starting job in left field this spring.” Pierre is also a Northwoods League alumnus, playing for Manitowoc in 1996.
Ethier played for the Rochester Honkers during the 2002 season. He hit .264 with four homers and 34 RBIs. He stole 11 bases that season, and had the second best strikeout-walk ratio of any hitter to finish in the top 50 in hitting in the Northwoods League.
Ethier’s status as a Sports Illustrated Future MLB Star includes him on a list that also features outfielder Delmon Young of the Minnesota Twins and pitcher Phil Hughes of the New York Yankees.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 8 , 2008
Honkers Sign Hokie Infielder
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Anthony Balisteri, a 5’11”, 171 pound freshman infielder from Virginia Tech. He joins teammate Austin Wates on the Honkers’ 2008 roster.
Balisteri is currently batting .197 with a double, a triple, and 12 RBIs. He has been used as both a starter and bench player, playing in 25 games and starting 17. He has stolen bases successfully in both of his attempts this year.
In his senior season at Rockbridge County High School in Lexington, VA, Balisteri batted .482 with five homers and 22 stolen bases, and earned all-district honors. He batted .442 his junior year, leading his team to the Virginia state quarterfinals.
Virginia Tech Head Coach Pete Hughes says, “Balisteri is probably one of the top defenders I’ve ever recruited.”
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 4 , 2008
Honkers Sign Baylor Reliever
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Mace Thurman, a 6’2” 185 pound junior left-handed reliever from Baylor University. He is currently 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 appearances this season.
Thurman has struck out 18 batters in 19.1 innings of work, and has held opposing hitters to a .225 batting average. He earned his second win March 26 versus Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, working 4.1 innings of shutout baseball in an 11-8 win for the Bears.
Before moving to Baylor, Thurman struck out 130 batters in two seasons at McLennan Community College in Waco, TX. He was a two-time all-Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) selection. He was also a draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 31 , 2008
Honkers Sign Second Jaguar
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Jake Overstreet, a 6’1”, 185 pound freshman infielder from the University of South Alabama. He joins teammate Greg Johnson on the Honkers 2008 roster.
Overstreet is currently hitting .304 with a homerun and seven RBIs. Eleven of his 21 hits this season have been for extra bases, with eight doubles, a triple, and the lone homer. In a matchup with Arkansas State Sunday (3/30/08), he homered and drove in a run with a bunt single, leading the Jaguars to an 8-7 win.
Overstreet, a native of Thomasville, AL, was a four-time letter-winner as a third baseman and shortstop with the Thomasville High School Tigers. He was a three-time all-region and all-state selection.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 28 , 2008
Honkers Sign Jaguar Closer
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Greg Johnson, a 6’2”, 220 pound junior right handed pitcher from the University of South Alabama.
Currently the Jaguar’s closer has collected five saves in 11 appearances. Overall he is 1-0 with a 4.03 ERA in 15.1 innings of work. Johnson picked up his lone win on March 14th, working three innings of relief in a 8-7 win over Samford University that lasted 10 innings.
Before joining the Jaguars, Johnson played for Butler Community College in El Dorado, KS. His 14 saves his sophomore year was best in the nation, and he set the school’s single season saves record, with 14, and career saves record, with 17. He was also the top hitter at the NJCAA World Series in 2006.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 26 , 2008
Honkers Senne, Wates Perform Big
(Rochester, MN) A pair of 2008 Rochester Honkers turned in big performances with their college clubs in recent outings.
Rochester native Aaron Senne returned to his home state last night to lead his Missouri Tigers to a 17-8 win in the Metrodome against the University of Minnesota. His two-run homer in his opening at-bat turned into a four hit, eight RBI night, both career highs, that included two homers.
Senne’s eight RBI’s matched the Tiger team record set by Marcus Adler in 1986. Ironically, his eighth of the game was produced when Senne was hit by a pitch in his second plate appearance of the 6th inning.
Senne is hitting .352 this season, and leads the Tigers in home runs (6) and RBIs (32). The Tigers have won 12 games in a row, and are 19-2 overall, the best start in school history. Missouri is currently ranked #2 in the nation.
Virginia Tech’s Austin Wates scored a team high four times in an 18-11 win over James Madison University Tuesday. Wates’ afternoon included three hits and a pair of RBIs to go with his four runs.
Wates is currently hitting .360 with five doubles and 10 RBI. He leads the team in hits (31), runs (22), and is 9-12 in stolen bases, team highs for both steals and attempts.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 25 , 2008
Honkers Sign Illini Pitcher
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Kevin Manson, a 6’7”, 220 pound sophomore pitcher from the University of Illinois. Manson is currently 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in four appearances with the Fighting Illini.
Manson picked up a win in his last outing, throwing 6.1 innings in an 11-9 win over Kansas. He allowed three earned runs on four hits, striking out five, and threw 103 pitches. He earned a win in relief in the season opener against Sam Houston State University, working 3.2 innings of shutout baseball in a 6-4 win.
Manson is a native of Park Ridge, IL., graduating from Maine South High School. He finished his senior season 5-2 with two saves and a 1.26 ERA. He was his team’s Pitcher of the Year and an all-Central Suburban League pitcher in 2006.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 21 , 2008
Robertson returns to Honkers
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Zach Robertson, a 6’0”, 200 pound sophomore pitcher from Iowa Central Community College (ICCC), and the player chosen Most Inspirational Player of the Year by the Honkers a year ago, will return to the Honkers rotation this summer.
Currently, Robertson is 1-1, with 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. He was the opening day starter for the Tritons, throwing five shutout innings, striking out nine, and earned the win in a 6-0 victory versus Lincoln Trails Community College on March 2nd.
Robertson made 11 starts for the Honkers last year, finishing 6-4 with a 2.77 ERA. He led the team in strikeouts, recording 74 in 68.1 innings worked. Three of his four losses came in games where the opposition scored just three runs.
As a freshman at ICCC, he struck out 67 batters in 57.2 innings, finishing the season with a record of 5-3 with a 3.75 ERA. Following his summer with the Honkers, the lefthander will play for the University of Iowa.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 18 , 2008
Honkers Sign Gump
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Brian Gump, a 6’1” 195 pound junior outfielder from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Gump is currently batting .384, with five doubles and a triple and nine RBI. He’s also perfect in the stolen base department, swiping 12 in 12 attempts this season. In four games against Southern Utah University this past weekend, he hit .467 (7-15), and stole three bases.
Gump is a native of Westminster, California, playing his prep ball with the Westminster High Lions. He was a two-time All-Golden West league first team selection, a two time Westminster High Defensive Player-of-the-Year, and was the team’s Most Valuable Player his senior season.
Gump also has past experience with collegiate summer baseball, spending the 2006 season with the Monterey Bay Sox of the California Collegiate League.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 14 , 2008
Honkers Sign Elon Catcher
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Dallas Tarleton, a 5’10”, 195 pound junior from Elon University. Tarleton becomes the third catcher to be signed for the 2008 season.
Tarleton will provide the Honkers a valuable left-handed bat. He is currently batting .276 with two doubles and four RBI for the Phoenix. He has started 10 of their 16 games this season, and has thrown out nine of 17 base-stealers.
Tarleton is in his first year at Elon after spending two years at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina. Last year, he hit .347 with five homers and 36 RBI and was named to the First Team All-South Atlantic Conference and ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region Second Team.
Tarleton is originally from Indian Trails, North Carolina. At Piedmont High School, he was a Two-time 3A All-South Conference and all-state selection, as well as the conference defensive player of the year.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 11 , 2008
Honkers Sign Dayton Infielder
(Rochester, MN) The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Cole Tyrell, a 6’, 185 pound sophomore infielder from the University of Dayton.
Tyrell, the Flyers everyday starting second baseman, demonstrated yesterday that he will be a tough out for Northwoods League pitchers this summer. In a 12-4 win over Austin Peay, Tyrell went 1-2 with a double and drew 4 walks.
As a freshman, Tyrell started 46 games at second base. He hit .216 with 10 doubles, 28 RBI and was second on the team with eight stolen bases.
Tyrell graduated from Minooka High School in Minooka, IL. As a senior he was selected the Suburban Prairie South Conference Most Valuable Player. He was a second team Prep Baseball Report All-State pick, and was named to the Joliet Herald News Second Team in baseball and football.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 7 , 2008
2007 All-Star Hurler Returns to Honkers
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Greg Martin, the 2007 Honkers Pitcher of the Year, and a Northwoods League All Star, will return for his second season with the Honkers. Martin is a 6’2”, 190 pound junior pitcher from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
The Honkers hope Martin carries the roll he’s currently on with him from Greensboro to Rochester. In his last start versus the University of Connecticut on March 2nd, he threw six innings of shutout, five hit baseball to lead the Spartans to a 1-0 win. Martin has surrendered only one earned run this season, and has struck out eight batters in 10.1 innings of work, without allowing a single base-on-balls.
He returns to Rochester as last year’s Honker Pitcher of the Year. He was selected to both the mid-season and post-season Northwoods League All-Star teams. He led the Honkers’ pitching staff in wins in 2007, finishing 8-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 11 starts.
Field Manager Jason Plourde expects Martin to be the foundation of the 2008 pitching rotation. “Martin will be the anchor of our staff,” said Plourde. “He was an all-star last year, and he has carried that success over to this spring. I will look to him to take on a leadership role for the pitching staff.”
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 4 , 2008
Hokie Becomes Honker
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Austin Wates, a 6’1” 174 pound freshman outfielder from the Virginia Tech Hokies. Wates is currently hitting .400 with two doubles, six RBI and is 7-9 in stolen bases. He has started seven of the nine games played so far.
In the final game of the Hawthorne Suites Invitational versus Binghamton Sunday afternoon, Wates was one of the offensive stars for the Hokies. His 3-for-5 afternoon included a double, a run batted in, two runs scored and two stolen bases leading Tech to a 12-1 victory. It was Wates’ fourth multi-hit game in eight games this season. Virginia Tech hosted the event over the weekend, where they finished a perfect 4-0.
Wates graduated from St. Christopher's School (Richmond, VA) in 2007, where he earned all-prep, all-state and all-metro honors in both baseball and soccer, while being named to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association First Team in baseball. He also played on the Virginia Prep League basketball championship team. Prior to moving to Richmond, Wates played two seasons in all three sports at Garfield High School in Seattle, WA. His soccer teams in 2005 and 2006 won state titles, and he once earned regional All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Virginia Tech Head Coach Pete Hughes commented on Wates calling him, “The most athletic kid I've ever recruited.”
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 29, 2008
Honkers Sign Demon Deacon
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Ian Tomkins, a 6’ 3” 195 freshman catcher from Wake Forest. Currently Tomkins is hitting .714 with 1 homerun and 1 RBI. He has started 2 of the 4 games for Wake Forest.
Tomkins graduate from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL where he earned two letters in baseball. As a senior he was ranked the No. 1 catcher and the No. 11 overall prospect in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report.
Wake Forest takes their 1-3 into this weekend’s Screentech Wiregrass Classic in Dothan, Alabama. They will participate in the round-robin tournament with Kennesaw State, Troy and Penn State. The Demon Deacons were picked to finish fourth overall in the Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division in the coach’s pre season poll. Defending Atlantic Division champion Florida State was picked to repeat as champions.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 26, 2008
Riverside Reliever is a Honker
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Kevin Dickey, a 6’3” 185 pound right-handed reliever from the University of California at Riverside.
Dickey, a sophomore, helped the Highlanders to an opening day win (2/22/08) over the University of Washington when he pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Dickey entered the game tied at 2. He surrendered no hits and struck out 2 as the Highlanders went on to 3-2 victory.
As a freshman, Dickey made seven appearances out of the bullpen. He posted a 0-0 record with a 4.91 ERA in 7.1 innings pitched and collected 7 strikeouts. Dickey made an appearance in the NCAA Regional vs. the No. 1 seeded Arizona State.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 19, 2008
Honkers Add Speed to Roster
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Ross Speed, a 6’ 3” 200 pound freshman pitcher from Baylor University.
This past fall at Baylor’s intra squad games, the right hander made five appearances with one start. He pitched 15.0 innings while recording 16 strikeouts.
Speed graduated from Westwood High School in Austin, TX. He was named the 33rd top prospect in Texas by Perfect Game Crosschecker entering his senior season as well as being named a Rawlings Preseason All-American. He finished his senior campaign 10-4 with a 2.71 ERA and held opponents to a .202 batting average. Speed pitched 101.0 innings with 143 strikeouts and was named the Westwood Pitcher of the Year. He also played linebacker for their football team.
The Baylor Bears are ranked 15th nationally by Baseball America in preseason polls and are slated to finish second in the Big 12 Conference. Former Rochester Honker, Raynor Campbell, a sophomore infielder at Baylor, was just named preseason All-Big 12 Conference by Baseball America. Baylor opens up the 2008 season this weekend, hosting Purdue for a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 15, 2008
Honkers Sign Hefty Righty Spartan
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing ofSpencer Snodgrass, a 6-foot 230-pound pitcher from San Jose State. The right handed sophomore is expected to be in the weekend starting rotation for the Spartans.
Snodgrass finished his freshman season 2-2 with a 5.47 ERA. He pitched 54.1 innings, giving up 18 walks and striking out 26. He appeared in 20 games, 10 of which were starts. His first collegiate win came on the Spartans home opener against St. Mary’s when he pitched three shutout innings of relief, retiring eight in a row after allowing a leadoff infield single in the fifth inning.
Snodgrass graduated from Pitman High School in Turlock, CA where he earned three letters in baseball. He finished his senior season 7-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 55.2 innings of work. He also hit .422 with 24 RBIs. Snodgrass was a two-time first-team Central California Conference selection and was named to The Modesto Bee first-team all-district as a senior. He was also named The Modesto Bee All-District and league Lineman of the Year as a senior.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 12, 2008
Redbird in the Honkers Outfield
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Tyler McNeely, a 5’ 11” 190-pound sophomore from Illinois State University in Normal, IL. McNeely will play alongside Craig Lutes (Illinois) and Aaron Senne (Missouri) in the Honkers outfield this summer.
McNeely enters the Illinois State Redbird season after a very successful 2007 summer campaign playing for the Allegany Nitros of the New York Collegiate League. He finished the summer hitting .308 with a team best 44 hits and was named to the West Division All-Star Team.
As a freshman, McNeely finished the season hitting .152 with only 33 at bats and was 4-5 in stolen bases and was awarded the Coach Duffy Bass “Mr. Hustle” Award by his coaches and teammates. However his speed and hustle will definitely impact the Redbird lineup this year season.
“The more at bats he gets, the more comfortable he will become,” said Illinois State head coach, Jim Brownlee. “But his biggest strength is that he can really run, and he can really throw. He might be one of the fastest players that I have ever coached.” Brownlee added that he believes McNeely will be the opening day right fielder.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 8, 2008
Tim Scott Returns to Pitch for the Honkers
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Tim Scott, a 6’ 3” 210 pound sophomore from St. Cloud State University will return for his second season with the Honkers. The left-handed side-armer transferred to St. Cloud from the University of Nebraska after the 2007 season.
Scott appeared in 21 games for the Honkers last summer, 20 of which were relief appearances. He pitched 31.0 innings, picking up one save and striking out 13. Scott was used primarily as a short reliever and in situations requiring a left handed pitcher.
Scott graduated from Ely High School in Ely, MN in 2005 where he was an all-around athlete. He earned four letters in baseball, basketball and football. As a senior pitcher, Scott earned all-area and all-conference honors in addition to being chosen as the Area Player of the Year. He was also a two-time all-state selection and a four-time all-conference pick in basketball. He became only the 11th player in Minnesota High School history to score more than 2,000 points and grabbing over 1,000 rebounds.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 1, 2008
Honkers Have New Voice!
(Rochester, MN)-The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Ryan Cunningham will be the new radio voice of the Rochester Honkers. Cunningham will also function as the media contact and marketer with the Honkers front office.
"I'm very excited about this opportunity to be the voice of the Honkers, and to be involved with the day-to-day operations of the team,” said Cunningham. “It's a challenge I can't wait to take on.”
Cunningham, 32, worked the past six years at KOVC Radio in Valley City, ND as the play-by-play voice of the Valley City State University Vikings. He called football, basketball, and baseball, as well as area high schools. A native of Valley City, Cunningham has averaged 125 play-by-play broadcasts per year in his home territory.
Cunningham began his career at KOVC as a part-time announcer in 1993. He worked his way into a full-time position as sports director of KDDR Radio in Oakes, ND in 1996, and had stints with various stations under the corporate umbrella of Sioux Valley Broadcasting throughout the early years of his career.
In 2000, Cunningham moved to Cleveland, Mississippi, to assume the role of broadcaster and marketing executive for Delta State University. During his tenure there, he broadcast the NCAA Division II national football championship, won by Delta State. It was this job that brought Cunningham to Rochester for the first time. In the spring of 2001, he attended the NCAA Div. II Elite 8 women's basketball tournament, played at the Mayo Civic Center. Cunningham returned to North Dakota after that season to replace his sports casting mentor, Dave O'Bannon, who died suddenly of cancer in the summer of 2001.
All Rochester Honkers regular and post season games will once again be heard on Sports Radio 1520 The Ticket and on the internet at www.rochesterhonkers.com.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 30 , 2008
Honkers Sign Missouri Hurler
(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Ryan Dawson, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Missouri. Dawson, a 6’3”, 195-pound freshman will join fellow Tiger teammate Aaron Senne to the Honkers this summer.
Dawson played last summer for the Chillicothe Mudcats of the MINK (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) League where he posted a 4-2 record with 54 strikeouts.
Dawson graduated from Warrensburg High School (Warrensburg, MO) where he finished his prep career 21-5, with a 2.12 ERA and 214 strikeouts. As a senior he went 7-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 74 strikeouts. Dawson also saw action at the plate, posting a career .428 batting average, with 16 home runs and 118 RBI's. Dawson was a four-time first team all-conference and first team all-district selection, selected all-state by the coaches in 2006, won the team’s Cy Young Award three times (2004, 2005, 2006) and was the Team MVP as a senior. Dawson graduated in the top 15 percent of his class and earned the Academic Excellence Award all four years of high school. He is majoring in nutrition and fitness at Missouri.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 25 , 2008
Canadian Catcher Catches on in Rochester!
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Aaron Johnson, a sophomore catcher from the University of Illinois. He’ll join second year Honker and Illini teammate, Craig Lutes this summer.
Johnson, a 6’0” 195 pound native of Sussex Corner, New Brunswick, played last summer for the Lethbridge Bulls of the Western Major Baseball League in Canada. He hit .333 with 18 RBI, eight doubles and 15 runs scored while throwing out 40% of would-be base-stealers. He spent his freshman season attending the Canadian Prairie Baseball Academy where he hit .333 with 30 RBI, seven doubles and was 9 out of 12 in stolen bases.
Johnson was drafted in the 46th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 22 , 2008
Fighting Illini Returns to Honkers Outfield!
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Craig Lutes, a 6-foot 175 pound sophomore outfielder from the University of Illinois, will return to the Honkers outfield this summer. Lutes, the everyday starting left fielder for the Honkers last summer, will play on the opposite side of another returning Honker and Rochester native, Aaron Senne from the University of Missouri.
Lutes finished the 2007 Honkers campaign hitting .198 with 13 RBIs, eight doubles and five stolen bases. He played 51 of his 58 games starting in left field but also saw action at center field and designated hitter.
As a freshman at Illinois, Lutes played in 21 games, starting 9. He hit .289 with 12 RBIs and a .556 slugging percentage in 45 at bats. Lutes graduate from Normal High School (Normal, IL) where he earned four letters in baseball and football and three in basketball. He hit .377 with a .520 on-base percentage as a senior. Lutes played quarterback for the Normal Community Class 6A state runner-up football team as a senior and also averaged 12.9 points per game for his basketball team. He was named the 2006 Bloomington Pantagraph Male Athlete of the Year.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 15 , 2008
Honkers Sign Osprey!
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Jonathan Turner, a 6’5” 215 pound right-handed sophomore reliever from the University of North Florida (UNF), has signed to play with the Honkers this summer. Turner plays for former Rochester Honkers field manager, Greg Labbe.
Turner finished the 2007 UNF Osprey season 4-2 with a 5.79 ERA. His 4 wins were most among all UNF relievers. He was third on the team in appearances (19) and struck out 26 in 42.0 innings of work. Turner’s best performance was against Indiana when he pitched four scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win in the longest game of UNF history, a 16 inning affair that UNF won 10-9. Turner was redshirted as a freshman in 2006.
Turner graduated from Winter Haven High School (Winter Haven, FL) in 2005 where he pitched and played first base. He earned first-team all-state honors as a senior after hitting .490 with 16 doubles and four home runs and posting a 10-2 record with a 2.25 ERA on the mound. He struck out 80 in 73.0 innings pitched.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 11 , 2008
Honkers Sign Great Lakes Player of the Year!
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Jake Oester, the reigning 2007 Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL) Player of the Year, will play for the Honkers this summer. Oester, a 6’1” 196 pound junior infielder from the University of Toledo will anchor the Honkers infield seeing time at third base and shortstop.
Oester played for the Cincinnati Steam this past summer, batting .376 (44-for-117) with 24 runs scored, 12 doubles, three home runs and 16 RBIs in 32 games. He helped lead his team to a 23-14 record and finished first on the Steam in batting average, slugging percentage (.590), on-base percentage (.460), runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, total bases (69) and games started. He was selected to the GLSCL All-Star Team and then awarded the GLSCL Player of the Year honors.
As a sophomore for Toledo, Oester started 53 games at shortstop, hitting .323 with three home runs and 24 RBI. He tallied 19 multi-hit efforts and was 18th in the Mid-American Conference in batting average. The Cincinnati, OH native was tops on the squad in on-base percentage (.414), second in runs scored (38) and walks (24), tied for second in triples (2) and third in batting average, games started and hit by pitches (6). He ended the season red-hot and hit safely in 16 of the last 17 games played. Oester’s father Ron, played professional baseball for the Cincinnati Reds for 13 years (1978-1990).
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 8 , 2008
Aaron Senne Returns to Honkers
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Rochester native Aaron Senne, a 6’2” 196 lb sophomore outfielder from the University of Missouri, will return to the Honkers lineup in 2008.
“I’m really excited to come back home this summer and play for the Rochester Honkers,” said Senne. “The dedicated Honkers fans and the atmosphere at the Honkers games have brought me back for another shot at the prestigious Northwoods League title in 2008!”
Senne finished the 2007 Honkers season leading the team and the Northwoods League in home runs with 9, in only 50 games played. He hit .230 with six doubles, 33 RBI and five stolen bases. Senne was the Honkers every day starting right fielder but also saw time at first base and as a designated hitter.
Senne completed his freshman campaign at Missouri hitting .289 with 17 doubles, seven home runs and 43 RBI. He started every Big 12 Conference game for the Tigers, hitting .288 with nine double and three home runs in conference action.
Senne graduated from Mayo High School in 2006 where he had a career batting average of .505 with 28 home runs. As a pitcher he posted a career mark of 25-7 with a 1.62 ERA and 214 strikeouts. After his senior season, Senne was named the Gatorade Minnesota High School Player of the Year, and named Mayo High School’s Mr. Golden Arm and Mr. Offense. He was then drafted in the 13th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft by the Minnesota Twins.
January 2 , 2008
Quentin Berner Joins Honkers' Front Office!
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Quentin Berner has joined their front office and has been named the team’s Assistant General Manager.
“I am privileged to get the opportunity to join such a credible organization,” said Berner. “The Honkers have proven to be a sustainable operation both on and off the field I am excited to be part of their front office.”
Berner, 25, joins the Honkers after spending 4 months as the General Manager of the Rochester Fire of the American Basketball Association. Prior to the Fire, Berner was an Account Executive with the Detroit Ignition of the Major Indoor Soccer League.
“We are really excited to have “Q” as part of our team,” said Honkers General Manager Dan Litzinger. “He brings professionalism and dedication beyond his years!”
Berner earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Marketing from Kansas State University (August, 2006) and was on the Dean’s List from 2004-2006. He also obtained a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Bible Sciences from Manhattan Christian College (May, 2006). He played both baseball and soccer at MCC. Berner was the soccer’s team Co-captain in 2005 and received the team’s Coach’s Award of Excellence in 2005. Berner and his wife Katie reside in Rochester, MN.
The Rochester Honkers 15th season begins on May 29th, 2008 when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
