Thunder Bay, Ont.,- With the home opener for the 2026 season just three weeks away, the Thunder Bay Border Cats are pleased to announce they’ve added four more returnees from last year’s roster. Manager Joe Ellison has signed pitcher Mason Kosowick, pitcher George Hansen, catcher Ayden Hadley, and outfielder Dylan Snead.
Kosowick, is a 6’7”, 265-pound righthander from the University of Georgia, where he has touched 98 miles per hour on the radar gun in his senior year with the Bulldogs. The native of Fort Worth, TX, appeared in four games with the Border Cats last season and had a 2-1 record with a 5.54 earned run average, adding 10 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched.
Hansen, who hails Superior, WI, is a 6’3”, 215-pound junior at Oakland University in Michigan. The lefthander pitched in six games for Thunder Bay in 2025 and compiled a 1-0 record with two saves and a 2.25 ERA.
Hadley, a Canadian born catcher from Langley, BC, is currently in his junior season at Sacramento State University in California. The 6’0″, 210-pound lefthanded hitter played in 20 games with the Cats last season and batted .286 with two home runs, four doubles, and 17 runs batted in.
Snead, one of the top defensive outfielders in the Northwoods League, is in his sophomore season at Ottawa University in Kansas. The 5’10”, 175-pound native of Frisco, TX, was a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Star this spring as he batted a scorching .369 with ten home runs, 59 runs batted in, and 37 stolen bases. Snead appeared in 29 games with the Cats in 2025 and hit .210 with 13 RBI and 17 stolen bases.
The Border Cats kick off the 2026 campaign on Monday, May 25, in Waterloo, Iowa, against the Bucks. The Cats home opener is Friday, May 29, at 7:05pm at Port Arthur Stadium versus the Eau Claire Express. Single game tickets can be purchased at the stadium box office weekdays from 11:00 am to 3:00pm or online at www.bordercatsbaseball.com.
The 2026 Border Cats roster is available here: Roster – Thunder Bay Border Cats
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The Thunder Bay Border Cats are a proud member of the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its’ 33rd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 410 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer, two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (atwatch.northwoodsleague.com).