Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks will open their 2023 season against the Rochester Honkers on Monday, May 29th. Darrell Handelsman is set to return for his second stint as the Bucks’ field manager after 21 years away from the team. Additionally, assistant coaches Tim Nolan, Jack Nathan and Mack Stephenson round out the Bucks’ four-man coaching staff.

Darrell Handelsman – Handelsman returns to the Bucks after managing the club from 1999 to 2002. That stretch saw Handelsman win two consecutive NWL Manager of the Year awards in 2000 and 2001 while leading the Bucks to an NWL championship in 2002. Handelsman also won another NWL title with the Madison Mallards in 2004.

Handelsman’s managerial career has taken him to several different locations across the NWL, Coastal Plain League and Prospect League. Across his 20-plus year career, Handelsman has achieved a total of 755 wins, including 409 wins in the NWL which puts him at 2nd in the league’s all-time win list. Handelsman also has 12 postseason victories in the NWL, making him the league’s winningest manager in the postseason history.

Handelsman played collegiately at San Francisco State University while starting his coaching career not long after his playing day as an assistant with Los Angeles Valley College.

Tim Nolan – Nolan is set to join the Bucks’ 2023 coaching staff as the pitching coach. Nolan has 15 years of experience as a pitching instructor, working mostly out of Southern California. This past year, Nolan served as the pitching coach for Whittier College, a Division III school in Orange County, California.

Nolan spent his playing days at Biola University while going off to get a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Azusa Pacific University and a master’s degree in coaching from Concordia University Irvine.

Jack Nathan – Coming out of Vienna, Virginia, Nathan joins the Bucks’ coaching staff after just recently concluding a five-year career as a pitcher with High Point University. This will be Nathan’s first season as an assistant coach.

Mack Stephenson – Stephenson joins the Bucks’ coaching staff after spending the past year as the Director of Player Development at Emporia State University.  Stephenson played five seasons at William Jewell College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and his master’s degree in education.

The Bucks Opening Day roster will feature young talent from schools across the country.

Out of the 37 players currently under contract this season, five of them are returners from last season’s Bucks squad: infielder Cameron Cromer (SE Oklahoma St.), pitcher Dylan Warda (Indiana), pitcher Matt Cuzco (Indiana), infielder Brodie Kresser (West Virginia) and infielder Aaron Ujimori (Hawaii).

The roster will also feature 12 players from Power Five schools: the aforementioned Warda, Cuzco and Kresser, catcher Cortlan Castle (Baylor), infielder Brandon Anderson (Louisville), pitcher Korey Bunselmeyer (Illinois), outfielder Michael Lippe (LouisvIlle), pitcher Aaron Savary (Iowa), outfielder Christian Smith (Illinois), infielder Hunter Teplanszky (Baylor), infielder Drake Wescott (Illinois) and utility player Ben Wilmes (Iowa).

The roster is set to have a seven-man starting rotation of Jakub Amado (Los Angeles Mission College), Andrew Dusablon (Cypress College), Ty Roder (Wright St.), Seth White (Santa Barbara City College), Jack Laird (Seton Hill), Chaney Trout (E. Illinois) and Noah Larkin (Cal Poly). White is expected to be the opening day starter against the Honkers.

The Bucks’ opening day bullpen will consist of the aforementioned Cuzco, Warda, Bunselmeyer and Savary, Patrick Mastrian IV (Miami (OH)), Sam Skarich (Southeastern CC) and Ethan Alexander (W. Illinois).

The Bucks open their 29^th season of Northwoods League play at home on Monday, May 29 versus the Rochester Honkers at 2:35 pm.  Tickets are currently available by calling the Bucks Ticket Line at (319) 232-5633 or online:  https://waterloo-bucks.nwltickets.com/SingleGame/Tickets.  Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com or utilizing the Northwoods League Mobile App.

 

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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Recently completing its’ 29^th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, 300 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 World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bucks as your favorite team.