
Waterloo, Iowa – The Northwoods League has announced Waterloo Bucks second baseman Caleb Parker and shortstop Zach Davis are 2026 Rawlings “Finest in the Field” Award winners. The annual award recognizes the top fielders at each position.
Caleb Parker,
who is now a redshirt senior at Minnesota State University-Mankato, finished the season with a .962 fielding percentage. The Minooka, Illinois native appeared in 69 games for Waterloo, committing only 13 errors in 262 total chances. Parker also recently won a Rawlings Hitting Award and was named to the NWL Postseason All-Star Team.
Zach Davis,
a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, ended the season with just nine errors in 214 total chances. Now a sophomore at Shelton State Community College, Davis finished the year with a .958 fielding percentage.
The 2026 Rawlings ‘Finest in the Field’ Award recipients and their fielding percentages are below.
| Position | Player | NWL Team | Fielding Percentage |
| C | Alex Kea | Lakeshore Chinooks | .991 |
| 1B | Jalen Smith | Duluth Huskies | .989 |
| 2B | Caleb Parker | Waterloo Bucks | .962 |
| 3B | Thomas Cooper | Battle Creek Battle Jacks | .948 |
| SS | Zach Davis | Waterloo Bucks | .958 |
| OF | Brayden Kohls | Minnesota Mud Puppies | 1.000 |
| OF | Jackson Thomas | Richmond Flying Mummies | .991 |
| OF | Matt Maize | Rochester Honkers | .991 |
| P | Kade Irons | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | 1.000 |
Rawlings has been rewarding the top defenders in the Northwoods League since 2002. The winners are selected based on final fielding statistics compiled by the Northwoods League and receive a special Rawlings engraved trophy. Rawlings is the official equipment provider for the Northwoods League.
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The Bucks recently wrapped up their 2026 campaign and 32nd season of NWL baseball with attendance increasing by 195 per game. Fans are encouraged to shop their online store at https://waterloo-bucks-llc.square.site/ during the offseason.
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. Having completed 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 435 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 (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion 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 FloSports.tv. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bucks as your favorite team.