WOODCHUCKS BRING EXCITING NEWCOMERS, EXPERIENCED VETERANS TO TEAM IN HOPES
OF BREAKING 23-YEAR TITLE DROUGHT

WAUSAU, WI— 288 days ago, on August 9, 2025, another magical, unforgettable season of baseball in Central Wisconsin ended in bitter fashion.

The Wausau Woodchucks, who had won the second half title in the Great Lakes West to advance into the Northwoods League Playoffs, lost their second game on a best-of-three series with their divisional round opponent, the Green Bay Rockers. The Rockers would go on to win the Northwoods League title, while Wausau sat bewildered at a second straight record-breaking season ending in disappointment in the divisional round.

The highlights and achievements for last year’s team were vast. The Woodchucks won 46 games, the second most in a single season in franchise history. They also went 28-5 at Athletic Park, and broke the franchise record for consecutive home wins (20). In addition to that, the Woodchucks broke 19 different individual and team records last season. That included new franchise-best marks for team batting average, total runs scored, RBIs, on-base percentage and stolen bases.

That success, paired with another superb season in 2024, makes Wausau the most dominant team in the Northwoods League over the last two years. Since the start of the 2024 season, Wausau has won 97 games, more than any of the other 23 teams in the league in that two-year span. So, the goal for Wausau is simple: to find a way to maintain the standard of winning, and if so, translate it to postseason success.

ICONIC MANAGER RETURNS FOR YEAR FIVE

So how do the Woodchucks accomplish this? It starts with the winningest manager in franchise history, Corey Thompson, announcing his return for a fifth season at the helm. The Keiser University pitching coach and 2024 Northwoods League Manager of the Year has brought unmatched levels of success to Athletic Park during his time at the helm, winning 180 games and making the playoffs in his last three seasons as coach. In the four years that Thompson has been Wausau’s head coach (2021-22, 2024-25), only one team (St. Cloud) has a better winning percentage over that stretch, and only two teams have more total wins (St. Cloud, 196, Traverse City, 181).

“We play this game to win, at the end of the day,” Thompson said. “Nowadays, with travel baseball the way that it is, (players) don’t have to necessarily win. They just have to showcase their skills to get to a college, and then hopefully to get to a draft. You have to re-teach them how to win a baseball game and how to play winning baseball. And so I think it’s very valuable, the way we do things.”

WAUSAU WELCOMES BACK KEY RETURNERS FROM ’25 TEAM. 

Fortunately, the Woodchucks will have a few players who understand the demands and expectations for Wausau baseball. The list of returning players for the Woodchucks in the 2026 season include shortstop Jake Berkland (Minnesota State-Mankato), left-handed pitcher Carter White (Eastern Michigan) and two-way star Brayden Mazzacano (Illinois). These three lead headline Wausau’s returning core, though the Woodchucks are expected to add even more veteran talent to their roster this summer.

Berkland will become part of a rare list of Woodchucks to play in three different seasons. He was an integral part of the success of both the 2024 and 2025 squads, which included a “Finest in the Field” award in 2024 for his remarkable defensive efforts. The Woodchucks have a record of 71-34, with a winning percentage of 67.6%, when Berkland plays.

Carter White was one of the top pitchers in the Northwoods League in the first half last summer, posting a 2.45 ERA and a 3-0 record in 6 appearances. The left-hander struck out 27 batters and allowed only 8 earned runs, and Wausau had an undefeated 6-0 record when he took the mound.

Mazzacano showed consistent impact for Wausau in multiple facets in 2025. The Schaumburg, Illinois native was named an “ironman” last year, after completing the summer with the Woodchucks from Opening Day to the final game of the postseason. He had strong contributions at the plate, with 17 RBIs and a .388 on-base percentage, but was also impressive on the mound, making nine appearances with a 4.41 ERA and 15 strikeouts.

WOODCHUCKS BRING HIGH-CALIBER TALENT, ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE TO 2026 ROSTER

As always, Wausau will have fresh faces taking the field at Athletic Park this summer, aiming to build on the success that those before them have instilled with the organization.

Last summer, the Woodchucks received steady production from three players who went on to play at the University of Kansas this spring. Wausau will follow a similar approach this season, adding three players committed to joining the Jayhawks in spring of 2027—Ryan Chase (Santa Fe College/Kansas), Bradon Durfee (Pasco-Hernando State College/Kansas) and Holden Groebl (Cowley College/Kansas).

Ryan Chase was phenomenal in his sophomore campaign at Santa Fe, hitting 8 home runs with 36 RBIs at the JUCO Division I level. Chase had a career batting average of .392 in his two-year stint with the Saints, which included 50 extra base hits. Bradon Durfee comes in with a resume stacked with success. The outfielder won the NJCAA DII World Series at Pasco-Hernando State in 2025, winning the World Series Most Valuable Player award after hitting a critical grand slam that led his team to the title. Durfee holds three individual records with Pasco-Hernando State, and will compete with the Bobcats again at the DII World Series before arriving in Central Wisconsin. Holden Groebl will become the second Woodchuck to take the route from Cowley College to Kansas, following last year’s second baseman, Cade Baldridge. Groebl had a monster freshman campaign for Cowley College, which included a .332 batting average, 10 home runs and 44 RBIs.

The Woodchucks also bring in new faces from both sides of the country. Freshmen Gavin Triezenberg (Arizona) and Caleb Danziesen (Arizona) both come in for the summer from Tucson, while Wausau also features SEC talent this season in the form of Dawson Harman (South Carolina).

One particularly intriguing addition is a former Northwoods League foe crossing enemy lines. Former Madison Mallard Jase Schueller (Sacred Heart) is expected to be a valuable piece of the Woodchucks bullpen this summer. Schueller pitched in Madison for the last two summers, making 34 appearances and holding a 4.94 ERA. Schueller recorded seven saves with the Mallards back in 2024, with one of them coming in a crucial time against the Woodchucks in the Northwoods League playoffs. This year, the veteran right-hander will be one of the most experienced arms in the league—this time pitching for the Woodchucks rather than against them.

SCHEDULE OUTLOOK

Once again, the Woodchucks will need to find ways to win while navigating one of the toughest schedules in the Northwoods League. 72 percent of Wausau’s schedule consists of opponents from its division, the Great Lakes West. The Woodchucks are slated to face three teams 12 times (Wisconsin Rapids, Green Bay and Fond du Lac), while they will compete against the other two divisional foes eight times each (Lakeshore Madison). Wausau has just one opponent from the Great Lakes East on the schedule: Kenosha, who the Woodchucks will play four times this summer.

The remaining four teams on the schedule all come from the Great Plains Division, a change from last year’s schedule where the Woodchucks did not play a team from the other division. Wausau will play Eau Claire, Thunder Bay, and last year’s Northwoods League runner-up, Duluth, four times each. Wausau will play the Minnesota Mud Puppies twice.

There are already some exciting dates for Woodchucks fans to circle on their calendars. Wausau’s quest to capture a third league title in franchise history will begin on Monday, May 25, on Memorial Day, on the road against the Madison Mallards. The final game of the first half will be on Tuesday, June 30, at Witter Field when Wausau takes on Wisconsin Rapids.

For the second straight season, Wausau has the privilege to host a game on the Fourth of July. They’ll do it this season against the same opponent—Madison. The Woodchucks will hope for similar fireworks after taking down the Mallards last year on July 4 in walk-off fashion. Shortly after, the Woodchucks will enjoy the Northwoods League All-Star break, which takes place from July 6-9. The final regular season game for the Woodchucks will be on Saturday, August 8, when the Minnesota Mud Puppies come to Athletic Park. Wausau will hope that’s not the last game of the year, though, as the playoffs start Sunday, August 9, and conclude Thursday, August 13, with the Northwoods League Championship game.

Fans can catch every single game this season by watching on FloSports, the new streaming partner of the Northwoods League. The first opportunity to watch the Woodchucks at Athletic Park this season will come on Thursday, June 28, when Wausau hosts the defending Northwoods League champions, Green Bay, in the 2026 Home Opener. Tickets for this game and every other game at Athletic Park for the 2026 season are available online at woodchucks.com.

The stage is set as Wausau aims to break the drought and secure a first Northwoods League championship since 2003.