January 7, 2010

(Willmar, MN) – The Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League announced their inaugural season schedule today.  The Stingers will open their first season in the Northwoods League by hosting the St. Cloud River Bats on Thursday, June 3 at Bill Taunton Stadium.  Game time is set for 7:05p.  The Stingers will play a 70 game schedule with 35 games played at Bill Taunton Stadium.
 

The Northwoods League regular season begins on Wednesday, June 2nd and concludes on Monday, August 16th. The 2010 NWL Playoffs will begin the following day with a pair of best-of-three divisional series pitting the first-half champion against the second-half champion in each division. The winners will advance to the best-of-three NWL Championship Series that will open on Friday, August 20th. The 2010 NWL All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 20th at Carson Park in Eau Claire, WI.

The Championship Series and the All-Star Game will be the only meetings in 2010 between the North Division and South Division as the Northwoods League now has two eight-team divisions.  “As the expansion from 14 teams to 16 teams was taking place we decided that this was the best scheduling format for the Northwoods League,” said NWL Director of Operations Curt Carstensen. “We now have a very balanced schedule and reduced travel for the teams and players.”   Each team will face the other seven teams in their division ten times with five head-to-head matchups in each half of the season. The first half will close on July 8th.