THUNDER BAY–In the finale of what has been a magical inaugural season, the Willmar Stingers ended their year on a high note with a come from behind, eleven inning, 10-7 win over the Thunder Bay Border Cats at Port Arthur Stadium on Monday night. With the victory, the Stingers end their initial season of Northwoods League play eight games over .500 with a 39-31 record.

Willmar’s season without question exceeded even the wildest expectations for a first year club, as the Stingers came within mere percentage points of a playoff spot. Overcoming a high team ERA, the Stingers finished the 2010 season with the third highest run total in the League, and the sixth highest team batting average, slotting in at .270 overall. Leading the way for Willmar offensively all season was mid-season and postseason All Star Jordan Smith. The Willmar native finished the year with the second highest batting average in the League at .374, a team leading five home runs, and was tied for second in the Northwoods League with 56 RBI’s.

The Stingers fielded a combined four mid-season and postseason All Stars, as pitcher Charley Olson, Smith, and Isaac Ballou represented Willmar in Eau Claire at the midseason classic, and Smith and Carlos Leyva were named postseason All Stars on Monday. Leading off for the majority of the season, Leyva finished 2010 with a .323 average, 24 RBI’s, and a League leading 29 stolen bases.

The Stingers would like to express their deep gratitude to all the host families, staff, players, coaches, and fans that have made the Inaugural season of Northwoods League baseball in Willmar a huge success. For season ticket information for the 2011 season, please call 320-222-2010 or visit willmarstingers.com for more information. For the final time in 2010, we remind you to log on to wctrib.com for all your Stingers coverage. The 2010 season has been presented by Charter.