ST. CLOUD, MN (WSAU) — The Green Bay Rockers claimed their first Northwoods League championship on Friday defeating the St. Cloud Rox 4-3 in St. Cloud.
Mateo Matthews (Wagner College) went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one walk. Jayson Jones (Arkansas) went 1-for-3 with one walk and two runs scored. Zane Zielinski (Illinois – Chicago) and Sam Polk (Washington St. Louis) each tallied a hit with one RBI on the night. Kendal Ewell (Illinois – Chicago) went 2-for-5 with a home run and one RBI. Brett Sanchez (Belhaven University) earned the win by throwing 6 innings and allowing four hits, two runs, one walk, and five strikeouts.
The Rockers, who entered the league in 2007 as the Green Bay Bullfrogs, finished the season with a 41-31 record and went a perfect 4-0 in the postseason, defeating the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters en route to the Great Lakes Division title.
Friday’s game closed out the 30th season in Northwoods League history, with preparation already underway for season 31 next year which may bring some change. The Great Plains Division continues to boast an uneven number of teams, with no indication that an expansion team in Hudson will materialize. That division has played the last two seasons with a travel-only team in the Minnesota Mud Puppies, based out of the Twin Cities.
Over the next few months, the league is expected to announce the lineup for its first-ever summer collegiate softball season. Several current NWL markets have expressed interest in participating including Mankato, La Crosse, and Wausau- though the Softball Woodchucks likely won’t take the field until 2025 when renovations to Athletic Park are complete including the installation of a FieldTurf infield.
Comments