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July 28, 2010
Honkers Blast Brainerd
(Rochester, MN) – Aaron Siefken (Iowa Central CC) led the Rochester Honkers to a 9-2 victory over the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers Wednesday night in Rochester.
Siefken pitched 6.2 innings, holding the Lunkers to just one run on three hits while fanning four. Siefken improves to 1-0 on the season, picking up the win in his first start for Rochester. Anthony Lopez (Cal St. Los Angeles) made his first appearance out of the Honkers bullpen, throwing 1.1 innings of perfect baseball while picking up two strikeouts. Ian Kadish (Marshall) made his final appearance in teal and black, throwing one inning, allowing one run off two hits and recording one strikeout.
Josef Terry (Cerritos College) cashed in a solid performance at the plate, finishing 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Matt Dittman (Illinois) also finished the night 4-for-5 while scoring two runs. Ryan Hambright (Oregon) and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) both finished with multi-hit nights and two RBIs each.
After a quiet three innings to start the game, the Honkers offense caught fire, scoring three runs in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth to take a 6-0 lead. After the shut out was busted up in the top of the seventh, Hambright responded with a two-run home run over the right field wall to extend the lead to 8-1. Terry would single in his second run of the night to give the Honkers a 9-1 lead in the eighth. Brainerd would plate a run in the ninth, but Kadish would slam the door to secure a 9-2 victory.
With the win, the Honkers improve to 7-9 in the second half while the Lunkers fall to 9-7. Rochester travels to Mankato tomorrow night. The Honkers are scheduled to throw ace Mike Strong (Oklahoma State). The series shifts to Mayor Field on Friday. Both game times are scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 27, 2010
McKeon Shuts Out Lunkers in Big Win
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers shut out the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers by the score of 9-0 at Mayo Field in Rochester Tuesday night.
Rochester native Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) was dazzling on the mound for the Honkers, picking up his fourth win of the season. McKeon tossed eight innings while scattering five hits and collecting five strikeouts. Michael Ormseth (Luna CC) closed out the ninth for the Honkers, sitting down the Lunkers in order.
Matt Dittman (Illinois) finished the night with three hits on four trips to the plate while collecting an RBI. Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) led the team with four RBIs on a 2-for-4 night including a towering home run to right field. Jimmy Waters (Kansas) and Josef Terry (Cerritos College) also recorded an RBI in the victory for the Honkers.
Rochester jumped all over the Brainerd Lakes Area starter Patrick Nathanson (Florida Gulf Coast), who only lasted one inning while allowing three runs. The Honkers plated two more runs in the bottom of the second on a Waters double, upping the lead to 5-0. Again, Rochester scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth frame, giving the Honkers and McKeon a comfortable 7-0 edge. Elder put the game out of reach with a two-run blast over the right field wall, extending their advantage to 9-0.
With the win, the Honkers improve to 6-9 while the Lunkers fall to 9-6. The rubber match between these two teams is tomorrow as Aaron Siefken (Iowa Central CC) makes his first start as a member of Rochester. Ian Horkley (Davidson) gets the start for the Lunkers. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 26, 2010
Rochester Loses Second Consecutive
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers lost to the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers 9-5 on Monday night at Mayo Field in Rochester.
Jimmy Waters (Kansas) was one of four Honkers who finished the night with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside), Davy Wright (TCU) and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) each registered two hits. Matt Dittman (Illinois), Zach Miller (St. Louis) and Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) all recorded an RBI in the loss for Rochester.
Getting the start for the Honkers was right-hander Sean Martin (San Jose State) who lasted just four innings. Martin surrendered three runs on five hits while striking out five. With the game tied at three, Ryan Hambright (Oregon) came in to pitch the fifth and sixth innings for the Honkers. Hambright allowed four runs on six hits with one strikeout while taking the loss, dropping his record to 0-1. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) pitched 1.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing two runs on five hits while sitting down three Lunkers via the strikeout. Ian Kadish (Marshall) only allowed two hits in the final 1.1 innings while picking up a strikeout.
Both teams rushed out of the gate, scoring two runs each in the first inning. The Lunkers would score the go-ahead run in the top of the fourth before the Honkers would answer with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Brainerd would get to Hambright in the top of the sixth, plating four runs to take a 7-5 lead. The Lunkers would put up two insurance runs in the top of the eighth, extending their advantage to 9-5.
The Honkers fall to 5-9 while the Lunkers improve to 9-5 in the second half. Tomorrow night, Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) will toe the rubber for Rochester while Patrick Nathanson (Florida Golf Coast) gets the call for Brainerd. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 25, 2010
Honkers Split After Extra Inning Loss
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers fell to Alexandria by the score of 7-6 in the eleventh inning at Mayo Field in Rochester Sunday afternoon.
Geno Escalante (Cal St. Fullerton) led the Honker offense, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Matt Dittman (Illinois) only chalked up one hit but led the team with two RBIs. Rochester got a good performance from the top of their lineup with the top four batters all recording at least one hit and one RBI.
Phil Haig (Florida International) got the start for the Honkers but would not earn a decision after a seven inning performance. Haig scattered six hits while allowing just three runs. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) pitched two innings out of the bullpen, surrendering just two hits and one run while fanning three. Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) came in for a scoreless tenth inning. Ian Kadish (Marshall) started the eleventh but allowed three runs on four hits while taking the loss.
The Honkers and Beetles each plated a run in the first inning, including an RBI double by Rochester’s Jimmy Waters (Kansas). Rochester would score two in the bottom of the second inning, giving them a 3-1 lead. Alexandria plated a run in the top of the fourth, cutting the Honker lead to 3-2. Jake Tanis (Mercer U) singled in a run in the top of the sixth, knotting the game at 3-3. The Beetles would take a short lead in the top of the ninth before Dittman would tie the game again on a sacrifice fly. Alexandria would score three runs in the top of the eleventh inning, taking a 7-4 lead. Rochester wouldn’t go quietly with two runs in the bottom of the frame, but would leave two men on before falling 7-6.
With the win, the Beetles improve to 8-5 while the Honkers fall to 5-8 in the second half. Rochester opens a three-game series against the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers tomorrow at Mayo Field. Sean Martin (San Jose State) gets the start for the Honkers while the Lunkers counter with Brian Russell (Davidson). Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 24, 2010
Honkers Blast Beetles
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers defeated the Alexandria Beetles by the score of 7-0 at Mayo Field in Rochester Saturday night.
Davy Wright (TCU) led the offense, finishing the night 3-for-3 at the dish. Josef Terry (Cerritos College) plated two runs on the evening, going 2-for-3 with a double. Danny Pulfer also recorded a multi-hit night with a 2-for-4 performance. Matt Dittman (Illinois), Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) and Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) all recorded an RBI for the Honkers.
David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) earned his second win of the season, pitching 6.2 innings. Hurlbut scattered five hits and fanned three Beetles while improve his ERA to a solid 1.89. Michael Ormseth (Luna CC) came in to close out the seventh in relief of Hurlbut and cruised through the last 2.1 innings. Ormseth only allowed two hits while picking up three strikeouts.
The Honkers scored early and often as they scored all seven of their runs in the first four innings. Rochester plated two runs in the bottom of the first, capped off by a Mendenhall RBI single. The Honkers scored again in the second before putting up three runs in the bottom of the third following a Terry two-RBI double. Dittman would add an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly RBI, extending the Rochester lead to 7-0.
The Honkers improved to 5-7 while Alexandria drops to 7-5 in the second half. These two teams take the field again tomorrow for an afternoon game at Mayo Field. Phil Haig (Florida International) gets the start for the Honkers while Nick Brown (Iowa) gets the ball for the Beetles. Game time is scheduled for 1:05 PM.
July 23, 2010
Strong Shuts Down MoonDogs
(Rochester, MN) – Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) threw seven innings of shut out baseball in a 2-0 win for the Rochester Honkers in Mankato.
Strong improved to 5-1 in the Northwoods League with a three hit outing against the MoonDogs Friday night. Strong walked just one batter while picking up ten strikeouts bringing his league leading strikeout total to 61 in 2010. He was relieved in the eighth by Aaron Siefken (Iowa Central CC) and Mitch Caster (Wichita State) who struck out the side. Ian Kadish (Marshall) faced just three batters in the ninth striking them out in order to earn the save.
Danny Pulfer (Oregon) powered the Rochester offense with a solo home run in the fifth over the left field fence. Davy Wright (TCU) recorded the other RBI for the Honkers with a run-scoring single in the third. Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) finished the night 2-for-3 at the plate.
With Strong cruising on the mound the Rochester offense struck in the third on a Wright single that scored Matt Dittman (Illinois) from second. Pulfer would add to the lead in the fifth with a solo blast to left field giving the Honkers a 2-0 lead. A two-run lead is all the Rochester bullpen would need as they would go on to strikeout the final six Mankato batters for a 2-0 victory.
With the win, Rochester improves to 4-7 in the second half while Mankato falls to 4-8. The Honkers return to Mayo Field tomorrow when they host the Alexandria Beetles for a two-game series. David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) gets the start on the mound for Rochester as he goes for his second win of the season. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 22, 2010
Rochester Falls to Mankato
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers dropped their third game in-a-row to the Mankato MoonDogs by a final of 2-1 at Mayo Field in Rochester.
Jimmy Waters (Kansas) powered the offense with a solo home run on his only hit of the night. Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) finished the night 2-for-3 with two singles.
Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) got the start for the Honkers, throwing 2.1 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits while collecting a strikeout. The only two runs that Mankato were allowed came on a two-run home run in the top of the first inning by Jordan Steranka (Penn St.). Arik Sikula (Marshall) pitched two innings out of the bullpen. He held the MoonDogs to just two hits while fanning five. Honker newcomer Aaron Siefken (Iowa Central CC) pitched the sixth and seventh innings, only allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) and David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) combined to strikeout the side in the eighth. Another new Honker, Michael Ormseth (Luna CC), closed out the game on just one hit while striking out two.
Steranka started the MoonDogs off right with a two-run home run to right field in the top of the first inning. Waters would cut the Mankato lead in half with a solo shot over the right field wall, slimming the MoonDogs advantage to 2-1. The Honkers would leave the bases loaded in the third and the fifth but were unable to scratch across any more runs.
With the loss, the Honkers fall to 3-7 in the second half of the season while the MoonDogs improve to 4-7. These two teams face off again tomorrow in Mankato where Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) will get the start for Rochester and Mankato counters with Alex Blackford (Arizona State). The Honkers return home July 24th when they host the Alexandria Beetles. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 20, 2010
North All-Stars Out Shine South
The North Division All-Stars were too much for the South Division All-Stars to handle in the 2010 Northwoods League All-Star game with a 7-5 victory. Although Cody Asche (Duluth) powered the offense, the Honkers pitching staff fueled the defense.
Arik Sikula (Rochester) threw one inning allowing just one run on one hit and earned the win for the North Division. Teammate Ian Kadish (Rochester) was busy out of the bullpen for the North, pitching the ninth inning and surrendering just one hit while earning the save. Matt Dittman (Rochester) played the entire game at first base for the North going 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Asche put his power on display with a two-run blast in the top of the third inning as part of a 2-for-4 night. Steve Nyisztor (St. Cloud), Jordan Steranka (Penn St.), and Dittman all recorded two hits on the night.
Brad Zapenas (Green Bay) led the South finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Kyle Gaedele (Madison) also had a solid night finishing with three hits, an RBI and a run scored. Last year’s home run derby winner Harold Riggins (Madison) also had a strong night at the plate finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI.
South starter Tony Mueller (La Crosse) allowed two unearned runs in the first inning as the North took a 2-0 lead. Mueller did everything he could on the mound including striking out four North batters, one batter reaching base because of a dropped third strike. The South came back in the bottom of the second by scoring two runs to knot the game at 2-2. The North took the lead again in the top of the third, started by Asche’s two-run shot and a Tanner Nivins (Thunder Bay) sacrifice taking a 5-2 lead. The South would pull within two runs after plating a run in the bottom of the frame. Runs in both the fifth and sixth inning would pull the South even at five apiece. The North would regain the lead in the top of the seventh pushing across two runs taking the lead 7-5 and ensuring a win.
Before the game, the two teams squared off in the home run derby which featured Rochester shortstop Richie Jimenez. Jimenez advanced to the second round of the derby but was knocked out after not recording a home run in round two. Duluth Huskie Mark Threlkeld won the derby by defeating Kyle Gaedele (Madison) with a deep fly ball over the left field fence.
July 18, 2010
Honkers Drop Dramatic Double Header
(Rochester, MN) – The St. Cloud River Bats sweep the Rochester Honkers taking both games by the score of 1-0.
In game one, Sean Martin (San Jose State) gave the Honkers a solid performance on the mound but took the loss dropping his record to 2-2. Martin tossed six innings giving up five hits and just one run while picking up four strikeouts. The only run that Martin gave up was a homerun to Steve Nyisztor (Rutgers) in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Davy Wright (TCU), Zach Miller (St. Louis) and Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) were the only Honkers that recorded hits.
Jason Wheeler (Loyola Marymount) and Martin combined for a shut out heading into the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Martin made his first and only mistake of the game as Nyisztor blasted a solo home run to give the River Bats a 1-0 lead.
Phil Haig (Florida International) got the start in game two for Rochester and delivered a strong start, throwing five innings of shut out baseball. Haig scattered three hits while fanning six River Bats. Arik Sikula (Marshall) came out of the bullpen in the sixth and threw just one inning while surrendering three hits and one run. David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) came in with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to face just one batter.
Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) each recorded singles.
After Haig shut out the River Bats for five innings, Sikula took the mound and was able to leave the sixth still even at zero. Sikula loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh before giving way to Hurlbut. He faced just one batter but walked in the game-winning run on a 3-1 count with the bases loaded giving St. Cloud a 1-0 victory.
With the sweep, St. Cloud heads into the All-Star break on a two-game winning streak and a 6-4 record while Rochester falls to 3-6 in the second half. The Honkers host the Mankato MoonDogs on July 22 for a 7:05 PM start at Mayo Field.
July 17, 2010
Rochester and St. Cloud Postponed
(Rochester, MN) – The scheduled game between the Rochester Honkers and the St. Cloud River Bats tonight at 7:05 PM in St. Cloud has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up as part of the double header tomorrow consisting of two seven-inning games beginning at 6:05 PM. Sean Martin (San Jose State) will start game one while Phil Haig (Florida International) will get the start in game two.
July 16, 2010
Rochester Ends Streak, Drops Stingers
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers ended a four-game losing streak with a 6-0 decision over the Willmar Stingers on Friday night in Rochester.
The Rochester offense was led by Ryan Hambright (Oregon), who finished the night 2-for-4 with a three-run home run. Richie Jimenez (UNLV), Josef Terry (Cerritos College) and Danny Pulfer (Oregon) also plated runs for Rochester.
Honkers ace Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) got the start. He threw six innings, allowing five hits while registering seven strikeouts. With the victory, Strong improved to 4-1 while earning a stingy 1.58 ERA. Arik Sikula (Marshall) worked one inning out of the bullpen for Rochester and held the Stingers to just two hits while fanning one. David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) came in for the final two frames, limiting Willmar to just one hit while striking out three.
Strong and Willmar starter Roy Metter (Nebraska-Kearney) held the two offenses quiet for most of the game. Jimenez was able to make the first dent for Rochester with an RBI single in the bottom of the third. Rochester turned it on in the bottom of the eighth. Already with a 3-0 lead, Hambright blasted his first home run of the season, extending the Honker advantage to 6-0.
With the win, the Honkers improve their record to 3-4 in the second half of the season. Rochester travels to St. Cloud tomorrow for the first game of a two-game series. Getting the start for the Honkers will be Sean Martin (San Jose State) who is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA. Game time is scheduled for 7:05PM. The Honkers return to Mayo Field after the All-Star break when they the Mankato MoonDogs on July 22 at 7:05PM.
July 15, 2010
Honkers Drop Fourth Consecutive
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers fell to the Willmar Stingers by the score of 7-5 at Mayo Field Thursday night.
The offense was led by Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) and Josef Terry (Cerritos College), who both finished the night 2-for-4 with a home run each. Ryan Hambright (Oregon) also finished the night with two hits as well as an RBI.
Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) got the start for Rochester, throwing just six innings while allowing five runs. During his outing, McKeon only surrendered six hits while fanning just two Stinger hitters. Arik Sikula (Marshall) pitched the seventh inning, allowing two runs on three hits. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) threw two innings of shut out baseball while just allowing one hit.
The Stingers got to McKeon early with three runs in the top of the first inning. Rochester responded with two runs of their own in the second, cutting the lead to 3-2. Willmar struck again in the top of the fifth off a Mitch Delfino (California) two-run blast, extending the Stinger lead to 5-2. Willmar put up two insurance runs in the top of the seventh giving them a comfortable 7-2 advantage. Elder closed the gap with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, slimming the Willmar edge to 7-3. In the bottom of the eighth, Terry left the ballpark on a two-run shot over the right center field fence, pulling the Honkers within two at 7-5.
With the win, Willmar improves to 22-20 while the Rochester Honkers fall to 21-17. The Stingers and Honkers face off again tomorrow with lefty Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) getting the start on the mound. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM at Mayo Field.
July 14, 2010
Rochester and Duluth Suspended
(Rochester, MN) – The game between the Rochester Honkers and the Duluth Huskies has been suspended due to rain. Rochester had a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third before play was stopped due to lightning. The game will resume at a later date. The Honkers will host the Willmar Stingers tomorrow night at Mayo Field in Rochester. Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) will get the start on the mound for Rochester. The game is scheduled for a 7:05 PM start.
July 13, 2010
Rochester Sends Four Honkers to the the All-Star Game
(Rochester, MN) -- The Northwoods League announced the 2010 All-Star lineup on Monday for the North and South Division All-Star teams. The Rochester Honkers are proud to announce they have four members of the All-Star team that will play in the July 20th game in Eau Claire. First baseman Matt Dittman (Illinois), reliever Ian Kadish (Marshall) and left-hander Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) and closer Arik Sikula (Marshall) have all received 2010 Northwoods League All-Star honors. Notes on each player’s All-Star accomplishments can be found below.
These four players won't be the only Honkers taking part in the All-Star game. The Rochester Honkers coaching staff has been bestowed with the honor of coaching the All-Stars of the North Division. The staff is lead by Field Manager Ryan Ruiz who will make his second consecutive trip to the All-Star game as a member of the coaching staff. Last season with the Mankato MoonDogs, the 2009 North Division first half winners, Coach Ruiz aided the North Division players in the All-Star game but fell to the South 4-2. He is joined by Rochester Hitting Coach Andy Judkins and Pitching Coach Eric Brock. The three coaches were awarded this privilege after coaching their team to a first half crown in the North Division.
Matt Dittman:
A junior from Illinois University is currently ranked ninth in the North Division in batting average at .313. He has also blasted ten doubles, three home runs and 25 RBIs during the first half of the season. He has been a staple at first base for the Honkers playing in 31 of the 36 games so far this season.
Ian Kadish:
Ian is a junior from Marshall University who has been lights out for the Honkers out of the bullpen this season. Kadish has pitched 26.1 innings and only surrendered four earned runs during the first half. He holds a 3-0 record with a 1.37 ERA while collecting 26 strikeouts.
Mike Strong:
Left-hander Mike Strong has been a force on the mound so far for the Honkers finishing the first half with a 3-1 record. His only loss came in Willmar on June 17th when he was out-dueled by fellow All-Star Charley Olson (Willmar). Strong has only allowed seven earned runs while earning a 1.85 ERA. He is also currently the league leader in strikeouts with 44 in just 34 innings pitched.
Arik Sikula:
Arik Sikula returns to the All-Star game for the second time in his two-year Northwoods League career. Sikula is a junior from Marshall University; he is 2-2 with 19 strikeouts in 2010. He holds a 6.00 ERA with seven saves in 24 innings pitched. His seven saves put him in second place in the North Division in saves, a category that he led last season ending with 20.
The Honkers congratulate all their All-Stars and coaches and wish them luck in Eau Claire.
For The Full Northwoods League Article
July 13, 2010
Duluth Downs Rochester Again
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers dropped a third consecutive game for the first time all season following a 9-5 loss to the Duluth Huskies at Mayo Field in Rochester.
Davy Wright (TCU) led Rochester with a 3-for-4 day, scoring two runs and collecting two RBIs. While all of Wright’s hits were doubles, the rest of the six Honker hits were singles. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) recorded two RBIs while Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) plated one.
Getting the start for Rochester was right-hander Grant Muncrief (Wichita State), who was looking for his first win of the season. He threw just four innings before being run from the mound by the hot Huskie bats. Muncrief surrendered six runs on seven hits while fanning four. Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) came in for one inning of work, allowing three hits and two runs. Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) pitched two innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one. Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) saw his first action on the mound, throwing one inning of shut out baseball. Northwoods League All-Star Ian Kadish (Marshall) came in for the ninth inning and promptly struck out the side after surrendering a hit.
The Huskies scored early with one run in the top of the first. Duluth would strike again in the third, plating three runs to extend their lead to 4-0. Again the Huskies put a crooked number on the scoreboard with four runs in the top of the fifth, building a comfortable lead by the score of 8-0. Rochester would finally get on the board in the sixth with RBI singles by Pulfer and Thaut, closing the gap to 8-2. Duluth scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh before the Honkers would make it a game in the late innings. Rochester scored one run in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 9-3. The Honkers made it a four-run game after Wright doubled for the third time in the top of the ninth, trimming the lead to 9-5.
With the loss, the Honkers are handed their first three-game losing streak of the season and fall to 2-3 in the second half. Rochester and Duluth take the field tomorrow for the third and final game. Getting the start for the Honkers is David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton). Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 12, 2010
Huskies Nip Honkers
(Rochester, MN) – The Duluth Huskies scored three runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Rochester Honkers 11-9.
Rochester was led by Jimmy Water (Kansas), who hit his first home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 night. Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) both finished the night with two hits. Waters also led the Honkers with two RBIs on the night while Josef Terry (Cerritos College), Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) and Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) all plated runs.
Getting the start for Rochester was Phil Haig (Florida International), who went four innings. He was responsible for seven runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) relieved Haig, pitching two innings of shut out baseball, allowing just three hits. Ryan Hambright (Oregon) pitched the seventh, allowing one run off three hits. Arik Sikula (Marshall) came in to earn the save but would allow three runs on just two hits in his two innings of work.
The Honkers got out to a quick start by scoring one run in the bottom of the first, taking the lead by the score of 1-0. Rochester scored a second run in the bottom of the second following a Pellegrino sacrifice, scoring Matt Dittman (Illinois). Duluth plated a run in the top of the third to cut the Honker lead in half at 2-1. Waters added to the advantage with a two-run home run on the way to a three-run inning, giving Rochester the lead at 5-1. Disaster struck for Rochester as the Huskies scratched across six runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead 7-5. Duluth would score again in the top of the seventh, giving them a 8-5 edge. Rochester regained the lead after a four-run seventh, powered by a two-RBI Pellegrino single, giving the Honkers the 9-8 advantage. In the top of the ninth, Cody Asche (Nebraska) hit a towering three-run shot to give the Huskies the victory, 11-9.
With the win, Duluth improves to 2-2 on the second half of the season while Rochester drops their second in-a-row to fall to 2-2. These two teams play again tomorrow where Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) will get the start for the Honkers. Game time scheduled for 1:05 PM.
July 11, 2010
Honkers Fall in Extra Frame
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers fall to the Thunder Bay Border Cats 2-1 in extra innings.
Sean Martin (San Jose State) got the start for the Honkers and dazzled on the mound for seven solid innings. In his seven innings of work he allowed zero runs on just three hits while fanning eight. Ian Kadish (Marshall) pitched two innings in relief surrendering just one run on one hit. Arik Sikula (Marshall) was dealt his first loss of the season after throwing just 0.2 innings and allowing one hit as well as the game winning run.
Leading the Honkers at the plate was Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) who finished his day at the dish 3-for-5. Geno Escalante (Cal St. Fullerton) was 1-for-4 with the lone Rochester RBI. Seven other Honkers recorded hits in the losing effort.
Rochester scored the early run in the top of the second following an RBI single by Escalante giving them the 1-0 lead. Both teams would remain quiet until the bottom of the eighth when Thunder Bay would even the game at 1-1. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth, Ryan Court (Illinois State) would reach base on an RBI fielder choice plating the go ahead run and giving the Border Cats a 2-1 victory.
Thunder Bay hands Rochester their first loss of the second half, dropping their record to 2-1 while the Border Cats improve to 1-2. The Honkers take the field tomorrow against the Duluth Huskies for the first game of three-game series in Rochester. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 10, 2010
Honkers Roll Border Cats
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers defeat the Thunder Bay Border Cats 7-1 recording back-to-back wins to start the second half.
Behind starter Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) the Honkers pitching staff shut down the Border Cats surrendering just one run. Strong pitched seven innings allowing just one run on four hits while collecting six strikeouts. Ryan Hambright (Oregon) came in to pitch the eighth inning giving up zero hits while fanning two Border Cats. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) closed out the game for Rochester, faced just four batters and picked up a strikeout.
Danny Pulfer (Oregon) led the Rochester offense finishing the day 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Richie Jimenez (UNLV) and Josef Terry (Cerritos College) each finished the day with two hits including a three-run bomb by Jimenez. Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) also plated a run for the Honkers in the victory.
Rochester took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third following a three-run blast off the bat of Jimenez. Elder recorded an RBI single in the top of the fourth to extending the Honkers lead to 4-0. Rochester would score another run in the fifth giving them a 5-0 lead as Strong cruised on the mound. Thunder Bay would finally crack the tough Rochester pitching with a lone run in the bottom of the sixth cutting the lead to 5-1. Terry and Pulfer would blast RBI singles in the top of the seventh ensuring a 7-1 victory.
Rochester improves to 2-0 in the second half while Thunder Bay falls to 0-2. The Honkers and Border Cats play the third game of this three game series tomorrow at Port Arthur Stadium. Getting the start for Rochester will be Sean Martin (San Jose State) while Thunder Bay will throw Connor Little (Hawaii). Game time scheduled for 5:05 PM. The Honkers return home on Monday, July 12th, where they will host the Duluth Huskies. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 9, 2010
Honkers Start Second Half with Win
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers started the second half of the season out on the right foot with a 6-3 victory over Thunder Bay.
Josef Terry (Cerritos College) continued to swing a red hot bat collecting four hits in five trips to the plate. Terry also plated two RBIs for the Honkers including an RBI triple. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) and Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) both recorded two hits on the night. Pulfer showed off his speed on the bases stealing three bags for the Honkers. Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC), Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) and Ryan Hambright (Oregon) all added RBIs in the winning effort.
Toeing the rubber for Rochester was Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) who delivered another great outing. McKeon tossed six innings surrendering two runs on just four hits whiling fanning six. Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) pitched a quick seventh inning, facing just three batters while picking up a strikeout. Arik Sikula (Marshall) was called on to get six outs to earn his seventh save of the season. In Sikula’s two innings of work he surrendered one run on just three hits.
Following three scoreless innings to start the game, Matt Dittman (Illinois) got Rochester rolling with a leadoff double in the fourth. Dittman would later score on a Hambright double as the Honkers would take a 2-0 lead. Thunder Bay would answer with one run in the fifth cutting the Rochester lead to 2-1. The Honkers would score another run in the top of the sixth off a Terry RBI single, widening the gap to 3-1. Ken Battiston (Eastern Michigan) would make it a one run game with a solo shot sliming the Honker lead again to 3-2. Rochester would score two runs in the top of the eighth taking the lead by the score of 5-2. Hutting would add an insurance run in the top of the ninth securing a 6-2 victory for the Honkers.
With the win, Rochester improves to 20-13 while the Border Cats fall to 16-20. Thunder Bay and the Honkers will take the field again tomorrow where Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) and Garrett Yount (Rollins College) will square off. Game time scheduled for 6:35 PM CST. The Honkers will return home Monday, July 12th, where they will host the Duluth Huskies. Game time at Mayo Field scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 8, 2010
Honkers Drop Final First Half Game
(Rochester, MN) – The Huskies and the Honkers combined for 26 hits on Thursday night with Duluth taking the game by the score of 11-7.
Joe Terry (Cerritos College) and Matt Dittman (Illinois) each cashed in a 3-for-5 night at the dish. Ryan Hambright (Oregon) recorded two RBIs on two doubles finishing the night 2-for-3. Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton), Zach Miller (St. Louis), Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) and Dittman all had RBI’s for Rochester.
Taking the mound for the Honkers was lefty David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) who tossed 6.1 innings where he allowed four runs on eight hits. Relieving Hurlbut in the seventh was Mitch Caster (Wichita State) who threw just one inning out of the bullpen. Caster surrendered four runs on just two hits while issuing two walks. Ian Kadish (Marshall) pitched 1.2 innings allowing three runs to cross off just three hits.
Rochester took an early lead scoring three runs in the bottom of the first, taking a 3-0 lead. The Honkers would score another run in the second and two in the third including Hambright’s second RBI double of the night giving Rochester a 6-0 advantage. Rochester would score their final run of the night in the fourth off a Dittman RBI single extending their lead to 7-0. Duluth’s designated hitter Cody Asche (Nebraska), led off the fifth inning with a solo shot to put the Huskies on the board 7-1. Duluth would score three runs in the top of the seventh and four runs in the eighth to take the lead 8-7. Austin Gaines (Florida Golf Coast) blasted a leadoff home run in the top of the ninth adding another run for Duluth. Kyle Roliard (Louisiana Tech) poured on two more runs on an inside-the-park home run to centerfield sealing the game for the Huskies 11-7.
The Honkers finish the first half of Northwoods League play with a 19-13 record while the Duluth Huskies improves to 17-14. The Honkers are back in action at Mayo Field on July 12th when they host the Duluth Huskies again. Rochester travels to Thunder Bay tomorrow for a three-game series against the Border Cats. Getting the start for the Honkers is Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa). Game time scheduled for 6:35 PM.
July 7, 2010
Huskies Halt Honkers at Home
(Rochester, MN) – The Duluth Huskies take the opening game of a two-game series against the Rochester Honkers 8-5 on Wednesday night.
The Honkers were able to chalk up 14 hits on the night but all 14 hits were singles. Davy Wright (TCU) reached all five times he stepped to the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI while drawing two walks. Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton), Ryan Hambright (Oregon), Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) and Geno Escalante (Cal St. Fullerton) all finished the night with two hits a piece.
Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) got the start on the bump tonight for Rochester. Feldman tossed five innings, surrendering six runs off seven hits while striking out four. Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) came out of the bullpen, throwing four innings allowing just two runs off one hit.
The Huskies got to Feldman early getting on the board in the top of the first taking a 1-0 lead. The Honkers took the lead in the bottom of the second with a four hit inning giving them the 2-1 edge. Duluth tied the game at two on a past ball in the top of the third. The Huskies would take the lead in the top of the fourth 4-2 and wouldn’t look back. Duluth would score two more in the top of the fifth giving them a commanding 6-2 lead. Rochester would score one run in the bottom of the fifth to make it a three run game. However, the Huskies would pile on two more runs in the top of the sixth giving them an 8-2 lead. The Honkers wouldn’t go quietly as they would plate three runs in the bottom of the eight but would fall 8-5.
The Honkers fall to 19-12 on the season while the Huskies improve to 16-14. The two teams take the field again tomorrow for game two of this two-game series. Getting the start for Rochester is David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton), who is 1-0 with a 1.53 ERA. Game time slated for 7:05 PM.
July 6, 2010
Honkers Sweep St. Cloud
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers sweep the St. Cloud River Bats taking game one of the double header 7-2 and scoring three in the eighth for a 7-4 win in game two. With the two come from behind victories the Honkers claim the first half title in the North Division ensuring post season action.
In game one, Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) blasted a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to extend the Rochester lead to 7-2. Hutting finished the night 2-for-4 with the big home run, a double and five RBIs. Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Matt Dittman (Illinois) each recorded two hits in the victory. Josef Terry (Cerritos College) made his Honkers debut finishing the night with two hits and a run scored.
Sean Martin (San Jose State) earned the win for the Honkers pitching six innings in relief. Martin shut down the River Bats offense surrendering just one run off five hits while striking out five. Starter Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) was bumped from the game in the first inning after exceeding the 30 pitch count.
After falling behind the River Bats 2-0, the Honkers got on the board following an RBI single by Dittman. Rochester would tie the game in the top of the fourth 2-2 off an RBI double by Hutting. Dittman would plate his second RBI of the night in the top of the fifth giving the Honkers a 3-2 lead. Rochester would pull away on the grand slam off the bat of Hutting extending their lead to 7-2.
In the night cap, Jimmy Waters (Kansas) hit a two RBI triple to give the Honkers a late 7-4 edge. Terry and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) finished the game with two hits apiece. Terry and Waters were the only Honkers to record RBIs in game two against the tough St. Cloud pitching. Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon), Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) and Zach Miller (St. Louis) all chalked up hits in the comeback victory.
Phil Haig (Florida International) made his first start on the mound for Rochester throwing 4.2 innings allowing four runs on just two hits. Ian Kadish (Marshall) earned his third win of the season after taking over for Haig in the fifth. Kadish shut out the River Bats allowing just three hits over 2.1 innings of work. Arik Sikula (Marshall) closed out the game for the Honkers pitching just one inning facing three batters while picking up a strikeout.
Rochester would get on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. The lead would be short lived as St. Cloud would score two in the bottom of the third taking a 2-1 lead. The Honkers would even the game at two in the top of the fourth before Steve Nyisztor (Rutgers) would plate two runs for the River Bats giving St. Cloud a 4-2 lead. With two outs in the top of the seventh Rochester would knot the game up at 4-4 sending the game into extra innings. With two runners on in the top of the eighth Waters would clear the bases with a two RBI triple to the right field wall. Waters would later score on a throwing error giving the Honkers a 7-4 lead.
With the two victories Rochester improves to 19-11 while the River Bats drop to 18-15. The Honkers take the field tomorrow when they host the Duluth Huskies where Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) will get the start on the mound. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM at Mayo Field.
July 5, 2010
Rochester and St. Cloud Postponed
(Rochester, MN) – The scheduled game between the Rochester Honkers and the St. Cloud River Bats tonight at 7:05 PM in St. Cloud has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up as part of the double header tomorrow consisting of two seven-inning games beginning at 6:05 PM. Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) will start the first game for Rochester and Phil Haig (Florida International) will start the second.
July 3, 2010
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers defeated the St. Cloud River Bats 11-3 taking a half game lead in the North Division.
The Honkers were led by the top two hitters in the lineup, Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Richie Jimenez (UNLV) each had two hits. Jimenez delivered the big blow for Rochester with a three-run home run in the bottom of the second. Five other Honkers recorded hits in the victory including Jimmy Waters (Kansas) who finished with two RBIs.
Rochester got a solid start from Danny Winkler (Parkland) who threw 6.0 innings allowing two runs off just three hits. Winkler improves to 3-2 on the season and with a six strikeout night runs his season total to 26. Ian Kadish (Marshall) threw two innings out of the bullpen surrendering just one run off three hits. Arik Sikula (Marshall) closed out the game throwing an inning of one hit baseball.
The River Bats scored quickly off a two-run blast by Steve Nyisztor (Rutgers) giving St. Cloud a 2-0 lead in the first. The Honkers would score one run in the bottom of the first cutting the River Bats lead to 2-1. Rochester would plate three runs off a three-run shot from the bat of Jimenez giving the Honkers a 4-2 lead. St. Cloud would pull within one with the tying run on second base before Kadish would shut down the threat keeping a 4-3 Honker lead. Rochester would add four insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh taking an 8-3 lead. The Honkers would add three more runs for good measure and secure an 11-3 victory.
With the win the Rochester Honkers take the lead in the North Division by half a game over the St. Cloud River Bats. Both teams have the day off tomorrow before squaring off for two games at Joe Faber Stadium in St. Cloud. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
July 2, 2010
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers defeat the St. Cloud River Bats 5-3 in Rochester Friday night.
Honker’s starter David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) delivered a solid performance on the mound throwing 8.0 innings of shut out baseball. Hurlbut shut down the River Bats explosive offense allowing just four hits while earning his first win of the season. Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) worked the ninth inning out of the bullpen; he faced six batters but was only able to record one out before allowing three runs. Ian Kadish (Marshall) relieved Muncrief with runners at second and third but fanned back-to-back Rivers Bats to end the game.
The Honkers collected five singles against the stiff St. Cloud pitching. Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC), Danny Pulfer (Oregon) and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) all recorded RBIs on the night. Ryan Hambright (Oregon) and Richie Jimenez (UNLV) also scored hits for Rochester.
The Honkers scored the opening run in the bottom of the first inning giving them an early 1-0 lead. Rochester scored again in the bottom of the fifth off an RBI single by Pulfer taking the lead 2-0. The Honkers would score three runs in the sixth inning giving them a comfortable 5-0 lead. After St. Cloud scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning, Kadish came in and struck out the only two batters he faced solidifying a 5-3 Rochester win.
The St. Cloud River Bats drop to 18-12 while Rochester improves to 16-11 and pulls to within a half game of first place St. Cloud. The Honkers host the River Bats again tomorrow night where Danny Winkler (Parkland) will take the mound for Rochester. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM at Mayo Field.
July 1, 2010
(Rochester, MN) – The Willmar Stingers defeated the Rochester Honkers 10-4 giving the Honkers their first home series loss of the season.
The Honkers offense was led by leadoff man Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) who finished the night 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Geno Escalante (Cal St. Fullerton) also finished the evening with two hits while scoring a run. Matt Dittman (Illinois) continued to produce runs after recording two RBIs on a 1-for-3 night. Ryan Hambright (Oregon) recorded his first hit for Rochester with a single in the bottom of the sixth.
Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) got the start for the Honkers on the mound, lasting 6.2 innings while surrendering seven runs on eight hits. Phil Haig (Florida International) pitched 1.1 innings out of the Rochester bullpen allowing just one hit while picking up a strikeout. Arik Sikula (Marshall) pitched a tough ninth inning giving up three runs on six hits. McKeon takes his first loss on the mound dropping his record to 2-1.
Rochester jumped out to a fast start after Mendenhall scored the opening run off a wild pitch in the bottom of the first taking the lead 1-0. Willmar responded with three runs in the bottom of the second off a towering three run blast from Andrew Haake (Nebraska-Kearney) giving Willmar a 3-1 lead. The Stingers would add on three more in the top of the third extending their lead to 6-1. Rochester added a run in the third and the fourth cutting the lead to 6-3. Willmar and Rochester each added a run in the seventh running the score to 7-4. The Stingers would get to Sikula in the ninth scoring three to put the game out of reach for the Honkers 10-4.
The Stingers improve to 15-13 while the Honkers drop to 15-11 and fall a game and a half behind the St. Cloud River Bats in the North Division. Rochester hosts St. Cloud tomorrow for the first of two games. David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) will get the start for the Honkers. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 30 , 2010
Stingers Stick Honkers in Rochester
(Rochester, MN) – The Willmar Stingers beat the Rochester Honkers 6-2 behind a complete game by starter Charley Olson (Georgia State).
Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) and Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) led the Honkers with two hits apiece. Hutting also picked up an RBI for Rochester while Richie Jimenez (UNLV) plated the other run.
The Rochester starter Joey Housey (Oregon) was bumped from the game after just one inning of work. Housey gave up four runs on two hits after walking the first three batters of the game. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) relieved Housey in the second throwing two innings while not allowing a run on just one hit. After the third Sean Martin (San Jose State) took the mound for the Honkers, throwing two innings surrendering just two hits and one run. Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) and Ian Kadish (Marshall) combined to pitch the next three innings allowing four hits and just one run collectively. Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) pitched the final frame allowing zero runs on no hits.
The Stingers jumped out to an early lead after Housey walked bases loaded. Willmar would take advantage of the spotty Honker pitching to score four runs in the top of the first inning. Rochester would score on an RBI single by Hutting cutting the lead to 4-1. Willmar would score again in the top of the fifth extending their lead to 5-1. The Honkers would get another run off a Jimenez RBI single in the bottom of the sixth closing the gap to 5-2. The Stingers would record an insurance run in the top of the seventh securing a 6-2 victory.
With the loss the Honkers fall to 15-10 while the Stingers improve to 14-13 on the season. These two teams take the field tomorrow for the third game of this three game series. Getting the start for the Honkers is Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) while the Stingers counter with David Carroll (Western Nevada). Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 29 , 2010
Honkers Sting Willmar in Convincing Win
(Rochester, MN) - Behind a multi-home run effort from Matt Dittman (Illnois), the Rochester Honkers maintained their place atop the North Division standings with a convincing 12-4 victory over the Willmar Stingers on Tuesday night at Mayo Field.
Dittman drove in six runs, blasting a pair of two-run home runs while adding a two-run double. He led a 14-hit attack for the Honkers, which included a three-hit night for Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona), who fell a triple shy of the cycle. Karraker reached base all five times he stepped to the plate.
Karraker’s home run in the second off of Stinger lefty Cedric Pomerlee (Alcorn State) kick started the night. Dittman bolted a home run to rightfield in the fourth inning, before sparking a five-run Honker fifth with his two-bagger, breaking a 3-3 tie. Dittman’s second long ball and third home run of the year came in the seventh, busting the game open.
Honker southpaw Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) tossed 5 2/3 innings for the win, allowing three runs on 10 hits. The combination of Strong, Phil Haig (FIU) and Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) combined for a dozen strikeouts.
Eduardo Gonzalez (Alcorn State), Mitch Defino (California) and Joe Sever (Pepperdine) each registered two-hit efforts for Willmar.
The Honkers and Stingers continue their three-game set on Wednesday in Rochester. The Honkers will throw Joey Housey (Oregon). The Stingers counter with Charley Olson (Georgia State). First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.
June 28 , 2010
Rochester Falls in St. Cloud
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers fall to the St. Cloud River Bats by the score of 13-4 Monday night in St. Cloud.
The Rochester offense was led by first baseman Matt Dittman (Illinois) who finished the evening 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Geno Escalante (Cal St. Fullerton) recorded two hits for Rochester while scoring two runs. Five other Honkers chalked up hits for Rochester including doubles by Richie Jimenez (UNLV) and Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona).
Danny Winkler (Parkland) got the start for Rochester but only lasted 2.2 innings surrendering six runs on seven hits. Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) toed the rubber for 2.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits. Sean Martin (San Jose State) took over in the sixth allowing four runs on just three hits while picking up five strikeouts. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) finished the game for the Honkers facing just three batters fanning two of them.
The River Bats got to Winkler early scoring the opening run of the game in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead. Rochester took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third after plating two runs following an Escalante lead off triple. The lead was short lived as St. Cloud exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the third giving them an 8-2 lead. St. Cloud would continue with one run in the fifth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh taking a 13-2 lead. Rochester would put a dent in the large River Bat lead with two runs in the eighth cutting the lead to 13-4.
With the loss the Honkers fall to 14-9 while the River Bats improve to 15-11. Rochester returns home tomorrow for the first of a three-game series against the Willmar Stingers. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 27 , 2010
Honkers Hold Off Lunker for Sweep
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers keep the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers at bay for a 7-5 victory, completing the two-game sweep.
Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) and Matt Dittman (Illinois) lead the offense for Rochester finishing the afternoon with three hits apiece. Dittman recorded three RBIs on the afternoon while Karraker chalked up two triples. Richie Jimenez (UNLV), Jimmy Waters (Kansas) and Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) all cashed in a two-hit afternoon. Jimenez earned one RBI on a home run that just snuck inside the left field foul pole in the first.
David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) made his second start for Rochester going 4.2 innings allowing four runs on five hits while fanning six Lunkers. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) came in to finish the fifth throwing just one-third of an inning and surrendering two hits. Phil Haig (Florida International) pitched the sixth inning for the Honkers allowing just one hit with one strikeout. Ian Kadish (Marshall) threw 1.2 innings of relief surrendering just one hit while allowing his first run out of the bullpen this season. Arik Sikula (Marshall) closed out the Lunkers by throwing 1.1 innings allowing no runs off just three hits earning his fifth save of the season.
The Honkers got on the board early with a first inning home run from Jimenez giving them the 1-0 edge. Rochester would score again in the fourth as Karraker scored on a Dittman single to give the Honkers a 2-0 lead. The Lunkers would take a brief lead in the bottom of the fifth by scoring four runs giving Brainerd the 4-2 advantage. However, the Honkers would storm back with three runs in the top of the sixth regaining the lead 5-4. Rochester would score two more runs in the top of the seventh extending their lead to 7-4. The Lunkers would manage one run in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the lead to 7-5 but were held off by the tough Honker bullpen.
Following the sweep of Brainerd the Honkers move to 14-8 on the season while the Lunkers fall to 9-16. Rochester travels to St. Cloud for one game against the River Bats where Danny Winkler (Parkland) will take the rubber for the Honkers. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM. The Honkers will return home Tuesday June 29th to take on the Willmar Stingers. Game time at Mayo Field scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 26 , 2010
Honkers Blast Lunkers in Brainerd
(Rochester, MN) – After being rained out the previous three nights the Honkers got back on the field and back on the winning track with a 9-1 victory over the Lunkers.
The Rochester bats were well rested for a busy night as the Honker offense chalked up 14 hits against Brainerd. Leading the way for Rochester was Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Danny Pulfer (Oregon) who each recorded three hits. Richie Jimenez (UNLV), Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) and Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) all finished the night with a pair of hits. Pulfer and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) provided the power for Rochester by blasting home runs, including a monster two-run blast off the bat of Elder.
Taking the mound for Rochester was Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) who went five innings allowing just three hits while shutting out the Lunkers. Sean Martin (San Jose State) took over in the sixth inning, throwing two innings of shut out baseball while surrendering just two hits. Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) threw the eighth inning allowing one run off two hits. Joey Housey (Oregon) finished the game for the Honkers facing just three batters while striking out two.
The top of the Rochester lineup jumped out to a quick start following a wild pitch and a Matt Dittman (Illinois) RBI fielder’s choice to take a 2-0 lead in the first. Pellegrino and Thaut would both score in the top of the second to give the Honkers an early 4-0 lead. Rochester would score three runs in the third following a line-drive solo home run off the bat of Pulfer followed shortly by a towering two-run shot from Elder extending the lead to 7-0. The Honkers would score two insurance runs in the top of the sixth giving them a commanding 9-0 lead. The Lunkers would finally get on the board in the bottom of the eighth cutting the lead to 9-1.
With the win the Honkers improve to 13-8 while Brainerd slips to 9-15. David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) gets the start tomorrow for the Honkers while Patrick Nathanson (Florida Gulf Coast) will start for Brainerd. Game time scheduled for 1:05 PM. The Honkers will return home on Tuesday June 29 for a 7:05 PM game against the Willmar Stingers.
June 25 , 2010
Honkers and Huskies Postponed Due to Weather
(Rochester, MN) – The scheduled double header between the Rochester Honkers and the Duluth Huskies at 5:05 PM in Duluth has been postponed due to field conditions. The games have not yet been determined as to when they will be made up. The Honkers travel to Brainerd tomorrow night for a two game series against the Lunkers starting at 7:05 PM.
June 24 , 2010
Honkers and Huskies Postponed Due to Weather
(Rochester, MN) – The scheduled double header between the Rochester Honkers and the Duluth Huskies at 5:05 PM in Duluth has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up as part of the double header tomorrow consisting of two seven-inning games beginning at 5:05 PM.
June 23 , 2010
Honkers and Huskies Postponed Due to Rain
(Rochester, MN) – The scheduled game between the Rochester Honkers and the Duluth Huskies tonight at 7:05 PM in Duluth has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up as part of the double header tomorrow consisting of two seven-inning games beginning at 5:05 PM. Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) will start the first game for Rochester and Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) will start the second.
June 22 , 2010
Winkler Dazzles on the Mound in Win
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers get a great pitching performance from starter Danny Winkler (Parkland College) as they shut out Mankato by a score of 5-0.
From the first inning on, Winkler was outstanding, pitching a complete game while allowing two hits. Winkler surrendered his only two hits in the top of the second inning before shutting down the final 22 of 24 batters he faced. Winkler cruised through the game and got the game winning out on only his 101st pitch of the afternoon.
Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) had a great day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4. He also scored two runs. Danny Pulfer (Oregon) and Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) each recorded two hits. In his season debut for the Honkers, Pulfer also plated three runs including an RBI single in the first. Jimmy Waters (Kansas), Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) and Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside) all collected hits for Rochester.
Following back-to-back walks to start the game, Pulfer took the third pitch he saw on the season and blasted an RBI single up the middle. Karraker would drive in the second run of the inning with another RBI single, giving the Honkers a 2-0 lead. Rochester would score three runs in the bottom of the second with the help of four base hits, extending their lead to 5-0.
Following the loss, the MoonDogs fall to 9-10, while the Honkers improve their record to 12-8. Rochester travels to Duluth for a three-game series against the Huskies. Getting the start for the Honkers will be the hard throwing left-hander Mike Strong (2-1). Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 21 , 2010
Error Costs Honkers in Loss
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers were defeated by the Mankato MoonDogs 5-3 Monday night in Mankato.
David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton) made his debut on the mound for the Honkers and shut down the MoonDog hitters for five strong innings. Hurlbut scattered six hits while only allowing one run and fanning three. Relieving him in the six was Mitch Caster (Wichita State) who threw two innings allowing just five hits but surrendered four runs. Ian Kadish (Marshall) closed out the game for Rochester striking out the side in the top of the ninth.
Richie Jimenez (UNLV) and Matt Dittman (Illinois) led the Honkers offensively with two hits each. Jimmy Waters (Kansas), Anthony Hutting (Cal St. Fullerton) and Dittman all knocked in runs for Rochester. Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Zach Miller (St. Louis) both recorded hits on the evening as well as scoring two Rochester runs.
A lead off double would result in an early run for Mankato who took a 1-0 lead in the second. Rochester would respond in the fourth with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Hutting. The Honkers would score two runs in the fifth as Waters and Dittman would both pick up RBIs giving Rochester a 3-1 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth Mankato would pick up three unearned runs as the inning was extended by an infield error. The MoonDogs would score another run in the bottom of the seventh securing a 5-3 victory.
With the loss the Honkers drop to 11-8 while Mankato improves to 9-9. The two teams move to Rochester tomorrow afternoon for a game at Mayo Field. Taking the mound for Mankato will be Jimmy Stokes (Elon), the Honkers counter with right hander Danny Winkler (Parkland College). Game time scheduled for 1:05 PM.
June 20 , 2010
Honkers Take First Loss at Home
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers got dealt their first home loss of the 2010 season against the Alexandria Beetles, falling 6-0.
Rochester starter Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) made his Honker debut Sunday afternoon. Muncrief only went two innings, surrendering four runs on six hits while issuing one walk. Taking over in the third was Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest), who managed to quiet the busy Beetle bats. Feldman went five innings, allowing just one run off four hits and picking up three strikeouts. Joey Housey (Oregon) finished the final two innings out of the bullpen, surrendering a run off two Alexandria hits.
The Rochester offense was shut down, only picking up five hits on the afternoon. Jimmy Waters (Kansas) was the only Honker that managed to get an extra base hit with a towering double in the bottom of the 6th inning. Geno Escalante (Cal St. Fullerton) made his Rochester debut, finishing his day 1-for-3 with a single and a walk.
Alexandria jumped out to an early lead, plating two runs in the top of the first inning as well as two in the top of the second for a quick 4-0 lead. The Beetles would chalk up an additional run in the fifth, as well as in the eighth, to extend their lead to 6-0.
With the loss, Rochester’s record drops to 11-7 while Alexandria improves their record to 8-10. The Honkers travel to Mankato for one game against the MoonDogs tomorrow evening. Getting the start for Rochester is David Hurlbut (Cal St. Fullerton), who is making his first start. The Honkers return home Tuesday night for one game against the MoonDogs. Game time scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 19 , 2010
Rochester Strikes Early for Win in Close Affair
(Rochester, MN) – Behind a solid pitching by starter Sean Martin (San Jose State) and the bat of shortstop Richie Jimenez (UNLV), the Honkers beat Alexandria 3-0 Saturday night.
Martin earned the win in his third start of the year for Rochester, improving his record to 1-1. Martin pitched five innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit and one walk while picking up five strikeouts. Mitch Caster (Wichita State) relieved Martin in the sixth inning, pitching just one inning while surrendering just two hits. Ian Kadish (Marshall) tossed two innings out of the Rochester bullpen, giving up just two hits. Kadish has pitched 13.2 innings this season for the Honkers and has yet to allow a run. Arik Sikula (Marshall) would come in and earn his fourth save of the season, allowing zero hits in the top of the ninth.
Jimenez led the Honkers offensively with a first inning home run launched over the left field wall, plating two runs for Rochester. Jimmy Waters (Kansas) finished his night 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run. Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) added his second RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to right field in the fourth inning.
Blasting the first pitch of the night, Lippincott stood on first and watched the second batter of the night, Jimenez, rocket a ball out of Mayo Field, giving the Honkers a 2-0 lead. After the first, Alexandria’s starter, Shawn Reisgraf (St. Cloud State) settled down and quieted the Rochester bats until the fourth, when Mendenhall scored Waters from third on a sacrifice to right field, extending the lead to 3-0.
Grant Muncrief (Wichita State) will make his Rochester debut tomorrow afternoon when he takes the hill against the Beetles’ Lindsey Caughel (Setson). The Honkers look to stay undefeated at home when they go for the sweep of Alexandria at 1:05 PM.
June 18 , 2010
Honkers Score Season-High 15 runs in Victory
(Rochester, MN) – The Honkers scored 15 runs on 17 hits to take game one against the Alexandria Beetles, 15-2.
Six different Honkers recorded multi hit nights, led by Richie Jimenez (UNLV) and Dan Pellegrino (UC Riverside), who each blasted three run home runs. Jimmy Waters (Kansas), Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon) all recorded two hits in the effort for Rochester. Newcomer Anthony Hutting (Cal St Fullerton) started his Honkers season off on the right foot, going 2-4 with an RBI.
Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) notched another solid performance tonight, throwing 6.1 innings, allowing just one earned run off three hits while striking out seven. McKeon earns his first decision of the season with the victory over Alexandria, improving his record to 1-0. Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) came on in relief for Rochester, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing just two hits and not walking a batter. Joey Housey (Oregon), another new face for the Honkers, finished the game, issuing just one walk and collecting one strikeout on the evening.
Rochester used three singles in the bottom of the second inning to plate the first three runs of the game. The Honkers would open the flood gates in the bottom of fifth, scoring five runs off five base hits and extending their lead to 8-0. Rochester would score again in the sixth with an opposite field base hit by Devin Thaut, taking a 9-0 lead. Alexandria would pick up two runs in the top of the seventh before Jimenez sent a rocket over the left field wall, improving the lead to 12-3. Pellegrino would add a little salt to the wound with a three run home run in the bottom of the eighth, securing a 15-2 victory.
With the loss the Beetles fall to 7-9 while the Honkers end their two game slide and improve their record to 10-6. In game two, Sean Martin (San Jose State) will take the mound for Rochester while Shawn Riesgraf (St. Cloud State) will toe the rubber for Alexandria. Saturday’s game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 17 , 2010
Rochester Falls Short in Pitching Duel
(Rochester, MN) – The Honkers fall short for the second night in a row in a 0-1 loss to the Willmar Stingers Thursday night.
Rochester starter Mike Strong (Oklahoma State), had another solid performance tossing 5.1 innings allowing just one run off eight hits. He also allowed two walks while fanning eight Stinger batters. Finishing the game on the mound was Ian Kadish (Marshall), who continued to dominate out of the Rochester bullpen. Kadish threw 2.3 innings surrendering just two hits while striking out three. Despite a great outing Strong will pick up the loss dropping his record to 2-1.
Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) and Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) were the only Honkers that were able to crack the Willmar pitching. Karraker delivered a single in the top of the fourth inning while Thaut roped a line-drive single to left field in the fifth.
With the loss the Honkers fall to 9-6 following back-to-back losses to Willmar while the Stingers climb to 7-7. Rochester returns home tomorrow night when they take on the Alexandria Beetles for the first of a three game home series game time schedules for 7:05 PM.
June 16 , 2010
Honkers Slip after Five Straight Wins
(Rochester, MN) – The Rochester Honkers drop the inaugural game against the Willmar Stingers 14-9 Wednesday night in Willmar.
Making his second start for the Honkers was Danny Winkler (Parkland College) who went the first 3.2 innings of the game allowing seven runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. Coming in for relief was Mitch Caster (Wichita State) who shut down the Stingers bats for 1.1 innings allowing just one hit. Nick Dolsky (Nebraska) threw the final three frames allowing seven runs on five hits but issuing four walks.
Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona), Jimmy Waters (Kansas) and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) led the offense for the Honkers scoring a combined six Rochester runs. Elder platted two runs for the Honkers with a two run blast in the top of the third. Richie Jimenez (UNLV) also picked up two hits on the night for the Honkers. Dan Pelligrino (UC Riverside), Bryan Lippincott (Concordia) and Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) all scored hits for Rochester.
Rochester scored the opening run of the game off the bat of Chris Elder who blasted his second home run of the season giving the Honkers a 2-0 lead. The Honkers would score another run in the top of the fourth extending their lead to 3-0. In the bottom of the fourth the Stingers poured on seven runs, bumping starter Winkler from the mound and taking the lead 7-3. Rochester would scratch up two more runs in the top of the fifth cutting the lead to 7-5 before going scoreless in the next three innings. Willmar would score four more runs in their next three at bats taking a commanding 14-5 lead. The Honkers would put up four runs in the top of the ninth but would fall short losing to the final of 14-9.
With the loss Rochester falls to 9-5 while Willmar improves to 6-7. The Honkers and Stingers will take the field again tomorrow night for game two of this two game series, game time in Willmar is 7:05 PM.
June 14 , 2010
Honkers Sweep Thunder Bay
(Rochester, MN) – Rochester scores three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to come from behind and beat Thunder Bay for the sweep 4-2.
The Honkers and Border Cats squared off in a pitching duel for the third and final game of the series. Rochester managed to out hit Thunder Bay but the two teams combined for only ten hits. Getting the start for Rochester was Sean Martin (San Jose State), who went six innings, surrendering two runs off three hits while collecting five strikeouts. Ian Kadish (Marshall) came in for two innings out of the bullpen, surrendering just one hit and striking out one. The ninth inning belonged to Arik Sikula (Marshall) who picked up right where Kadish left off, facing just three batters and retiring them in order.
Leading the Honkers was Bryan Lippincott (Concordia), who finished the night 2-3 with two walks and scored a run. Jimmy Waters (Kansas), Mitch Caster (Wichita State) and Richie Jimenez (UNLV) all plated runs for the Honkers. Caster threw the big blow with a walk in the bottom of the seventh that gave him the go ahead RBI. An addition run scored on the play as well on a wild pitch. Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) and Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) also recorded hits in the win for the Honkers.
Rochester scored quickly with an RBI single by Jimenez that platted Caster from second on a single in the second. Thunder Bay would answer in the third with a two run home run over the right field wall by lead off batter Tyler Pryor (Fresno Pacific). The blast gave Thunder Bay a 2-1 lead. Both teams were silenced until the Honkers broke through in the seventh with an RBI single by Waters. Caster would pick up one RBI following a bases loaded walk with the fourth and final run scoring on a wild pitch.
With the victory the Honkers improve to 9-4 while on a five game winning streak, and with the loss the Border Cats fall to 4-7. Rochester takes a well deserved day off before hitting the road for the first ever meeting between the Honkers and the Willmar Stingers on Wednesday night.
June 13 , 2010
Rochester Slides past Thunder Bay
(Rochester, MN) – It took extra innings for the Honkers and Border Cats to decide the winner of game two their three game series. With runners at first and third in the bottom of the tenth inning Rochester used a rundown to score the winning run 4-3.
Jimmy Waters (Kansas) led the Honkers going 2-5 with 2 singles while Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) led in the RBI category blasting an eighth inning two-run home run over the right field wall. Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) also left the park with a towering home run over the right center wall cutting the Border Cats lead to 1-2. Bryan Lippincott (Concordia), Matt Dittman (Illinois), Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Mitch Caster (Witchita State) all added hits to the Rochester total.
Getting the start for the Honkers was Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) who went 7.0 innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits while striking out 7. Despite a solid performance McKeon draws a no decision before giving way to Nick Dolsky (Nebraska) who threw 1 inning issuing 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Pitching the final 2 innings of the game and getting the win was Ian Kadish (Marshall) who tossed 2 innings of shut out baseball only allowing 3 hits and fanning 3 Thunder Bay batters. Kadish picks up his first win of the season while Josh McKeon gets the no decision and his record stands at 0-0.
The Border Cats jumped out to an early 0-1 lead which held until the sixth inning when Karraker blasted a line drive over the right field wall cutting the lead to 1-2. The following inning the Thunder Bay answered with a shot of their own extending their lead to 1-3. With a Lippincott on second base clean up hitter Elder put a charge into an opposite field home run tying the ballgame at 3-3. Following a called strikeout to Thaut for the second out of the inning Thunder Bay catcher Will Thorp (Lewis-Clark State College) threw behind the runner at first Dittman catching him a few steps off. While attempting to advance to second base in the run down Waters took advantage of a distracted defense sliding under the jumping catcher for the game winning run.
With the win the Honkers improve to 8-4 on the seasons and are currently in first place in the North Division while Thunder Bay falls to 4-6 on the heels of a five game losing streak. The final game of the series takes place tomorrow at Mayo Field in Rochester, first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 12 , 2010
Rochester Rips Thunder Bay in Series Opener
(Rochester, MN) – Behind Rochester newcomer Jimmy Waters the Honkers crushed the Thunder Bay Border Cats 12-2 Saturday night at Mayo Field.
The Rochester offense posted 12 runs on 13 hits including 6 runs in the eighth during game one of this three game series. The Honkers were led by Kansas University stand out Jimmy Waters who made his Rochester debut tonight finishing 3-4 with 2 singles and a triple while platting 3 RBIs. Bryan Lippingcott (Concordia), Richie Jimenez (UNLV) and Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) all finished the night with 2 hits a piece. Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) also finished the night with 2 hits including a long double to right center field, Thaut also singled in an RBI in the bottom of the first inning.
Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) made his third start of the season for Rochester working 6.0 innings while allowing just 1 run on 3 hits. With the win Strong moves to 2-0 on the season and has racked up 22 strikeouts during his first three appearances fanning 10 Border Cats during his outing tonight. Sean Martin (San Jose State) worked 1 inning out of the bullpen for the Honkers surrendering 1 run on 1 hit before Arik Sikula (Marshall) finished the final two innings allowing 2 hits, 0 runs while striking out 4.
Rochester started out the game with a bang scoring 3 quick runs off of back-to-back singles by Waters and Elder. The runs continued with a Bryan Karracker (Central Arizona) sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI single by the leadoff man Lippincott. Taking a 6-2 lead into the eight the Honkers poured on 6 more runs off a 5 hit inning including a Waters triple and a Dittman double. Sikula came back out for the final frame, facing just 3 batters including striking out the final 2 hitters of the night.
With the win the Honkers move to 7-4 while the Border Cats drop to 4-5. Taking the mound for the Honkers is Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) while Thunder Bay counters with Garrett Yount (Rollins College), game time is scheduled for 1:05 PM at Mayo Field in Rochester.
June 11 , 2010
Feldman's Masterpiece Results in Honker Win
(Rochester, MN) -- The Rochester Honkers come from behind once again in the top of the eighth inning to beat the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers 3-2in Brainerd Minnesota and take the series 3-2.
Behind a solid performance by starter Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) Rochester beat the Lunkers Friday night in come back fashion once again. Through the first five innings of baseball Feldman shut down the Brainerd bats by not allowing a hit while allowing just two batter to reach base. He finished the night after eight innings of work, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and striking out two to earn the victory and improve his record to 1-1. Ian Kadish (Marshall) came in relief in the ninth slamming the door on the Lunkers. Kadish pitched 12 total pitches giving up no hits to earn his first save of the season.
Rochester's offense was led by Bryan Lippincott (Concordia) who ended the night 2-4 with two singles. Richie Jimenez (UNLV) and Anthony Dunn (Doane College) also tallied hits for the Honkers with Dunn picking up Rochester's only 2 RBIs. In his final game as a Honker, Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) finished the night 1-3 with a single.
Down 1-2 in the top of the eighth inning Rochester loaded the bases with one out. Following a ground out to the pitcher for the second out of the inning Dunn drilled a 2 run single for the Honkers giving them the lead 3-2.
The Honkers have already lost three players due to the MLB draft. Bret Mitchell, Drew Beuerlein and Jordan Tripp have all committed to sign to play professionally. Filling in the holes and meeting up with the team in Rochester are three new players ready to lace up. Dan Pelligrino (Catcher - UC Riverside), Chris Elder (Outfielder - Oral Roberts) and recently signed Jimmy Waters (Outfielder - Kansas) all will be in uniform tomorrow night in Rochester.
The Honkers finished their seven game road trip with a winning record of 4-3 before returning home tomorrow night to take on Thunder Bay Border Cats at Mayo Field for a three game set. Game time for Saturday is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 10 , 2010
Honkers Score Seven in Bottom Eight for Victory
(Rochester, MN) -- The Rochester Honkers plate seven runs in the top of the eighth inning to come from behind and beat the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers 8-6.
Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) lead off the eighth inning with a single, sparking a seven run inning for the Honkers. After Beuerlein's single, three of the next four Honkers would reach base including Mitch Caster (Witchita State) who finished the night 3-5 with three singles. Richie Jimenez (UNLV), Beuerlein, Matt Dittman (Illinois), and Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) all recorded hits for Rochester. The entire lineup helped in the effort with six different players platting runs for the Honkers.
Danny Winkler (Parkland College) made his starting debut on the mound for Rochester finishing the night after 6.0 innings of work allowing 5 runs, 3 earned off 7 hits and collecting 7 strikeouts. Arik Sikula (Marshall) worked the final three frames for the Honkers allowing just 1 run off a scattered 4 hits and 3 strikeouts.
After cutting the Lunker lead to 1-2 the Honkers bats went cold until the eighth inning when they scored seven of the nine batters that stepped into the box. With one out in the inning Caster, Thaut and Bryan Lippincott (Concordia) all reached base safely. After an Anthony Dunn (Doane College) ground out Matt Miller (Rochester RCTC) hit an RBI infield single, making it a one-run ballgame. The leadoff batter Bryan Karraker reached base on an error on the shortstop before Jimenez drove in an unearned run. The Honkers would add to the lead one batter later when Beuerlein would get his second hit of the inning with a double to the wall scoring two more runs and running the score to 8-6.
The Honkers and Lunkers take the field for the final game of this three game series tomorrow night. Toeing the rubber for the Lunkers will be Brian Russell (Davidson College) and for the Honkers is right-hander Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
Honkers Fill the 2010 Draft
(Rochester, MN)--In the wake of the 2010 First-Years Players Draft, the Rochester Honkers are celebrating their busiest draft in franchise history. The Honkers had 22 players, both current and past, taken in this year's draft including Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) who set a new club record being selected in the 3rd round with the 90th overall pick. Wates played for Rochester in 2008 and just finished his junior year at Virginia Tech where he led the team in batting average as the leadoff man.
The Honkers 2010 lineup was busy in the draft as well with eight players on the current roster getting taken in the draft. Starting centerfielder Jordan Tripp (Golden West) led the list of active players after he was taken in the 7th round by the Oakland Athletics. Tripp had started in the first six games of the season hitting .304 with 3 RBI and 1 double and 1 homerun. In the 8th round, Cerritos College standout Josef Terry was taken by the Chicago White Sox. Terry signed a full contract with the Honkers but did not report to Rochester before the draft. Mike Giovenco (North Park) was taken in the 14th round by the Kansas City Royals. Giovenco also was signed as a full contract right-handed pitcher but did not join the team before the draft. The Honkers rotation continued its busy draft during the 22nd round when starter Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) was drafted by the Oakland Athletics. Strong had already put together an impressive 2010 campaign, making two starts for a 1-0 record, pitching 9.0 innings surrendering 0 runs off 4 hits while fanning 12 batters for an ERA of 0.00. Grant Muncrieft (Witchita State), who has yet to join the team, was taken in round 37 by the Minnesota Twins and in round 43 Danny Winkler (Parkland College) was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. In the 49th round, catcher Dan Pelligrino (US Riverside) was taken by the San Francisco Giants.
There were seven members of the 2009 Northwoods League Championship team taken in the first 32 rounds of the draft. Third baseman Tony Thompson (Kansas) was taken in the 6th round by the Oakland Athletics followed shortly by fellow infielder Corey Jones (Cal St. Fullerton) who was taken in the 7th round by the Detroit Tigers. Honkers right-hander Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato) and Lakeville native was taken in the 12th round by the Mets. Mitchell had already made two starts for the Honkers in 2010 posting a 1-0 record in 13.2 innings pitched allowing just 2 runs off 9 hits with an 11/0 strikeout to walk ratio. Right-hander Lucas O'Rear (Northern Iowa) was picked up in the 13th round by the Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Jay Johnson (Texas Tech) joins the Toronto Blue Jays in the 26th round. Rounding out the list was left-hander Zach Robertson (Iowa) who was drafted in the 30th round by the Florida Marlins and Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) who heads to the Los Angeles Angels in the 32nd round. Beuerlein was another returning Honker that had already laced up for the teal and black during the 2010 season, starting in two games for Rochester behind the plate before being drafted in day three.
Also taken in the draft were four other members of the 2007 Honkers team including Rochester native Aaron Senne (Missouri) who was taken in the 10th round by the Florida Marlins. Raynor Campbell (Baylor) was taken in the 14th round by the SF Giants and Baylor teammate Craig Fritsch was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 16th round. Right-hander Matt Hutchinson (UNLV) was also taken by Philadelphia in the 25th round. 2008 Honker, Justin Hilt (Elon University) was taken in the 36th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks while Cole Tyrell (University of Dayton) was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 42nd round. Right-handed pitcher Jesse Meaux (UC Santa Barbara) was taken in the 44th round also by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Here is a complete list of the 2010 draft class.
Name Rd. Pick Pos. Team School Year Honker
Austin Wates 3 90 2B Astros Virginia Tech 2008
Tony Thompson 6 185 3B Athletics Kansas 2009
Jordan Tripp 7 215 OF Athletics Golden West 2010
Corey Jones 7 223 2B Tigers Cal St Fullerton 2009
Josef Terry 8 248 OF White Sox Cerritos College 2010
Aaron Senne 10 317 1B Marlins Missouri 2007-2008
Bret Mitchell 12 362 RHP Mets MN State Mankato 2009-2010
Lucas O'Rear 13 397 RHP Reds Northern Iowa 2009
Mike Giovenco 14 419 RHP Royals North Park 2010
Raynor Campbell 14 438 Inf Giants Baylor 2007
Craig Fritsch 16 501 RHP Phillies Baylor 2007
Mike Strong 22 665 LHP Athletics Oklahoma State 2010
Matt Hutchinson 25 771 RHP Phillies UNLV 2007
Jay Johnson 26 786 LHP Blue Jays Texas Tech 2009
Zach Robertson 30 917 LHP Marlins Iowa 2007-2009
Drew Beuerlein 32 984 C Angels UNLV 2009-2010
Justin Hilt 36 1081 OF Diamondbacks Elon University 2008
Grant Muncrieft 37 1125 RHP Twins Witchita State 2010
Cole Tyrell 42 1264 SS Padres University of Dayton 2008
Danny Winkler 43 1300 RHP Cubs Parkland College 2010
Jesse Meaux 44 1341 RHP Phillies UC Santa Barbara 2008
Dan Pelligrino 49 1488 C Giants UC Riverside 2010
Comeback Falls Short in Brainerd
(Rochester, MN) – The Honkers drop their fourth game of the season Wednesday night against Brainerd 2-3 and chalk up their third loss of the year by one run.
Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) scored the opening run of the game off an RBI double play to the second baseman which gave the Honkers an early lead 1-0. Nick Anderson (St. Cloud State) was able to neutralize the Rochester bats by only allowing four Honker hits on the night and only issuing three walks. Bryan Lippincott (Concordia), Beuerlein, Matt Dittman (Illinois) and Mitch Anderson (Rochester CTC) all racked up singles for Rochester. Mitch Caster (Witchita State) also scored an RBI for the Honkers; he batted in Lippincott in the top of the ninth before Beuerlein was thrown out on a close play attempting to take third base.
Sean Martin (San Jose State) made his Rochester debut on the mound finishing the night after five innings of work allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while limiting Brainerd to 2 walks and picking up one strikeout. He was replaced by Ian Kadish (Marshall) who pitched tough over three innings of work. In his first inning he faced only three Lunker batters, fanning all three, he didn’t allow a hit over his three innings totaling 4 strikeouts on the night.
The Honkers and Lunkers will take the field again tomorrow for game two of this three-game series. Tomorrow’s pitching match up will feature Matt Florer (Loyola Marymount University) for the Lunkers and Danny Winkler (Parkland College) who makes his starting debut for Rochester, game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 8 , 2010
Mitchell Delivers on Draft Day
(Rochester, MN) – On the eve of being drafted in the 12th round in the 2010 MLB First-Year Players Draft by the New York Mets, Bret Mitchell (MSU-Mankato) gave the Honkers another solid performance. Mitchell led a crew of Rochester arms that held the Beetles offense to only two runs on seven hits on route to a 3-2 Honkers victory in Alexandria, MN.
Mitchell went 6 innings allowing only six hits and two runs while not walking any Alexandria batters and striking out three. With his outing tonight Mitchell has an ERA of only 1.32 in his first two starts on the season for Rochester. The Honkers stretched out some new arms out of the bullpen tonight, first with reliever Danny Winkler (Parkland College) who lit up the scoreboard for 1 innings of work, Winkler didn’t allow a hit while gathering two strikeouts. In the eighth Ian Kadish (Marshall) took the mound picking up right where Winkler and Mitchell left off allowing only 1 hit and strikeout out the final batter he faced. In the ninth the Honkers turned to their closer Sikula who didn’t disappoint, Sikula stuck out the side with only 15 pitches, 12 for strikes.
Offensively for Rochester, Bryan Karracker (Central Arizona), Mitch Caster (Witchita State) and Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley) all recorded two hits. Angel Talamantes (Rochester CTC) drove in the opening run for Rochester while returning Honker Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) also platted a run for the teal and black. Richie Jimenez (UNLV) also chalked up a hit for Rochester but reached base safely in three of his four at bats.
After scoring a run in the top of the second inning the Honkers were held at bay by Beetles starting pitcher Shawn Riesgraf (St. Cloud State) who went 7 innings, scattered seven Rochester hits while only allowing two runs. Trailing 1-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Bryan Lippincott (Concordia) was hit by a first pitch fastball to leadoff the inning. Following Karracker’s second single of the night Lippincott advanced to second and quickly to third on a wild pitch by Alexandria’s Pedro Ramos. Beuerlein would get credit for the first RBI of the inning with a come-back shot to the pitcher while the second run would score off another wild pitch.
Draft Update:
Mitchell joins 14 other Rochester Honkers, both current and past that were taken in this year’s MLB draft. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) leads the class of past Honkers taken in the draft and becomes the highest drafted in the franchises history, being taken with the 90th pick in the third round by the Houston Astros.
Jordan Tripp (Golden West) heads the list of current players taken in the draft after being taken in the 7th round by the Oakland Athletics. In the eighth round, from Cal St. Fullerton, Josef Terry was taken by the Chicago White Sox. Mike Giovenco (North Park) was taken with the 419th pick by the Kansas City Royals and Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) was taken in the 22nd round by the Oakland Athletics.
Four players were taken in this year’s draft from the 2009 Northwoods League Championship team. Tony Thompson (Kansas) sixth round, Corey Jones (Cal St. Fullerton) seventh round to the Detroit Tigers, Rochester native Aaron Senne (Missouri) went in round 10 and Lucas O’Rear (Northern Iowa) went in round 13 to the Cincinnati Reds.
Here’s a complete list of the 2010 Rochester Honkers taken in the draft:
Name School Team Round
Austin Wates Virginia Tech Houston Astros 3
Tony Thompson Kansas Oakland Athletics 6
Jordan Tripp Golden West Oakland Athletics 7
Corey Jones Cal St. Fullerton Detroit Tigers 7
Josef Terry Cerritos College Chicago White Sox 8
Aaron Senne Missouri Florida Marlins 10
Bret Mitchell MSU-Mankato New York Mets 12
Lucas O’Rear Northern Iowa Cincinnati Reds 13
Michael Giovenco North Park Kansas City Royals 14
Raynor Campbell Baylor San Francisco Giants 14
Craig Fritsch Baylor Philadelphia Phillies 16
Mike Strong Oklahoma State Oakland Athletics 22
Matt Hutchinson UNLV Philadelphia Phillies 25
Jay Johnson Texas Tech Toronto Blue Jays 26
Zach Robertson Iowa Florida Marlins 30
June 7 , 2010
Honkers Fall to Beetles in Bottom of Nine
(Rochester, MN) -- Rochester drops the opening game against the Alexandria Beetles 6-7 in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Honkers were unable to hold an early lead in Alexandria Monday night as they fall 6-7 following a ninth inning sacrifice fly by Beetle's catcher Brandon Garcia (Southern California). Despite a solid performance by Rochester native Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) on the mound for Rochester, the Honkers let a five run lead slip away.
The Honker bats were lead by the core of their lineup in Jordan Tripp (Golden West) and Matt Dittman (Illinois), Tripp finished the night 2-3 while Dittman was 2-2. Tripp singled in the first and doubled in the eighth where he would later score the game tying run for the Honkers while Dittman finished the night with a single and a three-run blast over the right field wall in the third. Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley), Mitch Caster (Witchita State) and Richie Jimenez (UNLV) also scored a hit for the Honkers. The remaining Rochester lineup took advantage of spotty Beetle pitching including Bryan Lippincott (Concordia) who didn't record a hit but reached base twice via the walk including a leadoff walk that resulted in a score for the Honkers in the first.
McKeon finished the night after five innings of work allowing six scattered hits and four Alexandria runs while walking five and two strikeouts. Relieving him in the sixth and finishing the game on the mound was Caster who allowed three runs on three hits but only one earned run as well as sitting down four Beetle's hitters.
After scoring a first inning run the Honkers piled on three runs in the third following a Dittman bomb over the right field wall. Rochester would later take a 5-0 lead after scoring one run in the fifth following a leadoff walk and two passed balls. Alexandria would finally get to the Honker pitching in the sixth when Beetles strung together four back to back hits including back to back doubles by Taylor Davis (Morehead St. KY) and Derek Mattea (John A. Logan College). After scoring four in the sixth the Beetles put up two in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead 5-6. In the eighth Caster would drive in a game tying run knotting the game at six apiece before Alexandria would take advantage of the a leadoff single and a stolen base to score Blair Roberts (Air Force Academy) on a sacrifice fly from Garcia.
The Honkers take on Alexandria again tomorrow night for the final game of this two game series before heading to Brainerd for three against the Lunkers, game time tomorrow is schedule for 6:05 PM.
June 6 , 2010
Honkers Hand Thunder Bay First Loss of Season 7-3
Behind the solid pitching of the Rochester pitching staff the Honkers beat the Border Cats 7-3 Sunday afternoon.
The Honkers evened the series with the Border Cats at one game apiece following a 7-3 victory behind the pitching of Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) who picks up his first win of the season. Strong tossed 6 innings of shut out baseball allowing just three hits while tallying five strikeouts and scattering five walks in the win.
At the plate for the Honkers Matt Dittman (Illinois) continued his hot streak going 2-4 with two singles along with Rochester shortstop Richie Jimenez (UNLV) who also finished with two hits and an RBI on the night. Mitch Caster (Witchita State) finished the night 1-5 but chalked up 2 RBI for the Honkers on the afternoon. Devin Thout (Paradise Valley), Jordan Tripp (Golden West) and Matt Miller (Rochester CTC) also added to the hit total for Rochester.
Strong set the pace for the Honkers through the first six innings of the game before giving way to reliever Arik Sikula (Marshall) who cleared the rest of the frames on the mound for Rochester. Sikula ended the night on 3 innings pitched allowing 3 runs for Rochester, only 1 of which was earned.
Rochester put up two crooked numbers in two innings proving to be enough for the victory scoring 4 in the top of the fifth and 3 in the eighth. Angel Talamantes (Rochester CTC) scored the opening run on a Thout single being followed shortly by Tripp and Dittman who both scored on a Caster single to right field. Caster would later score on a Jimenez RBI single, Jimenez’s first RBI in a Honker uniform. After Thunder Bay cut the lead to 4-2 on a Evan Mistich (Panola Col. Texas) double over the head of centerfielder Tripp in the seventh the Honkers wasted no time responding with 3 runs in the top of the eighth. Rochester plated three runs in the eighth on only 1 hit but took advantage of shaky Border Cat pitching including an error on the pitcher and two wild pitches.
The Honkers travel to Alexandria to take on the Beetles tomorrow evening, game time is scheduled for 6:05 PM.
June 5 , 2010
Rally Falls Short in Loss to Thunder Bay
(Rochester, MN) -- Despite a late inning rally by Rochester the Honkers fall to Thunder Bay 5-3 evening their record at 2-2.
Honker hitters were held at bay for most of the game as Border Cats Starter Eric Brown (University of British Colombia) went seven innings while holding the Rochester offense to only six hits. Matt Dittman (Illinois) continued to swing a hot bat going 3-4 on the game with a double and two singles including the rally starting single in the ninth. Mitch Caster (Witchita State) finished the night 2-4 at the plate with two singles while Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) and Bryan Lippincott (Concordia) were accompanied by three other Honkers who all notched at least one hit.
Nick Dolsky (Nebraska) made his season debut on the mound for the Honkers going 5.2 innings while only allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and collecting 5 strikeouts, however he did issue 6 walks. Dolsky was replaced in the sixth by reliever Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) who finished the game for Rochester surrendering 3 runs on 5 hits and only tossing 3 free bases.
After allowing two runs in the bottom of the first inning without allowing a single hit Dolsky found his groove and shut down the Border Cats until he was taken out of the game in the sixth. After promptly getting the final out of the sixth inning Feldman was greeted by a leadoff double in the seventh where he later allowed one run giving Thunder Bay a 0-3 lead. After the Honkers were retired in order the Border Cats clawed across two more runs giving them a comfortable lead at 0-5. In the top of the ninth Rochester stormed back with one out single by Dittman and back-to-back singles by Devin Thaut (Paradise Valley CC) and Richie Jimenez (UNLV). With the bases loaded Anthony Dunn (Doane College) drew a bases loaded walk forcing in Dittman making it 1-5. After an RBI fielder's choice by Matt Miller (Rochester CTC) Lippincott found the outfield grass scoring another run to make the game 3-5. Thunder Bay then went to the bullpen calling on closer Drew Erwin (Nicholla State) who only needed to face Jordan Tripp (Golden West) to get the final out of the game leaving the bases loaded.
The Honkers are back in action again tomorrow as they take on the Border Cats in Thunder Bay, game time is scheduled for 4:05 PM.
June 4 , 2010
Dittman, Honkers Walk off with Series Win
(Rochester, MN) -- In the deciding game of the opening series between the Honkers and the MoonDogs, Matt Dittman (Illinois) blasted a walk off single to the right field gap to clinch the victory for Rochester 5-4.
After putting up three run on two home runs in the first inning the Rochester and Mankato found themselves knotted at four apiece headed into the ninth and final frame. After the lead off runner was thrown out attempting to steal second base the Honkers went back to back singles putting runners at first and second with only one out. MoonDogs reliever, Luke Anderson (NDSU) locked down to get a big strikeout of Jordan Tripp (Golden West) who had homered earlier in the game. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, clean up hitter Dittman stepped into a 1-0 count fast ball, blasting it to the right field gap scoring Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) for the game winning run.
Rochester started the night off strong again but this time on the first pitch of the game when Karraker saw a first pitch fastball out of starter Joby Lapkowicz (Slippery Rock) and put it over the left field wall. Already leading 1-0 in the first, Lapkowicz was roughed up by the following two batters who put a double to the wall off the bat of Bryan Lippincott. The very next batter, Tripp sent another Lapkowicz fastball way over the left field wall making the score 3-0.
On the mound tonight for the Honkers was Rochester native, Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa) who went 6.1 innings, surrendering no hits on only five hits. Relieving McKeon was Arik Sikula (Marshall) who had a rough outing despite collecting the win and giving up all four Rochester runs.
The Honkers head north tomorrow for two games against the Border Cats of Thunder Bay where Nick Dolsky (Nebraska) from Apple Valley, MN will take the mound for game one.
June 3 , 2010
Honkers Bats Start the Fireworks!
(Rochester, MN) – In front of a crowd of 1,820 people, the Honkers lit up the night sky with an explosion of hits beating Mankato 8-2.
Bryan Lippincott (Concordia ) put his hitting ability on display Thursday night finishing 4-5 at the plate with four RBI. Bryan Karraker (Central Arizona) and Mitch Caster (Witchita State) joined in the festivities with two hits apiece and combining for three Honkers runs. Matt Dittman (Illinois), Matt Miller (Rochester CTC), Anthony Dunn (Doane College) and Angel Talamantes (Rochester CTC) all chalked up hits for the Honkers.
Defensively, Bret Mitchell (MSU-Mankato) stormed back to the mound in Rochester throwing 7.2 innings without allowing a run while thinning out three hits and picking up seven strikeouts. Mitchell started off the game strong picking up two strikeouts for two of the first three outs of the game. He picked up two more in the second before leveling off and but still sitting down six of his next seven batters faced. In the eighth Mitchell gave way to the Rochester closer Arik Sikula who went 1.1 innings who only allowed three hits and surrendering two runs, only one of which was earned.
For the MoonDogs, starter Blake Schwartz (MSU-Mankato) went six innings despite giving up all eight of the Rochester runs. Tim Fangman (Blackhawk JC) came in for the seventh inning and remained in for the rest of the game holding the potent Honker offense off the scoreboard for the final two at bats. Fangman finished his two innings of work with an empty scorecard allowing no runs on no hits.
Robbie Robinson (Valparaiso) and Bobby Jacobs (Penn State) were the only two MoonDog batters that could find an answer for Mitchell and the Honker pitching staff. Each batter picked up two hits apiece accounting for four of Mankato’s six hits on the night. Trey Ford was also able to reach base twice, a fielder's choice in the second inning and a single in the top of the ninth that would later score the second run off Jacobs two RBI single.
The Honkers and MoonDogs will conclude their series tomorrow night for the rubber game of this three game series. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 at Mayo Field where Joby Lapkowicz (Slippery Rock) will face off against Rochester native Josh McKeon (Upper Iowa).
June 2 , 2010
Honkers Fall in Season Opener
(Rochester, MN) -- In the opening night of play around the Northwoods League, the Rochester Honkers fell at Mankato by a final of 0-1 in front of a sold out Franklin Rogers Park holding almost 2,011 fans for game one. Gabe Feldman (Wake Forest) took the loss for the Honkers while Ryan Demmin (MSU-Mankato) pitched his way to an opening night win for the MoonDogs.
The play of the night took place during the top of the ninth inning when Honkers shortstop Bryan Lippincott (Concordia College) blasted a ball to the right field corner reaching second base with a ground rule double. However, upon appeal he was called out for allegedly missing first base and his hit taken away.
The Honkers were lead by top of their lineup with Matt Dittman (Illinois), Matt Milller (Rochester CTC) and Jordan Tripp (Golden West) getting the only three hits of the night for Rochester. Dittman and Angel Talamantes (Rochester CTC) also reached base by drawing walks including Talamantes, a freshman from Rochester Community Technical College record the first base runner in the Honkers 2010 season.
On the mound, Mike Strong (Oklahoma State) started the game on the mound for Rochester, going three innings with one zero runs and only allowing one hit. Strong also picked up seven strikeouts but gave up five walks during his three innings of work. Feldman threw five strong innings allowing only one run off six hits while picking up three strikeouts and three walks.
For the MoonDogs, Bobby Jacobs (Penn State) picked up two hits from the leadoff stop while Jose Perez (Kishwaukee CC) scratched across the lone RBI for Mankato on his only hit of the night. Demmin picked up his first win of the season bringing his record to 1-0 in 7.1 innings of work giving up 3 hits on his way to 12 strikeouts.
Rochester will have its home opener Thursday, June 3rd when they will take on Mankato for game two of this three game series. Taking the mound for the MoonDogs will be Blake Schwartz (MSU-Mankato), a right-handed sophomore against returning Honker Bret Mitchell (MSU-Mankato). Game time is scheduled for 7:05 at Mayo Field in Rochester.
June 2 , 2010
It's Opening Night!
(Rochester, MN) --Opening night is tonight in the Northwoods League and watching the games on the internet just got a lot better. All 16 Northwoods League teams will be using a 4-camera setup beginning with tonight’s action on www.northwoodsleague.tv.
“It’s going to be exciting to see for the first time,” said Northwoods League Director of Operations Curt Carstensen. “I’ve heard a lot of great things from around the League. The four-cameras working together will bring fans closer to the action than they’ve ever been. This is the third season of live video of all Northwoods League games and fans will see how big of a step we’ve made.”
Fans can log on and watch any game free of charge. The NorthwoodsLeague.tv website has been re-designed to make accessing the game of your choice easier than ever. The Northwoods League is partnering with Webcast America, www.webcast50.com, for the 2010 season.
“The people at Webcast America have been great during this entire process,” Carstensen said. “The quality of their product makes this partnership one that we’re extremely excited about.”
All of the games will be archived after their conclusion and available to watch at any time throughout the season.
Opening Night in the Northwoods League
The Northwoods League opens its 17th season tonight as action begins in seven cities across the 16-team league. This year the NWL’s two divisions, the North and South, will solely play the opponents within their own division a total of ten times each with five games at home and five games on the road. The playoffs will begin August 17th with Divisional playoffs and the NWL Championship Series begins August 20th.
Seven teams will be having their home openers tonight starting in Ontario with Thunder Bay hosting Duluth at 5:35 Central Time. In the eight seasons of the Border Cats this is the first time they’ve opened at home. The next first pitch will come in Alexandria, MN at 6:05 where the Alexandria Beetles will take on the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers. The Beetles will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary in the league at Knute Nelson Memorial Park.
Two 2010 season openers were playoff contests in 2009. One matches the Mankato MoonDogs against the 2009 NWL Champion Rochester Honkers at 7:05. Former 2009 Mankato Moondog Assistant Coach Ryan Ruiz (Central Arizona College) is now the Field Manager in Rochester. The other 2009 playoff rematch has the La Crosse Loggers hosting the Eau Claire Express at 7:05 at Copeland Park. The 2008 playoffs featured a South Divisional matchup between the Wisconsin Woodchucks and the Madison Mallards. Those two teams begin their season tonight in Madison at 7:05.
Green Bay and Battle Creek entered the league together as expansion teams in 2007. Tonight they open their 2010 seasons in Green Bay at 6:35.
The Northwoods League added two new organizations to the league in 2010 with the addition of the Willmar Stingers (North) and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (South). The Rafters begin their season on the road tonight in Iowa against the Waterloo Bucks at Riverfront Stadium at 6:35. The Willmar Stingers will have to wait one more day as they open play against the St. Cloud RiverBats on June 3rd at 7:05 CDT and will have Hall of Famer, Paul Molitor, as the featured opening night guest and fireworks following the game.
Notable Northwoods Alumni consist of Curtis Granderson (NY Yankees), Jeff Weaver (LA Dodgers), Ben Zobrist (TB Rays), and over 65 other Major League Baseball players, 31 of those have played during the 2010 MLB season.
The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. Log on to www.northwoodsleague.com for more information.
May 27, 2010
Rochester Finalize 2010 Summer Roster
(Rochester, MN) -- The Rochester Honkers announced today the final additions for the 2010 roster. Returning to Mayo Field for another summer of baseball are pitchers Phil Haig and Bret Mitchell while Danny Pulfer returns to the infield. Also joining the team is Gabe Feldman from Wake Forest University, Anthony Tzamtzis from North Carolina State, Josh McKeon from Upper Iowa University, David Hurlbut from California State Fullerton, Anthony Dunn from Doane College, Mitch Caster from Witchita State, Josef Terry from Cerritos College and Matt Dittman from Illinois.
This season the Honkers will have a few familiar faces on the mound, the pitching duo of Phil Haig and Bret Mitchell will anchor the Rochester rotation for a third year in a row. Last season with the Honkers, Haig finished 1-0 on the mound pitching a total of eight innings and posting a solid 2.25 ERA. During the summer of 2008 Haig finished strongly with a 5-3 record with an ERA of only 2.49. Mitchell meanwhile started 11 games for Rochester in 2009, finishing 1-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 68 2/3 innings pitched.
Danny Pulfer will be one familiar face for the pitchers to rely on this summer as he returns to the middle infield for a second season with the Honkers. Danny is building off a strong 2009 summer for Rochester where he batted .257 with 12 RBI and 14 runs scored.
Rochester will also get help on the mound from Demon Deacon Gabe Feldman who is just finishing up his freshman season with Wake Forest. Feldman went 0-1 but appeared in 11 games during which he finished with a 12.06 ERA. Before attending Wake Forest he was a two time Under Armor Preseason All-American and ranked number six among prospects in the state of Maryland.
Also putting on the Teal and White for the Honkers is a freshman member of the North Carolina Wolfpack pitching staff, Anthony Tzamtzis. Tzamtzis is coming off a very strong year on the mound, he finished the season 4-3 in 18 appearances with a 7.77 ERA including 19 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched.
Stepping onto some familiar dirt is Rochester native Josh McKeon who played his high school ball at Century High School in Rochester, Minnesota. McKeon made eight appearances with seven starts for the Upper Iowa Peacocks, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.42 ERA. Josh also racked up 45 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings pitched allowing only 57 hits while chalking up four complete games.
During his sophomore season with the Titans of California State Fullerton, David Hurlbut finished 2-0 in 17 appearances with a 9.92 ERA. In his 16 1/3 innings pitched he allowed 20 hits but recorded a strong 19 strikeouts.
Anthony Dunn, a sophomore from Doane College but a native to Papillion, Nebraska, is coming off an impressive season with the Tigers where he batted .360 in 31 appearances. He finished the season with a .419 slugging percentage with 17 RBI while holding a .974 fielding percentage with 126 put outs defensively.
Mitch Caster made 32 starts his sophomore year in 2009 mainly in the outfield and occasionally filling the designated hitter role. He finished the 2009 season hitting .231 with 10 RBI and 27 hits. He also went 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in five relief appearances out of the Witchita State bullpen.
Joe Terry started 20 games for Cerritos College in 2010 where he hit .357 with four doubles and four home runs while finishing with 16 RBI. He ended the season with a .496 on-base percentage with five stolen bases on seven attempts.
From Illinois University, Matt Dittman is coming off a great junior season where he hit .500 in 14 starts for the Fighting Illini. He ended the season with a .705 slugging percentage with 15 RBI, one home run and six doubles. In the field he had a solid 118 put outs and only five errors finishing the season with a .962 fielding percentage.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
May 12 , 2010
Honkers Sign Three More
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of three more players for the 2010 season. Richie Jimenez from University of Nevada Las-Vegas, Davy Wright from #7 ranked Texas Christian University and Andrew Mendenhall from #22 ranked Oregon will all be first-time Honkers this summer.
Jimenez is a 5’11”, 180-pound junior infielder from UNLV. He is currently hitting .256 with 7 doubles and 24 RBIs. He has started 45-46 games at short stop for the Running Rebels. Jimenez was the 2009 West Coast League MVP. He hit .354 with 57 hits, 20 RBIs and made only 6 errors in 134 assists, posting a .970 fielding percentage.
Davy Wright is a 6’1” 195-pound redshirt freshman from #7 ranked TCU. He has appeared in 14 games this season hitting .217 with 2 RBI. Wright appeared in one game as a freshman before suffering a season-ending injury. At Country Day High School, Wright was the team’s MVP as a junior and senior. He was ranked by Baseball America as the #93 prospect in the state of Texas and tabbed as the #23 high school recruit in Texas by Inside Prep Baseball.
Mendenhall is a 6’3” 195-pound freshman outfielder from #22 ranked Oregon. He has appeared in 24 games this season, collecting 2 RBI is 21 at bats. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing football, basketball and baseball. He was a three-time all Big-9 Conference selection in baseball. Mendenhall was named the 2009 Athlete of the Year by the Tri City Herald after earning all Big-9 honors as his team’s quarterback, and first team honors as his team’s shooting guard.
May 4 , 2010
Honkers Sign Two Catchers
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of two catchers from the state of California for the 2010 season. Geno Escalante from Cal State Fullerton, and Dan Pellegrino, from UC Riverside, will join the team this summer.
Escalante is a 5’11” 205-pound freshman from the #10 ranked Cal State Fullerton Titans. Escalante has seen limited action on the season but is expected to be a force in the future. As a senior at Rodriguez High School (Fairfield, CA), Escalante hit .426 with 5 homeruns and 29 RBI and led the team in doubles (11) and hits (40). He was then drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 28th round of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Escalante was also a football star, lettering three times and earning All-Solano County League Offensive Player of the Year honors as a running back.
Pellegrino is a 5’11”, 185-pound junior who is currently hitting .282 with 2 homeruns and 6 RBIs for UC Riverside. He as stared 11 games but appeared in 16. Pellegrino plays behind 2009 NWL All-Star Robert Brantley. As a sophomore, Pellegrino hit .253 with 6 doubles and 10 RBIs and was named to the Big West Academic All-Conference Team.
April 30 , 2010
Honkers go to Paradise for Infielder.
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that signing of Devin Thaut, a 5’11” 200-pound sophomore infielder from Paradise Valley CC in Scottsdale, AZ.
Currently Thaut is hitting .336, with 7 doubles, 3 triples and a team high 30 RBIs. As a freshman, Thaut hit .299 with 4 doubles and 22 RBIs.
Thaut graduate from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, AZ. He was a two-time conference batting champion, three-time All-Region selection, and as a senior he was the state batting champion, as well as his team’s captain and team MVP.
April 27 , 2010
Mitchell Returns for his Third Season with the Honkers.
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that right-handed pitcher, Bret Mitchell, a member of the 2009 NWL Championship Team, will return for his third season with the Rochester Honkers.
Mitchell, a 6’2” 185-pound junior from Minnesota State University, Mankato, is currently 8-2 with a 4.65 ERA for the Mavericks. He has pitched 62.0 innings, striking out 77 and holding opponents to a .239 batting average against. Mitchell tied a season high 11 strikeout performance on Sunday when he guided his team to an 11-4 win over Wayne State. Minnesota State is currently ranked #21 in the country for NCAA Division II schools.
Last summer for the Rochester Honkers, Mitchell was 1-3 with a 3.80 ERA. He pitched 68.2 innings, striking out 60 and holding opponents to a .268 batting average against. Mitchell started game 1 of the NWL Championship Series vs. La Crosse, earning the 7-2 win. Mitchell went 7.0 innings, scattering 5 hits, striking out 4 and allowing only 1 earned run.
Mitchell, a Lakeville, MN native, spent his first two years of collegiate baseball playing at Iowa Central Community College. He finished his two seasons there 6-3 with a 2.07 ERA, striking out 71 in 61 innings. He also pitched 5 complete games and two shutouts.
April 23 , 2010
Honkers Pulfer Up Roster
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Danny Pulfer, a member of the 2009 NWL Championship Team, will return for his second season with the Rochester Honkers.
Pulfer is a 5-10, 190-pound sophomore infielder from the University of Oregon. He is currently hitting .309 with 21 RBIs. Pulfer is leading the squad in doubles (9), slugging pct. (.439), sacrifice bunts (8) and homeruns (3). Pulfer has started every game for the 25-12 Oregon Ducks who are currently ranked #18 in the Nation.
Pulfer hit .257 with 5 doubles and 12 RBIs for the Honkers last summer. He was the team’s starting third baseman, taking over for Tony Thompson (Kansas) who left due to an injury.
The Oregon Ducks and their first ever Top 25 ranking, take on the USC Trojans this weekend at PK Park in Eugene, OR.
April 19 , 2010
Honkers Sign Parkland Pitcher
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of right-handed pitcher, Danny Winkler from Parkland College for the 2010 season.
Winkler is a 6’3”, 190-pound sophomore who is currently 6-1 with a 1.09 ERA. He has pitched 41.0 innings, allowing only 13 hits and striking out 45, both tops on the team. As a freshman, Winkler finished the season 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA. He struck out 26 in 26.0 innings pitched.
Parkland College is the 2009 NJCAA DII National Champions. D.J. (Dillon) Throneburg, a pitcher for the Rochester Honkers in 2005 is the Pitching Coach for Parkland.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 16 , 2010
Honkers Sign North Park Pitcher
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing Mike Giovenco, a right-handed pitcher from North Park University in Chicago, IL.
Giovenco is a 6’6” 235-pound junior, who is currently 4-4 with a 3.28 ERA. He has pitched 46.2 innings, striking out 51 and holding opponents to a .202 batting average against. Giovenco is North Park’s pitching workhorse, leading the team in starts (7), complete games (2) and innings pitched.
As a sophomore, Giovenco finished the season 7-3 and broke the team’s single season strikeout record with 87 K’s in 72.1 innings pitched. He led the entire conference in strikeouts and opposing batting average (.193). Giovenco earned First Team All-CCIW honors and then was drafted in the 26th round of the Major League Baseball first year player draft by the Minnesota Twins., but decided to return to school.
April 13 , 2010
Honkers Sign Apple Valley, MN Native!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Apple Valley, MN native, Nick Dolsky, a 6’8” 226-pound freshman right-handed pitcher from the University of Nebraska.
Dolsky was one of the top pitching prospects in the state of Minnesota, and was rated by Baseball America as the top high school prospect in the state for the 2009 MLB Draft. He pitched all four years at Eastview High School, becoming the first player in school history to letter all four years in baseball. His senior season at Eastview was limited due to injury. He went 1-1, pitching 11.1 innings and striking out 19. As a junior, Dolsky went 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA. He struck out 77 in 42.1 innings of work.
Dolsky originally signed with Arizona before ending up at Nebraska.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
April 7 , 2010
Honkers Sign Freshman All-American
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of 2009 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, Zach Miller, from the University of Saint Louis.
Miller, a 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore infielder is currently hitting .286 with 5 doubles and 11 RBIs. He has started 27 of 29 games as the Billikens second baseman.
Miller was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American last year after hitting .324 with 10 homeruns and a team high 61 RBI, most ever by a freshman and fifth all time at SLU. He earned Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week honors on three occasions and was a Mid-Season All-American selection by pgcrosschecker.com. As a senior in high school, Miller hit .444 with 29 RBIs and 15 extra-base hits. He earned All-GAC first-team honors and was named to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Team.
Saint Louis (15-14) travels to #10 Arkansas (22-6) Wednesday night for a mid-week single game, before returning home this weekend for a 3-game set versus Temple.
April 5 , 2010
Smit Joins Honkers Front Office
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Liz Smit, of Sheldon, IA, has joined the Rochester Honkers front office staff as the team’s Assistant Director of Community Relations.
Smit is no stranger to the Northwoods League or the Rochester Honkers. She was the Public Relations / Media Intern with the Waterloo (IA) Bucks in 2008, the same summer the stadium was covered in seven feet of water.
“Working with the Waterloo Bucks and being the Northwoods League was a very enriching experience for me, it was when I learned that I wanted to work in baseball.”
Smit graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2009 with a B.A. in Public Relations and minors in Marketing and Journalism. She spent the following summer as the Promotions Intern for the Sioux City (IA) Explorers of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.
“I’m very excited to be back in the Northwoods League and especially excited to start a new experience with the Rochester Honkers,” said Smit. “I’m excited for the season to start and can’t wait to put my experience to work!”
April 2 , 2010
Honkers Strong Up Roster
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of Stillwater, MN native, Mike Strong, a left-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State University, for the 2010 season.
Strong, a 6-foot, 185-pound junior is currently 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA for OSU. He has pitched 24.0 innings, allowing only 7 runs, striking out 29 and holding opponents to a .221 batting average against. Strong has been used in relief but has seen 3 starts in his 7 total appearances.
Strong began his collegiate career at Iowa Western CC in Council Bluffs, IA. He was heavily recruited by Arkansas, Missouri, NC State, Kansas State and Auburn before choosing Oklahoma State. Strong graduated from Stillwater High School where he finished his senior season 6-1 with a 1.07 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (15-7) open up Big 12 Conference play this weekend when Nebraska (12-11) visits Stillwater, OK for a 3-game set starting Friday night.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 30 , 2010
Honkers Sign Two from ORU.
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Chris Elder and R. J. Davis from Oral Roberts University will play for the Honkers this summer.
Elder is a 5’11”, 190-pound red shirt junior outfielder. He is currently hitting .282 with a team high 17 RBI. Elder has started every game for the 5-7 Golden Eagles, 10 in left field and 2 as their designated hitter. Elder’s season at ORU was cut short last year when he suffered a season-ending injury after their 6th game. Prior to ORU, Elder spent two seasons at Sacramento City CC.
Davis is a 6’2” 215-pound right-handed pitcher. He has made 3 relief appearances so far on the season, holding opponents to a .111 batting average against. Davis also spent his first two collegiate seasons at Sacramento City CC. As a sophomore he was 4-0 with a 1.90 ERA. He allowed just 10 hits in 23.2 innings of work, while striking out 26. He appeared in 9 total games, 8 of which were in relief.
In other Oral Roberts news: Jeff Burleson , a senior right-handed pitcher who played for the Rochester Honkers last summer, was just named the Summit League Pitcher of the Week. Burleson tossed a complete game 8-1 win over No. 30 ranked Wichita State last week. Oral Roberts visits No. 7 Texas today for a 6:05pm midweek single game.
March 26 , 2010
Sikula Returns to the Honkers, brings teammate with him.
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today their closer from the 2009 Championship team, Arik Sikula, will return for the 2010 season. Sikula will be joined by Marshall University teammate, Ian Kadish as pitchers for the Rochester Honkers.
Sikula is a 6-foot 198-pound right-handed junior pitcher. He is currently is 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA. Sikula has made 7 relief appearances, pitching 17.1 innings and striking out 12. Last summer for the Honkers, Sikula finished the regular season 3-1 with a 1.14 ERA. He appeared in 30 games, pitching 39.0 innings, and struck out 51. He held opponents to a .203 batting average against. Sikula recorded 2 saves during the post season including game #3 of the NWL Championship Series.
Kadish is a 6’1”, 196-pound junior right-hander that is the Thundering Herd’s Friday night starter. He is currently 1-2 with a 6.12 ERA over 5 starts. Kadish has recorded 20 strikeouts in 25.0 innings of work. As s sophomore, Kadish pitched 23.1 innings, in 19 appearances and struck out 20.
Marshall University participates in their first Conference USA series this weekend, at Tulane. Ian Kadish will start game 1, Friday night, and Sikula will get his first start opportunity Sunday afternoon.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 22 , 2010
Honkers Sign a Flock of Ducks
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of three University of Oregon Ducks to the Honkers squad this summer. Joey Housey, Ryan Hambright, and Andrew Mendenhall will all be first time Rochester Honkers.
Housey is a 6’3”, 195-pound sophomore right-handed pitcher. He has made 7 relief appearances on the season, pitching 7.2 innings, striking out 9 with an ERA of 0.00. He recorded his first save of the season Sunday afternoon versus Nevada and is holding opponents to a .160 batting average against. A 2008 graduate of Nova High School in Davie, FL, Housey finished his senior season 7-1 with a 0.48 ERA and 80 strikeouts in only 44 innings pitched. He was selected in the 31st round by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Hambright is a 6’1”, 190-poumd freshman pitcher and infielder. He has appeared in 19 games for the Ducks, hitting .216 and scoring 9 runs along with making 2 relief appearances on the mound. Hambright graduated from Temescal Canyon High School in Lake Elsinore, CA in 2009. He was named the Team MVP as a senior and was the 2008 Offensive Player of the Year.
Mendenhall is a 6’3” 195-pound freshman outfielder. He has seen limited playing time so far, starting 4 games and getting11 at bats. He’s 1-2 in stolen bases and has scored a run. Mendenhall is a 2009 graduate of Southridge High School in Kennewick, WA where he was a three-sport athlete playing football, baseball and basketball. He was named the Athlete of the Year by the Tri City Herald after earning first team all-Big 9 honors as a quarterback and first team accolades as a shooting guard.
March 16 , 2010
Honkers Bracketology is Back!
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers will be holding their 2nd Annual March Madness Bracket competition. Here is how to enter:
You must have a Yahoo ID. If you don't have one, sign up is free. Go to Yahoo.com
Yahoo! Sports TOURNEY PICK'EM- Click Here and you will be taken to Tourney Pick'em home page. Click on Join a Group in the middle of the page. On the next screen, you need to click Join Group.
On the next screen, enter 66933 as the League ID. We don't require a password as this is public. Follow the on-screen prompts to fill in your bracket!
The Honkers will post the leaders on their home page every Monday.
The top 3 places (and last place) will be awarded prizes as follows:
1st Place - 2 Honkers Sports Deck Passes (includes General Admission)
2nd Place - Honkers Souvenir Hat and 2 General Admission tickets
3rd Place - 2 General Admission tickets
Last Place - 1 Foam Finger, a 2009 Collector’s Edition Pocket Schedule and recognition on the web site.
Sign Up by 10:30am, Thursday, Mach 18th!
Good Luck and have fun!
March 8 , 2010
Honkers Hire Brock as Pitching Coach
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the hiring of Eric Brock as their pitching coach for the 2010 season. Brock is currently in his second year as an Assistant Coach at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA.
"It is both an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to join such a firstclass organization like Rochester,” said Brock. “I want to thank the entireRochester Honkers organization as well as Ryan Ruiz for making this possible. I look forward to an exciting summer."
Brock, 26, started his collegiate career at Arizona State after being drafted by the Houston Astros right out of high school. He transferred from ASU to Saddleback College in 2004 where he played one season. The right-hander went 8-0 with a 3.94 ERA. He finished his Saddleback career by pitching a complete-game victory in the state championship game. Brock then went on to pitch at the University of Nevada Las Vegas for his final two collegiate seasons. He guided the rebels to a 2005 Mountain West Conference Championship and was a team captain in 2006. Brock then played professionally for the Utica Brewmasters of the New York State League and the Reno Silver Sox of the Golden League. He then began his coaching career in 2008 with Saddleback College.
“I’m really excited to have found Eric,” said Honkers Field Manager, Ryan Ruiz. “He brings a ton of experience as a player and a coach. His experience in pro ball will help prepare our kids for the next level, which this league is all about. I couldn’t be more excited to work with Eric!”
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 5 , 2010
Honkers Titan Up Roster
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the signing of two Cal State Fullerton Titan outfielders for the 2010 season. Anthony Hutting and Ivory Thomas will continue the long tradition of CSF players coming to Rochester every summer.
Hutting is a 6-foot 185-pound left-handed freshman from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. He finished his senior season at Tesoro High School hitting .444 with 5 home runs, 32 RBI and a team-high 31-game hitting streak. For his efforts he was named an All-Orange County, All-South Coast League and an All-CIF selection. Hutting was then drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 2009 MLB First-Year Players Draft. Hutting is the cousin of San Francisco Giants outfielder Aaron Rowand and cousin of Tampa Bay Devil Rays right-handed pitcher, James Shields.
Thomas is a 5’9” 175-pound freshman right-hander from Los Angeles, CA. He was a four-year letter winner at Downey High School. He finished his senior season hitting .360 with 18 RBI and was 24-26 in stolen bases. Thomas was a two-time San Gabriel League MVP (2008, 2009) and a three-time first team all-league selection. Thomas was a 42nd round pick of the Houston Astros in the 2009 MLB First-Year Players Draft.
The 18th ranked Cal State Fullerton Titans travel to Tucson, AZ this weekend for a 3-game set vs. the Arizona Wildcats.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
March 1 , 2010
Wadewitz Joins Honkers Front Office
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Chatfield, MN native, Andy Wadewitz, has joined the Rochester Honkers front office as the team’s Assistant Director of Operations. He begins his role on March 1, 2010.
“I’m very excited to start my first season with the Rochester Honkers and put my education to work,” said Wadewitz. “I can’t wait for the season to start!”
Wadewitz graduated from the University of Miami in 2008 with a B.S.Ed. in Sport Administration and a minor in Business Management. He spent all four years at Miami working in their intramural department, supervising and training officials as well as overall general operations. Following graduation, Andy interned with the NHL’s Florida Panthers in the Communications/Public Relations department. He contributed articles for the Panther’s Insider magazine, assisted in the press box and lockers rooms for player interviews compiled and distributed news articles about the NHL and their minor league affiliates.
Wadewitz graduated from Chatfield (MN) High School in 2004. He spent the 2006 summer working game days for the Rochester Honkers. Wadewitz is engaged to be married in 2011 to Michelle Levin from San Anselmo, CA.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 18 , 2010
Running Rebel Catcher Comes Back to Rochester
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that NWL All-Star catcher Drew Beuerlein, a 6 foot, 200-pound junior from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) will return to the Rochester Honkers this summer.
The versatile switch-hitting Beuerlein finished the 2009 Honkers season hitting .273 with 3 homeruns and 26 RBI. However in the post-season run to the NWL Championship, he hit .300 with 4 RBI, including a momentum turning homerun in game 3 of the NWL Championship, as the Honkers won 7-4 to claim their 5th NWL Title. Beuerlein proved his versatility playing left-field for all 5 games of the playoffs, and making a diving catch in game 3 to preserve a Honkers lead. Overall, He played 5 different positions in the field last summer as well as the team’s designated hitter. His versatility was key to the team’s championship run, something that will benefit the 2010 Rochester Honkers.
UNLV opens their 2010 season this weekend when Sacramento State comes to Las Vegas, NV Friday night to begin a 3-game set. A native of Scottsdale, AZ, Beuerlein is the cousin of Steve Beuerlein, the former NFL quarterback who played for 14 seasons and retired in 2003.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start. Their home opener is Thursday, June 3rd against Mankato at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 29 , 2010
Honkers Announce New Manager for 2010
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Ryan Ruiz, Assistant Coach at Central Arizona College (Coolidge, AZ) as their new Field Manager for the 2010 season. Ruiz replaces Thom Dreier who stepped down after accepting a full time position as the Midwest Video Coordinator with the Toronto Blue Jays. Ruiz becomes the Honkers’ 9th field manager since 1994.
“I am extremely honored to bea part of a winning franchise in Rochester,” said Ruiz “I am eager to get back on the field and guide this franchise to another Northwoods League Championship. The front office, fans and city have all been first class!”
Ruiz is no stranger to the Northwoods League or the Rochester Honkers. He served as the Associate Head Coach of the Mankato MoonDogs last summer, in charge of their offense and coaching 3rd base. He guided the MoonDogs to the first half championship in the North Division.
“Rochester has always put a great product on the field. I went through that from the other side while I was in Mankato but glad to be on this side now.” said Ruiz. “I expect nothing less than excellence this year and to continue a winning tradition while teaching these kids how to play the game the way it used to be played. We will play this game hard on every pitch of every out and every inning while still having fun and experiencing baseball in a professional environment.”
Ruiz spent eight years of playing professionally in the Northern and American Association of the Independent leagues. He spent 4 years with the St. Paul Saints, and 4 with the Sioux City Explorers. The left handed hitting centerfielder completed his playing career in 2006, with a career .288 average. His best year was in 2004 where he hit .310 with 22 doubles and 35 stolen bases and was named to the North All-Star Team. Ruiz finished his collegiate career at Texas Tech in 1999 where he led the team in hitting (.363) and stole 35 bases in 37 attempts. He was honored by the Big XII as a second-team all-conference pick as a junior and senior and was nominated for the Easton’s defensive Player of the Year award in 1999.
Ruiz, now in his third year at Central Arizona, is in charge of handling the hitters, outfielders and the team’s strength and conditioning coach. He also assists in the recruiting process. The Lake Forest, CA native is married and holds an AA degree from Saddleback College and a BA from Texas Tech in Sports Psychology.
The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato for a 7:05pm first pitch. Their home opener is June 3rd against the same MoonDogs at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
January 28 , 2010
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are the newest member of the Northwoods League
(Wisconsin Rapids, WI)— The “Rafters” are coming to town! Tonight, in front of a standing room only crowd at Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids, the newest member of the Northwoods League unveiled their name and identity. The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters will call Witter Field home starting this summer. From Friday, January, 15th thru Wednesday, January 20th the team held an online vote to determine the name of the franchise. The top three selections are as follows:
- Rafters - 29%
- River Rats - 23%
- Boggers - 22%
- Total of 1,650 votes!
The identity of the team incorporates all three of the top vote getters. Rafting was a prominent activity on the Wisconsin River, primarily as part of the logging industry in the delivery of logs to the various mills along the river. The creature riding the raft is a “River Rat.” The team will create a mascot based on the River Rat and will host a “Name the Mascot” contest. “River Rats” was the nickname of the people who operated rafts on the Wisconsin River en-route to the mills. Finally, the team’s primary color will be Cranberry Red, a tribute to the strong cranberry industry in the area.
The winner of the “Name the Hometown Team” contest is Brian Schmidt of Wisconsin Rapids. He will receive a pair of season tickets for the 2010 season. Twelve people submitted Rafters as their idea for the name of the team during the first phase of the contest and they will each receive a 9-game pack for the 2010 season. Various other prizes were awarded for fans creativity with the name they submitted.
January 4 , 2010
Rochester Honkers Announce 2010 Schedule
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today their complete game schedule for the 2010 Northwoods League season. The 2009 NWL Champions open their 17th season on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato, MN to take on the MoonDogs @ 7:05pm. Their home opener will then take place on Thursday, June 3rd, when the Mankato MoonDogs come to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch.
The 2010 season will begin a new era in the Northwoods League when teams will only play within their division. The Honkers, a member of the North Division, will now play a 70 game schedule in 76 days, beginning on June 2nd and ending on August 16th. They will play each North Division opponent 10 times, 5 home and 5 away. The NWL Playoff Series will take place from August 17th through August 22nd. The winner of each division’s two halves will meet in a best-of-three divisional playoff series (Aug. 17, 18, 19) with the winners advancing to the NWL Championship Series (Aug. 20, 21, 22), also a best-of-three. The 16th Annual NWL All-Star Game will be held on Tuesday, July 20th at Carson Park in Eau Claire, WI. This will be the first All-Star game hosted by the Eau Claire Express.
Start times for 2010 will be the standard 7:05pm start times for Monday through Saturdays and an earlier start time for Sundays, 1:05pm. The Honkers will also play 3 midweek day games (June 22, July 13, August 2) all starting at 1:05pm.
The Honkers would like to welcome the two newest members to the NWL, the Willmar (MN) Stingers of the North Division and the Wisconsin Rapids (WI) affiliate to the South Division. This brings the NWL to 16 total teams broken down to 8 teams in each division. The Rochester Honkers are one of two remaining teams (Wisconsin Woodchucks) from the Northwoods League’s inaugural season of 1994. The Honkers have won a league high 5 NWL Championships: (1994, 1997, 1999, 2006, 2009).
For the Rochester Honkers complete schedule, game times and ticket information, go to www.rochesterhonkers.com. The entire NWL schedule is available at www.northwoodsleague.com.
NWL Divisional Alignment
Years in parenthesis denote the franchise's first season in the NWL.
NORTH DIVISION |
SOUTH DIVISION |
|---|---|
Alexandria Beetles (2001) |
Battle Creek Bombers (2007) |
Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers(2005) |
^Eau Claire Express (2005) |
Duluth Huskies (2003) |
Green Bay Bullfrogs (2007) |
^ Mankato MoonDogs (1999) |
^*La Crosse Loggers (2003) |
^*#Rochester Honkers (1994) |
Madison Mallards (2001) |
St. Cloud River Bats (1997) |
Waterloo Bucks (1995) |
Thunder Bay Border Cats |
Wisconsin (Wausau) Woodchucks (1994) |
Willmar Stingers (2010) |
Wisconsin Rapids (TBD) (2010) |
^ 2009 Postseason Team - *2009 Divisional Champion - #2009 Northwoods League Champion
Sponsored By:
Honkers vs. Willmar Stingers 7:05pm
Americas Best Cleaning & Restoration Night
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. St. Cloud River Bats 7:05pm
Armed Services Night presented by the Canadian Honker and KTTC-Show your Military I.D. gain FREE Admission
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. St. Cloud River Bats 7:05pm
Fireworks Extravaganza presented by KTTC
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
OFF
Happy Independence Day!
Rochester @ St. Cloud River Bats 7:05pm
Rochester @ St. Cloud River Bats 7:05pm
Honkers vs. Duluth Huskies 7:05pm
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey presented by McNeilus Steel and Z-Rock 107.7
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Duluth Huskies 7:05pm
Free Movie Ticket Night presented by Cinemagic Theatres and Y-105-First 500 fans
End of First Half of Play
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Rochester @ Thunder Bay Border Cats 5:35pm CDT
Rochester @ Thunder Bay Border Cats 5:35pm CDT
Rochester @ Thunder Bay Border Cats 4:05pm CDT
Honkers vs. Duluth Huskies 7:05pm
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Duluth Huskies 1:05pm
Kids 2BUCK Day presented by Culver’s All Kids 12 and Under gain admission for only $2.00
Culvers Kids Club Free Day-Members gain FREE admission by wearing their Kids Club T-shirt
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Duluth Huskies 7:05pm
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Willmar Stingers 7:05pm
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – AVAILABLE
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Willmar Stingers 7:05pm
Think Mutual Bank Night Thunderstick Night-First 500
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Rochester @ St. Cloud River Bats 7:05pm
Rochester @ St. Cloud River Bats 6:05pm
OFF
NWL All-Star Game, Eau Claire, WI
Come Watch the North All-Stars take on the South All-Stars at Carson Park in Eau Claire, WI.
OFF
Honkers vs. Mankato MoonDogs 7:05pm
The World Famous ZOOperstars presented by McNeilus Steel and KTTC
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – AVAILABLE
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Rochester @ Mankato MoonDogs 7:05pm
Honkers vs. Alexandria Beetles 7:05pm
Championship Pennant Night presented by City Auto Glass and 102.5 The Fox
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Alexandria Beetles 1:05pm
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Night-Channel One Food Drive
Culvers Kids Club Free Day-Members gain FREE admission by wearing their Kids Club T-shirt
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – AVAILABLE
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers 7:05pm
Team Trading Card Set Night presented by Pepsi and 106.9 KROC-First 1000 fans
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers 7:05pm
Carabiner Night presented by Wells Fargo and Newstalk 1340 KROC-First 500 fans
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Honkers vs. Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers 7:05pm
Breast Cancer Awareness Night Wine Tasting on the Sports Deck with Apollo Liquor
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Rochester @ Mankato MoonDogs 7:05pm
Honkers vs. Mankato MoonDogs 7:05pm
Cash Giveaway Night Presented by EO Johnson Office Technologies and Quick Country 96.5-First 500 fans 18 & older
Outback Steakhouse Suites
#1 – RESERVED
#2 – RESERVED
Grand Slam Patio
- RESERVED
Dream Team of the Game
presented by Eastwood Bank
- RESERVED
Community Angel Program
presented by Think Mutual Bank
- RESERVED
Community Partner Program
presented by First Alliance Credit Union
- RESERVED
Rochester @ Mankato MoonDogs 7:05pm
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