Latest news with #NorthwoodsLeague
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rockford Rivets jump on Traverse City early and improve to 2-0
LOVES PARK, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Rockford Rivets are off to a 2-0 start to their Northwoods League season after defeating the Traverse City Pit Spitters 10-3 Tuesday for a two-game series Rivets got their ten runs on only six hits. They struck for six runs in the bottom of the first inning. One of them scoring on a bases loaded walk to Tommy Townsend. Townsend, a native of Sycamore, Illinois, reached base four times. He had one hit and three walks. He scored three baseman Tate Shimao had a pair of hits for the Rivets, and he drove in two pitcher Danny Cercello was more than solid in his Rivets' debut on the mound. He pitched 2.2 innings allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out three Allred did not allow a run in 1.1 innings. Gideon Motes pitched two innings allowing one run, and Aidan Wagley went three innings without surrendering a highlights, watch the media player above. The Rivets are now off to Green Bay for a two-game series against the Rockers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former North Boone pitcher Chandler Alderman dazzles in the Rockford Rivets season opener
LOVES PARK, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — Former North Boone pitching standout Chandler Alderman will be pitching for the Rockford Rivets in the Northwoods League for a bit this summer. He had a sensational debut for them Monday evening in the Rivets season went six innings against the Traverse City Pit Spitters. He allowed only one run on only two hits. He also struck out eight batters. The Rivets won the game Rivets also got great pitching from three relievers. Luke Guest, Reece Tarini and Collin Mowry each pitched one scoreless inning. Mowry struck out the side in the top of the ninth to end for Alderman, he just finished up his sophomore season at Middle Tennessee State University where he was the ace of the Blue Raiders pitching staff. He led the team in starts with 14, and he led the team in innings pitched (68.2) and in strikeouts (48). In mid-March he was named the Conference USA Pitcher of the highlights of Alderman's great debut with the Rivets, watch the media player above. You'll also see my interview with him prior to the game. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
26-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Border Cats back on the field Monday for 2025 Northwoods League season
The Thunder Bay Border Cats are back on the field Monday, as they begin their quest for the 2025 Northwoods League championship. The Cats open the season on the road, facing the Eau Claire Express in Wisconsin on Monday and Tuesday, before returning to Thunder Bay for Wednesday's home opener at Port Arthur Stadium. "I think we're going to be pretty good defensively," team general manager and vice-president Bryan Graham said during a practice Sunday afternoon at Port Arthur Stadium. "We've got some kids that can really throw strikes, and it's just a matter of, you know, being able to put bat on ball and score some runs." "The Northwoods League, it's a real running league," he said. "Teams don't rely, obviously, on the long ball and the home run." "Hopefully we can run the bases and create some chaos and score some runs." This year's team includes a mix of new and returning players, Graham said. "We've got Trey Fikes behind the plate again, who is a really solid catcher," he said. "Last year he threw out like 32 per cent of would be base-stealers, which is an unbelievable stat. I mean, major league catchers that do 25 per cent are considered top-rate defensively." Fikes said he had a good experience in Thunder Bay last year. "I'm so excited," Fikes said. "I cannot wait to get on the field. I really missed it." Fikes said he was happy with how the Cats played last year — they didn't make the playoffs, but finished the season in third place in the Great Plains East division with 35 wins and 34 losses. "I think it really just takes like locking in every day, and just not checking out, because it's a long season, you know?" he said. "It takes a lot to stay locked in the entire 70 games." One of this year's new players is Toronto-born outfielder Calvin Warrillow, who plays collegiate ball at Dodge City Community College in Kansas, Okla. That team is coached by former Border Cats field manager J.M. Kelly. "I wanted to play north of the border," he said. "Spent a lot of time as a Canadian baseball player down south, and I wanted to play for one of the better teams in Canada." Warrillow agreed that pitching and defence will be key for the Cats in 2025. "I think we gotta pitch it well, hit it well, play good defence, and everybody just does their job," he said. "I think we'll have a good year." Fans may see a slight difference on the field at Port Arthur Stadium this year — the Northwoods League has adopted the double "safety bags" at first base. Field manager Joe Ellison said the change will "lead to hopefully some safer plays at first, but also a little bit more fun with the rules and whatnot with it." Ellison said the Cats will be bringing a slightly-smaller roster on their first road trip, as players finish up their college seasons. "We're going down with 23 (players). But by the home opener we should be up to 28, 29," he said. "A lot of returners, 7-8 returners, heavily Canadian," he said. "I think we're gonna have 24 (Canadians) that put the jersey on over the course of the year, and then balance it out with some good American talent as well." The Thunder Bay Border Cats host the Rochester Honkers for their home opener on Wednesday at Port Arthur Stadium.
CBC
03-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Border Cats ready for start of 2025 Northwoods League season
Social Sharing Canada will be well-represented when the Thunder Bay Border Cats take the field for the 2025 Northwoods League baseball season. The Cats are the only Canadian team in the Northwoods League, which is a summer collegiate league made up of NCAA players. The team is set to play its home opener on May 28 at Port Arthur Stadium, hosting the Rochester Honkers for a four-game homestand. The Cats actually start the 2025 season on the road on May 26 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In any case, the bulk of the Cats's 35-player roster will be Canadian, field manager Joe Ellison said Friday. "We're returning a good base of players that were there last year," Ellison said. "Adding some good American talent, but also a lot of Canadian." "We added another Canadian this morning, so we will be probably 23 or 24 players from a Canadian family at some point throughout the summer." Border Cats baseball is back 18 hours ago Duration 3:17 Overall, Ellison — this season will be his first as Cats field manager — said this year's team will be a fast one. "We're going to be able to play fast," he said. "We have a lot of talent that comes from four-year schools or they're transferring to four year schools this coming year, so we're going to be a little bit older, which I think is good, but I think we're going to be able to play fast offensively." "We've got some guys with some thump in the lineup as well." Team general manager and vice-president Bryan Graham echoed that. "I think we're going to have some pretty good speed in the lineup," he said. "In this league, with the wooden bats and the players coming from college baseball where they swing aluminum you can't really rely on on the long ball and power." "You always want to build your team on on good pitching and good defence, and be able to run the bases and take that extra base if you can. So I think, you know, most of the teams in the Northwoods have always tried to put their roster together like that." Graham said the team is not seeing much in the way of effects yet from the Canada-United States trade war. "We're very fortunate that way," Graham said. "There are some tariffs coming in on some of the stuff, but we managed to kind of get ahead of that and and acquire those items prior to some of these tariffs being instituted." Those items, Graham said, include baseballs and bats, which are ordered from the United States. "Obviously the Canadian dollar sometimes is a big factor in some of our costs," he said. "But overall, we're in pretty good shape and at the moment." Graham said the stadium itself is being readied for the start of the season. "We need to get some sun and some warmer temperatures," he said. "Obviously there's a lot of work to be done in terms of just getting the field ready for the season, but it looked like it weathered pretty well during the winter." And some improvements are coming, as well. "We're going to be unveiling a new party deck," Graham said. "We have the existing party deck on the first base side, but we're enhancing that deck, which I think the fans are really going to enjoy." Graham said the Cats ticket office, which is located at the stadium, will open on Monday.
New York Times
30-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Before Zach McKinstry's on-field surge, there was off-field perspective
DETROIT — Zach McKinstry was in college, during the thick of a summer playing in the Northwoods League, when the blaze burned. 'You play like 72 games in 75 days,' McKinstry said. 'No off days. You don't really know the cities you're going to because you've never heard of them. 'Then you get a phone call.' Advertisement McKinstry's Waterloo Bucks were playing way up in Canada when the phone started buzzing. His limited cell plan meant not all the messages were coming through. He didn't fully know what was going on, and initially, he had no way to respond. The buzzes kept coming. By the time he connected to the internet, he had more than a hundred calls and texts from friends and family. He finally learned the news. McKinstry's childhood home in Fort Wayne, Ind., had burned to the ground. His parents were not home, and no one was hurt. But the family lost three dogs and two cats. Trophies, pictures and a lifetime of memories, all gone in an instant. 'My parents, their life was pretty uprooted,' McKinstry said. 'You're living in this house every day. Now it's burned down.' Somewhere in that blur of days came a lesson, even if it took years to see it clearly. When McKinstry was in middle school, his parents took in family friends who had a housing issue of their own. When McKinstry's house burned down, his parents stayed with that same family while searching for a place to rent. People all across Fort Wayne, many of them friends from the local sports community, pitched in to help the family recover and start anew. McKinstry looks back and sees the importance and power found in community. And in his story, this is all intertwined. McKinstry's baseball life has been filled with adversity: twice traded, virtually cast aside, enduring slumps and having his love for the game put to the test. It was two spring trainings ago when McKinstry showed up talking about his faith, his offseason baptism, his now-wife and all the ways his life off the field has changed. These days McKinstry is thriving for a first-place Tigers team. Tuesday, the MLBPA's Players Trust announced McKinstry as its first Most Valuable Philanthropist of 2025. Advertisement The honor is given out six times throughout the season to players who display 'altruistic spirit and positive social impact.' It comes with a $10,000 grant toward McKinstry's charitable work. McKinstry just so happened to receive this recognition on the morning of his 30th birthday. It's an important component in understanding McKinstry and what drives him. It's another reminder of how far he has come. Said Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter, 'He's one of those guys you just want to root for.' McKinstry will be the first to admit it. A few years ago, he was like many young people. Focused on his career. Not worried about much outside his immediate purview. 'I was always kind of self-serving,' he said. But the more he focused on baseball, the deeper his struggles became. His self-talk turned negative. He questioned whether he was good enough. He almost started to believe he wasn't. There was not one singular moment that turned his attitude or altered his mindset. It was instead a series of small steps. When the Indiana kid and Central Michigan alum moved to Arizona for spring training with the Dodgers — McKinstry was a 33rd-round draft pick in 2016 — he got involved with a local Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. He also reconnected with Jeff Simpson, a former coach of McKinstry's in Indiana. Jeff and his wife, Kate, had since moved to Arizona. As Jeff searched for his calling, he eventually found purpose in one of his passions: barbecue. In 2015, Jeff and Kate founded BBQ Mission, a non-profit devoted to feeding people experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix area. The organization goes beyond handing out water bottles or sandwiches. It aims to create a backyard barbecue atmosphere. There are cards with scripture on the tables. Prayer requests are taken and the group aims to spread its Christian faith, too. Advertisement 'We did this for nine years with no pay, and it's the best job I've ever had in my entire life,' Jeff said. Jeff and McKinstry started talking. They golfed together. And then McKinstry started coming out to help with BBQ Mission. One visit became two. Eventually, McKinstry became a fixture at BBQ Mission's weekly get-togethers, stacking barbecue on plates and handing out meals. 'He just wants to roll up his sleeves and serve shoulder-to-shoulder with everybody else,' Kate said. 'He's willing to talk about baseball if one of our patrons wants to talk about baseball. But mostly he's just there to give back.' A post shared by MLBPA (@mlbpa) He began selling shirts with the message 'Jesus Won' and donating the proceeds to the charity. Word spread on social media. Fans of McKinstry's started getting involved with BBQ Mission. This offseason, Tigers teammates Colt Keith and Carpenter came out to help. 'He's such a leader in that regard, so it's pretty awesome,' Carpenter said. Tuesday, the Players Trust recognized McKinstry's work with that $10,000 grant. McKinstry plans to split the donation between BBQ Mission and NW Futures School of Development, an organization that helps youth players in the Pacific Northwest. McKinstry's agency connected him with the program. He spoke previously at events supporting the school. 'Once I found my faith and my calling, it was more like, 'All right, it's not really serving yourself anymore,'' McKinstry said. 'It's serving other people and the people around you. Not really looking for it, but it kind of comes and finds you.' McKinstry will tell you he wouldn't be doing this work if not for his spiritual journey. And if not for the perspective that has come as a result, he might not be the player he has become. 'That's where it turned for me,' McKinstry said, 'when faith became the center of my life.' As McKinstry found purpose beyond baseball and beyond himself, his view on the game changed. His attitude shifted. It became easier to overcome mistakes. The bad days didn't always seem so bad. But let's be real. That does not mean it was easy. The story from last summer still resonates. It was just after the trade deadline when roster moves were flying. McKinstry was hitting below .200, playing time was sparse and the Tigers were bringing up young players from the minors. McKinstry's roster spot seemed to be in jeopardy. That's when manager A.J. Hinch called McKinstry into his office. Told him not to worry. The Tigers valued McKinstry for his defense and his versatility. His spot was secure. Advertisement McKinstry posted a .955 OPS in August. He cooled off starkly in September. But so far this season, he has shown that August rampage was no fluke. McKinstry has already played five positions for the Tigers this season. Once a role player confined to the bottom of the order, he's started four games in the leadoff spot and hit third on five occasions. 'He's earned that, and he's a perfect guy for that spot right now,' Carpenter said. 'It's well documented that he's had his ups and downs in his career. The bat coming around this year to the level that it's at is pretty special to see.' McKinstry has a .902 OPS through 26 games, ranking eighth in the American League. He's come through with timely hits, dirtied his uniform on the bases and made an impact with his arm in the outfield. Last weekend, there was McKinstry, belting a double, slapping a single and hosing down a runner from left field as the Tigers swept the Baltimore Orioles. 'He came from junior college to Central Michigan, drafted low, had to work his way up,' Keith said. 'It's an amazing story, but he's got the personality and the drive for it.' In addition to his work with non-profits, McKinstry traveled back to Fort Wayne two years ago. He ran a camp for local children. He handed out bats to high school players. He met with athletes at his old stomping grounds. And somewhere along the way, he realized he was giving back to the same community that once raised him, supported his family and helped him get to where he is today. 'Especially kids that are walking in the same footsteps that you walked in, the same hallways that you walked in, being able to put a little bit of a smile on their faces. … You don't know what they're going through at home or behind closed doors,' McKinstry said. 'It's always a good time to just give them some love and show them that success, you can go get it.'
