Northwoods League
Current season, competition or edition: 2026 Northwoods League season | |
 | |
| Founded | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Sports fielded |
|
| Divisions | Great Lakes Division, Great Plains Division |
| No. of teams | 26 baseball, 6 softball |
| Countries | United States, Canada |
| Continent | North America |
Most recent champions | Baseball: Royal Oak Leprechauns (2026) Softball: Madison Night Mares (2) (2026) |
| Most titles | Rochester Honkers (5) |
| Level on pyramid | Collegiate summer |
| Website | www |
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer wooden-bat baseball and fastpitch softball organization. The teams are located in the greater Northwoods region of the Upper Midwestern United States (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana) and Northwestern Ontario, Canada.
As of 2026, over 400 Northwoods League alums have gone on to play in Major League Baseball, including Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Marcus Semien, Curtis Granderson, Ben Zobrist, Matt Chapman, Brandon Crawford, Pete Alonso, and Nico Hoerner.[1]
History
[edit source]1990s
[edit source]In 1994, The Northwoods League (NWL) held its first season with five charter teams, the Rochester Honkers, Wausau Woodchucks, Dubuque Mud Puppies, Kenosha Kroakers and Manitowoc Skunks.[2] The Honkers won the league's first championship. The Waterloo Bucks were added in 1995. The Mud Puppies moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota after the 1996 season, becoming the St. Cloud River Bats. The Skunks franchise folded in 1997.
In 1998, the league expanded to eight, adding the Brainerd Mighty Gulls, Grand Forks Channel Cats and Southern Minny Stars. All three of these new markets had previously hosted teams in the independent Prairie League, which ceased operations in 1997. Of the three, only the Stars kept the same name and branding. The Kroakers franchise folded after the 1998 season. As they were the only team left in the state, Wausau changed their name to the Wisconsin Woodchucks. The NWL was able to maintain eight teams in 1999 by adding the Mankato Mashers.
In 1999, Jeff Weaver became the first NWL alum to appear in a Major League Baseball game, debuting with the Detroit Tigers.[3] Weaver had played with Dubuque in 1995.
2000s
[edit source]In 2000, the Southern Minny Stars moved to Minot, North Dakota. The Minot Greenheads played one lone season in 2000 before phasing out of the league. The Channel Cats also folded in 2000. In 2001, two new franchises—the Alexandria Beetles and Madison Mallards—were added to the league. In 2002, the Mashers changed their nickname to the MoonDogs. The Brainerd Mighty Gulls folded after the 2002 season. In 2003, three new teams brought the NWL's total back to ten. The league's geographic footprint extended internationally when the Thunder Bay Border Cats of Ontario were added. The Duluth Huskies and La Crosse Loggers also joined that season. In 2004, the league expanded by two, adding the Eau Claire Express and Brainerd Blue Thunder. The Thunder would later change their name to the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers.
In 2003, Juan Pierre became the first NWL alum to win a World Series, doing so with the Florida Marlins. Pierre played for Manitowoc in 1996. In 2008, George Sherrill became the first NWL alum to appear in an MLB All-Star Game, representing the Baltimore Orioles. Sherrill had played for Kenosha in 1997 and 1998. The following summer, both Curtis Granderson (Mankato, '01) and Ben Zobrist (Wisconsin, '03) played in the midsummer classic. Also in 2009, Andre Ethier (Rochester, '02) became the first NWL alum to win a Silver Slugger Award. Two years later, he became the first alum to win a Gold Glove Award.
In 2007, the Green Bay Bullfrogs and Battle Creek Bombers were added, bringing the total number of teams to fourteen. The Bombers represented the league's first foray into Michigan. Actor Tyler Hoechlin, just a few years removed from his award-winning performance in Road to Perdition, played for the Bombers while pursuing a baseball career. He missed some potential acting opportunities, including a meeting with Francis Ford Coppola, due to Northwoods League action.[4]
2010s
[edit source]In 2010, the league added the Willmar Stingers and Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, expanding to sixteen total teams. The Lunkers folded after the 2011 season. The league remained at sixteen teams in 2012 by adding the Lakeshore Chinooks of Mequon, Wisconsin, whose ownership group included Baseball Hall of Fame member Robin Yount. In 2012, the St. Cloud River Bats changed their nickname to the Rox, taking on the moniker of a former affiliated Northern League team of the same name.
In 2013, while playing for the Chinooks, future MLB standout Harrison Bader lived with Craig Counsell and his family at their home in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.[5] Also in 2013, Max Scherzer (La Crosse, '04) became the first NWL alum to win a Cy Young Award, doing so as a member of the Detroit Tigers.
In 2013, Alexandria changed their nickname to the Blue Anchors. In 2014, the league expanded by two, continuing eastward with the Kalamazoo Growlers and adding a charter city back to the mix with the Kenosha Kingfish. The Blue Anchors ceased operations following the 2015 season. In 2016, the Rockford Rivets were added, becoming the league's first team in Illinois. The NWL returned to North Dakota in 2017 with the Bismarck Larks while adding another Wisconsin team with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. This put the league at an even twenty teams.
In 2017, two former La Crosse Loggers, Scherzer and Chris Sale, faced each other as the starting pitchers in the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, with Scherzer representing the Washington Nationals and Sale the Boston Red Sox. The same matchup was repeated in the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In 2019, Pete Alonso (Madison '14) became the first NWL alum to win National League Rookie of the Year, doing so as a member of the New York Mets. He also won the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby for the first time that year.
In 2019, two franchises shifted from other leagues to the NWL, bringing the total number of teams to 22. The Frontier League's Traverse City Beach Bums franchise was transferred, although renamed to the Pit Spitters after the move. The Kokomo Jackrabbits were brought over from the Prospect League, name retained, and were the first NWL team in Indiana. Also that season, the Bullfrogs changed their nickname and played as the Green Bay Booyah.
2020s
[edit source]In 2020, some teams cancelled their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those teams that did play, instead of playing within their usual divisions, they played in hub regions, with some creating temporary teams. The Kingfish competed against the K-Town Bobbers, with both teams based in Kenosha and sharing a stadium. In Traverse City, the Pit Spitters competed against the Northern Michigan Dune Bears and Great Lakes Resorters. The Bombers and Growlers competed in a Michigan South Division, with the latter adding the Kalamazoo Mac Daddies as a temporary team. In Bismarck, the Larks competed against the Mandan Flickertails and Bismarck Bull Moose. All six of these temporary teams were disbanded after the 2020 season.
In 2021, the Thunder Bay Border Cats were again unable to compete in the league due to pandemic border restrictions. The league responded by creating a travel-only team called the Minnesota Mud Puppies. The Mud Puppies took their nickname from the original Dubuque franchise. Players trained and lived in the greater Twin Cities area but did not have a home stadium, playing all away games. In 2022, two teams changed their nickname. After three seasons as the Booyah, Green Bay became the Rockers. In Battle Creek, the Bombers renamed themselves the Battle Jacks. Additionally, the Wisconsin Woodchucks changed their place name designator to Wausau, reverting to the full team name they used in the early years of the NWL. In 2023, the league continued to expand its North Dakota presence, returning to Minot with the Minot Hot Tots. Also that year, the Border Cats returned to the league after three missed seasons. Despite this, the Mud Puppies continued to operate as a travel team.
In 2023, the Northwoods League announced plans to create a new softball league, with teams initially playing in current NWL stadiums that are temporarily converted for softball. The softball branch of the league (also called NWLS) began with four teams, based in Madison (Madison Night Mares) and La Crosse, Wisconsin (La Crosse Steam); Mankato, Minnesota (Mankato Habaneros); and Minot, North Dakota (Minot Honeybees).[6] The softball league had its inaugural season in 2024, with the Habaneros being awarded the championship.
In 2024, the Badlands Big Sticks of Dickinson, North Dakota were added. The Big Sticks had been a franchise in Independence League Baseball (and the Expedition League before that) and the team identity was carried over to the NWL. The Royal Oak Leprechauns were also added that season. The Leprechauns were formerly of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, and their addition to the NWL increased the number of Michigan-based teams to four. After the 2024 season the Jackrabbits ceased operations. The Mud Puppies were also deactivated for 2025.
In 2025, the softball branch of the NWL expanded with the addition of the Wausau Ignite.[7][8] For 2026, the league expanded to Grand Forks, North Dakota, becoming the first Northwoods League Softball team to play in a non-Northwoods League Baseball stadium.[9][10] On November 11, 2025, the team's name was revealed as the Grand Forks Spitfires.[11] Also in 2025, it was announced the NWL would be returning to Indiana in the form of the Richmond Flying Mummies.[12] After being sidelined for 2025, the league announced the Mud Puppies would return again in 2026.[13]
Ahead of the 2026 season, the co-owner of the Rochester Honkers, citing inadequate facilities, announced that the season would be their last at Mayo Field.[14] He later clarified that the team would be going on hiatus for the 2027 season at least.[15] In 2026, the league announced that there would be two new expansion teams for the 2027 season. One will be in New Buffalo, Michigan, and they will be known as the Dune Coast QuillBacks.[16][17] The other will be a permanent tenant at the Field of Dreams Ballpark near Dyersville, Iowa, and they will be known as the Dyersville Dreamers.[18][19]
Teams
[edit source]Baseball teams
[edit source]Map of baseball teams
[edit source]
Baseball franchise timeline
[edit source]
Softball teams
[edit source]| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks Spitfires | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Albrecht Field | 1,000 |
| La Crosse Steam | La Crosse, Wisconsin | Copeland Park | 3,550 |
| Madison Night Mares | Madison, Wisconsin | Warner Park | 7,500 |
| Mankato Habaneros | Mankato, Minnesota | ISG Field | 4,000 |
| Minot Honeybees | Minot, North Dakota | Corbett Field | 1,266 |
| Wausau Ignite | Wausau, Wisconsin | Athletic Park | 3,850 |
Map of softball teams
[edit source]
Softball franchise timeline
[edit source]
Competition
[edit source]Baseball teams play 72 games scheduled from Memorial Day to the second Saturday in August. The season itself is broken into two halves, and the team with the best sub-divisional record in each half is granted a playoff berth, resulting in a playoff field with eight teams total.
The playoffs begin immediately following the regular season, with the two half-season winners in each of the four sub-divisions playing against each other to determine a sub-divisional champion in a best-of-three series. The four sub-divisional champions then meet in a winner-take-all game to determine a divisional champion. The divisional champions then meet in a winner-take-all game for the league championship.[22]
Softball teams play approximately 40 games each over the course of about 8 weeks, with the season starting in June. In the inaugural season (2024) of the softball league, the team with the best record was awarded the championship with no playoff. In 2025, a short playoff series was added, with the teams having the top two records competing against each other.
Champions
[edit source]Baseball champions
[edit source]| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Rochester Honkers | --- | --- |
| 1995 | Kenosha Kroakers | Manitowoc Skunks | 2-0 |
| 1996 | Waterloo Bucks | Rochester Honkers | 2-0 |
| 1997 | Rochester Honkers (2) | Waterloo Bucks | 2-1 |
| 1998 | St. Cloud River Bats | Rochester Honkers | 2-0 |
| 1999 | Rochester Honkers (3) | St. Cloud River Bats | 2-1 |
| 2000 | St. Cloud River Bats (2) | Waterloo Bucks | 2-0 |
| 2001 | Wisconsin Woodchucks | St. Cloud River Bats | 2-1 |
| 2002 | Waterloo Bucks (2) | Brainerd Mighty Gulls | 2-0 |
| 2003 | Wisconsin Woodchucks (2) | St. Cloud River Bats | 2-1 |
| 2004 | Madison Mallards | Duluth Huskies | 2-0 |
| 2005 | Thunder Bay Border Cats | Madison Mallards | 2-1 |
| 2006 | Rochester Honkers (4) | Thunder Bay Border Cats | 2-0 |
| 2007 | St. Cloud River Bats (3) | Eau Claire Express | 2-0 |
| 2008 | Thunder Bay Border Cats (2) | Madison Mallards | 2-1 |
| 2009 | Rochester Honkers (5)[23] | La Crosse Loggers | 2-1 |
| 2010 | Eau Claire Express | Rochester Honkers | 2-1 |
| 2011 | Battle Creek Bombers | Mankato MoonDogs | 2-0 |
| 2012 | La Crosse Loggers | Mankato MoonDogs | 2-0 |
| 2013 | Madison Mallards (2)[24] | Duluth Huskies | 2-0 |
| 2014 | Lakeshore Chinooks[25] | Mankato MoonDogs | 2-0 |
| 2015 | Kenosha Kingfish[26] | St. Cloud Rox | 2-0 |
| 2016 | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | Eau Claire Express | 2-0 |
| 2017 | St. Cloud Rox (4) | Battle Creek Bombers | 2-1 |
| 2018 | Fond du Lac Dock Spiders | Duluth Huskies | 2-1 |
| 2019 | Traverse City Pit Spitters | Eau Claire Express | 3-2 |
| 2020 | No official league champion as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic | --- | --- |
| 2021 | Traverse City Pit Spitters (2) | St. Cloud Rox | 9-3 |
| 2022 | Kalamazoo Growlers | Duluth Huskies | 8-3 |
| 2023 | Green Bay Rockers | St. Cloud Rox | 4-3 |
| 2024 | Kalamazoo Growlers (2) | La Crosse Loggers | 8-7 (14) |
| 2025 | Green Bay Rockers (2) | Duluth Huskies | 10-8 |
| 2026 | Royal Oak Leprechauns | St. Cloud Rox | 3-1 |
2020 pod division winners
| Pod | Division Winner | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Kenosha | Kenosha Kingfish | 17-9 |
| Michigan North | Traverse City Pit Spitters | 33-8 |
| Michigan South | Kalamazoo Growlers | 40-25 |
| Minnesota-Iowa | Waterloo Bucks | 28-13 |
| North Dakota | Bismarck Larks | 33-15 |
| Wisconsin-Illinois (East) | Fond du Lac Dock Spiders | 31-17 |
| Wisconsin-Illinois (West) | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | 35-11 |
2020 playoffs[27]
| Playoff Pod | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Kalamazoo Mac Daddies | Traverse City Pit Spitters |
| North Dakota | Bismarck Larks | Mandan Flickertails |
| Wisconsin-Illinois | Fond du Lac Dock Spiders | La Crosse Loggers |
Softball champions
[edit source]| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mankato Habaneros | (no playoffs, best regular-season record) | 31-11 |
| 2025 | Madison Night Mares | Minot Honeybees | 2-0 |
| 2026 | Madison Night Mares | Wausau Ignite | 2-0 |
Notable alumni
[edit source]
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As of 2026, over 400 former Northwoods League players have appeared in Major League Baseball.[1] The following is a list of notable standout players.
- Pete Alonso, Madison Mallards, 2014
- Harrison Bader, Lakeshore Chinooks, 2013
- Drake Baldwin, K-Town Bobbers, 2020; Madison Mallards, 2021
- Clint Barmes, Kenosha Kroakers, 1998; Waterloo Bucks, 1999
- Austin Barnes, St. Cloud River Bats, 2010
- Michael Busch, St. Cloud Rox, 2017
- Kole Calhoun, Eau Claire Express, 2007–09
- Mark Canha, St. Cloud River Bats, 2008
- Matt Chapman, La Crosse Loggers, 2012
- Denzel Clarke, Kokomo Jackrabbits, 2019
- Ernie Clement, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, 2015
- Allen Craig, Alexandria Beetles, 2003/2005
- Brandon Crawford, Mankato MoonDogs, 2005
- Paul DeJong, Wisconsin Woodchucks, 2014
- Andre Ethier, Rochester Honkers, 2002
- Mitch Garver, St. Cloud River Bats, 2010–11
- Tony Gonsolin, Madison Mallards, 2015
- Curtis Granderson, Mankato Mashers, 2001
- Mitch Haniger, Green Bay Bullfrogs, 2009
- Nico Hoerner, Madison Mallards, 2016
- Zach McKinstry, Waterloo Bucks, 2015
- Mark Melancon, Duluth Huskies, 2004
- Garrett Mitchell, Mankato MoonDogs, 2018
- Pat Neshek, Wisconsin Woodchucks, 2000
- Lars Nootbaar, La Crosse Loggers, 2016
- Juan Pierre, Manitowoc Skunks, 1996
- Kevin Pillar, Wisconsin Woodchucks, 2010
- Chris Sale, La Crosse Loggers, 2008
- Max Scherzer, La Crosse Loggers, 2004
- Marcus Semien, Alexandria Beetles, 2009-10
- George Sherrill, Kenosha Kroakers, 1997
- Chandler Simpson, Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, 2021
- Drew Smyly, Duluth Huskies, 2009
- Bryson Stott, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, 2017
- Matt Strahm, Rochester Honkers, 2011
- Jose Trevino, Madison Mallards, 2012
- Louis Varland, Willmar Stingers, 2017–18
- Daulton Varsho, Eau Claire Express, 2015–16
- Alex Vesia, Mankato MoonDogs, 2016
- Jeff Weaver, Dubuque Mud Puppies, 1995
- JJ Wetherholt, Madison Mallards, 2022
- Josh Willingham, Southern Minny Stars, 1998–99
- Jacob Wilson, Mankato MoonDogs, 2021
- Jordan Zimmermann, Eau Claire Express, 2006
- Ben Zobrist, Wisconsin Woodchucks, 2003
References
[edit source]- 1 2 "Northwoods League Alumni in Major League Baseball" (PDF). Northwoods League. September 18, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ↑ "History". Northwoods League. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ↑ "NWL Alumni". Northwoods League. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ↑ Gross, Ed (October 16, 2016). "From Teen Wolf to Superman: in depth with Tyler Hoechlin". Empire. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ↑ Rosiak, Todd (May 30, 2018). "Once Craig Counsell's houseguest, Cardinals rookie returns to Milwaukee to help beat Brewers". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Northwoods League Softball Unveils Inaugural Season Schedule". Northwoods League. January 8, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ↑ "Wausau Welcomes Northwoods League Softball Team for 2025". Northwoods League. December 4, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Wausau Softball Club Debuts New Name and Branding". Northwoods League. April 9, 2025. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Northwoods League Softball Coming to Grand Forks, ND". Northwoods League. August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- ↑ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (August 12, 2025). "Here's a chance to name the new Grand Forks Northwoods League softball team". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- ↑ Miller, Tom (November 11, 2025). "Grand Forks' new Northwoods League softball team will be the Spitfires". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Northwoods League adds Richmond, Indiana for 2026". Northwoods League. March 29, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Minnesota Mud Puppies". Northwoods League. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ↑ Prondzinski, Olivia (April 29, 2026). "2026 season to be last for Rochester Honkers at historic Mayo Field". KTTC. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 Machrowicz, Griffin (July 14, 2026). "Rochester Honkers bet on proposed stadium district for future home field". KIMT. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 "Northwoods League Adds New Buffalo, MI – Dune Coast Baseball for 2027". Northwoods League. May 4, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- 1 2 Schicker, Ben (July 30, 2026). "The Northwoods League's newest baseball team: The Dune Coast Quillbacks". WBND-LD. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- 1 2 "Field of Dreams in Dyersville, IA added to NWL for 2027". Northwoods League. May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "It's Officially YOUR Team – Welcome the Dyersville Dreamers!". Northwoods League. July 7, 2026. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "Teams". Northwoods League. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ The Honkers will become inactive at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
- ↑ "Baseball Rules and Guidelines". Northwoods League. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- ↑ Grossfield, Edie (August 17, 2009). "We are the champions". Post-Bulletin. Rochester, Minnesota.
- ↑ "Mallards Capture First Northwoods League Championship Since 2004". OurSports Central (Press release). Northwoods League. August 16, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ↑ Hunt, Michael (August 21, 2014). "Lakeshore Chinooks named top summer collegiate team". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ↑ "Champion Kingfish reel in another honor". Kenosha News. October 19, 2015. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
- ↑ "NWL 2020 Standings". northwoodsleague.com. 2020.
- Northwoods League
- Collegiate summer baseball leagues
- College baseball leagues in the United States
- Multi-national baseball leagues in North America
- Baseball leagues in Canada
- Baseball leagues in Iowa
- Baseball leagues in Minnesota
- Baseball leagues in Wisconsin
- Sports leagues established in 1994
- 1994 establishments in the United States
