Auygu4,3,st201016, 2016 Jul
Photo by Chris Smith Photo by Emma Sapiro
©2016 Eau Claire Express Baseball ©2016 Eau Claire Express Baseball
ire Claire EauCla looh vs. Eau terlut WaDu resss Exp Expres ks es Buc Huski
vs. vs.
CaCarsorson nPaParkrk
16656-000
Table of Contents Welcome Letters
3-4
Game Preview
7
Players
8-16
Coaches
17
Carson Park Info.
18
Front Office Staff
19
Express Intern Staff
21
Promotional Schedule
22
Seasonal Staff
24
Feature Story
26
Team Stats
27
Schedule
Ticket Information
28 29
Team Rosters
32-33
Career Records
36-37
Single Season Records Host Families
Express MVP’s
Northwoods League Standings Northwoods League Leaders Today’s NWL Schedule This Day in Baseball Partners Index
34-35 38
40-41
42 43 43 44 44
When Economy Furniture first opened Hank Aaron was a member of the Eau Claire Bears!
t 10
Virtual Program by Patrick Malin Š2016 Eau Claire Express Baseball
3
Welcome Letters D
888-811-2020 AwardsAndMore.com 2425 Seymour Rd. Eau Claire Next to Pizza Del Re
ear Northwoods League Fans:
On behalf of everyone associated with the Eau Claire Express, I want to welcome you to historic Carson Park for another year of Northwoods League baseball. As we begin our twelfth year of operation, I’d like to reflect on some of the changes that have taken place with the Express. First, we’ve expanded our ownership group to include Dale Varsho and Andy Neborak. This was due in large part to the “sweat equity” that both had accumulated in the team over the years, plus it insures that the Express will continue to operate in the community for many years to come. Second, and most importantly, we have made a financial commitment to the Carson Park renovation project that will guarantee everyone, nothing but the best for your future visits to Carson Park. In collaboration with the city of Eau Claire, we have pledged to improve the stadium experience, starting with the construction of permanent bleachers on both the first and third base sides of the stadium. With this expansion will come stadium seating, climate-controlled restrooms, and new concession areas. In addition, we are creating an apparel area for our fans to shop for concessions in a more comfortable and expanded environment. Also planned in the construction project is the installation of artificial turf, which will guarantee that more games can be scheduled at Carson Park with less maintenance charges incurred by the City and users. Also, when completed, the stadium will have an expanded concourse area outside of the stadium that will provide our fans with an additional area to “socialize” before, during, and after games The City will be releasing more information on these projects during the upcoming months. In the meantime, if you care to contribute to this project we will be announcing fundraising goals and pledge opportunities during the season. When approved by the City, this project will commence following the 2017 season. And, as always, I want to extend a special “thank you” to our many game-day sponsors who have provided our fans with the very best in entertainment over the years. This year is no exception! From the Friday night firework shows, bobble-head doll and t-shirt giveaways, dueling piano and human canonball entertainment, our season-long promotion schedule will be greater than ever. So sit back, have some great food and beverage, and enjoy the fun and excitement of Eau Claire Express baseball. Bill Rowlett & the entire staff of the Eau Claire Express
4
Good Luck This Season!
One Location.....One Thousand Possibilities!
On behalf of Visit Eau Claire and the entire hospitality industry of the area, we extend to you a sincere welcome to Eau Claire’s Carson Park! As the proud hometown of the Eau Claire Express, we are anxious to show off the many exciting activities and attractions our area has to offer. Visit the Hank Aaron Tribute dedicated to “Hammerin’ Hank” as he made his debut in Carson Park with the Eau Claire Bears back in 1952! Our majestic Carson Park saw the golden era of baseball including such talents as Andy Pafko, Joe Torre, and Bob Uecker to name a few. While in Carson Park, be sure to visit our renowned Chippewa Valley Museum and the historic Paul Bunyan Logging Camp. Each attraction offers rich history of the Eau Claire area from its earliest inhabitants to the present day, and promises to be fun for the whole family. We thank you for visiting our area and supporting the Eau Claire Express, and sincerely hope you will enjoy all the fun and beauty that surrounds Eau Claire. For information on other great events and attractions, go to www.visiteauclaire.com. Enjoy the game! Linda John, Executive Director Visit Eau Claire
The city of Eau Claire is proud to welcome you to the historic Carson Park Baseball Stadium. Our staff is excited to begin the 79th season of baseball in this stadium. This old stadium was built in 1937 with help from the Works Progress Administration at a cost of $60,000. Each year over 100 ball games are played on this field by area high schools, American Legion, the Cavaliers and the Express. Our ball diamond maintenance crews strive to make Carson the best place to play ball in Northwoods League. This season for the Eau Claire Express promises to be even more exciting for Eau Claire families. We invite you to tour the stadium and the Eau Claire baseball Hall of Fame at the Hank Aaron Plaza. Hammerin’ Hank finally has some company in the plaza, with inductions of: Herman White; Dick “Ran” Bezanson; Tom Poquette; Victor “Vic” Johnson; Harvey Tomter; “Handy” Andy Pafko, Glen St. Arnault and Eau Claire Little League Founders Andy Green, Harold “Diz” Kronenberg, Howie Bullock and the 41 Eau Claire natives that made into the minor leagues by signing professional baseball contracts. Carson Park is surrounded by an ancient ox-bow lake formed by the mighty Chippewa River and offers many opportunities for recreation enjoyment including canoeing and fishing. Good luck to all Northwoods League players and we hope the fans enjoy your time at Carson Park and in Eau Claire! Phil Fieber, Director Eau Claire Parks Recreation and Forestry Department
Share your ball game experiences with us by using #CaptureEC
#CaptureEC
visiteauclaire.com
5
6
Game Preview T
he Express beat the Duluth Huskies 10-2 on Monday night in the series opener between the two North Division teams. Daulton Varsho made it back-to-back games with a home run, launching a rocket that cleared the center field score board at Carson Park. Varsho’s 14th home run of the season ties him for best in the Northwoods League, and a 2-RBI single placed him in a first place tie in the NWL with 60 RBI’s this year. Austin Guzzo also had a great night at the plate, finishing the dominant win 3-4 with 2 RBI’s. Caleb Boushley picked up his league-leading eighth victory of his impressive 2016 campaign in the blow out. Boushley allowed one run (unearned) in five innings pitched. Joe Gonrowski, Dylan Smith, and Christian Tripp all had 1-2-3 innings in relief, striking out one batter each to seal the win.
MacDonald will take the rubber in search of
his first win of the 2016 season against the Huskies tonight. The 6-8 right-hander from Weatherford College has started two games for the Express this season, credited with an 0-1 record with one no-decision. MacDonald first appeared for Eau Claire in late July, and has had several successful outings as a midinning reliever under pitching coach Vic Cable.
The tallest member of the current Express
roster is coming off his strongest appearance of the season, pitching two shut out innings against the Waterloo Bucks on August 6th. MacDonald has racked up 10 strikeouts in just 11 innings of work, holding a 5.72 ERA on 10 hits allowed.
Thanks for coming out to Carson Park and as always ...
GO EXPRESS! Tonight’s probable starter: Reagan MacDonald
Eau Claire will complete the two-game series against the Huskies in tonight’s 6:35 p.m. match-up. The Express, however, will not be done with the Huskies after tonight, playing Duluth in a two-game series this weekend to close out the 2016 regular season.
Tonight’s Game: On the mound for Eau Claire tonight is Reagan MacDonald.
7
Express Roster SAM
KENT STATE
HURT|
INF
|
R/R
Hurt, a native of Eau Claire, is in his first season at Kent State, after playing two seasons for Madison College. This will be Hurt’s third stint with the Express.
BEN
MEZZENGA
MINNESOTA
#1 ZACH
ASHFORD
FRESNO STATE
|
OF
8
CF
|
L/R
Mezzenga will join the Express after his freshman season with the Gophers concludes. The Minnesota native had an impressive high school career at Totino-Grace, finishing with a .508 batting average as a senior.
#3 |
L/R JOE
Ashford has appeared in 45 games for the Bulldogs in his freshman season, batting .316. The California native was named first-team all-state for his performance in his senior year at Buchanan High School.
#4
|
GONROWSKI|
ST. SCHOLASTICA
LHP
|
L/L
Gonrowski was dominant out of the pen for St. Scholastica this spring, earning a spectacular 0.76 ERA in 12 appearances. The left-handed reliever went 3-2 with one save.
#5
Express Roster AUSTIN IOWA
GUZZO
|
C/3B
|
L/R
MICKEY MCDONALD| INF | S/R
Guzzo is in his second season behind the plate for the Hawkeyes. He hit .264 this season, driving in 25 RBI’s and three home runs.
McDonald did not play this season after having offseason surgery. He earned an AllHorizon League First Team selection after batting .305 during his sophomore season in 2015
UIC
#7
#6 JARED
NEW MEXICO
MANG
|
UTIL
|
R/R
Mang was a two-time Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year at Los Alamos HS where he batted .559 and had 7-1 record as a pitcher. He hit .260 as a freshman at New Mexico.
#8
KYLE
CAL POLY
MARINCONZ
|
2B
|
L/R
Marinconz played with the Express last summer just after finishing high school. His first season in Eau Claire saw him rank second on the team with a .299 batting average and tied for third with 56 hits and 26 RBI’s.
#9
9
Express Roster RYAN ZIMMERMAN| RHP | R/R ST. THOMAS
REAGAN MACDONALD| LHP | L/L WEATHERFORD
MacDonald started 12 games on a pitching staff including #28 Dylan Smith. The lefty held a 5-6 overall record with a 6.16 ERA in his freshman season.
Zimmerman appeared in seven games out of the bullpen for St. Thomas in 2015, logging seven innings pitched for the Division III Tommies.
#10 SEAN
MAHER|
NEW MEXICO JC
RHP
|
R/R
RUDY
ROTT
OHIO UNIVERSITY
Maher was red-shirted his freshman season at New Mexico Junior College, where he plays alongside catcher Daniel Herrera.
#12 CONNOR
OLSON
CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
|
C
10
|
1B/C
|
L/R
The Holmen, Wis. native will play primarily 1st base, but can also play catcher, providing the Express roster with important flexibility. Rott missed only one of 115 games for Aquinas High School in his four-year career.
#14 |
R/R
Olson, a native of Plymouth Minnesota, is in his third season at Concordia University in St. Paul.In 2016, Olson held an impressive .371 batting average and led his team to an NSIC championship this spring.
#16
#11
BRODY
RODNING
MINNESOTA STATE
|
LHP|
L/L
Rodning has had an impressive 2016 season, holding a 5-2 record this spring. Rodning played for the Express in 2015, earning a 2-2 overall record and a 3.30 ERA.
#18
Seriously. We’re not making this up! Since the end of 2013, we’ve eliminated nearly $7 million in fees for our Members. And all we’ve added during that time are more of the free products and services that you asked for. How will your story unfold?
11
Express Roster CODY UIC
BOHANEK|
SS
|
R/R
Bohanek has gotten regular playing time in each of his previous seasons for the Flames. He was named to the All-Horizon League Freshman Team in 2014 and has continued a strong career at UIC.
ALEX
CAL POLY
MCKENNA|
AUGUSTANA
Hamilton had an impressive junior season at Augustana in 2016, holding an overall record of 8-2, the most single-season wins in program history.
#20 CALEB
WILLEMS|
UW-LA CROSSE
#21 KENNY
OGG|
OHIO UNIVERSITY
12
RHP
|
R/R
McKenna will arrive in Eau Claire for his first summer of Northwoods League baseball after his freshman season at Cal Poly. He is originally from Canyon Country, Calif. and attended Alemany HS.
#19
RYAN HAMILTON | RHP | R/R
OF|
RHP
|
R/R
Willems will join two members of his collegiate pitching staff on the Express for the last month of the season. Willems held a 1-0 overall record for La Crosse this season with a 3.75 ERA in 9.2 innings out of the bullpen.
#22 R/R
AUSTIN SCHULFER| RHP | R/R
Ogg appeared in just one game for the Bobcats in his freshman season. He hails from Indianapolis, IN where he earned conference honors for Lawerence Central, leading the team to a conference championship.
Schulfer holds a 2-4 record in his second season for the Milwaukee Panthers. Last summer, Schulfer made 10 starts for the Express, where he struck out 27 batters.
#23
UW-MILWAUKEE
#24
Express Roster DAULTON
VARSHO|
UW-MILWAUKEE
NICK
DAVITO|
LEWIS UNIVERSITY
RHP
C
|
L/R
Varsho returns after a good first year in the Express orange and black. He led Eau Claire in several offensive categories, including runs (37), doubles (11), triples (7), RBIs (32) and stolen bases (21). He was selected to the Northwoods League All-Star Team last season.
|
#25 R/R
Nick Davito was undefeated in his 2016 campaign, posting a 4-0 record in 19 appearances for LU. Davito added two saves in his impressive performance as a set up man.
DYLAN
SMITH|
WEATHERFORD
R/R
#28
SOMMERS
UW-MILWAUKEE
|
Smith is a native of Southlake, TX and attended Carroll High School. The right-hander is a sophomore this season for Weatherford College, where he appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen this spring.
#27 JAKE
RHP
|
RHP
|
R/R
Sommers has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen this spring, appearing in ten games covering 16 innings. He has a 2-1 record, two saves and has struck out 16 in that time.
#29
13
Express Roster CHRISTIAN NEW MEXICO
TRIPP|
RHP
|
R/R
Tripp pitched in relief for the Lobos, making 22 appearances this spring. In 28 innings pitched, he had 23 strikeouts to go with a 2-1 record and three saves.
JAMESON LAVERY | RHP | R/R UW-LA CROSSE
Lavery had an excellent junior season at La Crosse, earning a 7-1 record in 10 starts. He has held opposing batters to just a .237 average.
#32 JON
ROBLEZ|
ALABAMA STATE
RHP
|
#34
R/R CALEB BOUSHLEY | RHP | R/R
Roblez had a 1-1 overall record out of the bullpen this year for Alabama State, his first as a pitcher for the Hornets. In 9.2 innings of relief, Roblez has 13 strikeouts, holding opposing batters to a .200 average.
UW-LA CROSSE
Boushley, a Hortonville, Wis. native, has been dominant in the 2016 season, posting an 9-0 record in 11 starts this year. Boushley leads the UWLa Crosse Eagles with 73 strikeouts and has a 1.69 ERA.
#40 MICHAEL CAL POLY
GOMEZ|
#42 RHP
R/R
This is Gomez’s second season as a starting pitcher for the Eau Claire Express. In the 2015 season for the Express, Gomez started eight games, earning a 3-2 record while posting a 4.32 ERA.
#47 14
|
Est. 1978
30% OFF Any Plant Material gardens
Visit our Garden Center with this coupon. Expires Oct 1st 2016 *Offer not valid with other discounts.
1403 122nd Street Lake Hallie. E of HWY 53 Bypass N of the Melby Street exit
Lawn Care • Landscape • Irrigation • Lighting • Maintenance 15
Poquette, Donnellan & Schlewitz Law, LLC
Ronald G. Poquette
Sarah M. Donnellan
Samuel P. Schlewitz
Personal Injury Family Law Social Security Disability Workers Compensation Probate
FREE CONSULTATION FOR ANY INJURY CLAIM Ronald G. Poquette Sarah M. Donnellan Samuel P. Schlewitz GENERAL PRACTICE INCLUDING: Divorce Real Estate Bankruptcy Wills-Estate Planning Corporate Law
834-2996
715poquettelawoffice@att.net
Fax 834-9036
House and Hospital Visits Contingent Fee Available/No Recovery-No Fee 306 S. Barstow Street, Suite 200 Barstow Court Eau Claire, WI 54701
16
Coaching Staff Dale Varsho - Field Manager/ Owner In 2013, Varsho became the Northwoods League all-time winning manager by recording his 301st victory on July 25. He has been the only Field Manager in Express history, and he has helped two Major League Baseball players, Jordan Zimmermann and Kole Calhoun, get to the next level. He won the Northwoods League in 2010 en route to being named the league’s Manager of the Year. He lives in Altoona with his wife, Jennifer, and three kids, Jake, Averie and C.J.
Vic Cable - Pitching Coach
Like Varsho, Cable has been with the Express since their inaugural 2005 season, serving as the pitching coach. After an outstanding career on the mound for the Eau Claire Cavaliers, Cable has been an assistant coach at Eau Claire Memorial and Chippewa Falls High School. He is a high school teacher and lives in Eau Claire with his wife Pam and daughters Katie and Emma.ďżź
Drew Pearson-3rd Base Coach Pearson, a former player for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, enters his first year on the Express coaching staff. Pearson spent the 2015-2016 season as a Graduate Assistant on the coaching staff for the Minnesota State baseball team. The Racine, WI native appeared in 104 games during his four year career at UWMilwaukee, highlighted by a .294 on base percentage his senior season.
17
Carson Park Stadium Facts:
Home of:
Year Built: 1937 Stadium Capacity: 2,856 Playing Dimensions: Left Field - 326 Feet
Center Field - 388 Feet Right Field - 302 Feet
Address: 702 Carson Park Drive
History:
Carson Park, home to the Eau Claire Express since 2005, is one of the more historical parks in the Upper Midwest. Home to the minor league baseball Eau Claire Bears, and later the Eau Claire Braves of the original class C Northern League, Carson Park served as the home field for many future major league stars, including future Hall of Fame players Andy Pafko, Henry Aaron, and Joe Torre. A statue honoring Aaron sits outside of the entrance to the stadium. Historic Carson Park is one of the more picturesque parks in the Northwoods League, located in the middle of the City’s largest park that includes an adjacent football stadium, softball fields, logging museum, the Chippewa Valley Museum, horseshoe pits, and numerous hiking and biking trails. The Stadium has served as the host site for many WIAA state baseball tournaments, along with many national amateur baseball tournaments over the years.
18
Recent Improvements:
The City of Eau Claire, along with the Eau Claire Express have made significant improvements to the Carson Park baseball stadium since the creation of the Express in 2005. The City has greatly improved the lighting at the stadium by replacing and relocating four poles that provide lighting to the infield areas at Carson Park. And recently, (2012) the scoreboard was replaced. Since 2005, the Express have made approximately $750,000 worth of improvements within the stadium, mostly fan-friendly. Included among them are the following: The multi-level fan deck, the message display board, a new stadium and fan deck sound system, concession grill and fryers plus a beer garden, a secondary scoreboard for fan deck patrons, expanded grandstand bench seating, bullpen benches, portable toilets and hand wash stations, expanded food service areas, the kid’s zone complete with inflatable play areas, expanded press box area, stadium wall padding, serving tables with warming drawers and upright storage freezers, and a combination storage shed and viewing deck.
Front Office Staff Bill Rowlett
Managing Director / Owner The Eau Claire native has been involved with baseball in Eau Claire most of his life, including being part of the Express since its inception. He was the General Manager in 2005 and minority owner for the 2005-2007 seasons. Bill became majority owner in 2008 and has held the title of Managing Director since that time. The father of two adult sons (Ron and Brett), he and his wife Sue reside in neighboring Elk Mound.
Andy Neborak
Dale Varsho
Spencer Larson
Scott Montesano
Chris Thompson
Zach Czubakowski
CFO / Owner Andy begins his tenth season as part of the Express and first as CEO / Owner. He previously spent six years as General Manager and one year as Assistant Director of Operations. Before that, he was the Stadium Operations Intern for two seasons. The Waconia native resides in Eau Claire.
General Manager Spencer returns to the Express for a second season and first as General Manager after a year as Director of Ticket Sales. He previously worked for the Normal CornBelters (Frontier League), Madison Mallards and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He currently lives in Eau Claire.
Director of Food & Beverage Chris returns for a fourth season and first as Director of Food & Beverage. The Eau Claire native previously was a Stadium Operations Intern and Group Sales Manager. He and his fiancee Amanda live in Cadott and are set to be married in October.
Director of Operations / Owner Dale has been the Field Manager for the Express since the inaugural 2005 season and has been Director of Operations since 2006. He has one NWL Championship under his belt (2010), a year in which he was also named NWL Manager of the Year. He resides in Altoona with his wife Jennifer and children Jake, Averie and CJ.
Assistant General Manager Scott returns to the Express after a five-year absence in 2016. He previously served as the team’s radio broadcaster from 2006-2010. Since, he has had stops with the Des Moines Buccaneers (Junior Hockey) and Traverse City Beach Bums (Frontier League). He resides in Eau Claire with his wife Angela and children Derek and Alexia.
Assistant Director of Operations Zach has filled many roles with the Express and returns for a sixth season. He began as a part-time stadium employee and moved on from there to spend the past two years as a Stadium Operations Intern. The Thorp native currently attends UW-Eau Claire.
19
20
Intern Staff Joanna Gohlke Marketing & Fan Experience
David Hahn Marketing & Ticket Sales
Tanner Follis Stadium Operations
Chiafukam Okoroji Stadium Operations
John Mattison Marketing & Promotions
Emma Sapiro Marketing & Promotions
Devan Finn Public Relations
Linda Krompicha Public Relations
Patrick Malin Media Relations
Alyssa Kozak Video Production
Hogan Metzler Game-Day Photography
Day
Daily Special
Thursday
Thirsty Thursday - $2.00 beer & soda Student Night - $20 Fan Deck Tickets w/ ID
Friday
Buy 1, Get 1 drink coupon exit giveaway
Eau Claire Ale House
Saturday
Haircut coupon exit giveaway
Sport Clips
Sunday Wednesday
Colin Griffith Game-Day Marketing
Kari Kolle Stadium Operations
$1.00 Hog Dogs and Sundaes Wine Wednesday - $4.00 glasses of wine
Sponsor(s)
Ballpark / Kemps Infinity Beverages
21
Promotional Schedule May 31 Magnetic schedules from Mid-West Family Broadcasting and Lien and Peterson Architects, Inc. Jun 4
Bowling coupon giveaway- Sponsored by Wagner’s Lanes
Jun 7
Opposite Night
Jun 5 Jun 8 Jun 9
Faith Night - $10 package for all church groups- sponsored by Regis Catholic Schools Wine Wednesday
Express T-shirt and Sunglasses giveaway - Sponsored by Career Development Center
Jun 16 Cancer Awareness/ Jordan Zimmermann Garden Gnome Giveaway - Sponsored by Marshfield Clinic Jun 17 * Fireworks sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System following the game / Strike Out Stroke Jun 18 Veterans Night - Sponsored by VFW Club 305
Jun 19 Father’s Day/ Alumni Poster Giveaway - Sponsored by Satellite Six Jun 21 90’s Millenial Night - Sponsored by Metropolis Resort
Jun 25 Express Logo Baseball Giveaway - Sponsored by Mega Co-Op Jun 26 Wisconsin Theme Night /Hotel and Service Industry Night
Jun 29 (1:05) Kids Day - All kids K-12 receive FREE admission - Sponsored by Marshfield Clinic Jul 1
* Pre-planned Funeral Giveaway - Post game fireworks sponsored by Evergreen Funeral Home
Jul 4
* Hat giveaway/ Miracle League Night and Post Game Fireworks sponsored by Goodwill
Jul 2
Jul 12 Jul 13
Sponsored by WESTconsin Credit Union
All Eau Claire Y members receive FREE admission w/ card - Sponsored by Eau Claire Y
FitBit Raffle - Big Brothers Big Sisters Night - Sponsored by EO Johnson Business Technologies
Jul 15
*Trax’s Birthday - Postgame Fireworks sponsored by Mega Co-Op
Jul 28
Human cannonball performance postgame
Jul 24 Jul 29 Jul 30 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 6 Aug 7 Aug 8
6” Sub coupon giveaway - Sponsored by Subway *Postgame Fireworks sponsored by Bauer Built
Dueling Duo Piano Show/ Star Wars Night/ Trax & Trix Anniversary Sponsored by Cesspool Cleaner Company Mini bat giveaway - Sponsored by Charter Bank Sponsored by Northwestern Bank
Cookie Treat Giveaway - Sponsored by Goodie Sweet Treats Outdoors Night - Sponsored by Gordy’s Market
Carson Park Replica Stadium giveaway/ Turn Back the Clock Night - Sponsored by Royal Credit Union
Aug 10 Tropical Night
Aug 11 Thunder Stick giveaway - Sponsored by Larson Orthodontics Aug 12 *Postgame Fireworks - Sponsored by Thrivent Financial
Aug 13 Princess Trix Mini bobblehead giveaway - Sponsored by Mega Co-Op
Aug 14 Fan Appreciation Night - Jersey Night - Sponsored by Silver Spring Foods
Promotional Schedule subject to change * Detonates Fireworks after the game! - Gates open one hour prior to first pitch-
23
Seasonal Staff Phil Tripper Director of In-Game Entertainment
Pete Knutson Radio Broadcaster
Chris Smith Photographer
Joshua Scott Team Trainer
Jane Jaenke Concession Manager
Paul Schommer Public Address Announcer
24
GAME R U O Y TO R O L O C ME ADD SO
OFFICIA
L S
T H EE F O R E U P P L I ODS LEAGU NORTHW
O
SG
/rawlings
orts
Sp @Rawlings
@Rawlings
.com facebook
25
Wisconsin’s Warriors: Homegrown Talents Vital to Playoff Success By Patrick Malin: Throughout the 2016 season, homegrown products have factored greatly in the success of the Eau Claire Express. Just five games remain before the first round divisional playoff match-up. These Wisconsinites will play a key role in the postseason ambitions of the Express, with the Second Half North Division Title set in their sights. Of the five players the Express sent to the 2016 Northwoods League All-Star Game, four hailed from Wisconsin. Caleb Boushley (Hortonville, WI), Daulton Varsho (Chili, WI), and Austin Schulfer (Stevens Point, WI) all have hometowns in Wisconsin and play collegiate baseball for schools in-state. Dalton Roach, the final Wisconsin all-star selection for the Express, is truly a hometown talent as a native of Eau Claire himself. There are seven players from Wisconsin currently on the roster heading to the final home stretch of the regular season, all of whom will be vital in the playoff success under manager Dale Varsho. Daulton Varsho and Boushley are joined by position players Rudy Rott and Sam Hurt (from Eau Claire), as well as pitchers Jake Sommers, Caleb Willems (Luxemburg, WI), and Jameson Lavery (Janesville, WI) on the current Express lineup card. These players make up the heart of the batting order, the core of the pitching staff, and the intangible leadership that has driven the Express to success this season. Varsho and Boushley lead their respective offensive and defensive units into the 2016 postseason. Varsho has had a record season from the plate in his second summer under his uncle and field manager Dale. Daulton is batting .323 in 59 games played heading into the final five games of the season. Varsho has displayed spectacular power from the plate, hitting an Express record 14 home runs this season, several of which have carried to unthinkable distances out of Carson Park. Varsho also set a new Express record for RBI’s (60), and for career triples (9) while scoring 50 times himself, stealing a team-leading 25 bases. Boushley leads the Northwoods League in pitching victories, with eight wins in 10 starts. The right-hander from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has displayed elite control on the mound, walking just seven batters in 60.1 innings. Boushley holds an excellent 2.95 ERA and will likely be leaned
26
upon heavily as the Express pursue a NWL title next week. Boushley’s La Crosse teammate, Willems was a late addition to the team on a depleted pitching staff. Willems picked up a win on August 3rd, for two innings of work against the Willmar Stingers. Jameson Lavery, another La Crosse Eagle, has a 2-1 record with a 2.90 ERA, combining effective work out of the bullpen in early June with quality starts when he returned to the Express in late July. Sommers, a native of Hortonville, WI, has been one of Eau Claire’s best relievers this season, racking up a 2.76 ERA with a 3-3 record in 10 appearances. Teaming up with Varsho in the top offense in the NWL are Wisconsinites Rott (Holmens, WI) and Eau Claire’s own second baseman, Hurt. Freshman All-American Rott left Wisconsin for college at Ohio University, but represents his home town in an Express uniform during the summer. Rott is hitting at a.283 clip, appearing in the field primarily at first base. The Ohio Bobcat has driven in 27 runs this season and has been a nearly every day starter for Dale Varsho’s squad. Hurt has also been a vital piece for this Express offense, hitting .285 with 29 RBI’s, 28 runs scored, and a team-high three triples. In his third stint for the Express, Hurt has proved himself as a strong fielder and hitter, and will likely be an everyday starter throughout the remainder of the season for Dale Varsho. Homegrown Wisconsin players will make up the heart of the Express lineup with just five games remaining in the 2016 season. The team’s playoff aspirations rest on the shoulders of seven Wisconsinites who have a chance to provide a memorable week to fans return the Northwoods League crown to the great state of Wisconsin.
Express Statistics PLAYER AVG Sommers, Jake .500 *Mezzenga, Ben .328 *Ashford, Zach .324 *Varsho, Daulton .323 Hurt, Sam .285 #McDonald, Mickey .285 *Rott, Rudy .283 *Marinconz, Kyle .269 Bohanek, Cody .258 *Guzzo, Austin .253 McKenna, Alex .250 Olson, Connor .200 Mang, Jared PLAYER .193 *Rodning, BrodyDavito, Nick .000
Pitching
#= Switch Hitter *= Left handed pitcher/batter G 1 34 52 59 45 56 53 42 59 30 38 2 36 1
Schulfer, Austin Zimmerman, Ryan Tripp, Christian Sommers, Jake Lavery, Jameson Boushley, Caleb Willems, Caleb Roblez, Jon *Rodning, Brody Smith, Dylan Gomez, Michael Ogg, Kenny Hamilton, Ryan Maher, Sean *MacDonald, Reagan *Gonrowski, Joe
Duluth Statistics
GS AB 3 4 33 128 47 188 59 226 39 151 56 214 52 184 40 167 58 209 29 95 36 148 2 5 31 ERA 119 9 0.000 1.77 1.98 2.46 2.76 2.91 2.95 3.00 3.52 3.91 4.31 4.78 5.01 5.37 5.40 5.73 7.71
PLAYER AVG G GS AB Hanford, Carter .314 49 48 191 Amaral, Daniel .313 46 45 195 Bernard, Austin .296 42 36 142 *Long, Reid .287 45 45 174 Moses, Casey .273 21 20 77 *Paulson, Dillon .271 46 41 144 McClary, Brendan .269 39 39 130 Duex, Tyler .267 8 7 30 Pries, Jake .240 32 32 125 *Milazzo, Brett .236 17 14 55 Brown, Matt .221 44 41 149 Sabino, Liam .214 38 38 145 Barbary, Chase .203 27 24 79 Midas, Tyler .167 5 5 18 In Den Kleef, Bart .036 22 4 28 PLAYER ERA Fischer, Tyler 0.00 *Longrie, Quentin 1.69 *Frederickson, Marcus 1.88 *Long, Reid 3.38 *Mullinax, Drew 3.41 Schwickert, Ian 3.72 Kroger, David 3.91 Regas, Wade 4.00 Tapani, Ryan 4.20 *Robinson, Payton 4.38 *Molin, Drew 4.82 Gaconi, Corey 4.89 Manke, Fred 5.93 *DeCaster, Henry 7.12 Ferguson, Alex 7.54 *Gates, Riley 7.54 Hanson, Matt 18.90
Pitching
R 0 39 38 50 28 42 24 21 32 14 24 1 W-L 16 0-0 1 1-1 2-0 1-1 3-3 2-1 8-2 1-0 3-0 3-1 2-1 1-3 2-1 4-4 0-1 0-1 0-2
R 20 35 21 21 5 21 22 2 16 9 21 25 7 1 2 W-L 0-0 2-0 1-1 0-1 2-0 0-1 1-0 2-1 3-4 4-5 1-1 3-3 0-2 0-5 2-2 1-2 0-0
H 2B 3B HR RBI TB 2 0 0 0 0 2 42 3 2 2 16 55 61 4 1 0 25 67 73 14 2 14 60 133 43 7 3 2 29 62 61 9 1 0 20 72 52 7 0 1 27 62 45 9 1 0 22 56 54 8 1 2 29 70 24 6 0 2 17 36 37 5 2 6 28 64 1 0 0 0 0 1 23 G GS 6 CG1SHO 3SV 20 IP 40 0 00 0 0 0 0 1.00 01 0 7 6 6 2 20 0 10 2 7 3 10 10 2 0 8 5 9 9 23 1 8 8 17 1 11 9 8 0 5 2 3 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
40.2 27.1 22.0 29.1 21.2 61.0 3.0 38.1 46.0 31.1 32.0 41.1 52.0 11.2 11.0 2.1
BB IBB 0 0 31 0 28 0 42 4 16 0 33 1 23 2 17 0 14 0 16 2 15 1 2 0 H R 1 ER 13 10 0 0 0
27 20 17 29 23 60 3 33 51 26 38 46 65 9 10 2
9 6 7 15 13 23 2 18 25 21 17 26 38 7 10 4
8 6 6 9 7 20 1 15 20 15 17 23 31 7 7 2
H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB IBB 60 12 1 1 19 77 17 0 61 4 1 0 18 67 19 0 42 8 0 1 20 53 23 1 50 11 2 3 16 74 10 1 21 2 0 0 8 23 9 0 39 7 0 3 21 55 34 0 35 3 0 0 9 38 20 0 8 3 0 0 1 11 0 0 30 3 2 5 27 52 13 0 13 1 0 0 3 14 9 0 33 9 0 6 26 60 14 0 31 9 1 3 19 51 19 0 16 4 0 0 6 20 15 0 3 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER 2 0 0 0 0 1.2 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 6 21.1 18 6 4 5 1 0 0 0 14.1 12 5 3 8 0 0 0 0 8.0 13 6 3 16 1 0 0 0 37.0 44 18 14 14 0 0 0 0 19.1 20 9 8 10 1 0 0 0 25.1 27 18 11 29 0 0 0 4 36.0 30 21 16 11 10 0 0 0 55.2 57 31 26 11 7 0 0 0 37.0 33 24 18 8 4 0 0 0 28.0 39 20 15 10 7 0 0 0 46.0 68 30 25 3 3 0 0 0 13.2 26 13 9 7 6 0 0 0 30.1 42 31 24 17 2 0 0 0 28.2 39 30 24 8 6 0 0 0 22.2 22 20 19 3 0 0 0 0 3.1 3 7 7
HP SO SF SH 0 1 0 0 0 21 1 0 6 23 1 3 2 35 4 0 1 21 4 5 3 40 1 2 19 24 3 1 2 25 1 0 20 47 3 2 3 17 4 1 2 37 2 0 0 2 0 0 BB 2 IBB 27 SO 4HR 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0
Batting
14 11 6 21 7 7 0 15 19 20 15 16 17 5 3 3
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
50 25 24 20 11 47 1 27 33 36 18 26 32 12 10 2
2 1 1 4 0 2 1 3 3 3 2 10 0 2 1 1 2 12 3 5 3 7 3 5 6 8 2 2 0 1 0 0
SB 0 22 16 25 4 10 4 1 9 0 18 0 3B2 00 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
CS 0 4 5 3 3 3 3 1 3 0 0 0 B0 0
16 11 8 14 9 25 1 16 20 14 14 18 23 4 4 1
HP SO SF SH SB 3 34 1 0 1 6 32 1 1 30 3 26 0 1 4 2 16 3 0 0 0 6 0 1 3 4 27 3 0 1 3 30 2 2 2 0 8 0 0 0 7 16 0 0 0 1 15 0 0 2 6 42 1 1 0 7 44 2 1 6 1 29 2 2 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 BB IBB SO HR 2B 3B B 5 0 1 0 0 0 14 0 25 0 1 0 9 7 0 7 1 2 0 6 7 0 6 0 4 0 4 6 0 21 2 7 1 16 6 0 12 0 3 0 8 15 0 12 2 3 0 11 8 0 13 1 5 0 14 22 0 28 3 12 0 24 17 0 22 1 10 0 16 8 0 14 4 4 2 13 11 0 26 3 6 2 20 6 0 3 0 4 0 7 30 0 12 0 6 3 16 17 0 12 3 4 0 14 19 0 28 1 2 1 11 9 0 2 0 1 0 2
Batting
27
2016 Express Schedule Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu 7:05 6:35 1 7:05 2 May/June 31ROC @ROC @WIL 5
7:05 7
5:05 6
WIL 12
@LAC
4:05 13
@TB 19
6:35 8
21
5:05 20
MAN 26
5:05 27
7:05 28
7:05 29
6:35 17
1:05 30
6:05 24
12:05 2
7:05 6:35 9
5:05 8
7
WAT 14
DUL
5:05 15
DUL North Division:
WIL
NWL Showcase @MAD
16
7:05 18
6:35
MAN
6:05 25
6:35
STC
7:05
6:35 4
WIL 10
6:35 11
DUL 17
Fri
Sat
@WAT
WAT
7:05 6
6:35 12
TB 18
6:35
7:05 13
19
6:35
DUL
TB 20
NWL Championship
Duluth (DUL) Eau Claire (EC) La Crosse (LAC) Mankato (MAN) Rochester (ROC) St. Cloud (STC) Thunder Bay (TB) Waterloo (WAT) Willmar (WIL)
South Division:
Battle Creek (BC) Green Bay (GB) Kalamazoo (KAZ) Kenosha (KEN) Lakeshore (LAK) Madison (MAD) Rockford (RFD) Wis. Rapids (WIR) Wisconsin (WIS)
28
5:05 4
3
WAT @WAT 17
7:05
5
@LAC
6:05 18 5:05 25 1:05
@ROC
6
7:05 7
@STC
6:35 13
19
20
All-Star Break @ KEN 26
7:05 27
@WIL All Colored Boxes = Home Game Postgame Fireworks
6:35
@DUL
7:05 16
LAC
Thirsty Thursday ($2.00 16 oz. domestic taps and 24 oz. soda)
6:05
@LAC
7:05 30
MAN
6:05
@MAN
7:05 23
@STC
6:35 29
MAN
WAT
6:35 9
@DUL
7:05 22
@STC
6:35
ROC
7:05 15
7:05 28
@WIL
7:05 2
@LAC 21
Sat
Fri 1
7:05 8
@STC
6:35 14
TB
TB
@WAT
@MAN
31
6:05
LAC
3:35 11 7:05 12
10
LAC
7:05 5
@WAT
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu July
24
7:05 @ROC
6:35 3
August @WIR
@MAN
@TB
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu 1
7:05 11 6:05
GB
@TB
WIR
6:35
WIL
@MAN
GB
@ROC
@GB
@GB
STC
@DUL
6:35 22 12:05 23
ROC
@WIL
STC
6:35 16
6:35 15
@DUL
7:05 4
6:35 10
STC
LAC
6:05 14
@TB
6:35 9
Sat
Fri 3
6:35
ROC
2016 Ticket Information
29
Equipment Rentals Bounce Rides
Concession Equipment
Small Engine Repair
RENTAL...SALES...SERVICE
Only
Landscape Equipment
Wedding & Event Specialists Serving the Chippewa Valley Since 1961 Celebrating Our 50th Year
Generator Sales & Rental
FILL ANY 20 LB. PROPANE TANK
LP Tank & RV Fill Station
$14.99 Coupon Expires 8/31/2016
10% OFF RENTAL EQUIPMENT OR
2515 Mall Drive, Eau Claire, WI 54701 Lawn & Garden Equipment
30
715-834-2727 a1expressrental.com
Penske Truck Rental
PARTY NEEDS
Maximum coupon value is $100.00 Coupon Expires 8/31/2016
GET READY FOR THE 2016 PLAYOFFS! EAU CLAIRE EXPRESS vs. TBD MONDAY AUGUST 15th 6:35 p.m. CARSON PARK
31
Eau Claire Express Roster Eau Claire Express Roster No
#5 #10 #11 #12 #18 #21 #22 #23 #24 #27 #28 #29 #32 #34 #40 #42 #47 #6 #16 #25 #1 #7 #9 #14 #19 #3 #4 #8 #20
Manager: Dale Varsho
First Name Pitchers Joe Ryan Reagan Sean Brody Ryan Caleb Kenny Austin Nick Dylan Jake Christian
Last Name
Pos
B/T
Ht
Wt
Yr
Hometown
Gonrowski Zimmerman MacDonald Maher Rodning Hamilton Willems Ogg Schulfer Davito Smith Sommers Tripp
LHP RHP LHP RHP LHP RHP RHP RHP RHP RHP RHP RHP RHP
L/L R/R L/L R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R
5'9 5'10 6'8 5'11 6'1 6'0 6'2 6'1 6'1 6'3 6'3 6'2 6'6
192 170 204 165 170 200 210 175 170 180 185 185 200
So So Fr Fr So Jr Fr Fr So Jr Fr Fr Fr
Elk River, MN Eden Prairie, MN Gunter, TX Albuquerque, NM Gaylord, MN Spearfish, SD Luxemburg, WI Indianapolis, IN Stevens Point, WI Crest Hill, IL Southlake, TX Hortonville, WI Spring, TX
St. Scholastica St. Thomas Weatherford New Mexico JC Mankato Augustana UW-La Crosse Ohio Milwaukee Lewis University Weatherford Milwaukee New Mexico
Jameson Jon Caleb Michael Catchers Austin Connor Daulton Infielders Sam Mickey Kyle Rudy Cody Outfielders Ben Zach Jared Alex
Lavery Roblez Boushley Gomez
RHP RHP RHP RHP
R/R R/R R/R R/R
6'3 6'4 6'3 6'3
205 225 180 210
Jr Jr Jr So
Footville, WI Kansas City, KS Hortonville, WI Upland, CA
UW La Crosse Alabama St UW La Crosse Cal Poly
Guzzo Olson Varsho
C/3B C C
L/R R/R L/R
6'2 5'11 5'9
195 175 195
So Jr So
Brooklin, Ontario Plymouth, MN Chili, WI
Iowa Concordia-St. Paul Milwaukee
Hurt McDonald Marinconz Rott Bohanek
INF CF/IF 2B 1st/C SS
R/R S/R L/R L/R R/R
5'7 6'4 5'10 5'11 6'1
165 190 185 212 190
Jr Jr Fr Fr Jr
Eau Claire, WI San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Holmen, WI Oak Lawn, IL
Kent St UIC Cal Poly Ohio UIC
Mezzenga Ashford Mang McKenna
OF OF Util OF
L/R L/R R/R R/R
6'0 5'10 5'10 6'1
185 160 190 190
Fr Fr Fr Fr
Shoreview, MN Clovis, CA Los Alamos, NM Canyon Country, CA
Minnesota Fresno St New Mexico Cal Poly
838 WATER ST • EAU CLAIRE, WI 715-832-3991
School
Don‛t f the mu orget stard!
HOMEMADE SOUPS & SANDWICHES SERVED OPEN TO CLOSE - Bushel bags of ice available Good luck Express from your friends at Ray’s Place, located on Water Street between either Carson Park entrance
32
Duluth Huskies Roster Duluth Huskies Roster No
Manager: Daniel Hersey
#2 #3 #7
First Name Pitchers Drew Ryan Riley Alex Wade Matt Drew David Payton Tyler Fred Henry Corey Ian Quentin Marcus Catchers Austin Chase Matt Bart Tyler Infielders Brendan Casey Tyler
#23
Liam
Sabino
IF
R/R
6'1
200
So
East Stroudsburg, PA
Vanderbilt
#24 #36
Dillon Carter Outfielders Reid Brett Daniel Jake
Paulson Hanford
1B 3B/1B
L/L R/R
6'3 6'3
215 225
Fr So
San Marcos, CA St. Louis, MO
Southern California Jefferson College
Long Milazzo Amaral Pries
OF OF OF OF
L/L L/L R/R R/R
5'11 5'8 5'11 6'3
170 170 175 200
So Jr Fr Fr
Marianna, FL Arlington-Heights, IL Hunington Beach, CA San Juan Capistrano, CA
Troy Minnesota Duluth UCLA UCLA
#6 #10 #11 #12 #14 #15 #19 #22 #26 #27 #28 #29 #31 #32 #37 #39 #8 #17 #18 #20 #21
#4 #9 #25 #35
Last Name
Pos
B/T
Ht
Wt
Yr
Hometown
School
Molin Tapani Gates Ferguson Regas Hanson Mullinax Kroger Robinson Fischer Manke DeCaster Gaconi Schwickert Longrie Frederickson
LHP RHP LHP RHP RHP RHP LHP RHP LHP RHP RHP LHP RHP RHP LHP LHP
L/L R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R L/L R/R L/L R/R R/R L/L L/R R/R L/L L/L
5'11 6'0 6'1 5'11 6'1 6'0 5'10 6'1 6'2 6'3 6'1 6'3 6'4 6'6 5'10 5'11
180 180 185 165 190 200 185 185 180 200 205 170 225 215 190 165
So So So So Jr So So Jr Fr Fr So Fr Fr Jr Fr So
Cottage Grove, MN Wayzata, MN Santa Clara, UT Woodstock, IL Red Oak, TX Wallace, MI Rainbow City, AL St. Cloud, MN Mobile, AL McFarland, WI Lodi, WI Shoreview, MN Metairie, LA Mankato, MN Mission Viejo, CA Eagan, MN
St. Thomas Creighton BYU Minnesota Duluth Texas Wesleyan Mesabi Range Montevallo St. Cloud State Southeastern Louisiana Viterbo Minnesota South Dakota State Southeastern Louisiana St. Thomas Southern California Minnesota Duluth
Bernard Barbary Brown In Den Kleef Midas
C C C/1B C/1B C
R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R
5'10 6'1 6'2 5'11 6'1
190 195 210 185 220
So Fr So Fr So
Valley Center, CA Greenville, SC St. Louis, MO Oosterhout, Netherlands Foley, MN
Pepperdine Spartanburg Methodist Jefferson College CBL-Europe North Dakota
McClary Moses Duex
IF IF IF
R/R R/R R/R
6'0 6'1 5'10
160 195 190
So Jr Sr
Spokane, WA North Las Vegas, NV Chippewa, WI
Columbia Basin Texas Wesleyan St. Scholastica
AD PLACEMENT 33
Express Season Batting Records Batting Average (Min 151 AB) 0.389 Drew Heithoff (2010) 0.338 Ty Forney (2011) 0.333 DeMarcus Tidwell (2010)
Slugging %
(Min 151 AB) 0.536 Casey Gillaspie (2012) 0.500 Daniel Salters (2014) 0.497 Brian Mundell (2014)
On Base %
(Min 151 AB) 0.515 Drew Heithoff (2010) 0.433 Charlie White (2013) 0.432 Casey Gillaspie (2012))
70 68 67
273 263 257
Games Played
Brady Burzynski (2015) Brady Burzynski (2014) Josh Scheffert (2012) Robbie Knight (2008) Tyler Hermann (2014)
At Bats
Josh Scheffert (2012) Kraig Binick (2005) Brady Burzynski (2015)
Hits
82 81 80
Brady Burzynski (2015) Kraig Binick (2005) Tim Zier (2012)
19 17 16
Kole Calhoun (2007) Ty Forney (2010) Tyler Hermann (2014)
Doubles
Triples
7 4 3
Daulton Varsho (2015) Brooks Pinckard (2009) Drew Turbin (2014) Sam Hurt (2016) Kole Calhoun (2009) Lucas Herbst (2010)
14 12 11
Daulton Varsho (2016) Casey Gillaspie (2012) Nick Addison (2012)
60 45 42
Daulton Varsho (2016) Nick Addison (2012) Joe Bonfe (2008)
Walks
42 40 38 36
Daulton Varsho (2016) Casey Gillaspie (2012) Peter Van Gansen (2014) Brady Burzynski (2014) Robbie Knight (2008)
24 20 19
Matt Fritz (2009) Cody Bohanek (2016) Rudy Rott (2016)
67 59 59
Ryan Shober (2012) Kole Calhoun (2007) Nick Addison (2012)
Home Runs
Hit By Pitches
Strikeouts
Stolen Bases
38 30 28
Kraig Binick (2005) Ryan Lee (2008) Nolan Fadness (2009)
57 53 51 50
Kole Calhoun (2007) Casey Gillaspie (2012) Kraig Binick (2005) Daulton Varsho (2016)
15 13 12
Braden Degamo (2008) Nick Bullington (2012) Kyle Holloway (2008) Dominic Piazza (2007)
RBI’s
Runs Scored
Fielding 183 182 176 165
34
Assists
Cody Bohanek (2016) Blake Schmit (2013) Ty Forney (2012) Andy Leonard (2009)
31 20 19
Errors
Mike LaLuna (2006) Mark Hallberg (2005) Blake Schmit (2013) Ty Forney (2012)
Passed Balls
Express Season Pitching Records Pitching ERA
0.38 1.01 1.36
(Min 24 IP) Kole Calhoun (2007) Jordan Zimmermann (2006) Ian Campbell (2010)
9 8 7
Tim Huber (2007) Caleb Boushley (2016) Taylor Lehnert (2013) Ian Campbell (2010) Matt McDaniel (2010) Chris Odegaard (2008)
Wins
Losses
7 Austin Schulfer (2015) 6 Nate Schwartz (2005) Tom Eager (2005) 5 10X
14 13 12
29 28
3 2
Saves
Kole Calhoun (2007) Devan Kline (2009) Nick Fellman (2006)
Appearances
Ian Campbell (2009) Nick Fellman (2005) Jon Huber (2005)
Complete Games
49 39
Sean Renzi (2012) Matt Trowbridge (2012) Chris Odegaard (2008) Jon Bjelland (2005)
Shutouts
92 71 69
Jordan Zimmermann (2006) Chris Odegaard (2008) Jon Bjelland (2006)
2 Tim Huber (2006) 1 7X
80.1 78 75.2
Walks Allowed
Rudy Jaramillo (2009) Ian Campbell (2010) D.J. Mauldin (2008) Ryan Hines (2008) Tim Huber (2006, 2007)
Innings Pitched
Jordan Zimmermann (2006) Tim Huber (2007) Tim Huber (2006)
8 7 6
Hits Allowed
74 72 71
CJ Eldred (2015) Nate Schwartz (2005) Travis Kempf (2006)
45 43 42
Louis Head (2009) Zak Shockley (2013) 3x: Ian Doughty (2014) most recent
8 14 13
Runs Allowed
10 9
Strikeouts
Home Runs Allowed
Matt McDaniel (2011) Philip Walby (2012) 7x: Ryan Schlosser (2015) most recent
Wild Pitches
Matt McDaniel (2011) Ian Doughty (2014) Kale Latorre (2015)
Hit Batters
Ryan Tatusko (2005) Kye Winter (2012) Ian Campbell (2009)
35
Express Career Batting Records Batting Average 0.318 0.314 0.309
(Min 272 AB) Drew Heithoff (2009-10) Joe Bonfe (2007-09) Ty Forney (2010-11) Daulton Varsho (2015-16)
Slugging %
(Min 272 AB) 0.452 Joe Bonfe (2007-09) 0.425 Nate Baumann (2009-2010) 0.422 Brooks Pinckard (2008-09)
41 39 37
Kole Calhoun (2007-09) Ty Forney (2010-12) Josh Scheffert (2010-12)
9 7 4
(Min 272 AB) 0.509 Drew Heithoff (2009-10) 0.451 Nolan Fadness (2008-10) 0.401 Brooks Pinckard (2008-09)
671 663
Ty Forney (2010-12) Josh Scheffert (2010-12) Nolan Fadness (2008-10) Brady Burzynski (2013-15)
Doubles
18 17
Games Played
Josh Scheffert (2010-12) Ty Forney (2010-12) Kole Calhoun (2007-09)
99 92 71 70
At Bats
Josh Scheffert (2010-12) Ty Forney (2010-12)
Daulton Varsho (2015-16) Brooks Pinckard (2008-09) Kole Calhoun (2007-09) Brady Burzynski (2013-15)
Home Runs
Nick Addison (2011-12) Daulton Varsho (2015-16) Josh Scheffert (2010-12)
Kole Calhoun (2007-09) Ty Forney (2010-12) Nolan Fadness (2008-10) Brady Burzynski (2013-15)
24 20 19
Matt Fritz (2009) Cody Bohanek (2016) Robbie Knight (2008-09) Rudy Rott (2016)
140 124 117
Josh Scheffert (2010-12) Ty Forney (2010-12) Ryan Shober (2011-12)
64 49 46 40
Kraig Binick (2005-06) Nolan Fadness (2008-10) Daulton Varsho (2015-16) Brooks Pinckard (2008-09)
118 114 108
Nolan Fadness (2008-09) Ty Forney (2010-12) Kole Calhoun (2007-09)
RBI’s
Josh Scheffert (2010-12) Daulton Varsho (2015-16) Ty Forney (2010-12) Kole Calhoun (2007-09)
Walks
89 73 72
Triples
On Base %
179 178 149
Hits
189 170 161
Hit By Pitches
Strikeouts
Stolen Bases
Runs Scored
Fielding 24 15 13
36
Passed Balls
Dominic Piazza (2007-09) Braden Degamo (2008) Nick Bullington (2012) Kyle Holloway (2008)
46 43 29
Errors
Ty Forney (2010-12) Mike LaLuna (2006-07) Andy Leonard (2009-10)
517 307 273
Assists
Ty Forney (2010-12) Andy Leonard (2009-10) Drew Heithoff (2009-10)
Express Career Pitching Records Pitching ERA
1.92 2.21 3.02
(Min 110 IP) Ian Campbell (2009-10) Tim Huber (2006-07) Rudy Jaramillo (2009-10)
14 12 11
Tim Huber (2006-07) Ian Campbell (2009-10) Chris Odegaard (2007-09)
9 8
Tom Eager (2006-07) CJ Eldred (2014-15) Matt McDaniel (2010-11) Jon Bjelland (2005-06)
24 19 13
52 42 40
Wins
4 3 2
2
Losses
Saves
Kole Calhoun (2007-09) Nick Fellman (2005-06) Devan Kline (2009)
Appearances
Nick Fellman (2005-06) Evan Zerff (2010-11) Kole Calhoun (2007-09)
Complete Games
Tim Huber (2006-07) Rudy Jaramillo (2009-10) Ian Campbell (2009-10) Chris Odegaard (2007-09) Ryan Hines (2008) D.J. Mauldin (2008)
Shutouts
Chris Odegaard (2007-08) Tim Huber (2006-07)
Innings Pitched
153.2 Tim Huber (2006-07) 129.1 Matt McDaniel (2010-11) 122.2 Rudy Jaramillo(2009-10)
141 124 119
69 65 58
Hits Allowed
CJ Eldred (2014-15) Tim Huber (2006-07) Rudy Jaramillo (2009-10)
Runs Allowed
Matt McDaniel (2010-11) Jon Bjelland (2005-06) Travis Kempf (2005-06)
Walks Allowed
71 65 59
Jon Bjelland (2005-06) Tim Huber (2006-07) Matt McDaniel (2010-11) Chris Odegaard (2007-09)
123 113
Tim Huber (2006-07) Chris Odegaard (2007-09) Jon Bjelland (2005-06)
14 9 7
17 16 14
14 13
Strikeouts
Home Runs Allowed Matt McDaniel (2010-11) Tim Huber (2006-07) Jon Bjelland (2005-06)
Wild Pitches
Phillip Walby (2012) Matt Trowbridge (2012-13) Shane Dyer (2007-08)
Hit Batters
Matt McDaniel (2010-11) Brad Goldberg (2010-11) Travis Kempf (2005-06)
37
2016 Express Host Families Each year, the Eau Claire Express organization is fortunate to have community members welcome our players with open arms to live in their homes during the summer. This organization would not be complete without the generosity and efforts of our host families. Pete and Karla Emery Brian and Denise Roach Barb and Craig Santolin Brad and Teresa Paulsrud Dennis and Shelly Stein Jarred and Melinda Huth Connie and Terry Klatt Bob and Linda Schmick Sharon and Larry Palmer Matt and Randi Gerber Bill and Rebecca Drath Scott and Tracy Trippler Jim and Darla Lau Dale and Jenn Varsho Marc Anthony and Gail Hanson Brenner
Travis & Megan Hedtke Larry and Tammy Hurt Jeff and Janelle Laube Dan and Joni Gilles Bob and Sue Laymen Marci and Jason Boyarski Laurie Zukaitis Joshua and Julie Miller Andy and Sherri Gibson Jeff and Melissa Pascal Kirsten and Mark Bube Steven & Ashley Hensley Brian and Jodi Kent Scot and Pam Vaver Jason and Mindy Craig
GOOD LUCK EAU CLAIRE EXPRESS!
AD PLACEMENT
As your State Farm Agent, I am proud to support your dedication and commitment. Make this a season to remember. Go Eau Claire Express! Gregg Bohlig, Agent 3131 Stein Blvd Eau Claire, WI 54701 Bus: 715-839-0899 www.greggbohlig.com
P047024
38
statefarm.comŽ State Farm Insurance Companies • Home Offices: Bloomington, Illinois
05/05
AD PLACEMENT
39
Express Team MVP’s (2005-2010) KRAIG BINICK
2005 JOE BONFE
2008
40
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN
2006 NOLAN FADNESS
2009
KOLE CALHOUN
2007 DREW HEITOFF
2010
Express Team MVP’s (2011-2015) TY FORNEY
CASEY GILLASPIE
2011
2012
TIM WISE
2013
DANIEL SALTERS
BRADY BURZYNSKI
2014
2015
41
Northwoods League Standings North Division
W
L
PCT
GB
STREAK
St. Cloud Rox Mankato MoonDogs Eau Claire Express Willmar Stingers La Crosse Loggers Waterloo Bucks Duluth Huskies Thunder Bay Border Cats Rochester Honkers
44 43 43 37 34 33 27 19 19
22 23 24 30 32 34 40 47 48
0.667 0.652 0.642 0.552 0.515 0.493 0.403 0.288 0.284
1 1.5 7.5 10 11.5 17.5 25 25.5
1W 3W 2W 1L 2L 1W 1L 2L 1L
South Division
W
L
PCT
GB
STREAK
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters Madison Mallards Battle Creek Bombers Lakeshore Chinooks Kalamazoo Growlers Green Bay Bullfrogs Wisconsin Woodchucks Rockford Rivets Kenosha Kingfish
45 43 35 32 32 31 30 29 23
21 24 31 35 35 36 36 38 44
0.682 0.642 0.53 0.478 0.478 0.463 0.455 0.433 0.343
2.5 10 13.5 13.5 14.5 15 16.5 22.5
6W 8W 2L 3W 1W 3L 1L 8L 1W
42
Northwoods League Leaders Pitching:
Batting:
Triples: Avg: 1. 4- Matt Bechina (KEN) 1. .403- Steele Walker (WIS) 2. 4- Owen Miller (LAK) 2. .361- Danny Pardo (WIL) 4- Laren Eustace (GB) 3. .354- Jake Shepski (MAN) 4. .353- David Metzgar (MAN) 5. .337- Cullen Large (LAC) Home Runs: 1. 14- Griffin Conine (LAC) Hits: 14- Daulton Varsho (EC) 1. 88- Danny Pardo (WIL) 3. 12- Daniel Jipping (BC) 2. 86- Greg Lambert (WIL) 12- Adam McGinnis 3. 81- Steve Passatempo (WIS) (WAT) 4. 80- Jake Shepski (MAN) 5. 11- Drew Ellis (ROC) 5. 77- Mason McCoy (LAC) 11- Jake Shepski 77- Steele Walker (WIS) RBI’s: Doubles: 1. 60- Greg Lambert (WIL) 1. 21- Jake Shepski (MAN) 60- Daulton Varsho (EC) 2. 20- Ben Fisher (WRP) 3. 56- Steve Passatempo 3. 17- Cullen Large (LAC) (WIS) 4. 16- Greg Lambert (WIL)’ 56- Adam McGinnis 5. 15- 4x (WAT) 5. 54- Jake Shepski (MAN)
Wins: 1. 8- Caleb Boushley (EC) 2. 7- Scott Parker (WIS) 7- Mike Reitcheck (MAD) 7- John Jaeger (WRP)
Strikeouts: 1. 84- Marshall Kasowski (LAK) 2. 68- Logan Salow (STC) 3. 64- Devin Pellien (KAZ) 4. 60- Derek Hendrixson (WAT) 5. 56- Keenan Bartlett (LAK) 56- BJ Sabol (GB)
ERA: 1. 1.41- Marshall Kasowski (LAK) 2. 1.51- Luke Lind (GB) 3. 1.64- Collin Strall (STC) 4. 1.94- Ricky Digrugilliers Saves: (MAN) 1. 18- Garrett Schilling 5. 1.94- Chris Cooper (WRP) (WRP) 2. 12- Brandon Guske (BC) Innings Pitched: 3. 10-5x 1. 69.2- Brett Solano (WAT) 10- Christian Tripp (EC) 2. 68.1- Devin Pellien (KAZ) 3. 63.1- Jared Crescentini (WAT) 4. 61.1- Drake Robinson (RFD)
Today’s Northwoods League Schedule North Division: Duluth Huskies @ EAU CLAIRE EXPRESS- 6:35 p.m. St. Cloud Rox @ Rochester Honkers- 7:05 p.m Thunder Bay Border Cats @ Waterloo Bucks- 7:05 p.m. Mankato MoonDogs @ La Crosse Loggers- 7:05 p.m. South Division: Kalamazoo Growlers @ Rockford Rivets- 6:35 p.m. Battle Creek Bombers @ Lakeshore Chinooks- 6:35 p.m. Wisconsin Woodchucks @ Wisconsin Rapids Rafters- 7:05 p.m. Green Bay Bullfrogs @ Kenosha Kingfish- 7:05 p.m. Interdivision: Willmar Stingers @ Madison Mallards- 7:05p.m.
43
Partner’s Index A-1 Express Rental
Pg. 30
American Ice Company
Pg. 28
Airgas
Pg. 3
Avalon Hotel
Bridgewater Hotel Budweiser
Court ‘n House
Pg. 45 Pg. 45
Back Cover Pg. 5
Eau Claire YMCA
Pg. 31
Evergreen Funeral Home
Pg. 30
Economy Furniture
Pg. 3
Fastenal Company
Pg. 24
Gator Garb Promotions
Pg. 33
Green Oasis
Pg. 15
Hardees
Pg. 9
Hickory Hills Golf Course
Pg. 29
Houligans
Pg. 41
iHeartMedia
Kobussen Busses LTD
Pg. 6
Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral & Cremation Marshfield Clinic
Monk’s Bar & Grill
Pg. 40 Pg. 3
In Cover Pg. 24
Northwoods League Showcase
Pg. 31
Rawlings Ad
Pg. 25
Poquette, Donnellan & Schlewitz Law Ray’s Place
Royal Credit Union Roy’s Barber Shop Sammy’s Pizza
Pg. 16 Pg. 32 Pg. 11
Pg. 8 Pg. 6
State Farm - Gregg Bohlig
Pg. 38
Texas Roadhouse
Pg. 16
Taco Johns
Tri-Mart Corporation
Trubilt Collision Center Volume One WIPFLi
44
Pg. 7
Pg. 39
Pg. 20 PG. 42
Pg. 23
This Day in Baseball... August 10
1971- At Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis, Twins legend Harmon Killebrew becomes the tenth player to join the 500 home run club when he hits the historic homer in the first inning off Mike Cuellar. Later in the game, the 36 year-old first baseman connects for #501. 1986- During Billy Martin Day at Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers retire uniform #1 and dedicate a plaque in Monument Park. The team’s former scrappy second baseman and four-time manager tells the crowd, “I may not have been the greatest Yankee to put on the uniform, but I am the proudest.” 1889- At the Seventh Street Park in Indianapolis, future 200 game winning pitcher Mickey Welch becomes the first pinch hitter in major league history. The Giants righthanded pitcher strikes out in his historic plate appearance.
45