The 2025 Northwoods League season was the 32nd season of baseball and 2nd season of softball in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball and softball organization. The season concluded in August with the Green Bay Rockers winning the baseball championship and the Madison Night Mares winning the softball championship.
Baseball season overview Background In 2025, there were 24 Northwoods League baseball teams, split evenly between the Great Lakes and Great Plains Divisions. These divisions were then split up between the Great Lakes East, Great Lakes West, Great Plains East, and Great Plains West subdivisions. The Kalamazoo Growlers entered the season as defending champions, having defeated the La Crosse Loggers in a 14-inning walk-off victory in the league's 2024 championship game.
There were some franchise shifts moving from the 2024 to the 2025 season. The Kokomo Jackrabbits ceased operations after a legal battle between Jackrabbits ownership and the city of Kokomo. The league also chose to deactivate the Minnesota Mud Puppies after the 2024 season. The Mud Puppies had been created in 2021 as a travel-only team to help offset schedule disruptions caused by Covid-19 border restrictions that prevented the Thunder Bay Border Cats from participating that season. The Mud Puppies had continued to play in the NWL through 2024 despite the Border Cats' return in 2022, but were not a part of the 2025 season. They did return in 2026.
Season The regular season began on May 26, with the season split into two halves, and the top two teams in each sub-division--the standings leader from each half--qualified for the playoffs. The first half sub-division winners were the Traverse City Pit Spitters (Great Lakes East), Green Bay Rockers (Great Lakes West), La Crosse Loggers (Great Plains East), and St. Cloud Rox (Great Plains West).
In the second half of the season, the Pit Spitters also had the best record in the Great Lakes East, so a playoff berth was awarded to the team with the next best overall season record, the Kalamazoo Growlers. Second half victors in the other sub-divisions were the Wausau Woodchucks (Great Lakes West), Duluth Huskies (Great Plains East), and Mankato MoonDogs (Great Plains West).
In the four best-of-three subdivision series, the Pit Spitters swept the Growlers, the Rockers swept the Woodchucks, the Huskies swept the Loggers, and the MoonDogs took 2 of 3 against the Rox. In the single-game Great Lakes Division championship, the Rockers defeated the Pit Spitters 10-5, and in the Great Plains, the Huskies defeated the MoonDogs 4-1.
The NWL Championship game was held at Wade Stadium in Duluth, Minnesota on 8/14/25. After three scoreless innings, the Rockers struck first on a two-run single by Jeremy Delamota. The Huskies answered back in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run from Ethan Surowiec and an RBI single by Reagan Reeder. The Rockers pushed two more across in the 5th, but the Huskies batted through the order in the bottom of the frame and carried a lead of 6-2 through the 7th. The Rockers chipped away, scoring one unanswered in the 7th and another 3 in the 8th, tying the game on a 3rd out sac fly from Joe Mennella. The score was tied 8-8 in the top of the 9th. With two outs, Green Bay DH Payton Mansfield hit a high infield popup. With the ball lost in the lights, neither Huskies first baseman Reagan Reeder nor second baseman Jake Downing had a good read on the ball. The two bumped each other as the ball came down, and Xaige Lancaster was able to score from third, taking the lead. Another run was added before turning the frame over to Duluth. Green Bay pitcher Drew Aguilar worked a clean inning and Green Bay won the game 10-8.
Individual achievements Ethan Surowiec had an exceptional season for Duluth. A highly-touted 2024 prospect out of high school in Gulfport, Mississippi, Surowiec had only limited action as a freshman at Ole Miss. Making the most of his summer in the NWL, he appeared in 53 games with 204 at-bats, leading the league in home runs (17), RBI (68), and OPS (1.255). He was named to the mid-season all-star team, and hit a home run in his lone at-bat in the all-star game. In the midst of his breakout summer in the NWL, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and signed with the Florida Gators. After leading the Huskies to the NWL championship game, Surowiec was named 2025 NWL Most Valuable Player.
Isaac Milburn of the Madison Mallards was named 2025 NWL Pitcher of the Year. Milburn appeared in seven games with the Mallards, going 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA. In 42.1 innings, he struck out 50 batters while walking only seven. He also struck out two batters in the NWL All-Star Game.
Larry Edwards of the Waterloo Bucks broke the NWL single-season stolen bases record, surpassing Chandler Simpson's previous mark and ultimately finishing the season with 67. Edwards's record was surpassed by St. Cloud's Tanner Recchio in 2026, who managed to swipe 81 bags.
In the 2025 Major League Baseball draft, 79 former NWL players were selected by MLB teams. Brendan Summerhill was the highest-selected of these alums, going 42nd overall to the Tampa Bay Rays. Summerhill played for Traverse City in 2022 and appeared for both the Pit Spitters and Rockford Rivets in 2023, between seasons at Arizona.
Baseball standings
Great Lakes Division + Great Lakes East Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1xy – Traverse City Pit Spitters7149222z – Kalamazoo Growlers7237353 Royal Oak Leprechauns7235374 Battle Creek Battle Jacks7233395 Kenosha Kingfish7131406 Rockford Rivets692643
+ Great Lakes West Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1y – Wausau Woodchucks6946232Madison Mallards6944253x – Green Bay Rockers7042284 Fond du Lac Dock Spiders7232405 Lakeshore Chinooks7228446 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters712249
Great Plains Division + Great Plains East Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1 y – Duluth Huskies7245272 Waterloo Bucks7242303 Thunder Bay Border Cats7040304 x – La Crosse Loggers7138335 Eau Claire Express7132396 Rochester Honkers721854 + Great Plains West Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1x – St. Cloud Rox6947222 Badlands Big Sticks 7041293y – Mankato MoonDogs7038324 Willmar Stingers7138335 Minot Hot Tots7228446 Bismarck Larks721854
x – First Half Winner, clinched playoff spot y – Second Half Winner, clinched playoff spot z – Clinched playoff spot based on overall record
Baseball playoffs
Format First and second half sub-divisional winners were eligible for the playoffs. The two playoff-eligible teams in each sub-division competed in a best-of-three Sub-Divisional Series. The two Sub-Divisional Series winners played a one-game Divisional Championship Game. The two Divisional Championship Game winners played a one-game League Championship.
Playoff bracket
Baseball statistical leaders
For cumulative stats, leaders include all league players. For rate stats, leaders include only qualifiers. Qualified hitters must have 2.70 plate appearances per team game. Per NWL standards, qualified pitchers must have minimum .80 innings pitched per team game. This significantly limits the pool of those qualifying for pitching rate stats.
Hitting Stat Player Team Total H Dylan Schlotterback Woodchucks 89 HR Ethan Surowiec Huskies 17 RBI Ethan Surowiec Huskies 68 AVG Aaron Piasecki Pit Spitters .406 OPS Ethan Surowiec Huskies 1.255 SB Larry Edwards Bucks 67
Pitching Stat Player Team Total W Jack Crittendon Growlers 8 SO Caleb Koskie, JP Robertson Moondogs, Rox T-59 SV Brandon Jaenke Rox 15
Baseball All-Star selections Mid-season All-Star Game The 2025 Northwoods League All-Star Game was held at Warner Park in Madison, Wisconsin. The Great Plains Division defeated the Great Lakes Division 3-2. The following players were selected to participate in the game.
Great Lakes Division +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Ryan Bakes Kingfish C Max Soliz Woodchucks 1B Ryan Tyranski Leprechauns 2B Aaron Piasecki Pit Spitters 3B Mikey Bell Mallards SS Noah Coy Growlers IF Noah Ruiz Rafters UTL Beckett Zavorak Chinooks DH MJ Sweeney Mallards OF Josh Algarin Battle Jacks OF Christian Smith-Johnson Woodchucks OF Noah Malone Woodchucks OF Isaac Sturgess Pit Spitters OF Jarren Sanderson Dock Spiders
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Isaac Milburn Mallards P Tyler Guerin Mallards P Maddox Long Rockers P Maximus McClellan Kingfish P Ethan Cole Dock Spiders P Alex LePage Rockers P Reece Tarini Rivets P Jack Griffiths Pit Spitters P Reece Clapp Woodchucks P Adam Berghorst Growlers P Logan Pikur Pit Spitters P Jack Critterdon Growlers P Koshiro Ohno Rockers
Great Plains Division +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Ryan Tayman Stingers C Chayton Fischer Big Sticks C Carter Jorissen Rox 1B Matthew Pena Stingers 2B Brayden Jefferis Loggers 3B Ethan Surowiec Huskies SS Austin Haley Rox IF Manny Alberto Border Cats IF Troy Berg Big Sticks UTL Matt Toomey Hot Tots UTL Maddox Haley Honkers DH RJ Hamilton Loggers OF Henry Allen Hot Tots OF Connor Massimini Big Sticks OF Erick Dessens Larks OF Jake Bechtel Bucks OF Mike Smith, Jr. Huskies
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Walker Retz Express P Sam Stockman MoonDogs P Jake Burcham Rox P Tyler Glowacki Bucks P Ismael Quintero Big Sticks P Kasen McCawley Big Sticks P Parker Thomas Huskies P Caden Richardson Loggers P Ashton Michek Loggers P JP Robertson Rox P Brandon Jaenke Rox P Ryan Radkey Larks
Full-season All-Stars After the season concluded, the league announced its Post-Season All-Stars for the full regular season. This group included players who performed well over the course of the entire season. Several players were selected to both the mid-season All-Star Game and the Post-Season All-Star team.
Great Lakes Division +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Max Soliz Woodchucks 1B Ryan Tyranski Leprechauns 2B Grady Mee Pit Spitters 2B Tate Shimao Rivets 3B Dylan Schlotterback Woodchucks SS Noah Coy Growlers IF Mikey Bell Mallards OF Josh Algarin Battle Jacks OF Christian Smith-Johnson Woodchucks OF Noah Malone Woodchucks OF Aaron Piasecki Pit Spitters DH MJ Sweeney Mallards
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Isaac Milburn Mallards P Austin Wolfe Battle Jacks P Maximus McClellan Kingfish P Jack Critterdon Growlers P Koshiro Ohno Rockers P Nick Mirabella Pit Spitters
Great Plains Division +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Augusto Mungarrietta Rox C Jimmy Nugent Bucks 1B Blake Cavill Hot Tots 2B Adrian Beltre, Jr. MoonDogs 2B Armani Guzman Stingers 3B Ethan Surowiec Huskies SS JJ Moran Eau Claire IF Tyson LeBlanc Rox OF Henry Allen Hot Tots OF Larry Edwards Bucks OF Jake Bechtel Bucks DH Joshua Dykhoff Rox
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Walker Retz Express P Porter Buursema Stingers P Dawson Hargrove Express P Nick Terhaar Huskies P JP Robertson Rox P Brandon Jaenke Rox P Landon Waters Larks
NWL alumni in MLB 2025 MLB debuts The following is a list of NWL alums who made their Major League Baseball debuts in the 2025 MLB season.