The 2024 Northwoods League season was the 31st season of baseball and 1st season of softball in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball and softball organization. The season concluded in August with the Kalamazoo Growlers winning the baseball championship and the Mankato Habaneros earning the softball championship.
Baseball season overview Background In 2024, there were 26 Northwoods League (NWL) 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 Green Bay Rockers entered the season as defending champions, having defeated the St. Cloud Rox 4–3 in the league's 2023 championship game.
There were two new teams added to the NWL for the 2024 season, both of whom had previously existed in other collegiate summer baseball leagues and both of whom expanded the league's east-west geographic footprint. The Badlands Big Sticks of Dickinson, North Dakota had previously been members of the defunct Independence League and the Expedition League before that. The Big Sticks became the western-most team in the NWL. Additionally, the Royal Oak Leprechauns of Royal Oak, Michigan were shifted over from the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. The Leprechauns had previously played in Adrian, Michigan as the Irish Hills Leprechauns, but had relocated suburban Detroit after ballpark improvement efforts from Royal Oak area citizens, including former MLB player DJ LeMahieu. The Leprechauns became the NWL's easternmost team.
Another change heading into the season was that the league updated its branding and logos. The previously logo had the letter N with one of the vertical legs of the letter standing in for the trunk of an evergreen tree. The updated logo had a similar tree filling the negative space within the letter as well as a north star appearing in the night sky of the logo. Variants were created for the league at large, the baseball branch, and the new softball branch of the league.
Season The regular season began on May 27, 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 Rockford Rivets (Great Lakes East), Wausau Woodchucks (Great Lakes West), La Crosse Loggers (Great Plains East), and Willmar Stingers (Great Plains West). The second half sub-division winners were the Kalamazoo Growlers (Great Lakes East), Madison Mallards (Great Lakes West), Duluth Huskies (Great Plains East), and St. Cloud Rox (Great Plains West).
In the four best-of-three subdivision series, the Growlers took 2 of 3 from the Rivets, the Mallards took 2 of 3 against the Woodchucks, the Loggers swept the Huskies, and the Rox took 2 of 3 against the Stingers. In the single-game Great Lakes Division championship, the Growlers defeated the Mallards, and in the Great Plains, the Loggers defeated the Rox.
The NWL Championship game was held at Homer Stryker Field in Kalamazoo, Michigan on 8/15/24. At the end of 7 innings, the score was tied 7-7 and would stay at that until the bottom of the 14th inning. Brandon Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly and scored Gabe Springer. The Growlers won the 2024 NWL Championship.
Individual achievements Outfielder Andrew Sojka of the Willmar Stingers was named 2024 NWL Player of the Year after batting .398 with 22 home runs, 22 doubles, five triples, and 73 RBI. He also set the all-time NWL home run record with 37 homers over the course of three seasons in the NWL.
Ryan Kraft of the Kalamazoo Growlers was named 2024 NWL Pitcher of the Year. Kraft appeared in nine games and held a 6–2 record with a 1.44 ERA. In 56.1 innings, he struck out 81 batters while walking only 10. He also pitched seven innings in the Growlers' Divisional Championship win over Madison, allowing only one hit, one run, and striking out seven.
In the 2024 Major League Baseball draft, 70 former NWL players were selected by MLB teams, including two players going in the top ten. Charlie Condon was the highest-selected of these alums, going 3rd overall to the Colorado Rockies. Condon had played for St. Cloud in 2022. JJ Wetherholt went to the St. Louis Cardinals at pick #7. Wetherholt had played for Madison in 2022.
Baseball standings
Great Lakes Division + Great Lakes East Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1x – Rockford Rivets7247252y – Kalamazoo Growlers7242303 Traverse City Pit Spitters7239334 Royal Oak Leprechauns7234385 Battle Creek Battle Jacks7232406 Kenosha Kingfish7231417 Kokomo Jackrabbits722250
+ Great Lakes West Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1x – Wausau Woodchucks6950192y – Madison Mallards7050203Wisconsin Rapids Rafters7035354 Green Bay Rockers7033375 Fond du Lac Dock Spiders6929406 Lakeshore Chinooks692643
Great Plains Division + Great Plains East Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1 y – Duluth Huskies6938312 Waterloo Bucks6937323 Thunder Bay Border Cats6935344 Eau Claire Express7035355 x – La Crosse Loggers7033376 Rochester Honkers7029417 Minnesota Mud Puppies33528 + Great Plains West Sub-Division Regular Season Standings Pos Team G W L Pct. 1x – Willmar Stingers7044262 y – St. Cloud Rox 6943263Mankato MoonDogs7038324 Bismarck Larks7034365 Minot Hot Tots7027436 Badlands Big Sticks702644
x – First Half Winner, clinched playoff spot y – Second Half Winner, clinched playoff spot
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 Andrew Sojka Stingers 94 HR Andrew Sojka Stingers 22 RBI Andrew Sojka Stingers 73 AVG Maddox Mihalakis Rivets .429 OPS Andrew Sojka Stingers 1.319 SB Lucas Moore Bucks 48
Pitching Stat Player Team Total W Kai Taylor, Eamon Horwedel, Connor Nolen Larks, Growlers, Rockers t-7 SO Ryan Kraft Growlers 81 SV Justin Morgan Battle Jacks 10
Baseball All-Star selections Mid-season All-Star Game The 2024 Northwoods League All-Star Game was held at ISG Field in Mankato, Minnesota. The Great Lakes Division defeated the Great Plains Division 9–2. The following players were selected to participate in the game.
Great Lakes Division +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Brock Leitgeb Growlers C Max Soliz Woodchucks 1B Blake Guerin Mallards 2B Kyle Schupmann Rivets 3B Mason Hamlin Battle Jacks SS Maddox Mihalkis Rivets IF Isaac Webb Woodchucks UTL Jake Schaffner Mallards UTL Max McGwire Rafters UTL JJ Dutton Jackrabbits OF Parker Knoll Dock Spiders OF Brayden Bakes Rivets OF Max Galvin Woodchucks OF Alex Fernandes Battle Jacks OF Parker Picot Leprechauns OF Jorge De Goti Rafters DH Jack Mathey Rafters
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Henry Chabot Rockers P Eamon Horwedel Growlers P Adiel Melendez Woodchucks P Adrian Rubio Battle Jacks P Landen Southern Rivets P Jayden Dentler Pit Spitters P Grant Siegel Woodchucks P Jake Jekielek Leprechauns PJorge DeCardenas Woodchucks P Ryan Kraft Growlers P Alejandro Espinoza Leprechauns P Zach Longshore Rivets P Christian Morel Rivets
Great Plains Division +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Colin Hynek Stingers C Augusto Mungarrieta Honkers 1B MJ Sweeney Huskies 1B Case Sanderson La Crosse 2B Charlie Sutherland Huskies 3B Kyle Hvidsten Larks SS Aidan Byrne Stingers IF Matthew Fleischhacker MoonDogs IF Tyler Bishop Rox UTL Brock Larsen Mud Puppies UTL Jackson Cooke Border Cats OF Andrew Sojka Stingers OF Kaden Carpenter Big Sticks OF Max Buettenback Stingers OF Larry Edwards Jr. Bucks OF Brigs Richartz Express DH Ben Higdon Rox
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Tyler Conklin Big Sticks P Sam Nitzke Big Sticks P Kai Taylor Larks P Grant Garza MoonDogs P Liam Martin Mud Puppies P Kaden Pfeffer Rox P JD Hennen Stingers P Max Ramirez IV Border Cats P Chaney Trout Bucks P Phil Brennaman Rox P Brandon Jaenke Rox P Caden Kratz Huskies P Evan Dempsey Hot Tots
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 Jake Bold Rockers 1B Davis Hamilton Mallards 2B Shai Robinson Mallards 3B Maddox Mihalakis Rivets SS Sam Miller Rockers IF Aaron Piasecki Pit Spitters OF Parker Knoll Dock Spiders OF Max Galvin Woodchucks OF Aidan Teel Rafters DH Nick Harms Rockers
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Ryan Kraft Growlers P Liam O'Brien Growlers P Eamon Horwedel Growlers P Cohen Achen Chinooks P Carson Plumadore Woodchucks P Maddox Thornton Rafters P Jayden Dentler Pit Spitters
Great Plains Division +Hitters PositionPlayerTeam C Luca DiPaolo Honkers 1B Jackson Hauge Rox 2B Charlie Sutherland Huskies 3B Kyle Hvidsten Larks SS Jayden Duplantier Huskies IF Case Sanderson Loggers OF Brigs Richartz Express OF Andrew Sojka Stingers OF Kaden Carpenter Big Sticks OF Max Buettenback Stingers DH Ben Higdon Rox
+Pitchers PositionPlayerTeam P Tyler Conklin Big Sticks P Kai Taylor Larks P Max Ramirez IV Border Cats P Kaden Pfeffer Rox P Chaney Trout Bucks P Isaac Rohde Huskies
NWL alumni in MLB
MLB players who played in the NWL in 2024 +Name2024 NWL teamMLB debutMLB debut teamLucas SpenceRockford Rivets7/17/2026Houston Astros
2024 MLB debuts The following is a list of NWL alums who made their Major League Baseball debuts in the 2024 MLB season. Name MLB debut Debut team Former NWL team(s) Season(s) in NWLGraham Pauley3/20PadresLoggers2020Victor Scott II3/28CardinalsDock Spiders2020-21Justin Slaten3/30Red SoxExpress2018Nick Avila4/1GiantsRafters2017Spencer Arrighetti4/10AstrosRafters2020Will Klein4/28RoyalsChinooks2019Joey Loperfido4/30AstrosGrowlers2018Brett Harris5/3AthleticsBobbers2020Kyle Manzardo5/6GuardiansStingers2020Chris Roycroft5/7CardinalsLarks, Booyah2017-18, 2019Zach DeLoach5/22White SoxWoodchucks2018Spencer Schwellenbach5/29BravesPit Spitters2020Ryan Loutos6/1CardinalsDock Spiders2020-21Daniel Schneemann6/2GuardiansRox2017Blake Dunn6/4RedsGrowlers2020-21Michael Peterson6/18DodgersBombers2015Hayden Birdsong6/26GiantsChinooks2022Brooks Lee7/3TwinsStingers2020Hunter Bigge7/9CubsHuskies2018Jacob Wilson7/19AthleticsMoonDogs2021Will Warren7/30YankeesRox2018Hunter Feduccia7/31DodgersRivets2017Eric Yang7/31RedsStingers2018Nick Sogard8/2Red SoxHuskies2018Parker Dunshee8/8BravesWoodchucks2014Will Wagner8/12Blue JaysKingfish2018Niko Kavadas8/16AngelsGrowlers2018Griffin Conine8/26MarlinsLoggers2016Seth Halvorsen8/30RockiesResorters2020Lake Bachar9/8MarlinsChinooks2015Isaac Collins9/8BrewersHuskies2017Billy Cook9/8PiratesBorder Cats,Rafters2018, 2020
Awards and highlights
NWL alums selected the 2024 MLB All-Star Game: Pete Alonso (Madison Mallards, 2014) Chris Sale (La Crosse Loggers, 2008) Marcus Semien (Alexandria Beetles, 2009–10) Matt Strahm (Rochester Honkers, 2011)
NWL alums awarded with a 2024 Cy Young Award: Chris Sale (La Crosse Loggers, 2008)
NWL alums awarded with a 2024 Gold Glove: Matt Chapman (La Crosse Loggers, 2012) Chris Sale (La Crosse Loggers, 2008) Daulton Varsho (Eau Claire Express, 2015–16)