Teams
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Kalamazoo Growlers
Battle Creek Bombers
Traverse City Pit Spitters
Wisconsin Woodchucks
Green Bay Booyah
Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
La Crosse Loggers
St. Cloud Rox
Rockford Rivets
Willmar Stingers
Bismarck Larks
Waterloo Bucks
Mankato Moondogs
Rochester Honkers
Kenosha Kingfish
Madison Mallards
Kokomo Jackrabbits
Lakeshore Chinooks
Eau Claire Express
Duluth Huskies
Thunder Bay Border Cats
Minnesota Mud Puppies
Minot Hot Tots
Kalamazoo Mac Daddies
Royal Oak Leprechauns
Badlands Big Sticks
Mandan Flickertails
Bismarck Bull Moose
Great Lakes Resorters
K-Town Bobbers
Northern Michigan Dune Bears
Great Lakes
Great Plains
Wikipedia - Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not paid, so as to maintain their college eligibility. Graduated senior pitchers are also eligible to play in the Northwoods League. Each team may have four of these players at a time.
Teams play 72 games scheduled from Memorial Day to the 2nd Saturday in August, while the playoffs take place the week after, starting on that Sunday and ending usually on Friday. The season itself is broken into two halves, with the winners of each half in each of the four sub-divisions playing against each other to determine a sub-divisional champion in a best-of-three series. The 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.
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".
In 2023, the Northwoods League announced plans to create a new softball league. The softball league will initially consist of four teams, based in Madison (Madison Night Mares) and La Crosse, Wisconsin (La Crosse Steam); Mankato, Minnesota (Mankato Habeneros); and Minot, North Dakota (Minot Honeybees).
History
Established in 1994, the Northwoods League was the first for-profit summer collegiate baseball league. It has more teams and plays more games than any other summer collegiate baseball league. The Northwoods League drew over 1.1 million fans for the fourth consecutive year in 2017. The purpose of the league is to develop players while college baseball teams are not allowed to work out. Many of the teams in the league play in ballparks formerly occupied by professional clubs from the Midwest League, Prairie League, Northern League, and Frontier League. The wooden bat circuit allows communities deemed too small for professional ball to continue to enjoy high-quality, competitive baseball during the summer months. The Northwoods League was the first summer collegiate baseball league to broadcast on the ESPN network, and currently webcasts all of its games.
The teams are located in the Northwoods region of the Upper Midwestern United States and Northwestern Ontario, mostly in the U.S. states of Minnesota (five teams) and Wisconsin (nine teams); also with four teams in Michigan, three in North Dakota, and one team each in Iowa, Illinois and Ontario.
Over 300 league alumni have gone on to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) with 91 alumni entering the MLB ranks from 2013 to 2017. Alumnus Max Scherzer, the 2017 National League Cy Young Award winner, and American League runner-up Chris Sale faced each other as the starting pitchers in the 2017 and 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Games.
The Northwoods League operates in a unique format, with teams divided into two divisions, competing in a 72-game regular season that runs from late May to early August. The league is known for its fan-friendly atmosphere, with games held in charming, small-town ballparks that foster a strong sense of community and engagement. Each team is committed to providing an entertaining experience, complete with promotions, themed nights, and family-friendly activities.
One of the standout features of the Northwoods League is its commitment to player development. Many former Northwoods League players have gone on to achieve success in Major League Baseball, making it a respected breeding ground for future stars. The league also emphasizes the importance of education, with players often attending college classes during the season.
The Northwoods League culminates in an exciting postseason tournament, where the top teams compete for the coveted championship title. This tournament not only showcases the best talent in the league but also draws fans from across the region, celebrating the spirit of summer baseball.
Whether you're a die-hard baseball fan or a casual observer, the Northwoods League offers an unforgettable experience filled with thrilling games, community spirit, and the chance to witness the future stars of baseball in action.