Eau Claire Express August 12th Game Day Program

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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 dropped the series opener against the Thunder Bay Border Cats 3-2 last night, falling victim to a strong relief appearance from Dan McBryan.

The Border Cats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on an Anthony Brocato home run. The Express fought back with a run in the bottom half of the inning, using three singles to cut the Thunder Bay lead in half. The decisive run came in the fourth inning on a soft grounder with the bases loaded.

Kyle Marinconz was an offensive bright spot for Eau Claire in back-to-back nights, finishing Thursday’s game 3-5 from the plate, with three singles. One-baggers were a common theme in the loss, as the Express were unable to manage an extra base hit that ultimately stalled the comeback

Michael Gomez will start the final match-

up up of the 2016 season series against the Thunder Bay Border Cats. Gomez has been a key member of field manager Dale Varsho’s pitching rotation this season, currently possessing a 1-3 overall record with a 4.78 ERA. This will be Gomez’s ninth start of the summer, pitching 32 innings with 18 strikeouts late in the 2016 season. The Cal Poly sophomore will hope to force a series split with a quality start against the struggling Border Cats.

Gomez’s last start came back on August 6th

against the Waterloo Bucks, when he was credited with the loss in four innings of work on the mound. Gomez struck out a seasonhigh four batters in the game.

Thanks for coming out to Carson Park and as always ...

GO EXPRESS! Tonight’s probable starter: Michael Gomez

Eau Claire will take on Thunder Bay for the final time this season tonight at 7:05 p.m., hoping that the fireworks will detonate early from the plate to snap the two game losing skid. With just three games remaining in the regular season, Dale Varsho will look to solidfy his starting line-up for Monday’s playoff game.

Tonight’s Game: On the mound for Eau Claire tonight is Michael Gomez.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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-

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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

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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 .317 in 60 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 2-2 record with a 3.37 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 2.43 ERA with a 3-3 record in 11 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.276 clip, appearing in the field primarily at first base. The Ohio Bobcat has driven in 28 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 .279 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 Sommers, Jake *Mezzenga, Ben *Ashford, Zach *Varsho, Daulton #McDonald, Mickey *Marinconz, Kyle Hurt, Sam *Rott, Rudy Bohanek, Cody McKenna, Alex *Guzzo, Austin Mang, Jared Olson, Connor

Pitching

AVG .500 .328 .320 .317 .288 .282 .278 .276 .258 .258 .240 .193 .154

#= Switch Hitter *= Left handed pitcher/batter G 1 34 54 60 58 44 47 55 60 40 32 36 4

PLAYER Davito, Nick Schulfer, Austin Zimmerman, Ryan Sommers, Jake Tripp, Christian Boushley, Caleb Willems, Caleb Lavery, Jameson Roblez, Jon *Rodning, Brody Smith, Dylan Gomez, Michael Ogg, Kenny Hamilton, Ryan Maher, Sean *Gonrowski, Joe *MacDonald, Reagan

GS 3 33 49 60 58 42 41 54 59 38 31 31 4

Thunder Bay Statistics PLAYER Ledin, Austin Brocato, Anthony *Weber, Andy *Shepard, Shane *Bigras, Mitch *Honeyman, Bobby #Papierski, Michael *Lee, Jesse *Gellenbeck, Joe Sutterer, Ryan *Gingras, Gui Gillerman, Jordan *Fulkerson, Bobby *Langan, Brandon Bernsdorf, Riley

Pitching

AVG .556 .324 .311 .310 .309 .291 .277 .269 .261 .250 .241 .226 .220 .214 .105

G 3 41 53 51 43 59 35 29 47 6 49 43 35 13 13

PLAYER Santarsiero, Vinny Sutterer, Ryan *Broussard, Shannon *Boyle, Patrick *Langan, Brandon Moskalyk, Tyler Burris, Joey Hoffman, Ben Paisar, Austin Churchill, Cameron *McBryan, Dan Spedafino, Angelo

GS 3 41 53 48 38 54 33 26 45 6 45 39 33 24 13

AB 4 128 197 230 222 177 158 192 213 155 100 119 13

R 0 39 38 50 42 22 28 24 33 25 14 16 2

H 2 42 63 73 64 50 44 53 55 40 24 23 2

AB 9 173 228 184 152 227 119 78 176 24 170 124 100 42 38

R 6 24 33 37 29 30 16 11 22 3 14 18 13 3 5

H 5 56 71 57 47 66 33 21 46 6 41 28 22 9 4

ERA 0.00 1.77 1.98 2.43 2.46 2.95 3.00 3.38 3.52 3.91 4.05 4.78 5.01 5.37 5.93 7.71 8.25

ERA 1.66 1.80 3.86 4.58 4.90 5.23 5.36 5.91 6.11 6.26 6.96 8.40

W-L 0-0 1-1 2-0 3-3 1-1 8-2 1-0 2-2 3-0 3-1 2-1 1-3 2-1 4-4 0-1 0-2 0-2

W-L 2-1 0-0 4-1 1-0 2-8 0-0 1-7 2-5 0-1 3-5 0-4 0-0

2B 0 3 4 14 10 10 7 7 8 5 6 6 0

3B 0 2 1 2 1 1 3 0 1 2 0 1 0

HR RBI TB 0 0 2 2 16 55 0 25 69 14 60 133 0 21 76 0 24 62 2 29 63 1 28 63 2 29 71 6 28 67 2 17 36 3 20 40 0 0 2

2B 2 7 8 12 7 6 5 2 6 0 3 3 5 1 1

3B 0 1 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

HR RBI 0 1 9 33 1 19 8 39 0 15 1 21 2 19 0 5 4 22 0 2 0 16 0 12 0 5 0 5 0 4

G GS CG SHO SV 2 0 0 0 0 7 6 0 0 0 6 2 0 0 0 11 2 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 10 10 10 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 4 0 0 0 8 5 0 0 0 9 9 0 0 0 24 1 0 0 4 8 8 0 0 0 17 1 0 0 0 11 9 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 6 3 0 0 0

G GS CG SHO SV 16 0 0 0 4 6 0 0 0 0 9 7 1 1 0 8 3 0 0 1 13 12 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 16 7 0 0 0 22 0 0 0 1 12 2 0 0 0 10 8 1 1 0 18 6 0 0 1 14 3 0 0 0

BB IBB 0 0 31 0 29 0 43 4 33 1 17 0 17 0 23 2 14 0 15 1 19 2 13 1 2 0

IP 5.0 40.2 27.1 33.1 22.0 61.0 3.0 26.2 38.1 46.0 33.1 32.0 41.1 52.0 13.2 2.1 12.0

TB 7 92 84 93 60 77 46 23 64 6 44 33 27 10 5

IP 21.2 10.0 42.0 19.2 57.0 10.1 50.1 42.2 17.2 41.2 32.1 30.0

H 1 27 20 30 17 60 3 31 33 51 27 38 46 65 12 2 12

R 0 9 6 15 7 23 2 16 18 25 21 17 26 38 9 4 15

BB IBB 3 0 6 0 11 0 36 1 20 0 9 0 23 1 19 0 19 0 0 0 12 0 15 0 14 0 4 0 8 0

H 22 7 36 27 59 14 71 45 26 49 30 42

R 9 2 23 12 37 7 42 32 19 31 27 33

ER 4 2 18 10 31 6 30 28 12 29 25 28

HP 0 0 6 2 3 2 1 19 20 2 3 2 0

ER 0 8 6 9 6 20 1 10 15 20 15 17 23 31 9 2 11

HP 1 3 3 1 1 4 3 0 1 0 2 8 1 1 0

SO 1 21 24 36 41 26 22 24 48 37 20 27 3

SF 0 1 1 4 1 1 4 3 3 2 4 4 0

SH 0 0 3 0 2 0 5 1 2 0 1 1 0

Batting

SB 0 22 16 25 11 1 4 4 9 19 0 2 0

CS 0 4 5 3 3 1 3 3 3 0 0 0 0

BB IBB SO HR 2B 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 50 2 1 0 11 0 25 1 4 1 23 1 22 1 3 0 6 0 24 0 2 0 7 0 47 2 10 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 10 0 14 4 3 0 15 0 27 1 1 0 19 0 33 2 12 1 20 1 37 3 5 1 15 0 18 3 7 0 16 0 26 3 5 0 17 0 32 6 8 0 8 0 13 2 3 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 6 0 11 1 1 1

SO 2 24 27 50 40 12 17 22 44 7 28 33 28 8 12

SF 0 1 2 4 3 0 1 0 4 0 2 3 0 0 0

SH 0 0 4 0 1 9 3 1 2 0 3 8 3 0 1

SB 0 2 7 4 3 4 1 6 8 0 0 2 0 0 0

Batting

BB IBB SO HR 2B 3B 4 0 23 1 4 0 6 0 3 0 1 0 32 0 29 5 3 0 14 0 11 0 4 0 33 1 26 1 9 0 1 0 7 0 3 0 30 0 35 3 11 0 22 1 37 2 14 2 11 0 12 0 6 0 17 0 31 1 15 0 36 0 35 3 4 3 17 0 27 4 6 1

27

CS 0 3 5 3 2 3 2 2 3 0 1 3 0 0 0

B 9 4 19 10 26 4 25 19 9 18 16 15

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

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Wedding & Event Specialists Serving the Chippewa Valley Since 1961 Celebrating Our 50th Year

Generator Sales & Rental

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$14.99 Coupon Expires 8/31/2016

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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

Manager: Dale Varsho

No

#5 #10 #11 #12 #18 #21 #22 #23 #24 #27 #28 #29 #32 #34 #42 #47 #6 #16 #25 #1 #7 #9 #14 #19 #3 #4 #8 #20

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 Caleb Michael Catchers Austin Connor Daulton Infielders Sam Mickey Kyle Rudy Cody Outfielders Ben Zach Jared Alex

Lavery Boushley Gomez

RHP RHP RHP

R/R R/R R/R

6'3 6'3 6'3

205 180 210

Jr Jr So

Footville, WI Hortonville, WI Upland, CA

UW La Crosse 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

IF CF/IF 2B 1B/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

Thunder Bay Border CatsCats Roster Thunder Bay Border Roster

Manager: Danny Benedetti

No #2 #11 #12 #12 #15 #16 #21 #30 #32 #33 #36 #38 #47 #49 #4 #19 #40 #5 #6 #17 #18 #20 #25 #27 #48 #10 #28 #44

First Name Pitchers Tyler Angelo Austin Brandon Brandon Vinny Ben DJ Patrick Joey Cameron Shannon Dan Ryan Catchers Riley Austin Michael Infielders Bobby Jordan Mitch Bobby Andy Shane Gui Kody Outfielders Jesse Anthony Joe

Last Name

Pos

B/T

Ht

Wt

Yr

Hometown

Moskalyk Spedafino Paisar Woznak Langan Santarsiero Hoffman DePiero Boyle Burris Churchill Broussard McBryan Sutterer

RHP RHP RHP RHP LHP RHP RHP LHP LHP RHP RHP LHP LHP RHP

R/R R/R R/R R/R L/L RR R/R L/L R/L RR R/R L/L L/L R/R

6'2 6'4 6'4 6'0 6'1 6'8 6'1 6'2 6'0 6'3 6'5 6'2 6'2 6'5

190 225 205 220 225 180 175 180 210 195 230 185 205 270

So Fr So So So Jr Jr Fr Jr So So Fr Jr Jr

Thunder Bay, Ontario Mamaroneck, NY Leopolis, WI Blaine, MN Elk Grove, CA Alachua, FL Berlin, NJ Thunder Bay, Ontario South Plainfield, NJ Pinckneyville, IL East Lake, FL Baytown, TX Atlanta, GA Anoka, MN

U of Winnipeg SUNY Albany Sacramento City Southwest MN State New Mexico Fontbonne Monmouth Indian Hills CC Drew University Southeast MO State Nova Southeastern Cedar Valley Iona College Northwestern St. Paul

Bernsdorf Ledin Papierski

C C C

R/R R/R S/R

6'1 6'1 6'3

190 215 215

Fr So So

Meadowlands, MN Brooklyn Park, MN Lemont, IL

St. Scholastica Bethel University LSU

Fulkerson Gillerman Bigras Honeyman Weber Shepard Gingras Anton

1B 2B 1B/OF 2B 2B 1B 1B 2B

L/R 6'0 R/R 5'11 L/L 6'5 L/R 6'0 L/R 6'0 L/R 6'5 L/R 6'2 L/R 5'7

190 175 215 190 185 225 200 170

Fr So So So Fr So Jr Fr

Anaheim, CA Anaheim Hills, CA Sarnia, ON Massapequa, NY Aurora, OH Wimlington, NC Levis, QC Thunder Bay, Ontario

S. New Hampshire St. Johns University Boston College Stony Brook Virginia North Carolina State St. Johns University Itasca CC

Lee Brocato Gellenbeck

OF OF OF

L/R R/R L/R

190 200 225

Jr So So

Bristol, RI Helmetta, NJ Cincinnati, OH

Rhode Island St. Johns University Xavier University

6'1 6'0 6'5

School

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 187 182 176 165

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

46 43 43 38 36 34 28 20 20

22 25 26 30 32 34 41 48 49

0.676 0.632 0.623 0.559 0.529 0.5 0.406 0.294 0.29

3 3.5 8 10 12 18.5 26 26.5

3W 2L 2L 1W 2W 2W 1L 1W 1W

South Division

W

L

PCT

GB

STREAK

Wisconsin Rapids Rafters Madison Mallards Battle Creek Bombers Lakeshore Chinooks Green Bay Bullfrogs Kalamazoo Growlers Rockford Rivets Wisconsin Woodchucks Kenosha Kingfish

47 43 36 33 32 32 31 30 24

21 26 32 36 37 37 38 38 45

0.691 0.623 0.529 0.478 0.464 0.464 0.449 0.441 0.348

4.5 11 14.5 15.5 15.5 16.5 17 23.5

8W 2L 1W 1L 1L 2L 2W 3L 1W

42

Northwoods League Leaders Batting:

Avg: 1. .402- Steele Walker (WIS) 2. .359- Danny Pardo (WIL) 3. .355- David Metzgar (MAN) 4. .349- Jake Shepski (MAN) 5. .330- Cullen Large (LAC) Hits: 1. 89- Danny Pardo (WIL) 2. 87- Greg Lambert (WIL) 3. 82- Steve Passatempo (WIS) 4. 81- Mason McCoy (LAC) 5. 80- Jake Shepski (MAN) 80- Steele Walker (WIS) Doubles: 1. 21- Jake Shepski (MAN) 2. 20- Ben Fisher (WRP) 3. 18- Cullen Large (LAC) 4. 17- Greg Lambert (WIL) 17- Mason McCoy (LAC)

Pitching:

Triples: 1. 4- Matt Bechina (KEN) 2. 4- Owen Miller (LAK) 4- Laren Eustace (GB) 4. 3- 9x

Wins: 1. 8- Caleb Boushley (EC) 2. 7-4x

Strikeouts: 1. 87- Marshall Kasowski (LAK) 2. 71- Devin Pellien (KAZ) 3. 68- Logan Salow (STC) 4. 60- Derek Hendrixson (WAT) 5. 57- Robert Zeigler (WIS)

ERA: 1. 1.51- Luke Lind (GB) Home Runs: 2. 1.56- Marshall Kasowski 1. 15- Griffin Conine (LAC) (LAK) 2. 14- Daulton Varsho (EC) 1.56- Collin Strall (STC) 3. 13- Daniel Jipping (BC) 4. 1.94- Chris Cooper (WRP) Saves: 4. 12- Adam McGinnis 5. 2.11- Devin Pellien (KAZ) 1. 18- Garrett Schilling (WAT) (WRP) 5. 11- Drew Ellis (ROC) Innings Pitched: 2. 12- Brandon Guske (BC) 11- Jake Shepski 1. 72.2- Devin Pellien (KAZ) 3. 10-5x 2. 69.2- Brett Solano (WAT) 10- Christian Tripp (EC) RBI’s: 3. 63.1- Jared Crescentini 1. 60- Greg Lambert (WIL) (WAT) 60- Daulton Varsho (EC) 63.1- Marshall Kasowski 3. 59- Adam McGinnis (LAK) (WAT) 5. 62.1- Ricky Digrugiliers (MAN) 4. 56- Steve Passatempo 62.1- Drake Robinson (RFD) (WIS) 5. 54- Jake Shepski (MAN)

Today’s Northwoods League Schedule North Division: Waterloo Bucks @ Willmar Stingers- 5:05 p.m.and 7:05 p.m.

Rochester Honkers @ Duluth Huskies-6:35 p.m La Crosse Loggers @ Mankato MoonDogs- 7:05 p.m.

Thunder Bay Border Cats @ EAU CLAIRE EXPRESS- 7:05 p.m.

South Division: Rockford Rivets @ Green Bay Bullfrogs- 7:05 p.m.

Kalamazoo Growlers @ Wisconsin Rapids Rafters- 7:05 p.m.

Kenosha Kingifsh @ Wisconsin Woodchucks- 7:05 p.m.

Lakeshore Chinooks @ Battle Creek Bombers- 7:05 p.m.

Interdivision: Madison Mallards @ St. Cloud Rox- 7:05p.m.

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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

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Pg. 7

Pg. 39

Pg. 20 PG. 42

Pg. 23

This Day in Baseball...

August 12

1942- In the night game of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians set a major league record when 14 different players record a hit in the 26-3 rout of the Browns. The Tribe finishes with a total of 29 hits, including nine extrabase hits, in the blow out contest.

1984-When the first pitch of the game, thrown

by Braves’ hurler Pascual Perez, hits Padres’ leadoff hitter Alan Wiggins, the stage is set for a heated slugfest. The benches empty for the first fight of the game in the second inning when Ed Whitson throws behind the Atlanta starter’s head, and the altercation will be followed by more brawls in the fifth, eighth, and ninth innings with San Diego continuing to use Perez for target practice.

2000- At Shea Stadium, the Giants get two unusual runs in the fourth inning as the Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani catches what he thinks is the third out and gives the ball to a kid in the stands. The mental lapse of not knowing there was only one out in the frame allows both runners on base to score..

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