Mankato MoonDogs
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox baseball team
| name = Mankato MoonDogs
| logo = MD Full ColorStroke.png
| league = Northwoods League
| division = Great Plains West, 2019-present)
(North Division, 1999-2018
| location = Mankato, Minnesota
| stadium = ISG Field (1999–present)
| league_champs =
| division_champs = 3 (2011, 2012, 2014)
| former_names = Mankato Mashers (1999–2001)
| colors = Black, Orange, White
{{Color box|#000000}} {{Color box|#FF2900}} {{Color box|#FFF}}
| owner = Chad Surprenant and Kyle Smith
| general_manager = Walker Regier
| president = Chris Goodell
| management = Ben Kapanke (Vice President)
| manager = Danny Kneeland, Bethany Lutheran College
| website = {{URL|http://www.mankatomoondogs.com/}}
}}
The Mankato MoonDogs are an American amateur baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Their home games are played at ISG Field in Mankato, Minnesota.{{cite news |first=Joe |last=Christensen |date=August 2, 2018 |title=Out of the backwoods: Northwoods League no longer a sleepy little summer outpost |url=https://www.startribune.com/out-of-the-backwoods-the-northwoods-league-is-no-longer-a-sleepy-little-summer-outpost-for-college-baseball-players/489824801/ |newspaper=Star Tribune}} The MoonDogs have been active in the Mankato community with frequent player and mascot appearances at local events and through the MoonDogs Fit Program.
History
The team started play in 1999 as the Mankato Mashers and were renamed in 2002 when the franchise was acquired by Joe Schwei.{{cite news |first=Tim |last=McKenna |date=June 4, 1999 |title=Mankato welcomes its Northwoods team |url=https://www.postbulletin.com/mankato-welcomes-its-northwoods-team/article_b86d15b8-5b7e-531b-a6c7-fd08156430d5.html |newspaper=Post-Bulletin}}{{cite news|last=Millea|first=John|date=July 27, 2004|title=Fielding big dreams|work=Star Tribune}} The Moondogs were again sold in January 2013 to Mark Ogren.{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Reichard |date=January 10, 2013 |title=Mankato Moondogs sold |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/201301105981/college-baseball/news/mankato-moondogs-sold |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications}} The current ownership group of Chad Superenant and Kyle Smith took over the club in 2018.{{cite news |first=Chad |last=Courrier |date=January 11, 2018 |title=New ownership, logo creates MoonDogs fever |url=https://www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/new-ownership-logo-creates-moondogs-fever/article_50d583a6-f738-11e7-9db8-87fd94144aa9.html |newspaper=The Free Press}}
From 2008 to 2018 the MoonDogs made the playoffs eight of eleven season, making it to the NWL Summer Collegiate World Series on three occasions. In 2014 the MoonDogs were defeated by the Lakeshore Chinooks in a two-game series sweep.{{cite news |first=Matt |last=Wellens |date=August 19, 2014 |title=Morgan's 'special' summer ends with Northwoods League title |url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/baseball/3328585-morgans-special-summer-ends-northwoods-league-title |newspaper=Duluth News Tribune}}
Season-by-season
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Season !W !L !Result !Playoffs |
| 1999
|28 |34 | | |
| 2000
|27 |37 | | |
| 2001
|36 |28 | | |
| 2002
|33 |31 | | |
| 2003
|27 |37 | | |
| 2004
|21 |43 | | |
| 2005
|34 |34 | | |
| 2006
|32 |35 | | |
| 2007
|35 |32 | | |
| 2008
|41 |27 | | |
| 2009
|39 |29 |2nd of 7 |Lost division finals vs Rochester Honkers |
| 2010
|29 |41 |8th of 8 |DNQ |
| 2011
|42 |28 |2nd of 8 |Won division finals vs Alexandria Beetles Lost finals vs Battle Creek Bombers |
| 2012
|42 |27 |1st of 8 |Won division finals vs Willmar Stingers Lost finals vs La Crosse Loggers |
| 2013
|38 |32 |4th of 8 |DNQ |
| 2014
|42 |30 |3rd of 10 |Won division finals vs Willmar Stingers Lost finals vs Lakeshore Chinooks |
| 2015
|33 |39 |6th of 9 |DNQ |
| 2016
|46 |26 |2nd of 9 |Lost division semifinals vs Willmar Stingers |
| 2017
|44 |28 |1st of 10 |Won division semifinals vs Eau Claire Express Lost division finals vs St. Cloud Rox |
| 2018
|46 |26 |3rd of 10 |Lost division semifinals vs Willmar Stingers |
| 2019
|36 |36 |4th of 5 |DNQ |
| 2020
|17 |25 |4th of 5 |DNQ |
| 2021
|44 |24 |2nd of 5 |Lost sub-division series vs St. Cloud Rox |
| 2022
|40 |28 |3rd of 5 |DNQ |
| 2023
|38 |30 |3rd of 5 |DNQ |
Notable alumni (played in MLB)
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name ! MLB team ! Mankato team ! Mankato year |
| Jack Hannahan
| Mashers | 1999 |
| Paul McAnulty
| Mashers | 2001 |
| Curtis Granderson
| Mashers | 2001 |
| Neil Wagner
| MoonDogs | 2004 |
| Cole De Vries
| MoonDogs | 2004 |
| Brandon Crawford
| MoonDogs | 2005 |
| Cody Decker
| MoonDogs | 2006 |
| Sean Halton
| MoonDogs | 2006 |
| Erik Hamren
| MoonDogs | 2008 |
| John Brebbia
| Moondogs | 2009 |
| Jake Petricka
| MoonDogs | 2009 |
| Nick Goody
| MoonDogs | 2011 |
MoonDogs in the Minor Leagues
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Name
! Current Team ! Professional Organization ! Years |
|---|
| Tim Smith
| Atlanta Braves (AA) | 2006 |
| Nate Hanson
| Minnesota Twins (AAA) | 2006–2008 |
| Adam Abraham
| Cleveland Indians (AA) | 2007 |
| Sean Nicol
| Washington Nationals (AA) | 2008 |
| Carlos Ramirez
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (AAA) | 2008 |
| Jimmy Reyes
| Texas Rangers (AAA) | 2008 |
| Mike Kvasnicka
| Minnesota Twins (AA) | 2008–2009 |
| Kyle Knudson
| Minnesota Twins (AA) | 2008–2009 |
| Brenden Webb
| Baltimore Orioles (A+) | 2009 |
| Lance Ray
| Minnesota Twins (AA) | 2009 |
| Jimmy Patterson
| Tampa Bay Rays (AAA) | 2009 |
| Matt Swynenberg
| Washington Nationals (AAA) | 2009 |
| Xorge Carrillo
| New York Mets (AA) | 2009 |
| Taylor Black
| Colorado Rockies (A) | 2009 |
| Alex Burgos
| Miami Marlins (A+) | 2009–2010 |
| Jeremy Rodriguez
| San Diego Padres (A+) | 2010 |
| Eric Wooten
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders | New York Yankees (AAA) | 2011 |
| Zach Borenstein
| Arizona Diamondbacks (AAA) | 2011 |
| Nick Goody
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders | New York Yankees (AAA) | 2011 |
| Sam Selman
| Kansas City Royals (AA) | 2011 |
| Logan Taylor
| New York Mets (A+) | 2011 |
| Alex Glenn
| Arizona Diamondbacks (AA) | 2011 |
| Blake Schwartz
| Washington Nationals (A+) | 2011 |
| Jordan Remer
| Cincinnati Reds (rookie) | 2011 |
| James Stokes
| Cleveland Indians (A) | 2011 |
| Sam Eberle
| San Francisco Giants (A) | 2011 |
| Bryan Haar
| Minnesota Twins (A+) | 2011 |
| Joe Loftus
| Arizona Diamondbacks (A) | 2011 |
| Blair Moore
| Chicago White Sox (rookie) | 2011–2012 |
| Jorge Flores
| Toronto Blue Jays (AA) | 2012 |
| John Walter
| Kansas City Royals (A+) | 2012 |
| Kyle McGrath
| San Diego Padres (A) | 2012 |
| Matt Borens
| New York Yankees (A) | 2012 |
| Drew Stankiewicz
| Philadelphia Phillies (A) | 2012 |
| Trevor Belicek
| Atlanta Braves (rookie) | 2012 |
| Austin Afenir
| New York Yankees (rookie) | 2012 |
| Trever Allen
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (A) | 2012 |
| Chase Simpson
| Pittsburgh Pirates (A) | 2012–2013 |
| Sam Clay
| Minnesota Twins (A) | 2013 |
| Zack Zehner
| New York Yankees (A) | 2013 |
| Tim Arakawa
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (A) | 2013 |
| Jon Perrin
| Milwaukee Brewers (A) | 2013 |
| Quinnton Mack
| Arizona Diamondbacks (A) | 2013 |
| Bryan Bonnell
| Tampa Bay Rays (rookie) | 2013 |
| Brock Dykxhoorn
| Houston Astros (A) | 2013–2014 |
| Jake Yacinich
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (A) | 2014 |
| Trevor Lubking
| Milwaukee Brewers (rookie) | 2014 |
| Tyler Mark
| Arizona Diamondbacks (A) | 2014 |
| Tyler Sullivan
| Chicago White Sox (rookie) | 2014 |
| James McMahon
| Colorado Rockies (rookie) | 2014 |
| Levi Scott
| Toronto Blue Jays (rookie) | 2014 |
Staff
The team's General Manager, Tyler Kuch, is a native of Mankato, Minnesota, Walker Regier, the team's Assistant General Manager is from Southern Minnesota, he previously interned for the Willmar Stingers, another Northwoods League team.
The MoonDogs also have summer internships available for students looking for possible careers in sports. The positions include Media Relations, Promotions/Community Relations, Marketing, Sales, and Camera / Video Operations.
Muttnik
Listed at 6'3" and 210 lbs, the MoonDogs mascot throws and bats right pawed.{{cite web |url=https://northwoodsleague.com/mankato-moondogs/team/employment/ |title=Muttnik - Mankato MoonDogs |website=Mankato MoonDogs |access-date=April 21, 2015}} Muttnik can be seen mingling with the crowd during games or at various community events throughout the year.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.mankatomoondogs.com/ Mankato MoonDogs official site]
{{NWL}}
{{Minnesota Sports}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mankato Moondogs}}
Category:Northwoods League teams