St. Cloud River Bats

• Location: St. Cloud, MN
• League: Northwoods League 1997-2011
• Stadium: Dick Putz Field

Team Bio

After the 1996 season the Dubuque Mud Puppies moved to St. Cloud, MN and renamed the St. Cloud River Bats. The River Bats, who played their games in St. Cloud's Dick Putz Field, were one of the most popular and successful teams in the history of the Northwoods League. The River Bats hosted some of the most talented collegiate athletes from throughout the United States and Canada, including some of the league's players most desired by MLB affiliated baseball. The River Bats hold their place as a community-based ball club in Central Minnesota as an integral part of their team mission, and are loosely affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, who provide organizational support to the team.

The River Bats are dedicated and designed to provide minor league level competition for NCAA players that wish to continue on into professional baseball. The River Bats operate in the model a Minor League team: playing nightly before fans in stadiums which seat thousands, using wood bats and minor league specification equipment, and experiencing road trips between games. Like all other summer collegiate players, River Bats players are unpaid in order to maintain their NCAA eligibility, and live with host families in the same manner as Single A and Independent League players. In 2012 they were renamed the St Cloud Rox

• All Games are Broadcast on KXSS 1390 AM

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Manager	Playoffs
1997	34-30	Jeff Ditch
1998	39-25	Eric Page	Champions
1999	43-19	Pat Shine	Runner Up
2000	45-18	Scott DeGeorge	Champions
2001	39-25	Guy Robertson	Runner Up
2002	34-30	Ron Rakowski	1st Round
2003	38-25	Tom Fleenor	Runner Up
2004	33-31	Tom Fleenor	1st Round
2005	32-36	Dean Jaacks	1st Round
2006	33-34	Tony Arnerich
2007	35-31	Tony Arnerich	Champions
2008	37-30	Tony Arnerich
2009	32-36	Marcus Clapp
2010	40-28	Gabe Boruff	1st Round
2011	33-37	Jon Hansen

Notable River Bats Alumni

• Justin Huisman - Kansas City Royals
• Chris Demaria - Kansas City Royals
• Tom Gorzelanny - Pittsburgh Pirates
• Robb Quinlan - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Thomas Diamond - Texas Rangers Organization (highest draft pick in Northwoods League history through 2006)

• More than 45 former River Bats have signed professional contracts since the team's inception in 1997.

Related Links

Northwoods League Home Page