Wausau Woodchucks


The Wausau Woodchucks are an American baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. They play their home games at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisconsin.

History

The Woodchucks began play in 1994 as one of the five original franchises in the Northwoods League, along with the Rochester Honkers, Manitowoc Skunks, Kenosha Kroakers, and Dubuque Mud Puppies. Only the Woodchucks and Honkers exist today.
The Woodchucks filled the void left by the Wausau Timbers of the Class A Midwest League, who relocated after the 1990 season to Geneva, Illinois, to become the Kane County Cougars.
The team was known as the Wausau Woodchucks from 1994 to 1998, but the team name was changed to Wisconsin Woodchucks for the 1999 season, as they were the only remaining team in Wisconsin in the league at that time.
In 1998 Clark Eckhoff purchased the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Attendance dramatically increased with Eckhoff as owner, and the Woodchucks would go on to win two league championships in 2001 and 2003.
The Woodchucks' manager for the 2007–2009 seasons was Jim Gantner, a former Milwaukee Brewer who attended college at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Gantner had never managed a team previously, and the Woodchucks appealed to him as he had spent time in the area at a second home. Gantner became the team's president of baseball operations in 2009.
On February 2, 2022, the Woodchucks announced their return as the Wausau Woodchucks, with a new logo and color scheme.

Woodchucks in MLB

The following is a list of former Woodchucks to appear in Major League Baseball.
NameYear with WoodchucksMLB accolades
Justin Berg2003
Lance Broadway2004
Jay Buente2004/2005
J. D. Davis2012
Paul DeJong2014All-Star
Zach DeLoach2018
Daniel Descalso2006World Series champion
Parker Dunshee2014
Jerad Eickhoff2010
Sam Freeman2007
Dave Gassner1998
Mike Gerber2011
Brent Headrick2018
Tyler Heineman2011
Casey Janssen2001
C. J. Kayfus2021
Taylor Kohlwey2014/2015
Bryan Lavastida2018
Nick Loftin2018
Mark Lowe2002/2003
Nate Mondou2014
Jon Moscot2010
Pat Neshek2000All-Star
Wes Obermueller1998
Jared Oliva2015/2016
Kevin Pillar2010
Chris Reed2009
Darin Ruf2007
Brock Stassi2010
Ka'ai Tom2014
Pat Venditte2007
Steele Walker2016
Danny Young2013
Ben Zobrist2003All-Star, World Series champion, WS MVP