Mankato MoonDogs
| Mankato MoonDogs | |
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The Mankato MoonDogs are an 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. 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.[1][2] The Moondogs were again sold in January 2013 to Mark Ogren.[3] The current ownership group of Chad Superenant and Kyle Smith took over the club in 2018.
The MoonDogs have made the playoffs eight of the last eleven season, making it to the NWL Summer Collegiate World Series (third franchise appearance) last in 2014 where the MoonDogs were defeated by the Lakeshore Chinooks.
Season-by-season
| 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 semifinals vs Rochester Honkers |
| 2010 | 29 | 41 | 8th of 8 | DNQ |
| 2011 | 42 | 28 | 2nd of 8 | Won semifinals vs Alexandria Beetles
Lost finals vs Battle Creek Bombers |
| 2012 | 42 | 27 | 1st of 8 | Won semifinal vs Willmar Stingers
Lost finals vs La Crosse Loggers |
| 2013 | 38 | 32 | 4th of 8 | DNQ |
| 2014 | 42 | 30 | 3rd of 10 | Won semifinal vs Willmar Stingers
Lost finals vs Lakeshore Chinooks |
| 2015 | 33 | 39 | 6th of 9 | DNQ |
| 2016 | 46 | 26 | 2nd of 9 | Lost quarterfinal vs Willmar Stingers |
| 2017 | 44 | 28 | 1st of 10 | Won quarterfinal vs Eau Claire Express
Lost semifinal vs St. Cloud Rox |
| 2018 | 46 | 26 | 3rd of 10 | Lost quarterfinal vs Willmar Stingers |
| 2019 | 36 | 36 | 4th of 5 | DNQ |
| 2020 | 17 | 25 | 4th of 5 | DNQ |
| 2021 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Notable alumni (played in MLB)
| Name | MLB team | Mankato team | Mankato year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Hannahan | Cincinnati Reds | Mashers | 1999 |
| Paul McAnulty | Los Angeles Angels | Mashers | 2001 |
| Curtis Granderson | New York Mets | Mashers | 2001 |
| Neil Wagner | Toronto Blue Jays | MoonDogs | 2004 |
| Cole De Vries | Minnesota Twins | MoonDogs | 2004 |
| Brandon Crawford | San Francisco Giants | MoonDogs | 2005 |
| Cody Decker | San Diego Padres | MoonDogs | 2006 |
| Sean Halton | Milwaukee Brewers | MoonDogs | 2006 |
| Erik Hamren | San Diego Padres | MoonDogs | 2008 |
| John Brebbia | San Francisco Giants | Moondogs | 2009 |
| Jake Petricka | Chicago White Sox | MoonDogs | 2009 |
| Nick Goody | Cleveland Indians | MoonDogs | 2011 |
MoonDogs in the Minor Leagues
Staff
The team's General Manager, Austin Link, is a native of Renville, Minnesota, who previously interned for the Willmar Stingers, another Northwoods League team. Justin White, the teams Director of Ticket sales is from the Mankato area, as is Tyler Kuch, the Director of Group Sales
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.[4] Muttnik can be seen mingling with the crowd during games or at various community events throughout the year.
References
- ^ "Mankato welcomes its Northwoods team". Post Bulletin. June 4, 1999.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Millea, John (July 27, 2004). "Fielding big dreams". Star Tribune.
- ^ "Mankato Moondogs sold". Ballpark Digest. January 10, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Muttnik - Mankato MoonDogs". Mankato MoonDogs. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
