The St. Cloud Rox are a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
team that play in the
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not paid, so as to maintain their college el ...
, a
collegiate summer baseball league. Their home games are played at the
Joe Faber Field
Joe Faber Field is a baseball venue located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. It is the home of the St. Cloud Rox of the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. in
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the county seat of Stear ...
.
Beginnings in Dubuque
The franchise was one of the five founding members of the league in 1994 and was located in
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...
. The team was nicknamed the Mud Puppies.
Return of baseball to St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the county seat of Stear ...
has hosted baseball for decades at a variety of play levels. Baseball returned to the city in 1997 in the
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not paid, so as to maintain their college el ...
with the relocation of the Mud Puppies. With the move came a new name for the team, the St. Cloud River Bats.
The River Bats were a premier team in the Northwoods League, winning 3 league championships, one North Division overall championship, and 3 First Half North Division pennants.
Return of the Rox
In February 2012, the Northwoods League sold the team rights to a local interest group while reserving the rights to the name and logo. The St. Cloud franchise played the 2012 season as the St. Cloud Rox, hearkening back to a popular minor league team that played in the city until 1971.
Radio broadcasts
Rox games can be heard on 1390 Granite City Sports. Jake Lyman, a member of 3304 Sports at
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
, assumes the broadcasting role for the team.
Notable alumni
*
Austin Barnes
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Chris Başak
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Buddy Baumann,
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Mark Canha
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Thomas Diamond
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Diamond starred at the University of New Orleans. As a junior, he wen ...
, 10th overall pick of the 2004 MLB Draft,
Texas Rangers,
Chicago Cubs
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John Gaub
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Tom Gorzelanny
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Milwaukee Brewers
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Cleveland Indians
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*
Justin Huisman
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Amateur career
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Kansas City Royals
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Chris Jakubauskas
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Seattle Mariners
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Baltimore Orioles
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*
Jason Jaramillo
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Sean Kazmar,
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Roger Kieschnick
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Casey McGehee
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Chicago Cubs
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Milwaukee Brewers
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Pittsburgh Pirates
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Detroit Tigers
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*
Robb Quinlan
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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Tony Renda
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Cincinnati Reds
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Matt Reynolds,
New York Mets
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Konrad Schmidt
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Arizona Diamondbacks
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Jake Smith,
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
*
Dan Straily
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Oakland Athletics
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Chicago Cubs
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,
Houston Astros
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Cincinnati Reds
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Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
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*
Robbie Weinhardt
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Detroit Tigers
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Detroit Tigers
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References
External links
St. Cloud Rox– official site
Northwoods League– official site
{{Authority control
Northwoods League teams
Amateur baseball teams in Minnesota
1997 establishments in Minnesota
Baseball teams established in 1997
Sports in St. Cloud, Minnesota