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Stanke, Ireland Earn Northwoods League Player of the Night Honors
7/20/2020 9:49:00 AM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS - Chase Stanke and Sam Ireland each received Northwoods League Player of the Night honors this past weekend, as Stanke claimed the award on July 18 while Ireland earned his nod on July 19. In winning back-to-back Player of the Night awards, Stanke and Ireland became the first Gopher duo to garner the accolade on back-to-back nights since 2009, when records of the award first began.
Stanke got Minnesota's strong weekend started on Saturday, finishing two-for-three at the plate with one double, one triple, two runs scored and four RBI to help power the Willmar Stingers past the Mankato Moondogs, 13-3. The performance represented Stanke's fourth multi-hit performance of the summer and improved his batting average to .286 to go along with five runs and 10 RBI.
As for Ireland, the rising two-way sophomore went three-for-four on Sunday with one home run, two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI. In accounting for six of his team's runs, Ireland powered the St. Cloud Rox to a 9-4 victory over the Rochester Honkers. Ireland is now batting .310 with six runs, eight RBI and two stolen bases through just eight games.
This past weekend's performance represents yet another chapter in an already storied history of success by University of Minnesota players in the Northwoods League. Dating back to 2012, the Gophers have placed 81 different players in the Northwoods League – more than any other college baseball program in the country.
Not only has Minnesota excelled in placing players in the league, but Gophers have also performed remarkably well during their time in one of the nation's premier summer circuits. Beginning in the summer of 2013, the Northwoods League has named its top prospects to the MLB Dreams Showcase, which includes one full day of scouting workouts and double-header action in front of Major League Baseball scouts. Minnesota holds the record for the most players chosen for the MLB Dreams Showcase in a single year with seven in 2015, as well as the most overall players selected in the history of the event with 21.
Below is a complete list of Gopher players that have garnered Player or Pitcher of the Night honors in the Northwoods League.
Player of the Night
July 19, 2020: Sam Ireland (St. Cloud Rox)
July 18, 2020: Chase Stanke (Willmar Stingers)
June 25, 2019: Jack Kelly (St. Cloud Rox)
July 31, 2017: Riley Smith (Green Bay Bullfrogs)
July 2, 2016: Eduardo Estrada, Jr. (Willmar Stingers)
June 30, 2015: Austin Athmann (St. Cloud Rox)
June 10, 2015: Alex Boxwell (Waterloo Bucks)
August 7, 2012: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
August 4, 2011: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
July 6, 2011: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
June 26, 2011: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
July 25, 2009: Michael Kvasnicka (Brainerd Lunkers)
June 8, 2009: Michael Kvasnicka (Brainerd Lunkers)
Pitcher of the Night
August 20, 2017: Jake Stevenson (St. Cloud Rox)
August 12, 2017: Jake Stevenson (St. Cloud Rox)
August 8, 2015: Toby Anderson (Duluth Huskies)
July 27, 2015: Lucas Gilbreath (St. Cloud Rox)
June 12, 2015: Tyler Hanson (Willmar Stingers)
June 10, 2015: Toby Anderson (Duluth Huskies)
August 2, 2012: Alex Tukey (Battle Creek Bombers)
Stanke got Minnesota's strong weekend started on Saturday, finishing two-for-three at the plate with one double, one triple, two runs scored and four RBI to help power the Willmar Stingers past the Mankato Moondogs, 13-3. The performance represented Stanke's fourth multi-hit performance of the summer and improved his batting average to .286 to go along with five runs and 10 RBI.
As for Ireland, the rising two-way sophomore went three-for-four on Sunday with one home run, two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI. In accounting for six of his team's runs, Ireland powered the St. Cloud Rox to a 9-4 victory over the Rochester Honkers. Ireland is now batting .310 with six runs, eight RBI and two stolen bases through just eight games.
This past weekend's performance represents yet another chapter in an already storied history of success by University of Minnesota players in the Northwoods League. Dating back to 2012, the Gophers have placed 81 different players in the Northwoods League – more than any other college baseball program in the country.
Not only has Minnesota excelled in placing players in the league, but Gophers have also performed remarkably well during their time in one of the nation's premier summer circuits. Beginning in the summer of 2013, the Northwoods League has named its top prospects to the MLB Dreams Showcase, which includes one full day of scouting workouts and double-header action in front of Major League Baseball scouts. Minnesota holds the record for the most players chosen for the MLB Dreams Showcase in a single year with seven in 2015, as well as the most overall players selected in the history of the event with 21.
Below is a complete list of Gopher players that have garnered Player or Pitcher of the Night honors in the Northwoods League.
Player of the Night
July 19, 2020: Sam Ireland (St. Cloud Rox)
July 18, 2020: Chase Stanke (Willmar Stingers)
June 25, 2019: Jack Kelly (St. Cloud Rox)
July 31, 2017: Riley Smith (Green Bay Bullfrogs)
July 2, 2016: Eduardo Estrada, Jr. (Willmar Stingers)
June 30, 2015: Austin Athmann (St. Cloud Rox)
June 10, 2015: Alex Boxwell (Waterloo Bucks)
August 7, 2012: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
August 4, 2011: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
July 6, 2011: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
June 26, 2011: Bobby Juan (Lacrosse Loggers)
July 25, 2009: Michael Kvasnicka (Brainerd Lunkers)
June 8, 2009: Michael Kvasnicka (Brainerd Lunkers)
Pitcher of the Night
August 20, 2017: Jake Stevenson (St. Cloud Rox)
August 12, 2017: Jake Stevenson (St. Cloud Rox)
August 8, 2015: Toby Anderson (Duluth Huskies)
July 27, 2015: Lucas Gilbreath (St. Cloud Rox)
June 12, 2015: Tyler Hanson (Willmar Stingers)
June 10, 2015: Toby Anderson (Duluth Huskies)
August 2, 2012: Alex Tukey (Battle Creek Bombers)
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