Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
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The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League (a collegiate summer baseball league). Based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, the Dock Spiders play their home games at Herr-Baker Field on the campus of Marian University. The Dock Spiders are the current champions of the Northwoods League, winning the 2018 championship over the Duluth Huskies 2 games to 1.
History
On August 15, 2016, it was announced that the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Class A Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers) had partnered with Marian University to bring the 20th Northwoods League team to Fond du Lac. The on-campus Herr-Baker Field underwent renovations to accommodate the team.[1]
A name-the-team contest was held, with the five finalists being Barn Owls, Dock Spiders, Lake Flies, Pipsqueaks and Shantymen. On November 21, the Dock Spiders name, logo and colors were officially announced.[2][3] The team appeared in Sports Illustrated as the best attention-grabbing new baseball club name for 2017.[4] The team logo was designed by San Diego marketing firm Brandiose.[5]
In 2017, the team's inaugural season, the Dock Spiders went 38-34 (.528).[6] After posting a 16-20 record in the first half, the Dock Spiders went 22-14 in the second half to finish 3 games out of 1st place. The overall record put the Dock Spiders in a tie for the final playoff spot in the South Division; however, the Dock Spiders missed on a 3-way tiebreak with the Lakeshore Chinooks (who made the playoffs) and the Madison Mallards.[7] In 2018, the Dock Spiders compiled a 39-31 overall record (.557) to take the final playoff spot in the South Division, with split-half records of 21-13 and 18-18. In the playoffs, the Dock Spiders won road games over the Madison Mallards 17-5 [8] and the Kalamazoo Growlers 3-1 [9] to win the South Division title and advance to the championship series against the Duluth Huskies. Fond du Lac won the opening game of the best-of-3 series 3-0 at home [10], then lost at Duluth 8-1 [11] before winning the deciding game 4-3 [12] to clinch the team's first Northwoods League title in the franchise's second season of play.
Dock Spiders in the Pros
| Name | Highest Level Team | Professional Organization | Years with Dock Spiders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Fortes | Jupiter Hammerheads | Miami Marlins (A Advanced) | 2017 |
| Luke Mangieri | West Virginia Power | Pittsburgh Pirates (A) | 2017 |
| Mike Pascoe | Lansing Lugnuts | Toronto Blue Jays (A) | 2017 |
| K. V. Edwards | Hudson Valley Renegades | Tampa Bay Rays (A Short-Season) | 2017 |
| Alex Erro | Lowell Spinners | Boston Red Sox (A Short-Season) | 2018 |
| Mitch Ragan | Brooklyn Cyclones | New York Mets (A Short-Season) | 2018 |
| Brandon Wulff | Ogden Raptors | Los Angeles Dodgers (Rookie) | 2017 |
| Jacob Kostyshock | Grand Junction Rockies | Colorado Rockies (Rookie) | 2017-2018 |
| Jacob Voss | Orem Owlz | Los Angeles Angels (Rookie) | 2018 |
| Chris Cornelius | Gulf Coast League Phillies West | Philadelphia Phillies (Rookie) | 2017 |
| Zac Taylor | Arizona League Cubs 1 | Chicago Cubs (Rookie) | 2018 |
| Cole Zabowski | Gulf Coast League Tigers West | Detroit Tigers (Rookie) | 2018 |
Year-by-Year Records
| Season | Manager | Overall Record | Split Season Records | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Zac Charbonneau | 38-34 (.528) | 1st Half: 16-20 (.444)
2nd Half: 22-14 (.611) |
Did not make playoffs |
| 2018 | Zac Charbonneau | 39-31 (.557) | 1st Half: 21-13 (.618)
2nd Half: 18-18 (.500) |
Defeated Madison 15-7
Defeated Kalamazoo 3-1 Defeated Duluth 3-0, 1-8, 4-3 Northwoods League Champions |
| Total | 2 seasons | 77-65 (.542) | 1st Half: 37-33 (.529)
2nd Half: 40-32 (.556) |
Total Playoffs: 4 games won, 1 game lost
Total Series: 3 series won, 0 series lost 1 League Championship |
References
- ^ "New Northwoods League Team for Fond du Lac". Northwoods League. 15 August 2016.
- ^ Zukowski, Madeline; Kern, Taima (21 November 2016). "Fond du Lac baseball team receives a name". The Reporter.
- ^ "Fond du Lac Baseball Chooses Dock Spiders for Nickname". Northwoods League. 21 November 2016.
- ^ "Extra Mustard: How Lo Can They Go". Sports Illustrated. 125: 20. 5 December 2016.
- ^ Editors, Ballpark Digest (2016-11-21). "New for 2017: Fond du Lac Dock Spiders". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Northwoods League - Get Ready for the Show!". Northwoods League.
- ^ "Northwoods League Playoffs Begin Tonight". Northwoods League. 14 August 2017.
- ^ "Northwoods League - Get Ready for the Show!". Northwoods League.
- ^ "Northwoods League - Get Ready for the Show!". Northwoods League.
- ^ "Northwoods League - Get Ready for the Show!". Northwoods League.
- ^ "Northwoods League - Get Ready for the Show!". Northwoods League.
- ^ "Northwoods League - Get Ready for the Show!". Northwoods League.
