Eau Claire Express | |
---|---|
League |
Northwoods League (South Division (2005–2013) North Division (2014–present)) |
Location | Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
Ballpark | Carson Park |
Year founded | 2005 |
League championships | 1 – 2010 Pennants: 3 – 2007, 2010, 2016 |
Division championships | 5 First Half: 2016 First Half: 2010 Second Half: 2010 First Half: 2009 Second Half: 2007 |
Former name(s) | Eau Claire Express (2005–present) |
Colors | black, orange |
Ownership | Bill Rowlett, Andy Neborak, Dale Varsho |
Management | Spencer Larson (GM) |
Manager | Dale Varsho |
Media | Eau Claire Leader Telegram |
Website | eauclaireexpress.com |
The Eau Claire Express is a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Northwoods League. Their home games are played at Carson Park, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (USA).
After two straight losing seasons in 2005 and 2006, the Eau Claire Express achieved many firsts during the 2007 season. The team won nine of its final ten regular season games to finish 42-26 overall and claim the 2007 2nd Half South Division title, their first regular season division title in franchise history and qualified for the Northwoods League playoffs, another franchise first.
In the 2007 South Division Championship Series, they faced the 1st Half South Division Champion Green Bay Bullfrogs. They won the series 2-1, claiming the 2007 South Division Pennant, another first in franchise history. In the 2007 Northwoods League Championship Series, they faced the North Division Champion St. Cloud River Bats and were swept 2-0 by the eventual Northwoods League Champions.
The 2008 season ended with the Express missing the Northwoods League playoffs by 1.5 games. The Express finished the season one game below .500.
The Express had one of their best seasons in 2009. They had a great first half, winning the NWL South Division to qualify for the playoffs. However, injuries and summer school depleted the squad in the second half. Eau Claire was eliminated in two games by the La Crosse Loggers in the Northwoods League Divisional round.
In 2010, the Express won the first half of the season again with a 22-12 record. Via www.perfectgame.org, the Express have been ranked as high as #3 in the nation for summer collegiate baseball. The team closed out the 2010 season winning both halves. They followed this up by winning the NWL Championship and www.perfectgame.org ranked the Eau Claire Express the #1 summer collegiate team in the nation.
The Express moved to the North Division for 2014, to accommodate the new NWL teams in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Kalamazoo, Michigan.