St. Cloud Rox (collegiate summer baseball)
| St. Cloud Rox | |
|---|---|
Logo | |
| Information | |
| League | Northwoods League (1994-pres) (Great Plains West Division: 2019-pres) (North Division: 1998-2018) |
| Location | St. Cloud, Minnesota |
| Ballpark | Joe Faber Field |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Division championships | River Bats: 6 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007) Rox: 4 (2015, 2017, 2021, 2023) |
| League championships | River Bats: (1998, 2000, 2007) Rox: (2017) |
| Former name | St. Cloud River Bats (1997–2011) Dubuque Mud Puppies (1994-1996) |
| Former ballpark | Dick Putz Field |
| Colors | Navy, Carolina blue, red, gray, white, dark red, light navy[1] |
| Mascot | Chisel |
| Ownership | Rox Local Group: Gary Posch, Joe Sexton, Scott Schreiner |
| Manager | Nick Studdard |
| Media | St. Cloud Times WJON |
| Website | stcloudrox.com |
The St. Cloud Rox are a baseball team that play in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Their home games are played at the Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Beginnings in Dubuque
The franchise was one of the five founding members of the league in 1994 and was located in Dubuque, Iowa. The team was known as the Dubuque Mud Puppies.[2][3] They played in Dubuque from 1994 to 1996, struggling financially despite strong backing from the business community.[4]
Three seasons in Dubuque yielded three future MLB players: Jeff Weaver, Shawn Sedlacek, and Robb Quinlan. Weaver became the first Northwoods League alum to appear in the majors when he debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1999.[5]
Return of baseball to St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota has hosted baseball for decades at a variety of play levels. Baseball returned to the city in 1997 in the Northwoods League with the relocation of the Mud Puppies. With the move came a new name for the team, the St. Cloud River Bats.[6] 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 the minor league team that played in the city from 1946 to 1971.[7]
Radio broadcasts
Rox games can be heard on 1390 Granite City Sports. Aspiring Broadcasters from colleges across the United States have served as the voice of Rox Baseball over the years.
St. Cloud players in MLB
The following is a list of former Rox or River Bats who have played in Major League Baseball.[5]
References
- ^ "Northwoods League Official Colors (1994 through present)". TruColor.net. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "Get Ready for the Mud Puppies and Skunks". Post-Bulletin. Rochester, Minnesota. June 8, 1994. Archived from the original on September 18, 2025. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "History". Northwoods League. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Northwoods League". Encyclopedia Dubuque. February 16, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "Northwoods League Alumni in Major League Baseball" (PDF). Northwoods League. September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ "Pointstreak Sites | Northwoods League | History". Retrieved 2012-04-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "The Rox Name Returns for New St. Cloud Franchise". News. St. Cloud Rox. 28 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
This team name had been in use previously by a team who was part of the Northern League. They were in operation from the mid 1940s until 1971 and even featured Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock. The Rox lead the North Division in attendance in 2012 with over 55,000 fans attending Rox games.
External links
- St. Cloud Rox – official site
- Northwoods League – official site