GARY, Ind. — Gary SouthShore RailCats southpaw Tony Cogan – who in separate years set the club’s single-season saves and ERA records – has announced his retirement from professional baseball, bringing to an end a decorated nine-year career that included 39 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2001. Cogan first announced his intention to retire at the team’s annual Fan Fest, Saturday, February 20 at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville.

LOVES PARK, Ill. – Rockford’s only professional baseball team announced on Thursday that it has signed Mike Wood, a five-year major league veteran. The right-hander pitched in the majors for the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers.
“To get a guy who has pitched as many years as he has in the big leagues is a real plus for us,” RiverHawks co-owner and director of baseball operations Dave Ciarrachi said. “We’re looking for him to come here and head up our pitching staff.”

JOLIET, IL- The Joliet JackHammers are proud to be partnering with the Westfield Louis Joliet Shoppingtown for the 2010 season. You can visit the JackHammers newest sales location in the Cinemark wing of the Louis Joliet Mall for the Grand Opening on March 12th.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The Kansas City T-Bones and manager Tim Doherty have signed pitcher Erik Hamren to a contract for the 2010 season. Hamren, 23, began his professional career in the Chicago Cubs organization after being selected in the 37th round of the 2008 amateur draft.

LOVES PARK, Ill. – Garidel, who appeared in three games with Texarkana of the independent Continental League last season, will still have rookie status in the Northern League, the new home of Rockford’s only professional baseball team. Garidel was 1-for-7 with a RBI.

FARGO, N.D. –The RedHawks will play their first seven exhibition games on the road, including a five-game road-trip against three opponents from the American Association. Fargo-Moorhead will open pre-season play with a game against the Sioux City Explorers on Friday, May 7 before traveling to Lincoln to play the Saltdogs for three games from May 8-10.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City T-Bones and manager Tim Doherty have signed outfielder Brian Joynt to a contract for the 2010 season. Joynt, 24, joins the T-Bones after three seasons in the San Diego Padres organization.

JOLIET, IL –The Joliet JackHammers are proud to introduce the newly formed “Crush Crew.” The “Crew” will work to promote the JackHammers at local bars, restaurants, events, and games.

JOLIET, IL-The Joliet JackHammers have acquired right handed infielder Roberto Mena from the Midwest Sliders of the Frontier League in exchange for a player to be named later.

GARY, Ind. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats will host a gala Meet the Team Luncheon, Monday May 10 at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville featuring Hall of Fame Cubs right-hander Ferguson Jenkins as the keynote speaker, and tickets for the event are on sale now.

GARY, Ind. — Nic Jackson went 3-for-4 and Ruben Salazar drove in three runs as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks won the 2009 Northern League Championship with a 7-3 win over the Gary SouthShore RailCats Saturday night at U.S. Steel Yard.

Jackson reached base four times Saturday and was in the middle of a game-changing two run fifth inning that gave the RedHawks a 4-2 lead. Fargo scored twice in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to pull away and hand the RailCats their second consecutive four-game loss in the league finals. After losing game one, the RedHawks went on to win the next three contests including back-to-back games at The Steel Yard on Friday and Saturday.

GARY, Ind. — Nic Jackson hit a three-run seventh inning home run and four Fargo-Moorhead pitchers limited the Gary SouthShore RailCats to just four hits as the RedHawks blanked the ‘Cats 8-0 Friday night in Game Three of the Northern League Championship Series in front of 3,268 fans at U. S. Steel Yard.

FARGO, N.D. – The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks rebounded from an opening-game defeat to even the Northern League Finals best-of-5 series to a game a piece with a 9-5 victory over the Gary SouthShore RailCats Wednesday night at Newman Outdoor Field.

FARGO, N.D. - The Gary SouthShore RailCats won the opening game of the Northern League Finals 6-4 Wednesday night at Newman Outdoor Field. RailCats
RHP Kyle Heyne pitched 2.0 scoreless innings of relief and fanned two for his first post-season win of the season. The RailCats got on the board in the second inning. RF Cristian Guerrero drew a walk, 1B Jeff Beachum singled him to third and C Brett Wallace lifted an opposite-field sac fly to open the scoring.

Winnipeg opened the scoring off Jeff Icenogle in the first. Cory Patton drew a lead-off walk, moved up on a one-out walk to Juan Diaz and scored on a Vince Harrison single. Fargo-Moorhead replied in the fourth off Bear Bay without the benefit of a hit. Zach Penprase walked to lead it off, stole second, Jeremiah Piepkorn walked, both advanced on a Nic Jackson sacrifice and both advanced on a Mike Coles sacrifice that scored Penprase. Ruben Salazar followed with a grounder to first that Cody Ehlers booted, allowing Piepkorn to score.

GARY, Ind. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats advanced to the Northern League Championship Series for the fifth year in a row with a 5-2 win over the Kansas City T-Bones in the fifth game of their semifinal matchup at U. S. Steel Yard, winning the series three games to two. The top-seeded RailCats will begin the Championship Series on the road at either Fargo-Moorhead or Winnipeg, with those two teams meeting tonight for a decisive fifth game at 7 p.m. in Winnipeg. The ‘Cats will then return home next weekend for games three, four and five on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as they look to win their third league title in the last five years.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes will play a fifth-and-deciding game in their opening round playoff series with Fargo-Moorhead after falling 3-2 to the RedHawks Saturday night before 5,412 at Canwest Park. Fargo-Moorhead opened the scoring off Ace Walker in the first on three-straight hits. Donzell McDonald singled to lead it off, went to third on a Zach Penprase double and both scored when Jeremiah Piepkorn flared one into centre. Winnipeg responded in the bottom of the inning off Matt Mossey.

GARY, Ind. — Aharon Eggleston drove home Jeff Helps with a two-out single in the top of the ninth inning as the Kansas City T-Bones beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 2-1 in Game Four of the Northern League Semifinals at U. S. Steel Yard Saturday night. With the score tied the RailCats turned to Andy Shipman (0-1) in the ninth on the same day the nights-out closer was named the league’s Relief Pitcher of the Year. Shipman got the first two outs quickly, but Helps worked a two-out walk and Ryan Fox came up with a big base hit to move Helps to second. That brought Eggleston – himself a Northern League Full Season All-Star – to the plate, and the T-Bones leadoff man delivered a line drive single to right to get Kansas City the lead.

GARY, Ind. — Steve Haake hit his second playoff home run and Derell McCall allowed only an unearned run over 6.1 innings as the Gary SouthShore RailCats moved within one win of the Northern League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City T-Bones in front of 3,115 fans at U. S. Steel Yard Friday evening.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes blanked the the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 5-0 Friday night before a crowd of 6,015 at Canwest Park. With the win, the Goldeyes took a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five playoff match-up with their arch-rivals.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A three-run fifth inning proved to be the difference for the Kansas City T-Bones (1-1) Thursday evening as they defeated the Gary SouthShore RailCats (1-1), 7-4, to even their best-of-five semifinal series at one game apiece. Af ter consecutive two-out errors by Kansas City put runners on first and third for Cristian Guerrero in the first inning, the RailCats designated hitter doubled to center field off Ryan Knippschild (1-0) to give Gary an early 2-0 lead. The T-Bones quickly answered, plating two runs on a two-out single by Neb Brown to tie the game against Garret Holleran (0-1).

FARGO, N.D. – The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks benefited from a game-winning throwing error to top the Winnipeg Goldeyes 9-8 Thursday evening at Newman Outdoor Field. RedHawks reliever RHP Tim Lavigne pitched 4.0 innings, gave-up one run (earned) and fanned six to even the best-of-5 series one game apiece.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City T-Bones (0-1) took an early lead with a three-run first inning, but fell in the end, 4-3, to the Gary SouthShore RailCats (1-0) in game one of their best-of-five series to begin the 2009 Northern League Playoffs. Jim Fasano drove in all three of the T-Bones runs, giving Kansas City an early 3-0 lead against Tony Cogan (1-0) in the first inning with a home run to right field. Fasano’s one-out blast followed back-to-back singles from Greg Jacobs and Luis Terrero.

FARGO, N.D. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes won game one of this best-of-five series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 7-3 Wednesday night at Newman Outdoor Field. Goldeyes starter RHP Bear Bay pitched 6.1 innings, gave-up two runs (all earned) and fanned three for the win. Winnipeg DH Juan Diaz got the Goldeyes on the board in the first inning. Diaz fisted an in-on-the-hands pitch from RedHawks starter LHP Jeff Icenogle over the left-field wall for his first homerun of the post-season.