Rochester, Mn. – SPORTS – Following last week’s Northwoods League Winter Meetings in Fond du Lac, WI the League has announced that pitch timers will be added to all NWL ballparks for the 2023 season.
Each ballpark in the League will be outfitted with two Daktronics clocks. One clock will be placed in the outfield, and another will be placed behind the plate. The Northwoods League will be the first summer collegiate league to add pitch clocks after the successful rollout last season in MiLB. Visible pitch clocks will be coming to Major League Baseball this year and college baseball in the 2024 season. Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and now the Northwoods League has joined in on increasing the pace of play at ballparks this coming season.
“The Northwoods League has decided to implement field clocks for the upcoming season,” said Northwoods League President, Ryan Voz. “It appears this is the future for baseball in the collegiate and professional levels and this will be just another tool to help provide the best experience for NWL players.”
In the Minor Leagues last season, the pitch timer cut down average game times by about 25 minutes. A similar reduction in the Northwoods League would be considered a crisper and more exciting viewing product for fans at home and in ballparks.
The amount of time between pitches will be determined at a later time by the League and communicated to all League members, media and fans.
In a continuation from last season, and in partnership with Rawlings, the Northwoods League will move to using all maple bats in the 2023 season. The NWL strives to provide the BEST summer collegiate experience and one of those ways is by providing maple bats for all its players.
“Each year the Northwoods League raises the bar for player experience across the country and a longstanding relationship with Rawlings now has all players swinging the finest maple bats,” said Voz.
The Northwoods prides itself on being the most premier league in the country and by providing maple bats for all position players is just another separator among other leagues in the country.
The Northwoods League recently announced the 2023 season schedule featuring a new team in Minot, North Dakota, and the return of the Thunder Bay Border Cats.
