The best the Northwoods league has to offer converged on Madison for the 2003 league All-Star game on Wednesday night.  The best talent of the league’s two divisions squared off in what became a hitting showcase as the North Division rallied to beat the South 8-7 in front of an All-Star record 4,310 spectators.

Mallards manager Darrell Handelsman had the honor of managing the South due to the Madison club’s 22-10 record in the first half of the season.  St. Cloud River Bat’s manager Tom Fleenor took the reigns of the North Division all-stars.  

The North took the early lead scoring runs in each of the first two innings.  Jon Olsen of the Mallards was awarded the starting job for the South, giving up one run on two hits and a walk.  Eddie Camacho of the La Crosse Loggers gave up three singles for the South in the second inning, accounting for the North Division’s second run. 

Madison’s Corey Cabral, one of eight Mallards representing the South, had control issues in the top of the fifth inning; allowing two runs on two hits, an error and a hit batsman.

Ben Zorbist of the Waterloo Bucks put the South on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning with a bases-loaded double, bringing the South back within one run at 4-3.

The game built to a 6-6 draw at the end of eight, but the North scored in the top of the ninth.  Dramatically, Handelsman’s South squad forced extra frames as the team’s seventh run of the game crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

The North put together a string of two out singles in the top of the 10^th off of La Crosse’s Ben Stanczyk to score the game’s winning run.  Duluth’s Steve Plucinski shut the door in the bottom of the tenth as the South recorded three straight groundouts.  St. Cloud’s J.P. Martinez picked up the win for the North Division

Alexandria outfielder Tom Wolf was named the game Most Valuable Player after going 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. 

The Mallards team personnel made the All-star game a daylong affair with the festivities kicking off at 12:30 with the All-Star luncheon.  Two-time National league batting champion Tommy Davis and Texas Rangers assistant general manager Dan O’Brien addressed Northwoods League players and coaches who gathered on the right field deck at Warner Park.  Both speakers addressed primarily the players focusing on the advantages of work ethic and mental preparation in both baseball and in life.  Also in attendance was Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost, who took in the luncheon and the game while watching his son Ned Jr. The Younger Yost was selected as a catcher for the South Division all-stars.  

In the mid-afternoon sun the All-Stars presented their skills in an organized scouting combine.  About a dozen major league scouts were on hand for the both the tryout and the game evaluating the best the league has to offer. 

In true All-Star fashion, six players from each division competed in a home run derby an hour before game time.  Rochester’s Chris Nowak came away with the title out-dueling Mankato’s Jeremiah Piepkorn for the trophy.