Northwoods Kalamazoo Growlers

Eamon Horwedel Returns to the Growlers for his Fifth and Final Season

May 10, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release


Kalamazoo, Mich. - The Kalamazoo Growlers have announced the re-signing of the University of Michigan right-handed pitcher Eamon Horwedel. Also known as "Captain Growler" Horwedel returns for his fifth and final summer with the Growlers.

"I think anytime I can come back to Kalamazoo for a summer of baseball it's exciting, it just so happens this time will be my last," Horwedel said. "Nothing compares to the fun I have playing Growlers baseball each summer. All through the fall, winter, and spring I look forward to those two and a half months in Kalamazoo playing alongside my friends in front of incredible fans."

Just one of two players to play for the Growkers for five seasons, Horwedel is tied with Kalamazoo native Adam Wheaton for the most wins by a single pitcher in franchise history with 19 while also being just one win away from tying the NWL record set by Jim Magrane in 1999. Horwedel also holds the record for most appearances in Growlers history at 62 and is second all-time in Growlers history in strikeouts (161), starts (20), and innings pitched (175.0).

"I don't think 19-year-old me would've guessed that 24-year-old me would still be suiting up in a Growlers uniform, and heck, 24-year-old me still thinks it's a bit crazy, but I just love it so much," Horwedel said.

With a career ERA of 2.73, Horwedel has been known for his sidearm control which lends to pinpoint accuracy. With a staggering 4.35 strikeout-to-walk ratio, Horwedel is the most consistently accurate pitcher in Growlers history. Going into year five, the goals haven't changed.

"My hopes for this season are the same as every year," Horwedel said. "Win games, have fun while doing so, and participate in every possible team dance."

Starting his first game for the Growlers in 2019, Horwedel is one of the most dominant pitchers the Growlers have had in franchise history and his opening year showed why. Horwedel helped anchor the Growlers' bullpen accounting for a 7-1 record along with five saves in a team-most 20 total outings. Across 31.1 IP innings, Horwedel struck out 57 batters while walking just nine. His 16.4 strikeouts per nine innings led the league while his 3.16 ERA ended as second on the team.

The 2020 COVID-19 limited season saw Horwedel move to a primary starter. Across seven starts, Hoorwedel ended with a 3-2 record and a 1.73 ERA. After suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the 2021 season, Horwedel came back to the Growlers for another season of relief in 2022.

Holding a 3.89 ERA across 22 appearances and 39.1 innings, Horwedel was a key arm in capturing the Growlers' first-ever Northwoods League title. Horwedel garnered the final out in the 2022 Northwoods League Championship game as the Growlers beat the Duluth Huskies 8-3.

Returning to the Zoo in 2023, Horwedel transitioned into a starting role for the first time in three years. The ace of the staff by year's end, Horwedel ended the year second in the league in wins (6), starts (11), and strikeouts (56) while finishing third with a 2.30 ERA. Leading the league with 78.1 innings pitched, Horwedel was named to the Great Lakes All-Star Game and was later named to the 2023 All-NWL Team. The only player in the league to throw a complete-game shutout, Horwedel was awarded as the NWL Pitcher of the Night award three times, tied for the most of any pitcher.

"Transitioning from a reliever to a starter wasn't too tricky of an adjustment to make, although it did take a couple of weeks for the arm to get used to the additional volume," Horwedel said. "I had no idea if I would be playing past last summer, so for all I knew, that was the last baseball I would ever be playing. With that mindset, I just wanted to pitch as much as I could while I could and I think that helped me go deeper into games."

In his final season with Kalamazoo, Horwedel will end a career lifted by accolades and etched with a championship ring but for him, the connection to the city of Kalamazoo has topped all else.

"I want to be remembered as a good leader and more importantly as a good teammate," Horwedel said. "The relationships I've formed and the incredible times I've had have created some of the most fond memories of my six-year college career."

The #GrowlersPipeline continues to grow stronger across the country. The 2024 Northwoods League season is right around the corner. Just 18 days away until the Growlers begin their season on a four-game homestand against the Rockford Rivets beginning on May 27th.



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