Three Bison teammates win summer league title

Sept. 5, 2025 -- After a run in the NCAA Division II tournament and a Great American Conference championship in the spring, three Harding baseball players looked to sharpen their skills this summer with the Green Bay Rockers of the Northwoods League, one of the premier collegiate summer leagues. Their work led to the Rockers finishing with a regular season record of 42-28, culminating in their second league championship.

For former Bison pitcher Maddox Long (‘25), the Rockers are credited with reviving his career when he played for them back in 2023. Before his tenure, Long’s career ERA was 5.68, but a 6-start stretch with the Rockers allowed Long to reach levels he hadn’t seen before, and made him one of the most dominant pitchers in all of DII baseball during the final two seasons of his career.

“Green Bay changed the trajectory of my baseball career back in 2023,” Long said. “I was blessed to get to go back and play with the guys one more time.”

Long was a member of the Rockers team that won the 2023 championship, making him one of the few players ever to win two Northwood titles. Long said having other Bisons on the team made this season more memorable.

“My experience with the Green Bay rockers was special,” Long said. “I got to win my second ring in the Northwoods alongside two of my college teammates.”

Senior catcher Collin Helms played a big role for the Rockers after batting .289 in 50 games for the team. Helms said that his experience was an extremely positive one all the way around.

“Being a part of the Rockers this summer was a very special experience,” Helms said. “I made many good relationships over my time in Green Bay, including teammates, my host family and coaches.”

Helms said that he felt blessed for the opportunity to not only play for the team this summer, but to end things with a championship.

“The Northwoods League is among the best collegiate wood bat leagues in the country,” Helms said. “I am grateful to have been a part of such a special summer raising the trophy at the end.”

Another pitcher, junior Keaton Baird, said he was blessed to be able to refine his skills in hopes of taking a big leap for the next season.

“It was honestly a dream come true,” Baird said. “I can’t say enough about the Green Bay Rockers family, the coaches, teammates, host families and fans.”