The Eau Claire Express baseball team announced the sale of the team to a Chippewa Falls family. | Facebook
The Eau Claire Express baseball team announced the sale of the team to a Chippewa Falls family. | Facebook
The Eau Claire Express baseball team announced the sale of the team to a Chippewa Falls family. The collegiate baseball league team will be owned by Partners of the Toycen Baseball Club.
“We are extremely excited to continue the legacy that Eau Claire baseball has had on the Express over the last several years. We are huge baseball fans in our family, and we know what a rich baseball history there is in the city of Eau Claire,” Craig Toycen, managing partner of the Toycen Baseball Club, said in a statement.
For Toycen, it's all about family. Fans of the team may be happy to know that the baseball club will be a family-owned business and keep its ties to the area. Toycen and his family have been attending games since 2005.
“I actually attended the first Express game back in 2005 so it’s always been something I felt very connected to over the years as I’ve got my own family and watched them grow up and spend time at the ballpark too and go to games. It’s something really interesting to us do so we’re really excited about the possibilities and working with the City of Eau Claire to make it as best of an experience for fans as possible and make the Express a winner,” Toycen said.
Much of the team leadership is going to stay in place, such as the acting GM and much of the coaching staff. The Toycen team will also retain much of the current Express staffers, who will help them learn the operations and get them up to speed.
“The big thing is to put out a quality baseball product and we’ll build the rest from there. We’re really excited long-term about having Carson Park as our home,” Toycen said when asked about his goals for the team.
The team issued a statement.
"The Express, which will begin play later this year for their 17th season in the Northwoods League, will retain its management and support staff, including field manager Dale Varsho, who the new ownership group involved early in the discussion to take over the team and said they want to keep him as a part of the Express for 'years to come,'" the statement read.
Alerts Sign-up