Season summary: Ramblers produce record-breaking results in 2015

The 2015 season started and ended with championships as the Ramblers won bookend EIHL preseason and postseason crowns. In between, Key West spent much of the season making a case for the title of best team in the area. The Ramblers won three tournament titles (Rickardsville included), were the Prairie League runner up, reached the semifinals of two other brackets and won more tournament games than any other area semi-pro team.

Led by its fearsome two-through-four hitters - Dan Spain, Andrew Redman and Chris Briggs - Key West broke the team record for wins in a single season by going 44-14-1 overall. It posted marks of 15-2 in Prairie League action, 9-5 in EIHL play and 20-7-1 in tournament contests.

Just how dominant were the 2015 Ramblers? They outscored their foes by a combined total of 321-151 and batted .298 as a team compared to a measly .187 by their opponents. Key West began the year by winning its first five games and proceeded to have two additional win streaks of six games each.

On the mound, Clarke University product Nick Woltkamp took over the roles of ace and staff workhorse. He broke numerous team pitching records while going 12-4 with a 2.16 ERA and 84 strikeouts. He logged 108.1 innings, becoming the first Rambler to ever eclipse the 100-inning mark. Woltkamp shined in his final outing of the season, tossing a seven-inning complete game to beat Cascade, 7-1, in the EIHL championship game.

Once again, Spain, Redman and Briggs supplied plenty of offense. Redman batted .373 with three homers and 24 RBIs and was an on-base machine (.500 OBP). After a slow start, Briggs punished the ball over the second half of the season. He ended up hitting five home runs and driving in a team high 36 runs. He had an impressive slash line of .323/.454/.508. Spain, who appeared in the all-star game along with Briggs and Redman, batted .317 and slugged a career best six home runs while playing in a team single-season record 50 games.

There were plenty of other key contributors in 2015. Anthony Ruden was a mainstay in the lineup and on the mound, finishing with a sterling 1.56 ERA. Chad Crabill (.297 BA, .394 OBP, 3 HR) enjoyed his best season as a Rambler. Ben Oglesby (.311 BA) got white hot down the stretch and Brett LaMere (4 HR, 25 RBI) delivered a walk-off home run to lift the Ramblers to victory despite a 23-strikeout game by opposing pitcher Andy Seabrooke of Farley. When he wasn't pitching, Woltkamp provided a steady bat (.325 BA) and plenty of stolen bases (team record 28).

Spain, the MVP of the Rickardsville Tournament, burned host Rickardsville with a 3-for-5 effort in the tournament title game as the Ramblers topped Rickardsville, 8-0. The victory marked win No. 300 for the Ramblers since rejoining the semi-pro circuit in 2004. Over 12 seasons (2004-2015), John Knabel has led the team to an overall record of 318-203-1 (.610). Since the beginning of 2010, Key West is 203-93-1 (.685).

In another key game with Rickardsville, Briggs pummeled a pair of home runs and eight RBIs to fuel a 14-5 victory in the EIHL semifinals. Briggs also drilled a homer to help Key West top Dyersville, 6-2, in the EIHL preseason title game.

The Ramblers have now won 11 tournament championships over the past five seasons (see below). They are back-to-back EIHL postseason champions. They captured Prairie League titles in 2008, 2011 and 2012.

Tournament Titles since 2011
2015: EIHL Postseason, EIHL Preseason, Rickardsville
2014: EIHL Postseason, Farley
2012: Dyersville, Prairie League, Worthington
2011: EIHL Preseason, Farley, Prairie League