KEY POINTS

• The Lake Country DockHounds are Wisconsin’s first professional baseball team, based in Oconomowoc. 
• The owner of the DockHounds is Tom Kelenic, father of the MLB outfielder Jarred Kelenic. 
• The team’s name was dropped on June 10th after hosting a “name-the-team” contest with over 2,700 entries.
• The DockHounds won 5-8 over the Winnipeg Goldeyes in their home debut when the stadium officially opened on May 20, 2022.

The Lake Country DockHounds are a professional baseball team in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The DockHounds play in the American Association of Professional Baseball and are an official Partner League of Major League Baseball, playing their first official season this year. The DockHounds are the first professional sports team in Waukesha County.  

It all started on March 3rd, 2020, when Blue Ribbon Baseball, LLC received approval from Oconomowoc city to build a new stadium and training facility in the Pabst Farms development. They originally planned on joining the Northwoods League in 2021; however, the COVID outbreak stopped the construction of their stadium. This postponement gave the team extra time to research different leagues to join.  

DockHounds Management Team:

• Tom Kelenic (Team owner and the father of the MLB outfielder Jarred Kelenic of the Seattle Mariners)
• Sonny Bando (Sal Bando’s son, who was a former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers)
• Jim Bennett
• Tony Bryant
• Tim Neubert

The DockHounds brought on Dave Nilsson as their bench/hitting coach, Paul Wagner as their pitching coach, and Ed Campaniello as their third base coach. 

We also can’t forget to mention their helpful bat dog, Colt. He is entirely loyal to the DockHounds, only retrieving bats from the team’s dugout. Kate Bucci quickly realized her pooch had a unique talent, carrying objects and fetching! Colt is a celebrity over at the Wisconsin Brewing Company Park. What dog doesn’t love adoration from humans, playing fetch, and spending fun days at the park?

Since we’re already on the subject of good boys, we should also mention the team mascot, Louie B. Sluggin. He’s a sunshine-loving hound that wears a bucket hat, sunglasses, a jersey with the #5 on it, and a fishing bobber hooked on his collar. The five on his jersey represents the number of o’s in Oconomowoc. Louie is sure to scratch your baseball itch and fetch you a game you simply won’t forget!

Depending upon availability, you can even rent Louie to come to your event or functions. Here are the details:

• Appearances of Louie are limited to 60 minutes maximum.
• No fees for non-profit organizations. 
• 75$/hr for for-profit organizations. 
• Requests must be submitted three weeks before your event. 
• Payment must be made before appearances. 
• Additional fees may apply for distances greater than 20 miles from Wisconsin Brewing Company Park. 

How It Played Out 

The team’s name was dropped on June 10th after hosting a “name-the-team” contest with over 2,700 entries. Other potential names that came close to winning were The Bobbers, Krakens, Hoppers, and Paddlers.

There are 59 lakes in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. That being said, these lakes are bustling with water activities, boats, families, children, and (of course) our loyal hounds during the summertime. The “DockHounds” name truly embodies Waukesha and the community that loves it. 

The DockHounds also partnered with the Wisconsin Brewing Company, which offers craft beers and is based in Verona, Wisconsin. Doing so resulted in the stadium being named “Wisconsin Brewing Company Park” and includes a 5-barrel fully-functional brewery operated by the company itself. They plan to test out exciting new products on game-goers before starting production at their primary Verona location. Summer just isn’t summer without baseball, hotdogs, and frosty cold brews! 

The Wisconsin Brewing Company Park opened on May 20, 2022, hosting just under 4,000 fans. The DockHounds began their season against the Milwaukee Milkmen with a 4-8 loss. A few days later, they won 5-8 over the Winnipeg Goldeyes in their home debut when the stadium officially opened. 

The DockHounds don’t just do boring, run-of-the-mill baseball games either. Lake Country has some serious spunk, and they host an array of special events and promotions that guarantee loads of fun for the whole family, such as:

• Barks and Brew Nights (bring your pup and enjoy some brew specials)
• Louie’s Luau Weekend 
• Thank You Tuesdays (dedicated to the nurses, police, military, first responders, etc.)
• Decades Weekend
• Weiner Wednesdays ($2 hotdogs for the first 200 customers)
• Christmas in July
• Thirsty Thursdays (promotional prices on brews, including Louie’s special Walkoff Lager)
• Fairytale Weekend
• Weekend at the Movies
• Louie’s Birthday Bash

In addition to weekly promotions and weekend themes for games, they also offer a kids club, especially for the youth in the community, hosted by University Lake School. It costs $30, it’s open for children between the ages of 3-12, and kids get to enjoy all the fun of the DockHounds games plus five dugout vouchers, a kids club t-shirt, a 10% coupon to the team store, plus more. Learn more about Louie’s Kids Club here. 

The DockHounds Roster 

The DockHounds also have a unique program called “Host A Hound,” where locals can open their doors to players. Households that offer a place for these hounds to stay are helping these players achieve their goals and dreams, as many have traveled internationally to try to make it to the big leagues. 

Hosts are also eligible for great benefits; aside from getting to know a player for the DockHounds, they also receive:

• A full season ticket for immediate family living in the home
• Discount on merchandise
• On-field recognition at DockHounds home games 
• Special opportunity to take batting practice at the park
• Exclusive party hosted for the DockHounds host families

If you are within 20 minutes to the Wisconsin Brewing Company Park, and you are interested in hosting a hound, fill out the form found here. 
If you love baseball, live in or near Lake Country, or are looking for a high-energy, howlin’ good time, check out their 2022 schedule and get your tickets today! Don’t forget to check their weekly promotions and weekend themes.