The Auger Dogger is being added to the food menu at Fifth Third Ballpark this year. (Photo courtesy of the West Michigan Whitecaps)

The Auger Dogger — a deep-fried hot dog on a stick, wrapped in spiral potato chips — is the winner of the West Michigan Whitecaps’ 5th annual food contest.

The food item is being added to the Fifth Third Ballpark menu after garnering 36 percent of votes in an online contest. It will be available at the Sweet Meats Smokehouse concession stand along the third base line (the same place where fans can get the famous Fifth Third Burger).

Several other notable food items and five new beers are also being added to the menu, the Whitecaps announced.

The 2014 Fifth Third Ballpark menu will include several other new food items:

1. Pretzilla Bacon Cheeseburger (a pretzel bun with a one-third pound hamburger patty, bacon and cheese), served at the first-base and third-base large concessions stands.
2. Coaches’ Sandwich – In honor of the three Whitecaps coaches, who hail from Australia (Andrew Graham), Texas (Mike Henneman) and Cuba (Nelson Santovenia), this sandwich includes two slices of ham, Hormel barbeque pulled pork, pickle shreddies, Swiss cheese and shrimp served on a sub bun. It will be available at the Gyro Cart behind home plate.
3. Tony Gates Venison Burger – Named after the 97 WLAV local radio personality who is passionate about the outdoors and is an avid hunter, this venison burger on a bun and will be served at the Steak Cart behind home plate.
4. Ice Box Brand Ice Cream Bars – Hand-made in West Michigan, these premium bars come in two flavors: Belly Full of Hoppiness (buttery pretzel crust topped with ice cream made with locally brewed Oatmeal Stout, dipped in semi-sweet chocolate and topped with dry-roasted peanuts) and Caramel Cashewlicious (gooey bed of pretzels and caramel hidden under locally-made vanilla ice cream, blanketed in milk chocolate, topped with cashews). They will be served at the large concession stands and the ice cream carts on the concourse.
5. Strawberry Chills – Served at the large concessions stands and the ice cream carts.

Five new beers will join the beverage lineup, including Founders All Day IPA and Founders Centennial (both located at the concourse beer portable stands), Blue Moon and Killian’s (located in the main concessions stands) and Angry Orchard (cans only; located in the suites, home plate portable stand and at the grill areas). Once again this season, a beer station containing Michigan craft brews will be located on the third-base concourse.

There also is now a second food challenge, in addition to the Fifth Third Burger challenge.

A second food challenge awaits those who dare to tackle 10 of Fifth Third Ballpark’s unique and popular food items, including the Auger Dogger, Baco, Tony Gates Venison Burger, Fifth Third Burger, Coaches’ Sandwich, Pretzilla Burger, Foot-Long Corn Dog, Stehouwer Steak Sandwich, Deep Fried Mac’n Cheese and Megaphone Ice Cream (not all required during the same game). The Food Decathlon finishers will earn a T-shirt featuring a gold medal and the proclamation of Food Decathlon Champion. To participate in this season-long challenge, fans can go to the Michigan Paving Customer Service Center to get a decathlon card and present it to the cashier for a stamp when ordering each of the 10 items. Then when complete, the card can be turned back in to the Michigan Paving Customer Service Center for the Food Decathlon Champion shirt.

I’ll be interested to know how many people take on the Food Decathlon challenge this season.