The Lakeshore Chinooks will have seven representatives at the 2014 Northwoods League Big League Dreams Showcase. Pitchers Andrew Elliott, Will Headean, Connor Jones and Jake Tuttle were chosen, as well as infielders Blake Butler and Mitch Ghelfi and outfielder Brett Siddall.
The 2nd annual Big League Dreams Showcase will take place at Warner Park in Madison, Wisconsin on Tuesday, August 5. It will feature a double-header of North Division versus South Division teams. Selected players were chosen by a panel of Major League Baseball scouts. Before the games, the players will participate in workouts in front of the scouts.
Lakeshore’s players will compete in the first game, which is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. The second will take place at 7:35 p.m.
Right-handed closer Andrew Elliott (Wright State) will represent the Chinooks. In 17 appearances, he a 2-0 record with a 0.79 ERA. The all-star has given up seven hits and has 35 strikeouts to only three walks. Elliott has also recorded 11 saves.
UW-Milwaukee product Jake Tuttle has had an impressive season for Lakeshore. Through 15 appearances and 21.1 innings pitched, he has not allowed a run. Tuttle has surrendered five hits, struck out 20 and walked 10. The lefty has one win and one save.
Outfielder Brett Siddall (Canisius) is twelfth in batting in the Northwoods. In 45 games, he has a .338 (48-142) batting average. He has knocked in 38 runs and scored 29 times.
He was the 2014 Northwoods League (NWL) All-Star Game Home-Run Derby individual champion. Siddall has also been awarded the NWL Player of the Night three times this season.
Fellow all-star Blake Butler will join his teammates as well. After 30 games, he is batting .306 (38-124). He has sixteen extra base hits, including five homers. Butler has collected 23 RBI and also scored 21 runs.
After 15 games, Georgia Bulldog Connor Jones is 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA. In 26.2 innings pitched, he has given up 16 hits. The southpaw has 32 strikeouts and two saves as well.
Catcher Mitch Ghelfi of UW-Milwaukee was chosen too. Through 30 games, he has a .262 (27-103) batting average. The switch-hitter has two home runs on the year. Ghelfi has scored 15 times and driven in 13 runs.
Lastly, Will Headean completes the list of Chinooks selected. The tall left-hander comes from Illinois State University. Through five games (four starts), he has 1-1 record with a 4.71 ERA. In 21 innings, he has struck out 19 and walked 9.
Complete roster can be found here: 2014 Northwoods League Big League Dreams Rosters
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel<http://northwoodsleague.com/video/>. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.
