LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Rockford Rivets’ top hitter will return to the Northwoods League this season.
The Rivets announced Friday that University of Illinois-Chicago junior David Cronin will be back in the Rockford lineup. Last season, the second baseman hit .316, the highest batting average among Rivets with enough at-bats to qualify for the league batting title. Cronin hit three home runs with 30 RBI. His 27 steals in 32 attempts was third-most in the league.
“We are extremely excited to have David back in 2017,” Rivets manager Brian Smith said. “David is one of the hardest workers, if not the hardest worker, in the league. Bringing back a player like David is naturally a huge benefit for us as an organization.”
Last spring, Cronin hit .360 for UIC and had team highs with 80 hits and 16 steals. He had a 13-game hitting streak and a 25-game on-base streak. Cronin was named a second-team All-Region player by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
The Rivets’ season begins May 30 at Kalamazoo. The home opener is at 6:35 p.m. June 2 against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. The Rivets are offering a $50 four-game pack that includes a replica Rivets jersey, tickets to four select games and all-you-can-eat food (burgers, brats, hot dogs, grilled chicken, popcorn and fountain soda) for the following dates: Friday, June 2; Saturday, June 24; Friday, July 14; Friday, July 28. The four-pack can be purchased only by calling the Rivets at 815.240.4159 or in person at the Rivets Stadium box office. There are a limited number of jerseys available, so don’t wait to order this four-pack.
The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 24th season of summer collegiate baseball in 2017. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals), two-time World Champion Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets) and Lucas Duda (Mets). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com.
