Chernow was the best fielding 2nd baseman in the NWL!
2019 Lark, Jack Chernow, was recognized as one of the nine Rawlings ‘Finest in the Field’ Award recipients in 2019. The annual award recognizes the top fielders at each position. The winners are selected based on final fielding statistics compiled by league statistician Pointstreak.
Chernow was not just a great fielder, he batted a solid .267 average with 58 hits, 40 runs, 1 home run, 19 RBI, and 11 stolen bases over 62 games with the Larks in 2019. He was awarded for his play at second base, but he made highlight reel plays from several positions for the Larks. Chernow is currently a junior at Columbia University, studying psychology.
Rawlings has been rewarding the top defenders in the Northwoods League since 2002. The recipients receive a special Rawlings engraved trophy. Rawlings is the official equipment provider for the Northwoods League. To qualify for an award a player needs to appear in at least two-thirds of the scheduled games at a specific position, with the exception of catcher, which is half. For pitchers, the player that had the highest total defensive chances without committing an error earns the number one spot.
The 2019 Rawlings ‘Finest in the Field’ Award recipients and their fielding percentages are below.
| Position | Player | NWL Team | College | Fielding Percentage |
| C | Jake Dunham | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | Northern Illinois | .997 |
| 1B | Sam Kohnle | Eau Claire Express | Winona State | .997 |
| 2B | Jack Chernow | Bismarck Larks | Columbia | .969 |
| 3B | Jacob Buchberger | Green Bay Booyah | Davenport | .965 |
| SS | Nick Novak | Mankato MoonDogs | Angelo State | .983 |
| OF | Brandon Seltzer | Wisconsin Woodchucks | Palm Beach Atlantic | 1.000 |
| OF | Peter Matt | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | Pennsylvania | 1.000 |
| OF | Richie Schiekofer | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | Rutgers | 1.000 |
| P | Garret Rukes | Willmar Stingers | Alabama | 1.000 |
The Bismarck Larks are a proud affiliate of the Northwoods League, the proven leader in development of elite college baseball players. The Larks mission is to use FUN to make a difference in the lives of our families, businesses, players, and communities we serve. This is accomplished with a commitment to putting fans first and providing high quality family entertainment at affordable prices. In 2019, the Larks sold out 97% of all home game tickets at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field. The Larks were named Northwoods Organization of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 25-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
