Former La Crosse Logger Jordan Pacheco (pictured) is one of many former Northwoods League players having a terrific start to the 2010 minor league season. Pacheco is the starting catcher for the Modesto Nuts, Class A Advanced of the California League, and is has one of the best batting averages in all of Minor League Baseball.
Pacheco, the 2007 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year at the University of New Mexico, was drafted with the 282nd pick by the Colorado Rockies. His ability to hit for average has always been apparent due to his .384 batting average in three season of college ball. His .384 average in 112 official-at-bats for Modesto is a great start towards leading the California League in batting average. He was leading all of the minor leagues with a .414 average just a few days ago.
Pacheco is not the only Northwoods Alum that is having a successful start to their 2010 season. Pitchers Thomas Diamond, Daryl Maday, Charles Shirek, Steven Hensley, Justin Fitzgerald, and Shane Dyer are some that are experiencing early-season success.
Thomas Diamond, a former St. Cloud River Bat, has a 1-0 record and a 1.67 ERA with the Iowa Cubs in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Diamond was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2004 as the 10th overall pick in the draft. Daryl Maday, a one-time Madison Mallard pitcher in 2004, is currently 6-0 for the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League. Maday was recently named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.
Charles Shirek, a 2005-06 Duluth Huskie, and Justin Fitzgerald, a 2007 Wisconsin Woodchuck, both have sub 1.20 ERA’s. Shirek is pitching for the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, and is currently 2-0 in 38 innings pitched. Fitzgerald is 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA while pitching for the San Jose Giants of the California League.
These former Northwoods Alums have all experienced accomplishments at the collegiate level and are continuing success at the professional level. The remaining 100 plus baseball games in 2010 will be opportunities for these former Northwoods players to continue to impress their organizations along the path to the big leagues.
