Mequon, WI – With the likes of Robin Yount Award winners Ryan Krill (2014) and Doug Kraeger (2015) manning first base for the Lakeshore Chinooks over the past few seasons, Field Manager Eddy Morgan has been able to count on quality leadership and competitiveness at the position. The Lakeshore Chinooks will look to three experienced players to fill the void in 2016 as Kurtis Brown (Richmond), Matt Johnson (South Dakota State), and Alex Woinski will take on the challenge of facing Northwoods League pitching and providing power to a speedy roster on the fast track at Kapco Park.
Kurtis Brown, who plays first base and is a designated hitter for the Richmond Spiders, is an experienced hitter from Champaign, IL. The 6’0, 211 pound junior was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team as a freshman in 2014 when he started 44 games and hit .246 with two home runs and 21 RBI, but was hampered by injuries during his sophomore campaign. Brown hit .257, along with two more home runs, despite being limited to 26 starts. This season, Brown is off to a solid start, hitting .346 with a .532 slugging percentage and 16 RBI.
Matt Johnson led the South Dakota State Jackrabbits with five home runs and 13 doubles last season and earned the team’s Big Stick Award. The 2014 Summit League Freshman of the Year who hails from Ankeny, IA provides a potent left-handed bat in the middle of the SDSU line-up and should pair up nicely with Brown to provide power in the Chinook line-up. As an All-State player for Ankeny, the powerful Johnson hit .438 with 13 home runs and a slugging percentage of .867 as high school senior. Johnson, who has twelve RBI on five doubles and one home run this season, will join the Chinooks at the end of the SDSU season in the Summit League.
Alex Woinski started quickly in his career for the Lafayette Leopards when he earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honors playing first base in 2014. The Paramus, NJ native posted a .326 batting average with 12 doubles and was named Second Team All-Patriot League, but his numbers dropped off in 2015 when he was moved to the outfield. The 6’1, 220 pounder hit four home runs and was third on the team with 18 runs batted in. After a slow start this season, Woinski has pushed his average to .273 with four doubles and five RBI.
You can catch your first glimpse of the 2016 Chinooks roster on Saturday, June 4th when Lakeshore takes on the Green Bay Bullfrogs at 6:35pm. Season tickets, mini game packages, and group tickets are all currently on sale. Single game tickets go on sale to the public Tuesday, May 3rd at 10:00am. For tickets and more information, call 262-618-4659 or visit lakeshorechinooks.com.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 22-year old summer collegiate 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 140 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com.