Mequon, WI – Considered by many experts to be the dominant conference in college baseball, the Southeastern Conference has been fertile grounds for many Northwoods League teams and will once again provide two important players for the Lakeshore Chinooks. Florida Gator pitcher Nick Horvath and LSU Tiger infielder O’Neal Lochridge will head to Lakeshore after probable NCAA Tournament runs for both schools in 2016.
Nick Horvath transferred to Florida after playing his freshman season at Santa Fe College where he started in center field and made five relief appearances on the mound in 2015. A second team All-State selection at Palm Beach Gardens High School, the 5’11 sophomore from Jupiter, FL has found playing time for the highly-ranked Gators, who appear to be heading toward a tremendous finish in SEC play. Horvath has recorded one win and one save in ten relief appearances with an ERA of 2.57, striking out five and walking four. In addition, the versatile Horvath has frequently been used as a late-inning replacement in the outfield.
O’Neal Lochridge, a freshman infielder for the LSU Tigers, led St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, LA to back-to-back Class 4A State championships and led his team in almost every offensive statistical category. As a high school senior, Lochridge was named the Most Outstanding Player in Louisiana’s Class 4A after hitting .458 with 12 home runs, 53 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. In his freshman season, Lochridge has played in 27 games with a .229 batting average, a .486 slugging percentage, and a .318 on-base average. He has also knocked in ten runs and belted two home runs. Once LSU’s season has concluded, Lochridge will add depth to the left side of Eddy Morgan’s infield.
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.