Mequon, WI – Always in need of quality arms for the long Northwoods League season, the Lakeshore Chinooks looked southeast to sign two important relievers in Keenan Bartlett (Richmond) and Michael Evans (James Madison) and a potential starter in Brandon Baker (Georgia State) who sat out this spring after transferring from Missouri.
Keenan Bartlett, a 6’0 sophomore from Phoenix, AZ, spent his freshman season as a two-way player for the Spiders, making 23 appearances in the field and 14 appearances on the mound as a relief pitcher. An impressive athlete in high school, Bartlett was tabbed as the Atlantic Ten’s Top Impact Freshman by DI Baseball. This season, he has spent more time on the mound, debuting as a closer and more recently pitching as a starter. Making 11 appearances, including five starts, Bartlett has pitched 37 innings and posted a 5.59 ERA with two saves and 28 strikeouts. Earlier in the season, Bartlett made nine starts on the infield and hit .306.
Michael Evans is a strong, left-handed reliever who has made his mark saving and closing games for the Dukes of James Madison. Evans led the staff in appearances (26) as a freshman in 2014 and then led JMU in 2015 in saves (4), innings pitched (36.2), and ERA (3.68). This season, the Engineering major from Falls Church, VA has been strong in relief again, posting a 3.71 ERA in 19 appearances. In his 26.2 innings of work, Evans has struck out 21 and walked only eight. Working as set-up man or a closer, Evans has three saves on the season and should contribute on the back end of Eddy Morgan’s bullpen.
Brandon Baker looks to get valuable experience in the Northwoods and will come in early in the season hoping to grab a spot in the starting rotation. The 6’0 lefty sat out this spring after his transfer from Missouri where, despite being the Georgia High School Class AAAA player of the year in 2013 after leading Redan high school to the state title, he saw limited action in four games for the Tigers. As a red-shirt, Baker will be available to pitch immediately for the opening week of the season.
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.
