Grafton, WI – The Baylor Bears have gone through a complete rebuild of their baseball program under the direction of former Pepperdine head coach, Steve Rodriguez, who begins his second year in Waco with his sights set on an improved season in the Big 12. Two experienced players for the Bears, Joe Heineman and TJ Raguse (Baylor University), will be added to the Chinooks’ roster at the end of their season.
Joe Heineman made 28 appearances as a reliever for the Bears in 2016 finishing with a 3-3 record and the team’s second lowest ERA (3.48). The right-hander from Southlake, TX transferred to BU after pitching and playing shortstop for Weatherford College during a freshman campaign during which he struck out 43 batters in 33 innings. A highly decorated pitcher for two seasons at Southlake Carroll High School, Heineman earned three varsity letters as a wide receiver and was a member of Carroll’s 2011 state championship team. Heineman is once again coming out of the pen for the Bears this season and will add depth and experience to the Lakeshore staff.
First baseman and outfielder, TJ Raguse made 25 starts as a designated hitter and appeared in 36 games during his freshman season of 2016, despite suffering ligament damage in his knee. Selected as a member of Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, Raguse hit .300 with 27 hits, 19 runs, eight doubles, 1 home run, 18 RBI, and led the team in on-base percentage (.427). Playing mostly in left field this season and despite a slow start at the plate, the Georgetown, TX native is a tough competitor hitting near the top of the Bears’ batting order.
You can catch your first glimpse of the 2017 Chinooks roster on Saturday, June 3rd when Lakeshore takes on the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters at 6:35pm at Kapco Park. Season tickets, mini game packages, and group tickets are all currently on sale. Single game tickets go on sale to the public in early May. For tickets and more information, call 262-618-4659 or visit lakeshorechinooks.com.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Chinooks as your favorite team.