2017 Top Defenders Rewarded for Best Fielding Percentages
Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League has announced the recipients of the 2017 Rawlings ‘Finest in the Field’ Award. The annual award recognizes the top fielders at each position. The winners are selected based on final fielding statistics compiled by league statistician Pointstreak. The 2017 Rawlings ‘Finest in the Field’ Award recipients and their fielding percentages are below.
| Position | Player | NWL Team | College | Fielding Percentage |
| C | David Noworyta | Rochester Honkers | Hawaii | .996 |
| 1B | Kyle Hubbuch | Duluth Huskies | North Alabama | .994 |
| 2B | Matthew Tarantino | St. Cloud Rox | University of the Pacific | .985 |
| 3B | David Villar | La Crosse Loggers | South Florida | .946 |
| SS | Justin Evans | Eau Claire Express | Columbus State | .943 |
| OF | Cody Hawken | Battle Creek Bombers | University of Portland | 1.000 |
| OF | Zach Ashford | Eau Claire Express | Fresno State | 1.000 |
| OF | Mason Mamarella | St. Cloud Rox | Kent State | 1.000 |
| OF | Drake Lubin | Lakeshore Chinooks | Eastern Michigan | 1.000 |
| P | Cameron Busby | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters | Belmont Abbey | 1.000 |
Rawlings has been rewarding the top defenders in the Northwoods League since 2002. The recipients receive a special Rawlings engraved trophy. Rawlings is the official equipment provider for the Northwoods League. To qualify for an award a player needs to appear in at least two-thirds of the scheduled games at a specific position, with the exception of catcher which is half. For pitchers, the player that had the highest total defensive chances without committing an error earns the number one spot.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 24-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 180 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 (LAD) and Lucas Duda (TBR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.