Grafton, WI – Three familiar faces will be returning to the Lakeshore Chinooks for 2019 as Joe Gahm (Ohio State), Connor Kimple (South Mountain CC), and Brandon Komar (Madison College) have signed up for another season.
Joe Gahm (RHP/JR) made 15 appearances for the Chinooks in 2018 after his collegiate season pitching for Chattanooga Valley Community College in Alabama. The Germantown High School product and former Auburn signee posted a 2.27 ERA with 3 saves in 27 innings as he also spent the summer selecting a new school. Gahm settled on Ohio State, where he has settled into the Buckeye bullpen in his junior season for 2019.
Connor Kimple (OF/SO) will return for a third season in the Chinooks’ outfield as the Marquette University High School alum continues to make steady improvement. In two stints with the club last season, Kimple hit .265 in 39 games, knocking 19 RBI along with nine doubles and a triple. With steady improvement as a fielder as well, Kimple will finish his second season at South Mountain Community College in Arizona, where he is off a hot start hitting .372 with 26 RBI in his first 21 games before heading home to Lakeshore. After the summer, Kimple has committed to play at Division I Louisiana-Lafayette.
Elkhorn, WI product Brandon Komar (RHP/SO) came on strong during the second half of the 2018 summer as the right-hander earned a spot in the NWL’s Major League Dreams Showcase in August. Komar made 17 appearances, including four starts for the ‘Nooks with a 6.50 ERA in 37.1 innings. This season, Komar will battle as one of Madison College’s top pitching prospects with his eyes set on making a college commitment in the spring.
The 2019 season is presented by Port Washington State Bank with the home opener set for May 30th at 6:35pm against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Season and group tickets are currently on sale with single game tickets available for purchase on April 27.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). 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.