163 Current and Former Northwoods League Players Selected overall
Rochester, Minn. – The 2018 Major League First-Year Player Draft was held June 4 through June 6 and a total of 163 current Northwoods League players and alumni were selected in this year’s draft. The Eau Claire Express had 15 former players selected during the draft.
| Player | College | Year with Express | MLB Team | Round, Pick |
| Aaron Shortridge | California | 2016, 2017 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 4, 114 |
| Alex McKenna | Cal Poly | 2016 | Houston Astros | 4, 132 |
| Steven Wilson | Santa Clara | 2014 | San Diego Padres | 8, 231 |
| Matthew Duce | Dallas Baptist | 2017 | St. Louis Cardinals | 9, 273 |
| Christian Tripp | New Mexico | 2016 | New York Mets | 13, 380 |
| Ty Greene | California | 2017 | Chicago White Sox | 16, 468 |
| Lane Milligan | Oklahoma City U | 2014 | Boston Red Sox | 17, 520 |
| Justin Evans | Columbus State | 2017 | Miami Marlins | 19, 567 |
| Austin Schulfer | Milwaukee | 2015, 2016 | Minnesota Twins | 19, 574 |
| Dalton Roach | MN State Mankato | 2014-2017 | Houston Astros | 21, 642 |
| Bryce Hensley | UNC Greensboro | 2015, 2016 | Kansas City Royals | 22, 662 |
| Lane Ramsey | Oklahoma | 2017 | Chicago White Sox | 23, 678 |
| Kyle Marinconz | Cal Poly | 2016, 2017 | Washington Nationals | 24, 731 |
| Ted Cillis | Hofstra | 2015 | Kansas City Royals | 33, 992 |
| Joe Gillette | Menlo College | 2015 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 36, 1089 |
“The highly developed and road-tested players from the Northwoods League were once again recognized and well-represented in the MLB draft this year,” said Northwoods League President Gary Hoover.” “The combination of the Northwoods League model, our terrific Affiliate Club operators, and our great fans provides the best preparatory environment available for players seeking excellence.”
The highest pick in this year’s draft was Nico Hoerner, a junior shortstop from Stanford. Hoerner was picked in the 1st round by the Chicago Cubs with the 24th overall pick. Hoerner played for the Madison Mallards in 2016.
Of the 163 players drafted 40 of them had played in the Northwoods League Major League Dreams Showcase. The Major League Dreams Showcase brings together 100 of the Northwoods League’s top prospects to form four teams for a day of scouting workouts and double-header action. Played in front of Major League scouts, the Showcase provides an invaluable platform for players looking to one day make it into the professional ranks. Participating players are hand-selected by a panel of MLB scouts, distinguishing this event from the more traditional All-Star Game format that features representatives from every team. This year’s Major League Dreams Showcase will take place on August 7th in Madison.
The Lakeshore Chinooks had a league high, 16 players drafted this year. The highest pick for the Chinooks came in the 3rd round, when shortstop Owen Miller from Illinois State was taken by the San Diego Padres. The Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros had the most selections of Northwoods League players as they each selected nine. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and the Seattle Mariners each selected seven Northwoods League players.
The full list of 2018 NWL draftees can be found by going to www.northwoodsleague.com and clicking the about NWL link at the top of the page and then select Draft Results.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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 190 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 (TOR). 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.