Kalamazoo, MI – The college baseball season is just weeks away which means preseason rankings, predictions and accolades are being announced. The National College Baseball Writers Association has named their preseason All-American teams and a Growler has received honors. 2021 Growler Jake Gelof has been named an ACC First Team All-American as he enters his Junior year at the University of Virginia.
The third baseman set a UVA record last season with a school record of 81 RBI, no one in school history had ever eclipsed the 80 RBI mark. Gelof also set a UVA record with 5 multi-homer games with five, helping him to a 21 home run season (second most all-time at UVA). Jake finsihed his Growler career with .370 BA | 5 HR | 21 RBI in just 32 games.
Gelof is widely regarded as a top prospect for the upcoming MLB Draft. He could soon join his brother and former Growler Zack Gelof in professional baseball.
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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 29th season, 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, 300 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.growlersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.