La Crosse, Wis. – One week after announcing that their entire coaching staff will be returning for the 2016 season, the La Crosse Loggers front office announced today that their shortstop, and reigning 2015 Northwoods League MVP, Mason McCoy (University of Iowa) will also be returning next summer.
McCoy put on one of the greatest single season performances in NWL history this past summer en route to earning the first League MVP distinction in Loggers history. Fresh off of an all-American junior college career at Illinois Central College, McCoy started the 2015 season on a temporary contract that eventually turned into a full contract, a mid-season NWL All-Star selection, an invite to the NWL Showcase and eventually the MVP award. The Washington, Ill. native led the Loggers in nearly every offensive category including games played (71), at-bats (305), batting average (.367), runs scored (80), hits (112), doubles (21), triples (4), home runs (9) and total bases (168). The 71 games played, 305 at-bats, 80 runs scored, 112 hits, 21 doubles and 168 total bases were all new Loggers single season marks. The 80 runs scored, 112 hits and 168 total bases were also new NWL single season records. The previous hits mark of 107 had stood since 1995 before McCoy totaled 112 this past summer. McCoy’s .367 batting average also earned him the NWL batting title, making him the third Logger ever to take that crown (Rob Brantly, .347, 2009 & Andrew Knapp, .400, 2011).
Having competed the previous two seasons at Illinois Central Community College, McCoy is now enrolled at the University of Iowa preparing for his junior season for a Hawkeye program that is coming off a 2015 season that saw them win 41 games and advance to a NCAA Regional. The Hawkeyes ended the 2015 season ranked in the top 25 (20th by Collegiate Baseball, 25th by Baseball America) for the first time in school history.
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Preparing for its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (KC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com.
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