Five Lakeshore Chinooks players have been selected to the 2013 Northwoods League All-Star game on July 23rd in Eau Claire. On July 12th the 16 man roster was announced for the South Division that included Mike Hollenbeck (Illinois State), Ryan Krill (MSU), Sawyer Polen (Kent State), Tyler Thicke (UWM), and Kyle Bouman (St. Louis). Catcher Mike Hollenbeck stated, “It’s a real honor to be honest with you. When you come here, the first goal is to get a championship and second goal is to be an all-star.” The Chinooks along with the Madison Mallards and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters have tied for the most selections in the South Division at five. Sawyer Polen, who is the Chinooks reliable shortstop stated, “It’s a great honor to be an all-star, especially being my first year in the league. I’ve seen a lot of great talent out here; it’s a very good honor for not only me but my team as well.” Below are the five players that will represent the Chinooks and their numbers as of July 15th.
Mike Hollenbeck Illinois State Catcher
Hollenbeck has appeared in 35 games for the Chinooks this season with a majority of them behind the plate. He is batting .315 knocking in 16 RBI’s with 41 hits (8 doubles and 1 home run). The Illinois State junior has called the shots for Lakeshore’s strong pitching staff and continues to make it hard for opponents to steal bases.
Ryan Krill Michigan State 1st Base
Krill has appeared in 43 games for the Chinooks this season. The 6-5 lefty has a .282 average with a team leading 33 RBI’s on 42 hits (9 doubles and 6 home runs). Krill continues to be a threat at the plate along with being an outstanding 1st baseman.
Sawyer Polen Kent State SS
Polen has appeared in a league leading 46 games for the Chinooks this season. He is hitting .246 on the year with 42 hits (8 doubles and 2 home runs) with 17 RBI’s and forcing 27 walks. The Kent State sophomore uses his speed on the base paths stealing 13 bases and continues to help the Chinooks at the top half of the order. He is also recognized as one of the best infielders in the league.
Tyler Thicke UW-Milwaukee LHP
Thicke has appeared in 9 games for the Chinooks starting 7. He has a 3-2 record, striking out 31 with a 2.31 ERA. Thicke was named Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night twice. The first night on June 11th he went 6 innings allowing no runs on three hits and striking out 4. On July 8th he went 7.1 innings giving up one run on four hits and striking out 5 batters.
Kyle Bouman St. Louis LHP
The lefty has a 4-0 record in seven appearances for the Chinooks this season. Bouman’s first start he threw 8 no-hit innings making him Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night. He has pitched 43.2 innings striking out 32 with a 1.65 ERA.
Along with the game, the weekend is full of other festivities including a banquet, fan fest that will give fans a chance to meet the all-stars and a Home Run Derby with fireworks concluding the night.
