This week the Vanderbilt Commodores and the University of Virginia Cavaliers met in the 2014 College World Series Championship Series.
Two former Lakeshore players competed in the series. Both John Norwood (Vandy) and Mike Papi (Virginia) played for the Chinooks in 2013.
In the top of the eighth, Norwood hit a solo home run and gave Vandy a 3-2 lead over Virginia. His shot was the difference in game three of the series. The homer ultimately gave the Commodores their first national championship.
During the 2014 season, Mike Papi played mostly first base. He was also listed as an outfielder. Papi batted .307 with 22 extra base hits and scored 55 runs. He drove in 56 runs this year as well.
Papi was drafted 38th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the Competitive-Balance Round A. He is the highest MLB First-Year Player Draft pick in Lakeshore Chinooks history.
For Vandy, the outfielder Norwood had a .298 batting average. He collected 65 hits, including 12 doubles and three home runs. Norwood had 32 RBIs as well.
Vanderbilt defeated Virginia in the first game, 9-8. The Cavaliers bounced back in game two, and defeated the Commodores 7-2. Papi went 1-3, drew two walks and scored twice.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st 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 (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel<http://northwoodsleague.com/video/>. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.
