Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks have reached out to warm weather regions for more pitching help with the additions of Josh Dye (Florida Gulf Coast), Kody Hessemer (Baylor), and Andrew Shaps (Arizona State) to the 2015 roster. While it can be cool on the Lakeshore, the Chinooks hope that all three will provide enough heat on the mound to help make the pitching staff a consistent strength for the team.
Josh Dye is a 6’4 left-hander from Deland, FL who has hit the ground running at Florida Gulf Coast where he teams up with fellow Chinooks pitcher Sterling Koerner and last year’s Kapco Steel Slugger, Jake Noll. Coming off a stellar high school career in which he led Deland High School to the Class 8A Final Four with a 5-1 record and 1.06 ERA, Dye has worked his way into the Eagles’ starting rotation and has already started three games. In 8.2 innings of work, Dye has struck out eight and walked only one while posting a 6.23 ERA. Lakeshore skipper Eddy Morgan is optimistic about Dye’s future. “The Florida Gulf Coast staff is really high on Josh and compares him to some other great pitchers they’ve had. We’re excited to see what he can do,” says Morgan.
Kody Hessemer transferred to the Baylor Bears after pitching at McLennan Community College in Waco, TX for his first two years. The native of Tomball, TX earned first-team All-State honors in 2012 when he went 7-1 with a 1.30 ERA for Concordia Lutheran High School. At MCC, the 6’1 righty was 8-7 in two years with 70 strikeouts in 131 innings and an ERA of 3.10 in 2013 and 3.99 in 2014. Thus far for the Bears in 2015, Hessemer has made seven appearances, pitched 16 innings, and recorded his first win on March 21 against West Virginia. He has struck out eleven hitters and walked only four. “I am excited for the Chinook experience – awesome facilities and great crowds; and I’m eager to gain knowledge from the coaching staff and other D-I players,” said Hessemer.
Andrew Shaps is a 6’1 left-handed pitcher from Chaparral High School in Paradise Valley, AZ who led his high school team to the Arizona State Championship in his junior year. In his senior year he hit .416 and struck out 59 batters with a 1.99 ERA and was named to the 2014 West All-Region First Team. Signed as a pitcher with the tradition-rich Sun Devil program at Arizona State, Shaps has thrown one perfect inning in his college career, striking out the side against Purdue on February 27. Since then, however, Shaps has been given opportunities as a replacement outfielder as the Sun Devil staff assesses his future. Shaps is eager for his summer in Mequon, saying “I heard it’s the perfect place for guys who really want to get better because of the grind of the schedule and for the awesome support for the team.”
Hessemer and Shaps also represent new connections with two of the top conferences in college baseball – Baylor in the Big Twelve and ASU in the Pac Twelve. “These guys come from strong programs in strong conferences and we’re anxious to give them a great summer experience,” says Morgan.
You can catch your first glimpse of the 2015 Chinooks roster on May 28th when Lakeshore takes on the Kenosha Kingfish at 6:35pm. The first 1,000 fans will receive a 2014 championship pennant (courtesy of Port Washington State Bank) and a 2015 magnet schedule (courtesy of Professional Supply). On Opening Day, there will also be a special pre-game championship celebrate. The championship celebration week will continue on Saturday, May 30th with Championship Trophy Gill bobblehead for the first 1,000 fans (courtesy of GS Design).
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing 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 120 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), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.
