Grafton, WI – The last few weeks, the Chinooks have been unveiling the Top 10 Moments of 2015! Here is a recap of those exciting moments that made up this years' list:
#10: Minions Take Over Kapco Park
On the same day of the release of the hit film, Minions, a few local Minions took over Kapco Park on July 10th. The Minions mixed and mingled with Chinooks fans and made the ballpark their very own playground. Almost 2,200 fans found Minion Night to be one of the most popular promotions in 2015!
#9: Wild Win in La Crosse
On July 12th, Chinooks fell behind 5-0 against the Loggers. In the 4th, Chinooks took the lead before allowing La Crosse to retake the lead. In the top of the 8th, Lakeshore tied the game once again but lost the lead yet again in the bottom of the 8th.
In the top of the 9th, Doug Kraeger hit a solo HR to tie the game. After making a game saving defensive plan in the bottom of the 9th, Eric Fasnacht drove in the game winning run in the 10th.
#8: Walk Off Walk
The Chinooks won in rare form on July 25th when Mark Kolozsvary walked with the bases loaded to score Anthony Massicci for the win in the 10th Inning.
#7: Championship Ring Giveaway
After claiming the Northwoods League Championship in 2014, the Chinooks wanted to do a special giveaway for it's fans. On June 5th, fans were given a replica Championship Ring which became one of the most popular giveaways yet.
#6: Bachar Gets All-Star Win
Chinooks Pitcher of the Year Lake Bachar appeared in one inning of action at the Northwoods League All-Star Game in Wisconsin Rapids. He gave up no hits and struck out one batter and was awarded the win for the South Division All-Stars!
#5: Kasowski Goes The Distance
On July 2nd, Marshall Kasowski was named Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night for his performance against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Marshall went 8 innings and gave up only 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 11 batters!
#4: Raley Claims Chinooks Hitting Record
On August 5th, Lucas Raley collected his 78th hit to set a new Chinooks record, most hits in a single season. Raley would later be named the team's MVP for 2015.
#3: 3rd Largest Crowd in Kapco Park History
On July 25th, Kapco Park had it's biggest crowd since 2012. 2,389 packed the stadium for the third largest crowd ever. Chinooks fans were joined by a number of dogs as well for our annual Bark in the Park Night!
#2: Romano's Outstanding Catch
On June 14th, Chinooks CF Jake Romano made a diving catch which will go down as one of the best defensive plays in Kapco Park history.
#1: Raley's 4 HR Game
On July 4th in Kalamazoo, Chinooks MVP Lucas Raley knocked out not one, not two, not three, but four home runs in one game. Raley's 4 HR set a new Northwoods League record for Most Home Runs in a Single Game. The game was also only 7 innings long as part of a double header!
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 22-year old summer collegiate 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 140 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (KC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com.
