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Published On: January 6th, 2017

 

Grafton, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks are proud to announce that Eddy Morgan will return as field manager for the 2017 season. The upcoming 2017 campaign will be Eddy’s fifth as field manager after serving as bench coach under John Vodenlich for the Chinooks’ inaugural season. Morgan is also the head baseball coach for Concordia University Wisconsin.

Morgan’s first year as manager came in 2013, leading Lakeshore to their first playoff appearance after clinching the South Division second half title. The Chinooks 44 wins that year still remain second most in team history.

2014 was an exciting year for Morgan as he was named the Northwoods League Manager of the Year. Eddy helped his team to clinch both the first half and second half division titles. In the South Division series, Lakeshore swept the Wisconsin Woodchucks. They then proceeded to sweep the Mankato MoonDogs in the Summer Collegiate World Series to claim the franchise’s first Northwoods League Championship. Coach Morgan also managed the South Division squad in the annual All-Star Game held at Kapco Park.

Following the championship season, Morgan and the Chinooks finished 2015 with a record 36-36.

Last season, the Chinooks returned to the Northwoods league playoffs. Eddy inspired a late season push with the Chinooks winning 12 of their final 16 regular season games. The 2016 season also featured Northwoods League Pitcher of the Year, Marshall Kasowski, and his league leading 87 strikeouts.

Eddy is currently working hard at finalizing the 2017 roster with the hopes of building on last season’s playoff push and claiming a second Northwoods League title. The rest of the Chinooks coaching staff will be announced in the coming weeks.

Coach Morgan had the following to say about his return to the Chinooks in 2017:

“I am looking forward to another summer at Kapco Park” said Eddy Morgan. “The Chinooks organization as well as Concordia University has given me opportunities and experiences that have allowed me to be a better coach. I have the pleasure of helping extremely talented players become even better. I get to help them navigate what it feels like to play every day and give them a taste of what it takes to play pro baseball. There is a mental aspect to this level of play and I am passionate to help players handle the adversity and challenges that face them throughout the summer.

“Jessica, Isaac, Piper and I all feel that the Chinooks have become part of our family. Although most of the players and staff change every year, the feeling remains the same. When we get to Kapco Park, we are home. Isaac has his place as bat boy in the dugout and takes his role seriously. Piper has grown up in the stands, she was one year old during the first season of the Chinooks. Even after 5 seasons she and Jessica make almost every home game and look forward to visiting with other fans and supporting our Chinooks.”

“We are blessed and humbled to be part of the best organization in the Northwood’s League and we look forward to impacting the young men that we serve this summer. Go Nooks!”

The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Chinooks as your favorite team.