A look at how Lakeshore Chinooks alumni performed throughout baseball in 2017!

Andrew Stevenson– Lakeshore Chinooks, 2013

Washington Nationals

Grafton, WI – Not long after Zack Granite debuted with the Twins, Andrew Stevenson of the Triple A Syracuse Chiefs realized his professional dream when the Washington Nationals promoted the former Chinook and LSU Tiger outfielder and flew him to meet the team in Arizona  for their July 23rd game with the Diamondbacks.  Lakeshore’s Kapco Steel Slugger award winner in 2013 was a second round draft pick by the Nationals in 2015 and made steady progress through their system as he hit .308 at three lower levels in 2015 and then .276 for Potomac (Adv.-A) and Harrisburg (AA) in 2016.  Stevenson was selected to the Carolina League All-Star game and was tabbed as an Organization All-Star for the Nationals base on his solid overall play.  An aggressive defender in the outfield and a hustler on the base paths, Stevenson was also selected to play in the 2016 Arizona Fall League (AFL).  Selection to play in the prestigious league is a good sign for any young player and Stevenson made the most of the experience with a .353 batting average, second highest in the league.

Named to the AFL’s All-Prospect team, Stevenson was invited to attend the National’s 2017 Major League Spring Training camp for his first taste of major league instruction.  Though he showed well in the spring, Stevenson began the season in AA Harrisburg where he was quickly promoted to Syracuse after hitting .350 in 20 games.  Toiling for the Chiefs for the first half of the season, Stevenson was selected to the International All-Star game after hitting .252 with 26 RBI.  With the Nationals in playoff contention for most of the summer, Stevenson was called up to the majors after a rash of injuries depleted the big league club’s outfield and was thrust into playing every day.  He struggled in his first stint with the club, slashing .167/.245/.208 in 29 games, before being optioned back to Syracuse when Jayson Werth activated from the disabled list.

Stevenson wrapped up the Triple A season with a .272 average, 38 RBI, and 11 stolen bases and showed enough value that he was recalled to the Nationals twice over the final month of the season.  Stevenson gained valuable experience during the National’s playoff chase as a late-inning replacement and pinch runner.  With a taste of the big leagues, Stevenson will eye a return to Washington in 2018.

The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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 185 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR).  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.