A look at how Lakeshore Chinook alumni performed throughout baseball in 2017!
Last summer, nine former Chinooks began personal journeys into professional baseball. Here’s a look at three more former Chinooks in their rookie seasons during 2017:
Mark Kolozsvary – Lakeshore Chinooks 2015
Cincinnati Reds
Dependable catchers are often a hot commodity for major league franchises. After a junior season in which Kolozsvary hit .276 for the National Champion Florida Gators, the highly skilled backstop was selected in the 7th Round by Cincinnati. After the Gators’ exciting march to Omaha, “Kolo” signed in July and was assigned to the Red’s Rookie team, the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League. In 28 games, Kolo hit .305 with 15 RBI and was a dependable catcher behind the plate. With a national championship under his belt, Kolozsvary will look to make his mark in 2018.
Shea Murray – Lakeshore Chinooks 2015
Pittsburgh Pirates
After a short tenure with the Chinooks in 2015 and being a 39th round draftee that year, Shea Murray returned to pitch at Ohio State. The erratic, but powerful right-handed pitcher was a unique selection in the 18th round of the 2017 MLB Draft when Pittsburgh selected him after a second red-shirt season. Murray had moved to the outfield for the Buckeyes and opened eyes with a .252 batting average and superior athleticism in the field, however, Murray was announced as a pitcher when the Pirates made the selection and is said to have hit 99 mph on the radar gun in bullpen sessions thrown after the season. Despite that promise, Murray did not see action for the Pirates’ Gulf Coast Rookie League team and spent most of 2017 on the disabled list. After a erratic and rocky college career, Murray will look for consistency and improved health to make the most of his electric arm.
Greg Deichmann – Lakeshore Chinooks 2015
Oakland Athletics
As one of the most talented players to ever call Kapco Park home, LSU’s Greg Deichmann had a phenomenal year in 2017 as he was named first team All-American and helped lead the Tigers to a runner-up finish in the 2017 College World Series. As the second highest Chinook player ever drafted (43rd pick /2nd Round), Deichmann signed with the A’s and reported to the Class A Vermont Lake Monsters in early July. Now playing as an outfielder, Deichmann hit .274 in 46 games and displayed power with eight home runs, four triples, ten doubles, and 30 RBI. With expectations high for 2018, Deichmann will look to rise quickly in the A’s system.
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.
