Marshall Kasowski – Tulsa Drillers
Since the team’s founding in 2012, the Lakeshore Chinooks have produced 82 MLB Draft picks or free agent signings. Eight former Chinooks moved on through the draft in 2017, with only one to not survive the first two years of minor league ball. Here is a recap of three of those individuals and where each currently stands heading into 2019:
Greg Deichmann/OF/LSU/Lakeshore 2015/2017 OAK A’s – 2nd Round
The A’s took Deichmann in the second round of the 2017 draft out of LSU for his power potential, but Deichmann had a rough offensive season in 2018. Oakland’s No. 13 prospect suffered a wrist injury in late April and didn’t return to the Stockton lineup until July 28. Though he flashed five-tool potential with the Chinooks and throughout his career at LSU, Deichmann will need to heal up and improve upon his 2018 numbers for the Advanced A Stockton Ports of a .199 batting average with six home runs and 21 RBI while striking out 63 times in 166 at-bats.
Colby Fitch/C/Louisville/Lakeshore 2015/2017 PHI Phillies – 13th Round
The former Louisville catcher spent his entire second season of professional ball in New Jersey with the Class A Lakewood Blue Claws where he battled through injuries during the first part of the season to hit .236 in 77 games. He also hit five home runs and knocked 28 RBI.
Marshall Kasowski/P/Houston/Lakeshore 2015-2016/2017 LA Dodgers – 13th Round
After recovering from a serious car accident and earning Northwood League Pitcher of the Year for the Chinooks in 2016, Kasowski has continued to rise within the Dodgers’ farm system. In 2018, Kasowski jumped through 15 games with the Class A Midland Loons and 16 games with the Advanced A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to finish the year with ten appearances at AA Tulsa before an injury limited the end of his season with the Drillers. His combined line through all three levels was a stellar 2.09 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 61.2 innings against only 35 walks. With a busy offseason, including a marriage, Marshall seems poised to make another leap. While likely to begin the season in Tulsa, it would not be surprising to see him get a call-up, especially if his 95 mph fastball continues to improve.
To follow the progress of any of the Lakeshore alums who are playing professional baseball, click on the Alumni tab under the Team section at the top of this page. Click on a specific player’s name to open a link to view their MiLB bio page.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 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.
