Five Chinooks players who played for Lakeshore in 2013 have made Baseball America’s annual top prospects list for the Northwoods League. At the end of each summer, Baseball America ranks the top prospects from each summer collegiate league. Eric Hanhold was ranked as the second best prospect in the entire Northwoods League with Chinooks teammate Mike Papi ranked right behind him at number 3. Also making the list was Alex Young at number 6, Mitchell Sewald at number 18, and Donnie Hissa coming in at number 22. Below is a better look at each player and how they fared this past season with the Chinooks:
Eric Hanhold (Florida): Hanhold was a part of the Chinooks starting rotation for the season and was depended on quite a bit after the team lost part of their starting rotation due to injury. The right-handed pitcher was 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He started for the Chinooks on six occasions and made three relief appearances for a total of forty innings of work this past summer. Eric had 27 strikeouts over the season and earned a save during one of his relief appearances.
Mike Papi (Virginia): Papi was a late arrival after a tryout with Team USA. Mike was a utility player as he was able to play a number of positions including first base and the outfield. He ended his Chinooks season with a .313 batting average with 40 hits, 28 runs, 2 HR’s, and 19 RBI’s. Papi was also walked 36 times during the course of the season.
Alex Young (TCU): Young’s time in Lakeshore was cut short due to an injury in June but made an impact during his time with the Chinooks. The left-handed pitcher started three times for the Chinooks, in which each start ended in a no decision. He left the team with a 2.32 ERA. One of Alex’s most impressive stats was his 21 strikeouts over the course of 19 innings pitched. Young made one relief appearance as well.
Mitchell Sewald (LSU): The freshman was the Chinooks best arm out of the bullpen and was the team’s go-to guy for save situations. Sewald made 20 appearances over the course of the season and record 7 saves on the year. He end with a 2.41 ERA. The 6’6 freshman ended with 30 strikeouts over 41 innings pitched.
Donnie Hissa (Notre Dame): Hissa began the season as a relief pitcher with the Chinooks but later wanted to take on the role of a starter. Donnie ended the season with a 6-3 record and a 3.81 ERA. He made seven starts for Lakeshore and nine relief appearances. Hissa recorded 52 strikeouts over the course of 56 innings pitched.
The top prospect from the Northwoods League was Colin Poche (Arkansas), a left-handed pitcher who played for the Willmar Stingers in the North Division this past season. The Northwoods League was ranked the second best summer collegiate league in the nation behind the Cape Code League.
Baseball America is a magazine published biweekly and covers all levels of baseball. Their biggest focus is finding the best players in high school, college, and minors as well as tracking their progress. They also produce an annual almanac, prospect handbook, and directory.
The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate League in North America. The 2013 season marked the 20th season of Northwoods League baseball. 116 former players have gone on to play Major League baseball. NoTABLE `lack_content` alumni of the league include Curtis Granderson (Yankees), Chris Sale (White Sox), Max Scherzer (Tigers), Josh Willingham (Twins) and Jordan Zimmermann (Nationals).
