Today’s alumni report features former Chinooks pitcher, Andrew Waszak. A native of Rochester Hills, MI, Waszak attended Rochester Adams High School. While there, he earned all-state honors as well as being named the Detroit Free Press Student Athlete of the Year.
After high school, Andrew committed to Michigan State University to play baseball. He got off to a quick start his freshman year, making nine starts and ending with a 4-1 record. During his sophomore year, he started 14 games for the Spartans and ended with a record of 4-3. Before heading to Lakeshore for the summer, Andrew was the number two starter for Michigan State in 2012 and led the Big Ten in starts with 16. He would end up pitching 106 innings that spring which put him in the record books at Michigan State as the second most in school history. He would end his 2012 season with a 4-4 record and a 2.96 ERA.
After his stellar season with Michigan State, Waszak would head to Mequon, WI to join the Lakeshore Chinooks during their inaugural campaign. Andrew joined the Chinooks’ starting rotation and would make seven starts for Lakeshore. In all seven starts, he pitched six or more innings. His season would end with a 3-1 record and a 4.36 ERA. In 45 innings of work, he struck out 21 batters and walked 16.
Waszak would return for his senior year at Michigan State where he was voted team captain by his teammates. He was also named the Big Ten Player to Watch in 2013. Andrew went on to have a very productive 2013 campaign. He pitched two complete games, one against Purdue and one against Oakland, where he only allowed one run in each game. In 13 starts, he ended with a 6-3 record and a 2.36 ERA. In 91 innings of work, he struck out 57 batters while walking only 18.
This past June, Andrew was selected in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves in the 22nd round, 673rd overall. He would report to rookie ball with the Danville Braves. Danville is part of the rookie ball Appalachian League. Waszak would go on to appear in 13 games, 9 of which were starts. He would end his first season in the minors with a 3-5 record and a 2.03 ERA. In 53.1 innings of work, he would struck out 47 batters while walking 12. The Danville Braves would finish the season with a record of 29-36, good enough for third in the Appalachian League East Division.
Numbers show that this young right handed pitcher from Michigan has the potential to climb the ranks of the minor leagues as either a starter or a reliever. It could be just a few short years before we see Andrew Waszak taking the mound at the Braves’ new stadium in Cobb County.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized summer collegiate baseball league in the world with 18 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including MLB All-Stars Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYY), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit lakeshorechinooks.com.
