A look at how Lakeshore Chinook alumni performed throughout baseball in 2017!
Eric Aguilera – Lakeshore Chinooks 2012
Unsigned
Armed with a sweet stroke at the plate, Illinois State alum Eric Aguilera has lived a vagabond life in the minor leagues. Drafted in the 34th round in 2013 by the Angels, Aguilera earned a Midwest League All-Star selection for Burlington (A) in 2014 after belting 14 home runs and was promoted to Advanced A Inland Empire and AA Arkansas during 2015. After being named a California League Postseason All-Star and a top prospect in the Angel’s system, Eric was solidly entrenched as the everyday first baseman for the Angels at Double A. Late in the season, however Aguilera was released by the club. With the door closely quickly, Aguilera hooked on with the Charros de Jalisco club in the Mexican League for the winter of 2016 and drew the attention of the Texas Rangers who offered him a contract to play in 2017 with the AA Frisco RoughRiders. Hitting just .222 with 15 home runs in 111 games, Aguilera opted for free agency and has returned to the Mexican League this winter to play for Acereros del Norte with the hope of being offered a new contract with his third MLB organization. In his five year career, Aguilera has posted a .281 batting average with 70 home runs and 336 RBI in 552 games.
Marty Herum 
– Lakeshore Chinooks 2013
Arizona Diamondbacks
From Division III UW-Whitewater to a 2016 Diamondback system All-Star, third baseman Marty Herum turned a late-summer free agent contract offer into a thriving pro career. Herum advanced to the AA Jackson Generals in 2017 after earning All-Star selections in 2014 for A South Bend (Midwest), 2015 for A Kane County (Midwest) 2016 postseason for Advanced A Visalia (California), and 2017 for Visalia. This season, Herum hit .302 with seven home runs and 68 RBI to up his career totals to .294 with 26 home runs and 239 RBI in 455 games. Herum won the California League Home Run Derby in front of a Visalia crowd that initially fell in love with him in the 2016 season, but it was his consistency across two levels this year that earned him a spot as a D-Backs Organization All-Star for 2017. That’s tremendous work for a small town free agent signee!
David Masters
– Lakeshore Chinooks 2012
Washington Nationals
Another member of the Chinooks’ initial squad, infielder David Masters of Central Arizona College parlayed his 14th round selection by the Nationals into five year career based solely upon his defense. A slick fielder with terrific range, Masters has earned his keep with the Advanced A Potomac Nationals for the past three seasons, but 2017 would produce his best season to date at the plate. This season Masters hit .241 with fourteen doubles, eight home runs, and 41 RBI – pushing his career batting average to .209 in 378 games over five season in the Nationals’ system.
Josh Uhen – Lakeshore Chinooks 2012
Milwaukee Brewers
After climbing his way up in the Milwaukee Brewers’ farm system, right-hander Josh Uhen returned to the AA Biloxi Shuckers for the majority of the 2017 season. The Oshkosh native and former Wisconsin-Milwaukee hurler was drafted by the Brewers in the 5th round of the 2013 MLB Draft and has posted solid numbers in his five year career (4.09 ERA with 219 strikeouts and 101 walks in 261.2 innings in stops in Arizona, Helena, Wisconsin, Brevard County, and Biloxi). This season, Uhen made 44 appearances and posted a 4-2 record with a career-best 3.68 ERA. He struck out 53 in 58.2 innings of work and walked only 26.
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.
