ROCHESTER, MN. – The Northwoods League announced their “Big Stick” recipients today, awarding players with the highest batting average at their position. Among the winners was The Rochester Honkers Shortstop Evan Berkey, finishing off the 2019 season with a .358 batting average. Landing him the 3rd best batting average in the Northwoods League, and 1st overall for batting average at Shortstop.
Berkey racked up 82 hits while scoring 39 runs and stealing 13 bases at the top of the lineup for the Rochester Honkers during the 2019 season.
Berkey, of Cal State Bakersfield, who was also invited to the 2019 Northwoods League All-Star Game in Waterloo, Iowa along with four other Honker All-Stars (Ryan Middendorf, Tristan Peterson, Ryan Wrobleski, Keon Taylor), enters his third year at Cal State Bakersfield.
“We are very proud of Evan Berkey for receiving this award” explained General Manager Jay Fanta. “Evan Berkey was a key piece to the success that the Honkers saw this past season, and we are glad to see the Northwoods League has recognized him as one of the best in the league for 2019”.
Full List of 2019 Rawlings “Big Stick” Recipients
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 25-year old summer collegiate 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 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 (MIA). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
