The Lakeshore Chinooks are a baseball team based in Mequon, Wisconsin, United States and a member of the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Chinooks play their home games at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University Wisconsin.
History Founded in 2012, the Lakeshore Chinooks became the seventh Northwoods League team in Wisconsin. Based at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, a northern suburb of Milwaukee, the Chinooks were the first Northwoods League franchise to make its home in a major metropolitan area.
The inaugural season began May 30, 2012, with a 2-1 road victory over the Green Bay Bullfrogs. The home opener was June 11, a 6-5 win over the Battle Creek Bombers.
On May 30, 2013, the Chinooks held their home opener, where Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig threw the first pitch to Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member and Chinooks minority owner Robin Yount. The Chinooks won their division, capturing their first playoff berth. They were defeated in the first round by the Madison Mallards two games to one.
In 2013, future MLB standout Harrison Bader suited up for Lakeshore. While playing for the Chinooks, Bader lived with Craig Counsell and his family at their home in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.
In 2014, the Chinooks became just the third team in league history to accumulate 50 victories, winning the organization's third-straight South Division half title. The team swept the Wisconsin Woodchucks two games to none in the division playoff to advance to the franchise's first championship appearance. Against the North Division champion Mankato MoonDogs, the Chinooks won the first game of the series in Mankato, 5–4, before returning to Mequon and completing their undefeated run through the playoffs with a 3–0 victory in game two to clinch the franchise's first-ever league championship.
On July 4, 2015, first baseman Luke Raley became the first player in league history to hit four home runs in a single game.
On July 3, 2017, shortstop Owen Miller hit for the cycle in a game against the Kalamazoo Growlers. Two days later, he hit for another cycle against Rockford Rivets, becoming the first player in league history to hit for multiple cycles.
On June 15, 2020, the Chinooks announced that they would not be participating in the first two weeks of the modified 2020 season amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Two weeks later, the team cancelled their season altogether. The team returned to play in 2021.
Season-by-season records Year Division Overall record Postseason 2012 South 35-35 Did not qualify 2013 South 44-26 Won second half Division titleLost division playoffs vs. Madison Mallards 1–2 2014 South 50-21 Won first half Division titleWon division playoffs vs. Wisconsin Woodchucks 2–0Won championship vs. Mankato MoonDogs 2–0 2015 South 36-36 Did not qualify 2016 South 35-37 Lost quarterfinals vs. Wisconsin Rapids Rafters 0–1 2017 South 38-34 Lost quarterfinals vs. Wisconsin Rapids Rafters 0–1 2018 South 29-42 Did not qualify 2019 Great Lakes West 32-40 Did not qualify 2020 Did not play due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Great Lakes West 31-39 Did not qualify 2022 Great Lakes West 36-36 Did not qualify 2023 Great Lakes West 27-44 Did not qualify 2024 Great Lakes West 26-43Did not qualify 2025 Great Lakes West 28-44 Did not qualify 2026 Great Lakes West 43-27 Won second half Division titleLost divisional series vs. Madison Mallards 0-2
Ballpark In 2011, Kapco Inc., a metal fabrication and stamping company in Grafton, donated $1 million toward completion of Concordia University Wisconsin's new baseball field, named Kapco Park. The donation was part of a $2.7 million fund already allocated for the stadium. Concordia's baseball team uses Kapco Park in the spring.
The Chinooks were the first Northwoods League franchise to make its home on a university campus. Kapco Park acknowledges the Milwaukee Brewers with its outfield dimensions; 317 feet in left for Jim Gantner (who wore number 17), 344 to left-center for Hank Aaron (who wore number 44), 404 to center for Paul Molitor (who wore number 4) and 319 to right for Robin Yount (who wore number 19), the latter of whom helped design the fence.
In 2012, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) moved the State High School summer baseball tournament to Kapco Park until the tournament ended in 2018.
Kapco Park hosted the 2014 Northwoods League All-Star Game on July 22, 2014.
Ownership The Chinooks' ownership group previously consisted of a number of investors; most notably Jim Kacmarcik, president of Kapco, and Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount.
On September 10th, 2021, BYB Sports Investment Group, led by David Casey and Todd Kolosso, announced the purchase of the Lakeshore Chinooks.https://northwoodsleague.com/lakeshore-chinooks/2021/09/10/milwaukee-baseball-academy-owners-casey-and-kolosso-purchase-lakeshore-chinooks/
Awards
League awards +YearPlayerAward2014Mark MoriartyCoach of the YearEddy MorganManager of the Year2016Marshall KasowskiPitcher of the Year
Postseason All-Stars +YearPlayerPos.College2012Ryan HarrisPTexas TechEric AguileraDHIllinois StateBre Kimball3BLouisiana Tech2013Mitch SewaldPLSUKyle BoumanPJefferson College (MO)2014Lake TuttlePMilwaukeeAndrew ElliotPWright StateBrett SiddallOFCanisius2015Lake BacharPWisconsin–WhitewaterLucas RaleyOFLake Erie2016Marshall KasowskiPHouston2017Jacob Richardson3BSouthern ArkansasMatthew Mika2BUCF2018Jack DunnSSNorthwesternDallas BeaverCUCF2019Daryl MyersSSBenedictine2022Mitch MuellerPParkland CollegeMatt DePrevCXavier2024Cohen AchenPLindsey Wilson College
MLB alumni +PlayerChinooks seasonDraftMLB season(s)YearRdPickTeamZack Granite2012201314410MIN2017Brian Anderson20122014376MIA2017–2024Alex Young20132015243ARI2019–presentAndrew Stevenson20132015258WAS2017–2021, 2023Harrison Bader201320153100STL2017–presentEric Hanhold201320156181MIL2018, 2021Shaun Anderson20142016388BOS2019–presentCam Vieaux201420166195PIT2022Jake Noll201420167214WAS2019–2020Lake Bachar201520165144MIA2024–presentLuke Raley201520167221LAD2021–presentJesse Scholtens201520169264SD2023, 2025-presentGreg Deichmann20152017243OAK2021Zac Lowther20152017274BAL2021–2022Mark Kolozsvary201520177197CIN2022–2023Hayden Senger2016201824710NYM2025–presentOwen Miller2016–20172018384SD2021–presentAlec Marsh20172019B70KC2023–presentWill Klein201920205135KC2024–presentGrant Hartwig2019undrafted, 20212023–presentHayden Birdsong202220226196SF2024–presentGeorge Klassen202220236193LAA2026–presentTyler Schweitzer 202120225161CHW2026–presentBrian Keller20152016391178NYY2026-present
References
External links Lakeshore Chinooks official site Northwoods League official site