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Do you remember when baseball was fun and enjoyable? Knauz Autopark is proud to be a sponsor of the new Lake County Fielders Baseball. The fielders are the newest team in the Northern League and owned in part by actor Kevin Costner. This new team is building a 8,000 seat stadium in Zion, Illinois, just north of Route 173 & Greenbay Road. With a 48-game home season scheduled to start this June and other events planned for the new stadium, it will be fun and affordable to enjoy baseball in Lake County this summer and for years to come. The natural rivals would seem to be the Schaumburg Flyer’s team located in Schaumburg. The Northern League began back in 1902 and two of the teams Winnipeg and Fargo are still part of the league. The other teams in the Northern League include:
Lake County Fielders Begin to Build Roster
Expansion Team Drafts Pitcher from League Champions
Zion, IL. The Lake County Fielders, the area’s newest minor league baseball team, are proud to announce the completion of their Northern League expansion draft. The Fielders, owned in part by actor Kevin Costner, will begin play in Zion, IL in June, 2010. “The dispersal draft is a great thing to get the Lake County Fielders off and running,” says Field Manager Fran Riordan. “We feel we selected 12 players that have the ability to make an immediate impact on our ballclub.” Fielders’ first pick, Garry Bakker (RHP), joins the team after a successful stint with the Northern League 2009 Champion Fargo Moorhead Redhawks, and was the first of 7 pitchers drafted by the Fielders today. Catcher Chris Lopez (Joliet) was the Fielders’ second pick, followed by infielder Jeff Helps, formerly of the Kansas City T-Bones. (Full draft list with top player bios below). On the Fielders’ first draft pick, Riordan comments, “The Lake County Fielders are pleased to select Garry Bakker as the first pick in the dispersal draft. He’s potentially a legitimate number one starter in the Northern League. His experience and past success should be a great asset”. Northern League teams will play a 100 game schedule in 2010 from May 20 to September 6. Tickets to the Fielders inaugural 2010 season are available at the team’s retail store in the nearby Gurnee Mills Mall (6170 West Grand Av, Gurnee, IL 60031), by calling 847-731-8000, or by logging onto http://www.lakecountybaseball.com/
PLAYERS DRAFTED
1. Garry Bakker, RHP (Fargo)
2. Chris Lopez, C (Joliet)
3. Jeff Helps, IF (KC)
4. Cody Ehlers, 1B (Winnipeg)
5. Anthony Esquer, C (Gary)
6. Jeff Dunbar, OF (Schaumburg)
7. Matt Mossey, RHP (Fargo)
8. Chad Blackwell, RHP (Joliet)
9. Dustin Bolton, RHP (KC)
10. Chris Homer, RHP (Winnipeg)
11. Brett Wallace, C (Gary)
12. Kris Jiggits, RHP (Schaumburg)
TOP PLAYER BIOS
1. Garry Bakker - P: Bakker was selected by the Chicago White Sox in 11th Round (329th overall) of 2004 amateur entry draft out of the University of North Carolina. Garry had seven wins each of the last two seasons with the Fargo Moorhead Redhawks, while helping the Redhawks to a Northern League Championship in 2009.
2. Chris Lopez - Catcher: Lopez was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 6th round of the 2003 draft. Lopez started the 2009 season with Charlotte of the Florida State League in the Rays system. Acquired on August 8, 2009 by the Jackhammers, Lopez hit .212 with 1 HR last year in 19 games.
3. Jeff Helps - IF: Jeff played collegiately for Central Michigan University. He made his pro debut in 2009 with the Kansas City T-Bones. Jeff hit .253 for the T-Bones last season.
4. Cody Ehlers - 1B: Cody spent five seasons in the New York Yankees system. He helped lead Trenton to consecutive league titles and earned league MVP honors in 2006 after leading the circuit in five offensive categories, including runs batted in, and extra base hits. Cody led all first basemen with a .994 fielding percentage. Cody hit .245 with 6 HR’s last year for the Goldeyes.
5. Anthony Esquer - C: Catcher Anthony Esquer hit .318 in 39 games in the regular season with the RailCats after being signed in early June, then went on to start seven of eight postseason games. The 24-year-old set a career-high with 41 hits but made his biggest impact behind the plate defensively. Esquer led all Northern League catchers throwing out runners, cutting down an impressive 54.1% of would be base-stealers. Esquer was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 24th round out of Division II Cal Poly Pomona in 2006, where he was a two-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association selection. Esquer led the Broncos with seven home runs and 42 RBIs as a senior.
6. Jeff Dunbar – OF: Dunbar was the ultimate utility player for the Flyers in 2009 where he hit .286 with 6 HR’s while also posting a 1-1 record in 25.1 innings out of the bullpen. Jeff was originally selected by Seattle Mariners in 11th Round (345th overall) of 2007 amateur entry draft.
Ticket Information
Pub-Style Section Season Tickets
NEW! Bar-Style seating featuring in-seat wait service. Availability is extremely limited!
$695.00+tax Per Seat
Premier Box Season Ticket Package
First 5 rows of box seats, located behind and between the Dugouts
$595.00+tax Per Seat
Reserved Box Season Ticket Package
All other fixed infield box seats
$435.00+tax Per Seat
General/Lawn Season Ticket Package
ONLY TO THE FIRST 500! Access to all non-reserved field viewing areas.
$195.00+tax Per Seat
Fielders Choice Ticket Package
Includes twenty (20) open-dated tickets to be used in any combination throughout the year (based on availability)
$180.00+tax
Opening Day 2010*
Only 2000 tickets currently available. (early June, 2010)
$11.00+tax Per Seat
Artist renditions of the new 8,000 seat stadium
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