Lakeshore Chinooks

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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[5]

On July 4, 2015, first baseman Luke Raley became the first player in league history to hit four home runs in a single game.^[6]

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.^[6]

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.^[7] Two weeks later, the team cancelled their season altogether.^[8] The team returned to play in 2021.

Season-by-season records

^[9]

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.^[10]

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.^[11]

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.^[12]

Kapco Park hosted the 2014 Northwoods League All-Star Game on July 22, 2014.^[13]

Ownership

The Chinooks' ownership group consists of a number of investors; most notably Jim Kacmarcik, president of Kapco, and Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount.^[14][15][16]

Awards

League awards

Postseason All-Stars

Notable MLB alumni

References

1. ^ "Northwoods League Official Colors (1994 through present)". TruColor.net. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
2. ^ "2012 Overall Standings, South Division"
3. ^ "Mallards Win Second Northwoods League Title". Northwoods League. 2013-08-16. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
4. ^ "Once Craig Counsell's houseguest, Cardinals rookie returns to Milwaukee to help beat Brewers". jsonline.com
5. ^ "Lakeshore wins first franchise championship". 16 August 2014.
6. ^ "2023 Notable Records". Northwoods League. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
7. ^ "Update on the 2020 Season - June 15th". Lakeshore Chinooks. 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
8. ^ Maas, Tyler (2020-06-29). "Lakeshore Chinooks cancel 2020 season". Milwaukee Record. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
9. ^ "Northwoods League Archive Standings". Northwoods League
10. ^ "Concordia gets a $1 million donation, and a baseball team"
11. ^ "Chinooks' first season is home run"
12. ^ "New summer tournament site wins praise"
13. ^ Bomberg, Matt (2014-03-03). "Northwoods League All-Star Tickets On Sale". Northwoods League. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
14. ^ "Concordia gets a $1 million donation, and a baseball team"
15. ^ "Lakeshore Chinooks set to join Northwoods League for 2012". November 2011.
16. ^ "Northwoods League - Get Ready for the Show!"

External links

• Lakeshore Chinooks official site
• Northwoods League official site