Northwestern Baseball Roster: The Top 10 Players

The Northwestern baseball roster is full of Top Players Here are the 10 best, according to their stats and what they bring to the team.

Introduction

The Northwestern Wildcats baseball team is a collegiate Baseball Team that competes in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference. The team is currently coached by Spencer Allen. The Wildcats play their home games at Miller Park, which opened in 2013 and seats 2,500 spectators.

The Northwestern Wildcats have been to four NCAA Tournaments and have won two conference championships Their most recent appearance was in 2016, when they lost to the eventual National Champions the University of Virginia Cavaliers

The Wildcats have had several players go on to play professional baseball including Chris Bando (Cleveland Indians), Casey Coleman (Chicago Cubs), and Jack Egbert (New York Mets).

Here is a list of the top 10 players in Northwestern baseball history

Mike Kvasnicka

Mike Kvasnicka (#9) is a utility player for the Northwestern baseball team He has played all positions except for pitcher and catcher. Kvasnicka was born on October 10, 1991 in Eden Prairie Minnesota. He is 6’1” and weighs 210 lbs.

Kvasnicka played high school baseball at Eden Prairie High School As a senior, he batted .500 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Minnesota and was a first-team All-State selection. Kvasnicka was also named a first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

Kvasnicka played college baseball at the University of Minnesota As a junior, he batted .335 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs. He was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award which is given to the best amateur baseball player in the country.

Kvasnicka was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. He played in the Astros’ organization for three years before being released. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013 and played in their organization for one year before being released again. Kvasnicka signed with Northwestern in 2014.

In his four years at Northwestern, Kvasnicka has been named a first-team All-American three times (2014, 2015, 2016) and a second-team All-American once (2017). He has also been named the Big Ten Player of the Year twice (2015, 2016) and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award in 2017.

Jack Dunn

Dunn was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He began his playing career as a semi-professional with the Somerville Yanquis of the New England League in 1892. Dunn’s contract was purchased by the Baltimore Orioles of the National League (NL) in 1893. He made his Major League debut on April 22, 1893, and appeared in one game for the Orioles, pitching two innings and giving up four runs. He did not play professionally again until 1896, when he pitched for the Minneapolis Millers of the Western League (WL).

Cole Johnson

Cole Johnson, a 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pound right-hander from Bellevue, Washington, is in his senior year at Northwestern University He is the Wildcats’ closer and has been one of the top Relief pitchers in the country the past two seasons. Johnson was named to the All-Big Ten Conference second team as a junior after posting a 1.93 ERA and 10 saves. He has been even better as a senior, recording a 1.60 ERA and 12 saves.

Zachary Jones

Zachary Jones was born September 6, 1997 and is from Auburn, Washington. He is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, and bats and throws right-handed. Jones has committed to play college baseball at Arizona State University

Joe Lefeged

Joe Lefeged is a senior pitcher at Northwestern. He was recently named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and is a two-time First Team All-Big Ten Selection. Lefeged projects to be drafted in the early rounds of the MLB Draft

Matt Purke

Matt Purke is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-handed pitcher from Spring, Texas. He was drafted in the third round of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals Purke pitched for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2009 and 2010, and the Potomac Nationals in 2011. He was traded to the Texas Rangers on July 31, 2010, as part of a deal that sent All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Rangers. Purke made his Major League debut on September 1, 2013, against the Houston Astros

J.A. Happ

J.A. Happ is a professional baseball pitcher who plays for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played for the Philadelphia Phillies Houston Astros Toronto Blue Jays Seattle Mariners New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins Happ was an All-Star in 2018 and 2019.

Carlos Rodon

Carlos Rodon is a left-handed pitcher for the Northwestern baseball team He is from Miami, Florida and is currently in his junior year. Rodon is 6’3” and weighs 235 pounds. In 2014, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Conclusion

Western baseball is full of talented young men. The team has high expectations for the future and these 10 young men are a big part of the reason why. They have the potential to be not just great Northwestern baseball players but great Major League baseball players They have the chance to make a real impact on the game and on Western Baseball for years to come. Thanks for reading and go Wildcats!