Hammond, Ind. – July 5, 2022 – The Northern League All-Star teams were announced Tuesday morning and five Southland Vikings are going to Whiting for the midsummer classic.
Position players Kyle Fenner (Outfielder – DuPage), Jason Krol (Catcher – Lewis), Chris McDevitt (Utility – Indiana State) along with pitchers Max Everaert (RHP – Calumet College of Saint Joseph) and Nolan Vlcek (RHP – Western Michigan) were named to the squad.
Outfielder Kyle Fenner was named to the team for his consistent hitting throughout his strong first half. His .383 batting average ranks second in the league and first on the team (among eligible hitters). Additionally, Fenner has 14 RBIs, one home run, and an on-base percentage of .452.
Catcher Jason Krol will join Fenner in Whiting for an impressive first half behind the dish, only making one error defensively to accompany his offensive performance. Krol is batting .313 with 12 RBIs with six walks. The highlight of his summer season thus far has been his five-for-five performance on June 21 against the Crestwood Panthers.
Utility man Chris McDevitt will round out the Vikings’ position players heading to the all-star game. A long-time Viking will get an opportunity to showcase his excellent plate discipline in front of the league, his 29 walks and 9 hit-by-pitches top the Northern League, and his on-base percentage of .540 ranks second in the league. McDevitt is also batting for an average of .290 with 17 runs driven in with a home run to his name.
Max Everaert will be the first of two pitchers to join the hitters in Whiting. Everaert has become a consistent factor at the top of the Viking rotation. Everaert’s earned run average of 2.97 places him sixth in the league, on his 39.1 innings of work. Everaert has a 5-2 win-loss record in 8 appearances (five starts) with a strikeout to walk ratio of 30 to 17.
Making his second straight trip to the league All-Star Game will be right-hander Nolan Vlcek. Vlcek’s team-leading 1.90 earned run average also sees him place fourth in the league in that category. Vlcek has made five appearances in 2022, all in the starting role, going 3-0 in 23.2 innings pitched, striking out 25 hitters throughout the summer.
The five Vikings will be members of the East All-Star Team. They will join the best players from the Lake County Corn Dogs and Northwest Indiana Oilmen to take on the best from the West. The 2022 Northern League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, July 12 at Oil City Stadium in Whiting, Indiana. First pitch of the midsummer classic will be set for 7:10 p.m.
