(New Buffalo, MI) - The first three players have been signed by a team from New Buffalo joining a summer league of major league baseball prospects.
One of them is Rob Czarniecki, an outfielder from Chesterton viewed as one of the top players in the state.
“As an outfielder, he brings a rare combination of speed, strength and instincts to the field. Rob has the ability to impact the game in so many ways,” said Tracy Woodson, a former major league player and manager of the team, the Dune Coast Quillbacks.
Czarniecki is committed to playing baseball at the University of Kentucky.
The Quillbacks also signed TJ Woodson, the manager’s son and shortstop at the University of Baylor.
“Defensively, he is reliable, instinctive and makes the game look easy. Offensively, TJ uses the entire field, controls the strike zone and consistently puts the ball in play,” he said.
The other player signed is Clay Hartje, a catcher out of Johns Hopkins University. Woodson likes his proven experience behind the plate and quality left handed swing in the line-up.
“He understands the game, competes every inning and gives you a tough, experienced at-bat,” he said.
Beginning in 2027, the Quillbacks will play at New Buffalo High School on a field that recently had lights installed for night games during the season from late May to mid-August.
Grandstand seating for about 500 people is also in the process of being added on a field featuring a high quality artificial turf infield and natural grass similar to what’s used in several major league stadiums in the outfield.
The season will consist of 80 games with half of the games played at home against teams in the Northwoods League.
The league with 26 teams from throughout the Midwest and Canada is known for developing elite college baseball talent. More than 400 players in the league since it was established 33-years ago have advanced to major league teams.
The players include three time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, former Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale and Nico Hoerner, the current second baseman for the Chicago Cubs.
The Quillbacks are hoping to draw fans as far north as St. Joseph and Benton Harbor in Michigan and to the south and west in Indiana from communities like LaPorte, Michigan City, Chesterton and Valparaiso.
The team’s primary owners are Brian Williams, a scout from the Texas Rangers, and Tom Rowland, a former college baseball player who competed in a similar league out east.
