Former Oilmen Continue to Thrive in Pro Ranks Whiting, Ind. – June 21, 2021 – Now in their 10th-anniversary season, the Northwest Indiana Oilmen continue to achieve the goal of helping players reach the next level in their baseball development. Luke Jaksich (Ball State / St. John, Ind.) became the latest former Oilmen player to reach the professional ranks when he recently signed and made his first appearance with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association. Jaksich, who pitched for the Oilmen in 2016, joined Oilmen legend Matt Pobereyko (Kentucky Wesleyan / Munster, Ind.) on the Explorers roster. The Midwest Collegiate League all-time saves king, Pobereyko leads the American Association with 10 saves. Longtime Oilmen third baseman Jackson Dvorak (Lewis / New Lenox Ill.) is also among the latest ex-Oilmen players to join the pro ranks. He signed his first professional contract with the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League and has competed in four games. Dvorak played three seasons for the Oilmen from 2017-2019 and spent five total years in the MCL, including 2016 with the Joliet Admirals and 2020 with the DuPage County Hounds. An outfielder for the 2014 Oilmen, Craig Dedelow (Indiana University / Munster, Ind.) is hitting .378 with an .835 OPS at Double-A Birmingham in the Chicago White Sox organization this season. Dedelow has 17 extra-base hits in 35 games including six home runs and 21 RBIs. A member of the 2017 Oilmen, Donivan Williams (Oak Lawn, Ill. / Harold L. Richards HS) has played in 25 games this season for Class-A Palm Beach in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. An Oilmen player in 2016, Jimmy Govern (Eastern Illinois / Libertyville, Ill.) is hitting .288 over 30 games this season for Quad Cities, the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Alec Olund (Purdue / Crown Point, Ind.) holds a .308 batting average in 10 games with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association. Olund was a member of the Oilmen in 2015 and 2017. His Oilmen teammate Chase Dawson (Valparaiso / Chesterton, Ind.), an infielder on the 2016 and 2017 NWI teams, is hitting .307 and has driven in 19 runs and scored 14 times in 22 games with the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League. A member of the 2014 Oilmen, James Meeker (Delaware / Akron / Wexford, Pa.) has pitched in nine games and has not allowed an earned run while striking out 15 in 11 innings for the Washington WildThings of the Frontier League this season. Former Oilmen catcher Zack Jones (Trinity Christian College) is a minor league hitting coach in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. In addition, Tom Jager (Roosevelt), who started this season as the Oilmen pitching coach, is now playing professionally with the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League. In total, over 90 former Midwest Collegiate League players have reached the professional level. Five have fulfilled the ultimate dream of playing in the big leagues. The Oilmen and MCL are expected to have several alumni taken in next month’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. |