Captain of the Week (4/16-4/21): Nate Furman

EASTLAKE, OH – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week.

For the week of April 16 through 21, Lake County is recognizing INF Nate Furman as its inaugural 2024 Captain of the Week.

So far this season, Furman leads the Captains with eight runs and eight RBI (tied), while ranking top-three in hits (12, second), doubles (tied for second), and stolen bases (tied for third).

The 22-year-old turned in an impressive series at the plate against the Lansing Lugnuts. He hit a team-best .412 (7-for-17), tallying five runs, one home run, eight RBI, one walk, and two stolen bases. Furman also recorded a .444 on-base percentage, a .588 slugging percentage, and a 1.032 OPS. His two-out, go-ahead grand slam on Thursday, April 18 was the first home run of his Minor League career.

The left-handed hitter also extended his hitting streak to seven games, which is the longest by a Captain this season, and tied for the second-longest active streak in the Midwest League. During this span, he is batting .355 (11-for-31) with seven runs, two doubles, one home run, eight RBI, two walks, two stolen bases, and a .910 OPS.

Furman was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of UNC Charlotte. He had a stellar career with the 49ers, hitting .351 with 114 hits, 21 doubles, four triples, three home runs, 47 RBI, 71 walks, and 22 stolen bases in 94 games over two seasons. His .482 career on-base percentage ranked second in program history when his collegiate career ended. In 2022, he was named UNC Charlotte’s Team MVP, and earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors.

After a remarkable performance with the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats last season, Furman was promoted to the Captains on May 26, 2023. He hit .328 with 42 hits, 27 stolen bases, and an impressive .486 on-base percentage in just 40 Single-A games. In 108 games across Lynchburg and Lake County, he ranked top-five in the Cleveland player development system in on-base percentage (.397, first), stolen bases (37, second), walks (65, third), runs (74, tied for fourth), and batting average (.263, eighth).

Furman will look to continue his recent success this week, as the Captains will play a six-game road series against the West Michigan Whitecaps. The series is set to begin on Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan. The series will be broadcast on both the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on both X and Instagram.

The Lake County Captains are the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, and have been a Class A Affiliate of Cleveland since the team was founded in 2003. To find out more information about the Captains or purchase tickets, visit CaptainsBaseball.com, or call (440) 975-8085.