Five Lugnuts named Midwest League All-Stars

LANSING, Mich. - The Lansing Lugnuts announce that five players have been named to the Midwest League Eastern Division All-Star Team, with the All-Star Game to be held at South Bend's Four Winds Field on Tuesday, June 18th.

Jake Brodt was named an All-Star starter at first base, catcher/first baseman Ryan Gold and infielder Nick Podkul were named All-Star reserves, and Josh Winckowski and Cobi Johnson will be among the pitching staff, as voted on by the Eastern Division's managers.

Brodt, 23, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the ninth round in 2018 from Santa Clara. The native of Huntington Beach, Calif., leads the Lugnuts with eight home runs, 31 runs batted in and 84 total bases, slashing .269/.370/.491 in 48 games. In addition, he has not committed an error this season as the Midwest League's finest defensive first baseman.

Gold, 21, is in his second year with the Lugnuts. A native of Surfside Beach, SC, he was drafted in the 27th round in 2016 from Carolina Forest High School. Gold is hitting .240/.309/.380 in 41 games and is tied with Podkul for the team lead with 11 doubles. His finest game came on April 18th when he hit for the "golden cycle," going 4-for-5 with a single, double, triple and grand slam and driving in seven runs in a 12-4 victory over Dayton.

Podkul, 22, was taken by the Blue Jays in the seventh round in 2018 from Notre Dame. Hailing from Schereville, Ind., and playing superb defense at both second base and third base, he put together the Lugnuts' longest on-base streak of the season: a 24-game stretch from April 15th to May 15th. In 47 games, Podkul is slashing .246/.366/.347, leading the Nuts with 29 walks and stealing 11 bases in 12 attempts.

Winckowski, 20, has excelled in his follow-up to being named the 2018 Northwest League Pitcher of the Year. Born and raised in Toledo, OH, before moving to Fort Myers, he was drafted from Estero High School in the 15th round in 2016. Winckowski leads the league with 61 2/3 innings pitched, is tied for first with six wins and ranks second with a 1.90 ERA. Of his 11 starts this year, seven are quality starts, with two different stretches of 13 consecutive scoreless innings.

Johnson, 23, was taken in the 30th round in 2018 from Florida State University. From Holiday, Fla., the right-hander has alternated between starting and relieving with teammate Fitz Stadler. In 11 appearances, six starts, he has limited Midwest League offenses to a .220 batting average, striking out 40 in 44 2/3 innings. This is his second straight year as an All-Star, following on the heels of a Northwest League Mid-Season All-Star nod as Vancouver Canadians closer in 2018.

The Lansing Lugnuts (25-32) are currently in the midst of a 10-day, 11-game road trip to Great Lakes, Lake County and South Bend. The Nuts next return to Cooley Law School Stadium for a three-game series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods from June 14-16, including Star Wars Night with post-game LAFCU Fireworks on Saturday, July 15th. To live the Lug Life and purchase tickets to Sunday or throughout the 2019 season, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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