July 21, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The Thunder Bay Border Cats are back.

And in a big way for the first time since the pandemic. Four Border Cats players were named to the Northwoods League annual all-star game, including two homegrown products.

LHP Will Droll (Thunder Bay, Ont.) and RHP Jack Pineau (Thunder Bay, Ont.) will represent the Great Plains East Division in the Northwoods League all-star game at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, N.D. Also chosen were OF Travis Chestnut (Texas A&M) and C Cole Ketzner (South Alabama).

Droll is winless -- as Toronto Blue Jays closer Tom Henke was in 1987 when he made the all-star game in Oakland. Droll is 0-1 with two saves and a 4.08 ERA.

For the Border Cats, Droll has walked eight and struck out 26 in 17 2/3 innings. He is a graduate of the Thunder Bay Lakers (2018), Toronto Mets (2019-2021) and won a Canadian title with Ontario at the Canada Cup.

This spring at Pitt, he made one appearance against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

This summer, Pineau has a 1-2 record and a 4.50 ERA in eight starts for the Border Cats. He has walked 19 and fanned 29 in 36 innings.

Soon, Pineau will head to the Creighton Bluejays. In the past, he pitched for the Thunder Bay Lakers, Port Arthur Nationals, Toronto Mets, Junior National Team and Pro5 Academy in North Carolina.

The all-star game will air on ESPNU with former studio host and current Chicago Blackhawks broadcaster Chris Vosters calling it along with former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Dan Evans, also an ex-Toronto Blue Jays scout.