Kyle Wood also added versatility to last year’s roster as the 220 pound lefty contributed on the mound, but more importantly provided professional at-bats as a designated hitter down the stretch for the Chinooks.  In the thrilling extra-inning Game 1 of the NWL World Series, with the Chinooks and MoonDogs tied in the 13th inning, Wood hit a sacrifice fly to score Jake Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) for the go-ahead run. The Chinooks would go on to beat Mankato 5-4 in Game 1.  Wood finished the summer with a solid .284 batting average, one home run, and 19 RBI and drew a team-high 36 walks.  On the mound, Wood pitched 14 innings in ten appearances, recording 17 strikeouts and a solid 2.57 ERA.

The Orland Park, IL native who re-shirted his freshman season with the Boilermakers broke into the lineup in his first year and was named to the 2012 Big Ten All-Freshmen Team.  He has contributed at first, right field, and as a designated hitter and has developed into a consistent hitter with a career batting average of .279 with eight home runs and 42 RBI.  This season, Wood is off to hot start hitting .306 with three doubles and an on-base percentage of .432 as he follows up on a 2014 campaign in which he led the team in hitting (.302) and on-base percentage (.390) and was second in hits (36), doubles (4), and home runs (2).  While depended on for his bat, Wood still makes an occasional appearance on the mound having pitched in 19 games over his career.