MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs add second-rounder Lemahieu

July 27, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


PEORIA, IL- The Peoria Chiefs in conjunction with the Chicago Cubs have announced that third-2009 second round pick D.J. LeMahieu will join the team in Dayton on Tuesday for the upcoming roadtrip while D.J. Fitzgerald has been reassigned to Boise of the Northwest League. LeMahieu made his professional debut on Friday for the Arizona League Cubs and was 2-for-4 with a triple, RBI and two runs scored against the AZL Brewers. The 21 year-old collected three more hits and two RBI while also stealing a base on Sunday against the AZL Angels. Overall he hit .556 (5-for-9) with a triple, two runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base. LeMahieu was the Cubs DH in his first game and committed an error at shortstop in his second start. He is expected to play shortstop, second base and DH for the Chiefs while rotating with Ryan Flaherty and Junior Lake.

LeMahieu was a key component for the NCAA College World Series Champion LSU Tigers this season batting a team-high .350 with 13 doubles, five homers, 43 RBI and 57 runs scored. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native also turned in a .966 fielding percentage while playing second base and shortstop. The Tigers lost the first game of the SEC Tournament and then ripped off 14 straight wins before losing the second game of the College World Series Finals to Texas 5-1. They rebounded the next night to win the championship 11-4 as LeMahieu went 2-for-4 with a walk. The newest Chiefs player was 8-for 20 (.400) with six RBI and six runs scored in the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Super Regionals. LeMahieu opened the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska by going 3-for-5 in the first two wins against Virginia and Arkansas. In the first game of the finals against Texas, he homered, doubled and drove in three. In the CWS he hit .444 (12-for-27) with nine runs scored and slugged .667.

LeMahieu started 67 games at shortstop for the Tigers in 2008 hitting .337 with 11 doubles, six homers and 44 RBI as a freshman. He was 3-for-11 with two RBI in the 2008 College World Series and was on the Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team. In the summer of 2008 he was the MVP for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League with a .290 average in 28 games. Baseball America named him the No. 6 prospect in the Cape Cod League as he collected five doubles, 16 runs and 13 RBI. Before attending LSU, LeMahieu was a Rawlings and Louisville Slugger All-American at Brother Rice High School. He was a two-time winner of the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and finished with a career average of .459 at Brother Rice. He hit .574 as a senior with 16 doubles, eight homers, 32 RBI, 70 runs scored, 39 stolen bases and a 1.034 slugging percentage. Fitzgerald was drafted in the 22nd round this season out of Dyersburg State Community College in Tennessee. In 19 games for the Chiefs he hit .231 (15-for-65) with one home run, one double, three RBI and six runs scored. The 20 year-old played left field, second base and DH while stealing one base, walking four times and striking out 22 times. Before joining the Chiefs he went 4-for-4 in his professional debut with the Arizona League Cubs on June 21 while scoring two runs. In seven games in the AZL he hit .536 (15-for-28) with one home run, eight RBI, dour doubles, three triples, nine runs scored and two stolen bases. The 680th overall selection in the draft, Fitzgerald predominantly played second base at DSCC and for the Mesa Cubs. In 46 games this season as a redshirt-freshman he hit .340 with ten homers, 13 doubles, 42 RBI and 40 runs scored. Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Fitzgerald went to Ocean Lakes High School and signed a national letter of intent to Georgia Southern before landing at DSCC.

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