Chicago, Ill. – July 31, 2023 – The Northern League has announced its weekly awards, as right-handed pitcher Hunter Niksch (Trine / Lowell, Ind.) of the Indiana Panthers has been tabbed the league’s Pitcher of the Week, while Kayden Cain (Marian / Elkhart, Ind.) of the Elkhart County Miracle has been named the league’s Player of the Week.
Cain went 11-for-20 this week, compiling a robust .550 batting average. He had a home run, double, five runs scored and nine RBIs to pace the Miracle.
Niksch tossed a shutout in a seven-inning game against the Oilmen, helping the Panthers clinch a Northern League playoff berth, just the second postseason appearance since the franchise joined the league prior to the 2017 season. He struck out eight and yielded just four hits – all singles – while walking two.
Niksch becomes the second Panther to earn a league weekly award this season and the first to be named NL Pitcher of the Week. He is the first Panther to win the league’s Pitcher of the Week Award since Charlie Faoro on July 25, 2022. Elkhart County hauled in its seventh weekly award during the franchise’s inaugural season.
The league will announce one more set of weekly awards covering performances from this week’s final regular-season games. That set of awards will be announced on Friday. The league’s major awards and all-league team are also slated to be released on Friday in advance of the Northern League Playoffs, which will begin with two best-of-three semifinal series commencing on Saturday.
The Lake County Corn Dogs will be the No. 1 seed after locking up the league’s regular-season title. The Northwest Indiana Oilmen, Southland Vikings and Indiana Panthers have also qualified for the playoffs. Seeding, start times, locations and matchups will be announced this week once the seeds are locked in.
2023 Northern League Players of the Week
June 6 – Ray Hilbrich, Lake County (unanimous)
June 12 – Kevin Denty, NWI
July 19 – Hayden Matulich, Lake County (unanimous)
June 26 – Bryce Lesher, Elkhart County
July 3 – Kevin Bushnell, Panthers (unanimous)
July 10 – Doug Loden, Lake County (unanimous)
July 18 – Dawson Willis, Elkhart County (unanimous)
July 25 – Tyler Schultz, Lake County
July 31 – Kayden Cain, Elkhart County (unanimous)
2023 Northern League Pitchers of the Week
June 6 – Ethan Lengfelder, Elkhart County
June 12 – Conor Gausselin, Elkhart County
June 19 – Ethan Lengfelder, Elkhart County (unanimous)
June 26 – Conor Gausselin, Elkhart County (unanimous)
July 3 – Steve Washilewski, NWI
July 10 – Steve Washilewski, NWI
July 18 – Will Moell, Southland
July 25 – Alex White, Griffith
July 31 – Hunter Niksch, Panthers (unanimous)