Jake Reinhardt, one of the most decorated North Park baseball players of all time, has officially signed with the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer League. 

Reinhardt finished his 2021 season overflowing with accolades. In addition to being named the College Conference of Illinois & WIsconsin's (CCIW) Man of the Year, he was also the Hitter of the Year, a First Team All-CCIW selection, Offensive Player of the Year selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and d3baseball.com, as well as being a First Team All-American by ABCA and d3baseball.com. Those awards were largely due to his numbers at the plate, hitting .424 with 50 runs, 11 doubles, seven triples, 15 home runs and 61 RBIs. He became the single-season home runs leader at North Park (15) breaking a record set in 198. Additionally, Reinhardt was the CCIW's Triple Crown winner and set new CCIW records with 60 in-league hits and 52 in-league RBI 

His defense warranted a Gold Glove from the ABCA/Rawlings as he fielded .979 from the challenging shortstop position, turning 16 double plays while only committing four errors.

In the summer of 2021, he played in 39 games with the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League where he batted .225 with 22 runs, seven doubles, and 15 RBIs.

Reinhardt heads to Idaho Falls, Idaho, but will play alongside a familiar face in high school travel baseball teammate Brady West. Reinhardt and West played for the Rockford Big Dogs during their summer high school seasons, coached by Tom Woolbright, father of NPU alums Tyler (C '16) and Justin Woolbright (C '20). 

In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Pioneer League, of which the Chukars have been members since 1940, was converted from an MLB-affiliated Rookie Advanced league to an independent baseball league and granted status as an MLB Partner League, with Idaho Falls continuing as members.