Klausman signs contract with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League
Outfielder becomes third Pioneer from the 2006 National Championship team to sign professionally

Dec. 5, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio — Former Marietta College baseball standout Jarrod Klausman (Altoona, Pa.) got an early Christmas present Dec. 1 when he officially became the newest member of the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League.

Klausman, who capped off his final season of collegiate baseball by leading the Etta Express to the NCAA Division III National Championship, joins former teammate and fellow outfielder Chris Sidick '05 on the Wild Things and becomes the third player from the 2006 squad to sign professionally. Pitchers Mike Eisenberg '07(Cleveland Indians) and Mike DeMark '06 (Florence Freedom) each inked contracts this past summer.

"I am truly honored not only for the tremendous opportunity to play professional baseball, but also for the chance to play for such a well-respected and classy organization in the Washington Wild Things," said Klausman."I am looking forward to joining these great players and coaches and working continuously to make myself a better player."

With Klausman's signing, Marietta College, one of the smallest schools in NCAA Division III, now has seven former players currently active in professional baseball. The Pioneers have had 43 join the professional ranks since 1964 [Pioneers in the pros].

Jim Tracy '78 is currently the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Matt DeSalvo '03 spent last summer pitching for the Trenton Thunder, the Class AA affiliate of the NY Yankees. David Bradley '99 is a pitcher for the Midland RockHounds, the Class AA affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Sidick finished his second season with the Washington Wild Things. Eisenberg completed his first summer with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, and DeMark pitched for the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League in 2006.

Klausman, who was named to the NCAA World Series All-Tournament team, continued his stellar hitting on the college game's biggest stage, hitting .563 (9-for-16) with five runs scored in the Series. The third-team All-American, first team All-Mideast Region and first team All-OAC selection concluded his career on a 22-game hitting streak and finished with 91 hits, which ranks fifth all-time at MC.

The Pioneer baseball team, under the helm of Brian Brewer '93, secured their place in history by defeating Wheaton (Mass.), 7-2, to capture the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championship. It was the Etta Express' fourth national tile (also won in 1981, 1983 and 1986), which ties them for the most in the 31-year history of the event. It was also the first time since 1986 that a Mideast Region team won the National Championship. That 1983 team, like the 2006 squad, got an at-large bid to postseason play after not winning the Ohio Athletic Conference title.

The Pioneers (43-11), who went 4-0 during the Memorial Day weekend, became the second straight team to go undefeated in the World Series, joining Wisconsin-Whitewater, who went 5-0 en route to the title in 2005.

"It is no accident that Marietta College has had several athletes go on to play pro baseball in the last couple years," said Klausman. "Because the coaching staff has worked nonstop to get the best recruits to Marietta and continues to make them better baseball players and people, the program will continue to have success and more kids will play at the next level in the future."

Washington opens the 2007 season at home on May 23 when Slippery Rock, one of two expansion teams in the Frontier League, travels down I-79 for the first two regular season contests.