Marietta Times

June 21, 2007

Eisenberg has a good pitching outing for Mahoning Valley

From staff reports

An extended spring training session in Florida was apparently just what ex-MC Pioneer All-American pitcher Mike Eisenberg needed.

Eisenberg pitched a four-hitter for his six-inning effort, allowed only one run, walked none, and struck out five in the seven-inning game as the Indians' Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the Class A New York-Penn League League opened their season with a 2-1 victory over the Marlins' Jamestown (N.Y.) Jammers at Jamestown Wednesday night.

The only run Eisenberg gave up was a fourth-inning home run. The Scrappers scored both their runs in the seventh for the win.

Eisenberg began his second pro season with the Indians' Lake County Captains of the Class A South Atlantic League but was sent to Florida after a 1-5 record and a 6.96 ERA.

Eisenberg pitched for Mahoning Valley last season and was 3-1 with a 4.29 ERA in 63 innings as a starter.

Another player with an MC Pioneer baseball connection will be starting his pro season with the Pirates' State College (Pa.) Spikes in the New-York-Penn League. Brian Tracy, son of ex-Pioneer and Pirates' manager Jim Tracy, is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthanded pitcher who graduated from UC-Santa Barbara, a member of the Big West Conference, one of the nation's toughest in collegiate baseball.

Tracy was a 20th round draft choice of the Pirates. UC-Santa Barbara was 23-31 overall and 9-12 in the Big West, which includes this year's College World Series teams Cal-Fullerton and UC-Irvine.

Mike DeMark, who teamed with Eisenberg to lead Marietta's World Series championship pitching staff, is 1-1 with a 2.21 ERA for the Padres' Lake Elsinore Storm of the Class A California League. DeMark, a setup relief pitcher, has pitched 20.1 innings, struck out 35, given up 17 hits, only five earned run, walked 10, and he has four holds.

The California League has been on a three-day All-Star break. Lake Elsinore finished second to South Division winners Lancaster (Red Sox) and Indland Empire (Dodgers) by only two games in first half play.

MC's two Frontier League players, outfielder Chris Sidick and rookie first baseman-outfielder Jarrod Klausman, have been looking for a hot bat. Sidick is hitting .266 (25-94) for the Washington Wild Things and Klausman, moved to first base recently, is hitting .225 (18-80) for the Slippery Rock Sliders in games through Tuesday.

Washington leads the four-team Frontier East with a 15-10 record, two games ahead of second place Chillicothe (14-13). Slippery Rock is last at 8-17.