University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Baseball's Clegg Signs Pro Contract With Washington Nationals
June 15, 2009 | Baseball
June 15, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass baseball's Mitchell Clegg signed a professional contract with the Washington Nationals on Sunday and has been assigned to the Nationals' short season-A affiliate, the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League. Last Wednesday, Clegg was selected by Washington in Major League Baseball's First Year Player Draft with the first pick of the 21st round (622nd overall).
The 74th draft pick all-time from UMass, Clegg is the 34th player in head coach Mike Stone's 22 seasons to go on to play at the professional level.
Clegg, who served as the No. 1 starter in the Minutemen's rotation for the bulk of 2009, was an All-New England second team honoree and recently played in the NEIBA All-Star Game. As a senior this spring, Clegg posted a 7-1 record with 4.15 ERA in 91.0 innings pitched with 35 walks and a team-leading 81 strikeouts, limiting opposing hitters to a .251 average.
A two-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week, Clegg pitched a complete game shutout on Apr. 17, a 3-0 victory over Saint Joseph's for Stone's 600th career win. Then on May 1, Clegg struck out a career-high 12 batters vs. St. Bonaventure. His .875 winning percentage is tied for seventh on the UMass single season top-10 list while his 13 games started is tied for third and his innings pitched ranks tied for fourth.
After transferring from Maine as a junior, Clegg played two seasons with the Minutemen and compiled an 11-6 record on the mound with a 4.33 ERA in 162.0 innings pitched. He totaled 123 strikeouts to 64 walks, while opponents hit just .257 against him in his UMass career.
The Vermont Lake Monsters will open their season this Friday, June 19, on the road against the Lowell Spinners at 7:05 p.m. in Lowell, Mass.
