Former Tiger baseball player Martinez signs with professional league

Former Iowa Wesleyan College baseball player Jorge Martinez has signed a contract to play professional independent league baseball, making him the latest Tiger baseball player to play pro ball.

Martinez will pitch for the Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Independent Baseball next season.

Martinez concluded his two-year career pitching for IWC this past spring, when he was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Pitcher of the Year. Martinez finished 10-1 last year with a 2.72 earned run average, striking out 70 while walking just 19 in 82 2/3 innings of work. He threw six complete games, including four straight shutouts when he put together a streak of 30 2/3 scoreless innings.

With Martinez leading the way on the mound, the Tigers won the MCC regular season and tournament championships last year, advancing to the NAIA Baseball National Championships Opening Round, where they finished third in the Kingsport (Tenn.) Regional. IWC finished with a 35-20 overall record, winning the second most games in a season in school history.

Last year the RailCats finished second in the Central Division of the American Association, finishing one game from a division title. Teams in the American Association play a 100-game schedule from May to August.