Bio

In just two years, Blitstein rewrote the Chapman record books as the ace of the Panthers’ pitching staff from 1998-99 and helping the team to back-to-back NCAA West Region appearances. The right-hander set career records for wins, ERA, complete games and shutouts and was named West Region Pitcher of the Year and All-America by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 1999. In the midst of going 25-5 and earning a pair All-West Region selections in his two-year career, he tossed a school-record 34 consecutive scoreless innings in ’98 – a record that still stands – and his 2.00 career earned run average ranks fifth in school history.

Following his senior year, Blitstein became Chapman’s first Division III athlete to be drafted when he was taken in the 39th round by the Houston Astros and proceeded to play six seasons of professional baseball including stints in Independent Leagues (San Diego, Lincoln, St. Paul, Newark), Mexico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. He was an All-Star for the Evansville Otters (2000) and the San Diego Surf Dawgs (2005) where he helped win a Golden League championship playing alongside MLB legend Rickey Henderson. In Mexico, he faced other big leaguers such as Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez and was teammates with Miguel Tejada, Melkey Cabrera, Jose Lima and Luis Polonia in D.R.