A look at former area high school athletes who are now performing in the pros

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

Ashbeck off to great start in Class A

Elliot Ashbeck, a 2012 graduate of Marshfield High School, is pitching for the San Diego Padres’ Class A affiliate in the Midwest League.

Through games on Monday, Ashbeck has pitched in four games, all in relief, for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. He has allowed two runs and five hits in 11 innings, compiling a 1-1 record with one save. He has nine strikeouts and one walk, and opposing teams are batting just .139 against him.

Ashbeck was a 16th-round draft choice by the Padres in June 2015 after playing three years at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill.

Last summer, pitching for the Padres team in the Arizona Rookie League, Ashbeck went 2-0 with a 3.51 ERA and four saves in 16 games.

Fort Wayne is in the same minor league as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Ashbeck and the TinCaps will play at Appleton on July 20-22.

Finlay enters fifth season in MLS

2008 Marshfield High School graduate Ethan Finlay recently began his fifth season in Major League Soccer with the Columbus Crew.

The former first-round draft pick, who played collegiately at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., has one goal and two assists in seven games this season for the Crew, who are 2-3-2 following a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on April 23.

Finlay was an MLS all-star last season, compiling 12 goals and 13 assists for Columbus, who reached the MLS Cup Finals before losing to Portland.

The Crew’s next game is Saturday at the Seattle Sounders.

Zimmermann finally gives up first run

Jordan Zimmermann, in his first year with the Detroit Tigers, is off to a sizzling start.

After pitching 24 scoreless innings to begin the season, Zimmermann finally allowed his first runs in a start against the Oakland Athletics on Monday. He gave up three runs, only one earned, but still got the win as the Tigers won 7-3.

Zimmermann, a 2004 graduate of Auburndale High School, through four games is 4-0 with a 0.35 ERA, giving up just the one earned run with 16 strikeouts and seven walks in 26 innings pitched.

Zimmermann is scheduled to start again Saturday at Minnesota.