San Antonio, Texas Former Bulldog pitcher Jon Ellis and the San Antonio Missions will challenge for the Class AA Texas League Championship beginning Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Missions, who won the Texas League South Division and swept Frisco in the first round of the playoffs last week, will face the North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals in a best-of-five series.

Ellis, a 2004 sixth round draft by the San Diego Padres, has gone 3-4 in 50.1 innings pitched this season with the Missions, accumulating a 4.29 ERA. Ellis has recorded two saves on the year while striking out 40. Ellis came on in relief in the Missions' first game of the playoffs against the Frisco RoughRiders, garnering credit for the win after striking out two.

“I am excited about heading into the championship series tonight,” said Ellis. “There is rain in the forecast for tonight so I hope we can get the game in. Winning that opening game with Frisco was great, especially getting my first playoff win in pro ball.”

Ellis rose to the AA level in 2006 after starting the year in Rookie Ball with the Arizona Padres. After one start there, Ellis was promoted to the Class A Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League. After 28.0 innings pitched in 24 appearances with the Storm racking up a 2.57 ERA, Ellis was promoted to the Class AA Mobile BayBears of the Southern League. After the Padres changed their AA affiliation between the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Ellis moved over to the Missions in San Antonio, where has had a great second half to his season.

“I have been working on a new pitch this year and feel I have developed a pretty good sinker,” Ellis said. “The last 15 games I have been getting a real good feel for it. I have only given up one run in my last 12-15 games. This season has had some ups and downs, but that will happen with a 140 game schedule.”

Ellis was named to the 2004 CollegeBaseballInsider.com All-American Team and garnered the Southern Conference's Pitcher of the Year honor. Ellis was named the 2004 SoCon All-Tournament Most Valuable Player after throwing two complete games during the five-day tournament. That 2004 squad was the most recent Citadel team to win a Southern Conference Championship.

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