MARION, Ill. – A few months after completing his career with the Concordia-St. Paul baseball team, right-handed pitcher Blake Stelzer has signed with the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League.
 
The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeast and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either. The league was formed in 1993, and is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States.
 
The Southern Illinois Miners, located in Marion, Ill., have been part of the Frontier League since 2007, claiming their first title in 2012.
 
Stelzer was off to a great start in the 2019 season for the Golden Bears as he led the NSIC with an 0.52 ERA over four appearances, including three starts. In his 17.1 innings, the Lakeville native struck out 25 hitters, good for third in the NSIC, while holding opponents to a .217 average against. Stelzer finished the year with 14.2 consecutive scoreless innings, including 8.0 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against Southwest Minnesota State and 5.0 shutout innings with 14 strikeouts against Presentation.
 
Stelzer's 2020 season came on the heels of a successful 2019 season in which he made 12 appearances while compiling a 3-2 record with a 3.03 ERA. The right-hander struck out 35 in 32.2 innings on the year.
 
The Frontier League season was originally scheduled to begin on May 14^th, but the start has been officially delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A new start date has yet to be announced.