"I look forward to contributing to Clarke College's success in the future in any way I can," said Jelinek. "Clarke seems like the perfect place for me to develop as a baseball player while receivingan excellent education. I am grateful for this opportunity."

Jelinek carries a solid 3.70 grade point average in the classroom.

Michael Hoog, Jelinek's high school coach, said he is excited to see Jelinek continuing his baseball and academic career at Clarke and that he will be missed at Skyline.

"Ethan has been a critical part of our program the past two years," said Hoog. "His leadership and dedication have set the tone for our entire program and I look forward to watching him grow and mature as a player at Clarke."

Clarke head coach Chad Harris is equally excited about adding Jelinek to the roster for next year.

"Ethan came to campus and just showed to be a solid kid," said Harris. "We are looking for a specific fit in the continued building process of this program. He's going to take care of business in the classroom and if he continues to work hard, I think by the time he is a sophomore or junior, he is going to be a major asset on the field to this program."

Harris' Crusaders are off to an 8-6 start to the young season, which included a program best 7-3 start.

Clarke opens Midwest Collegiate Conference play at Iowa Wesleyan College on Saturday, March 20, with a doubleheader and a single nine-inning game on Sunday, March 21.