BASEBALL

Former Huntington University centerfielder Donovan Clark is getting his shot at professional baseball. The 2019 graduate recently earned a spot on the New Hampshire Wild roster.

After attending a week-long tryout in Delaware, Clark was picked up by the independent American professional baseball team based in Concord, New Hampshire. Wild is part of the Empire Professional Baseball League.

Clark has made an immediate impression as he swung for the fences in his first at bat and sent one long for his first career dinger to garner early attention from a Can-Am scout in attendance.

Clark and crew are six games into a 35-game season. Plans after the season are up in the air with hopes that he will get picked up by an affiliated team. His baseball career could also include moving up to a higher independent league or playing ball overseas.

Arguably one of the best, if not the best athlete in HU baseball program history, Clark spent his first year of college as a cornerback on the IU football team. He would go on to play a year of baseball at Purdue Fort Wayne before making the transition to Forester green and white.

The 5-10 outfielder was a two-year starter for Coach Frame during which he quickly earned a reputation for his speed on the bases. After wrapping up 2018 ranked 7th nationally in stolen bases per game (.702) and claiming the Forester record for steals in a season (33), Clark upped his game this past spring by averaging .780 stolen bases per game to finish 3rd in the NAIA.

Clark’s final campaign also saw him tabbed his team’s 2019 batting champion by boasting a .341 batting average in addition to being voted All-Conference. Clark wrapped up his Huntington career with 65 stolen bases to go along with 101 hits and 22 RBI. He scored 80 times and posted a .409 career on-base percentage.