Lonnie Robinson joins Saint Paul Saints

July 17, 2008

St. Thomas senior pitcher Lonnie Robinson has signed a pro baseball contract with the Saint Paul Saints of the American Association. Robinson joined the Saints earlier in July and has worked in three games thus far in relief.

Robinson will play his final basketball season in 2008-09 as a fifth-year senior. He finished 21-3 on his Tommie baseball career with 119 strikeouts in 106 innings and was voted to the American Baseball Coaches Association's All-America third team. Robinson has played on Tommie basketball baseball teams that have won all seven MIAC regular-season titles and 6-of-7 conference postseason crowns. Robinson was named National Pitcher of the Week in April, and in the last 17 days of the season was 4-0 with 1.68 ERA with four consecutive complete-game victories. He was chosen NCAA Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year in 2008 and conference Pitcher of the Year in 2007.

Robinson joins ex-Tommie catcher Zach Goldberg on the Saints' roster. Goldberg, a 2006 Tommie graduate, has 11 hits and is batting .250 in 16 games. Goldberg played at Sioux City, Kalamazoo and Evansville over the last two summers.

The Saints will host the American Association All-Star Game next Tuesday and are home again July 23-26 to face Wichita.

Five other MIAC grads played on the Saints roster at times this season:

--Former St. Olaf pitcher Charlie Ruud is an all-star in his fourth season and has a franchise-record 30 career win.

--Earlier this summer, former Tommie pitcher Brian Whinnery retired after pitching parts of three seasons with the Saints. 

--Former St. Olaf infielder Brain Sprout also retired after several years in the league.

--Hamline pitcher Kyle Foster, in his second year with the Saints, had his contract purchased by the Red Sox and he is now pitching in Greenville (S.C.) of the South Atlantic League where he's 2-0 with a 7.94 ERA in seven relief appearances.

--Infielder Andrew Bennett, a 2008 Hamline grad, played briefly before being released in June.

Click here to see Whinnery, Sprout retirement story:

http://www.saintsbaseball.com/news/saintsnews/index.html?article_id=802