Aug. 15, 2008

ERIE, Pa. -

Former Bobcat pitcher Derek Witt is quickly moving his way up the ranks of professional baseball. The reliever was promoted from the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League Wednesday.

Witt was 3-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 41 appearances with Lakeland this season. The right-hander pitched 64 and a third innings, while allowing 21 earned runs on 61 hits and striking out 41 batters for the Flying Tigers. In his first appearance with the SeaWolves Thursday, Witt worked one inning, allowed no runs, one hit and fanned a batter against the New Britain Rock Cats.

The former Bobcat was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 28th round of the June 2006 draft. Now in his third season with the Tigers organization, the 24-year-old has made stops with the short-season Single-A Oneonta Tigers, the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps and advanced Single-A Lakeland. While in Oneonta, the reliever was selected to play in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game.

Witt ranks sixth on Ohio's career innings pitched list with 260 and a third innings during his time with the Bobcats from 2003-2006.

The promotion occurred after SeaWolf reliever Matt Rusch was bumped up to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.