Published On: February 18th, 2022

The versatile Wake Forest Freshman looks to balance faith and baseball this season.

 

Duluth, Minn.- The Huskies have added another incredible individual to their 2022 roster; Elie Kligman will continue to fine-tune his baseball development in the Northwoods League with Duluth. Kligman, a 2021 graduate of Cimarron Memorial High in Las Vegas, NV, has experience as an infielder, catcher, switch-hitter, and right-handed pitcher. Although he was drafted as a catcher by the Washington Nationals in the 20th round of the 2021 MLB draft, Elie chose to further his academics and playing career in the Division-1 college ranks at Wake Forest.

According to his bio on the Wake Forest website, Kligman earned First team All-Conference honors all four years of high school to pair with three seasons of All-Region recognition. Listed as a catcher and utility player on the Demon Deacons roster, Elie looks to focus on the position he was drafted to play. In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun Newspaper, he noted how catching lends to his skills and baseball IQ, while also allowing regular rest days due to the physical demands of the position. Kligman holds his Orthodox Jewish faith as his top priority, and he does not play on the Sabbath, meaning Friday nights or Saturday afternoons are when those rest days will take place.

When asked what lessons were learned in 2021 that can be put into practice in 2022, the Las Vegas native put an emphasis on the importance of having balance in life. “Knowing I must get my work in on the field, being religious, and having school and a social life, I have learned how to balance some things while not sacrificing faith or baseball and still doing well in the classroom,” he said. With balance in mind, Kligman was introduced to Huskies owner Michael Rosenzweig while looking for a place to play summer ball, and determined it would be a great fit as he continues his baseball growth with the Northwoods League. “We look forward to the opportunity of having Elie on our baseball team in 2022, just as we are excited to have all of our fine young players representing Duluth,” said Rosenzweig, who is also Jewish. “The Huskies have always respectfully accommodated the needs of players, and this year is no different.”

Kligman is excited to meet his summer team and learn and grow as a person and player with the Huskies. Let’s give him a warm welcome to Duluth!

 

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“Catch the Rising Stars!”

The Duluth Huskies are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 250 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.duluthhuskies.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Huskies as your favorite team.

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