Mike Pearson

Class of 2022

3rd Baseman

Eau Claire Pioneers 1986; Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks 1987-92; Tilden Tigers 1998

A prolific 3rd baseman, Mike Pearson was a right-handed slugger whose quick hands enabled him to staunchly defend the hot corner while destroying fastballs throughout his eight seasons of play in the CRBL. Breaking in with the upstart Eau Claire Pioneers in 1986, Pearson hit the ground mashing, banging up CRBL pitching to the tune of a .414 average (24 for 58) with 2 home runs and 15 RBI’s. Deservedly, the 3rd sacker was named All-CRBL, an unusual distinction for a rookie in the often unforgiving “prove you can do it” landscape of men’s amateur baseball. Moving north in 1987, Mike joined the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks, making a strong team an even more formidable foe. In his first year as a ‘Jack, Pearson laced a CRBL leading 8 doubles while hitting .377 (23 for 61) with one home run, 12 RBI’s and 31 runs scored. Used as spot-starter and closer by the Lumberjacks, Mike also had his best season from the mound in 1987, topping the circuit with a 2.70 ERA to compliment a 3-0 mark within 33.1 innings. Pearson’s contributions helped the Lumberjacks roll to a 17 and 1 record, a North Division title, a CRBL crown and a spot in the WBA Final 8. A renowned fastball hitter, the righty eclipsed the .300 mark in six years, with his career peak of .414 coming in the aforementioned 1986 season. His consistent batsmanship enabled him to be an extremely efficient run-producer, as he averaged almost an RBI per game in his career (123 RBI’s in 124 games played). In three seasons, his RBI’s exceeded his games played: 1989 (25 RBI/16 GP), 1990 (16 RBI/14 GP), and 1991 (21 RBI/15 GP). A true basher, Mike hit three home runs in a season five times, with a personal best of 7 bombs coming in 1991 within only 15 league games. The 1991 season also saw Mike pace league pitchers in saves with 3, on his way to finishing his CRBL pitching career with six lockdowns. After playing his last season with Chippewa Falls in 1992, Mike did not play again in the CRBL until 1998, at which point he returned to the hot corner as a Tilden Tiger. In a testament to Pearson’s strong baseball skills, he didn’t seem to miss a beat, hitting .339 (18 for 53) with three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI’s for the North Division champion Tigers. A member of winning teams his entire career, Mike played on five WBA qualifiers (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991), four North Division winners (1987, 1988, 1990, 1998), three CRBL champions (1987, 1988, 1990), two Final 8 teams (1988 & 1989) and one WBA runner-up (1989). One of the great power hitters of the 1980s and 1990s, Pearson was a six-time participant in the CRBL All-Star game (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1998). From his time as a closer, his career total of six saves is tied for 19th all-time among pitchers. Falling short of the 500 at-bat qualifying mark for all-time rankings, the Thunderous Third Baseman impressively finished his CRBL run with a .349 batting average, a .592 slugging percentage, a .434 on base percentage, and an elite OPS. of 1.026 (on base percentage + slugging percentage).