RICHMOND, Ky. -- Former Eastern Kentucky University pitcher Sam Holbrook has been moved into the major league lineup of umpire crews and will be a fulltime umpire during the 1998 season assigned to the National League crew of longtime umpire Harry Wendelstadt.

Holbrook, 33, a native of Morehead, pitched four years (1984-87) for coach Jim Ward's EKU Colonel baseball team and had his best season for EKU his senior year when he went 5-0 with three complete games and a sparkling 3.54 E.R.A.

Holbrook received his bachelors degree from EKU in 1987 in mass communication and his masters degree from Eastern in 1989 in sports administration while serving the EKU Division of Sports Information as graduate assistant.

Immediately upon receiving his masters from Eastern in 1989, Holbrook entered the Wendelstadt School of Umpiring in Florida. He worked his way up through the minor league system and served last year as a replacement umpire in the National League in August and September when the regular set of umpires took their vacations.

The upcoming 1998 season will be his first as a fulltime major league umpire in the National League. He joins former EKU student Al Clark, who attended Eastern in the late 60's and who has been a fulltime American League umpire since 1974, on a fulltime major league umpiring crew.

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