Record-setting former Traverse City Beach Bums closer Jeff Williams was traded to the RailCats early in the 2010 season.

Williams, 26, comes to Northwest Indiana after a three-game stint with the American Association’s Grand Prairie Air Hogs.  A  Colorado native, Williams is reunited with his former college teammate, Mike Massaro, on the RailCats and brings a 3.66 ERA and 31 career saves to the ‘Cats bullpen.

Undrafted out of Colorado State-Pueblo, Williams joined Traverse City in 2007 and went 4-2 in his rookie season, primarily out of the bullpen.  The next summer, Williams was inserted as the Beach Bums’ closer and found a home, finishing second in the Frontier League with 15 saves.  Opposing hitters batted just .205 off Williams in 2008 and the right-hander recorded 49 strikeouts against just 18 walks in 42.1innings of work.

Last season, Williams converted 13 straight save opportunities – giving him 26 straight conversions dating back to 2008 – and was so dominant he finished fourth in the league in saves despite being signed by the New York Yankees midway through the season, just after appearing in the Frontier League’s All-Star Game.  Williams had a 0.78 ERA in his first 23 games with the Beach Bums in 2009, allowing 22 baserunners in 23.0 innings against 23 strikeouts.  Williams continued to pitch well after his July 21 signing by the Yankees, posting a 3.66 ERA and three saves in 13 games at Charleston (A) and even earning a one-game call-up to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

A native of Castle Rock, Colorado, Williams signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Boston Red Sox in 2006 but did not appear in a game.  In his two years at CSU-Pueblo, Williams became the first pitcher in school history to post back-to-back 10-win seasons (2005-06) and finished his career fourth in school history with a 3.70 ERA.