Arguably the best pitcher to ever throw the horsehide for Whitman,
Pete Jonas was the staff ace on powerful Missionary teams that played for the Northwest Conference title in four straight seasons and won three crowns.
As a senior in 1938, Jonas twirled a three-hit shutout that helped Whitman dominate the post-season tournament. The Missionaries won each of their four playoff games, outscoring the opposition 24-4, to finish the season with a 33-6 record.
Whitman stormed to the 1937 NWC championship by winning three straight post-season games, one of them a Jonas four-hit shutout.
As a freshman in 1935, when the Missionaries took two of three games from Willamette to claim the title, Jonas tossed a complete-game victory and then won a second game with four innings of scoreless relief.
Regular season career highlights for the fire-balling right-hander included a no-hitter against the University of Idaho. Jonas also struck out 14 University of Washington batters in a 5-0 shutout. In another of his outings against the Huskies, he dropped a 3-2 decision despite again fanning 14 batters and helping his own cause by clubbing a home run to right field.
During the 1938 season, one observer noted that Whitman coach R.V. Borleske had the “ace hurler of the Pacific Coast in the fiery Pete Jonas. Jonas has been approached by various scouts representing Big League clubs, and will probably play professional baseball.”
After Whitman, Jonas played several seasons for the Seattle Rainiers and other minor league clubs. He won 10 or more games in three straight seasons, posting earned run averages of less than 3.00.
