FRANKLIN, Wis. – On Monday, the Milwaukee Milkmen of American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB), announced the signing of former Panther outfielder Charlie Marion to a professional contract.
 
Marion spent the past two seasons with the Panthers and was a Horizon All-League First Team selection in 2026. In addition to his all-conference honors, Marion was named to the NCAA Auburn All-Regional Team and the Horizon League All-Tournament team for his postseason performances.
 
A native of Franklin, Wis., Marion will be playing in front of his hometown fans as he joins the Milkmen, Milwaukee's co-tenant at Franklin Field.
 
"I'm really excited for Charlie to get this opportunity and showcase his talents at the professional level," said head coach Shaun Wegner. "Over his two years here, Charlie performed at a high level and consistently drove in runs for our offense. I look forward to following his career with the Milkmen and know that he will represent both our program and his family with pride."
 
Marion finished the 2026 season as the team leader in home runs (14), RBIs (60), and total bases (129), while also ranking among the team leaders in most offensive categories.
 
He posted a slash line of .321/.402/.600 and led the team with a 1.002 OPS. He had 69 hits, including 16 doubles and one triple, while scoring 52 runs. He drew 23 walks in 58 games as a senior and stole eight bases.
 
In two seasons with the Panthers, Marion hit .300 with 129 hits in 430 at bats. He had 26 home runs, 31 doubles and four triples. On the basepaths, he stole 10 bases and scored 87 runs. He also drew 52 walks and posted a .392 on-base percentage in 114 games. With 61 RBIs in 2025 and 60 in 2026, he became the first Milwaukee player with at least 60 RBIs in multiple seasons.
 
Marion becomes the second Panther to join the Milkmen in as many seasons, following former teammate Logan Snow, who signed with Milkmen last June before joining the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds in his home state of California later in the summer.
 
By joining the Milkmen, Marion becomes the second Panther currently in the American Association, joining Luke Hansel of the Lake Country DockHounds. Marion and Hansel followed similar career paths, as both transferred to Milwaukee from Madison College of the NJCAA. Hansel joined the Panthers in 2023 after three seasons with Madison, while Marion joined in 2025 after two years with the WolfPack. Despite their similar paths, the two never played together collegiately.
 
Milwaukee and Lake Country are scheduled to meet later this month, June 22-25, in Oconomowoc before the DockHounds make a return trip to Franklin Field July 21-23.
 
Marion becomes the first Panther position player to join a professional organization since 2019, when Trevor Schwecke was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 13th round of the MLB Draft. The last Panther position player to sign with an unaffiliated professional organization was current Assistant Coach Mike Porcaro, who joined the River City Rascals of the Frontier League following the 2016 season.