GRIZZLIES OPEN SPRING TRAINING, 13 RETURN
SAUGET, Ill. — The Gateway Grizzlies opened the 2018 season with their first spring training workout of the season Thursday at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Grizzlies manager Phil Warren welcomed 38 players to camp, 13 of whom played for Gateway last season. Per Frontier League rules, the Grizzlies will have to cut their roster down to 24 ahead of opening day.
Gateway will host exhibition games against the Southern Illinois Miners on May 3 at 11:35 a.m. and the River City Rascals on May 5 at 7:05 p.m. before the regular-season opener on May 11 against the defending Frontier League champion Schaumburg Boomers.
Gateway's outfield is highlighted by four returners who all played significant roles in the Grizzlies' 2017 season — Blake Brown, Matt Hearn, Terry McClure and Cody Livesay.
Brown enters his fourth year with Gateway, where he has become one of the faces of the franchise. A 2017 Frontier League All-Star, Brown led the Grizzlies last year with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs, both of which ranked third in the Frontier League. He finished the season with a .300 batting average in a team-high 93 games. He also piled up a career-high 70 walks on the season, which helped his .425 on-base percentage easily lead qualified Gateway batters, and added nine steals in 11 attempts.
Hearn enters his second season with Gateway in 2018. He was one of the most impressive Grizzlies in 2017, leading the club with a .331 batting average and four triples. After a pedestrian first two weeks with Gateway last season, Hearn caught fire. He hit in 54 of his final 60 games, including a 20-game hitting streak from June 24 to July 21 that came up three games short of the Grizzlies' franchise record. The 22-year-old also set a new single-season franchise record with 30 stolen bases. If he replicates that success on the basepaths, Hearn could challenge Jonathan Johnson's career Grizzlies record of 57 stolen bases.
McClure was Gateway's third-leading hitter last with a .295 batting average, and he finished second on the club with 21 extra-base hits. He also swiped 14 bases in 18 tries and finished the season on a tear. Over his final 19 games (from Aug. 5 onward), McClure hit .397 (27-for-68) with a home run, four doubles, 10 RBIs, and nine runs. He also featured in one of the most dramatic moments of Gateway's season: On June 17, with the Grizzlies down to their final strike and trailing by two runs in the 11th inning, McClure hit a three-run, walk-off homer to beat Traverse City.
Livesay's 253 career hits narrowly lead all active Gateway hitters — Brown is hot on his heels with 245 coming into play in 2018. Livesay's 47 career steals also lead active Grizzlies, and he'll join Hearn in hot pursuit of Jonathan Johnson's franchise-record 57 career stolen bases. Last year, Livesay hit .273 while finishing second on the team with 82 games played. He also set career highs in stolen bases (20, in 27 attempts) and walks (57, against only 60 strikeouts). The high walk total allowed Livesay to post an outstanding .388 on-base percentage, which ranked second on the team.
In addition, a couple second-year infielders return — Brent Sakurai, who finished 2017 on a powerful stretch at the plate, and Joel McKeithan, who emerged as a reliable bat in the middle of the Grizzlies' order last season.
Gateway also welcomes in some exciting new additions, including a quartet of hitters with recent affiliated experience: infielder Kristian Brito (A - Mariners), infielder Trae Santos (A-Adv. - Padres), catcher Jhonniel Alvarez (Rookie - Rangers) and catcher Brennan Morgan (A - Angels).
On the mound, the Grizzlies will have to replaces two of the most decorated pitchers in franchise history: Vince Molesky, who struck out 120 batters last season to tie a single-season Gateway record, and Ja'Vaun West, who holds the Grizzlies' career records for appearances, innings pitched, wins and strikeouts.
Gateway will turn in part to returner Mike Elwood, who was a 2017 Frontier League All-Star as a reliever. Elwood will likely be asked to make the switch from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Last year, he set a Grizzlies single-season record with 42 appearances, all of which were out of the bullpen. Elwood led qualified Gateway pitchers with a 3.05 ERA, and he struck out 70 batters (against 24 walks) in only 59 innings.
He'll be joined in the rotation by returners Alec Kisena and Will Anderson.
The rotation will be further bolstered by the return of Dakota Smith for a second stint with the Grizzlies. After pitching for Gateway in 2015 and 2016, Smith was picked up by the Boston Red Sox and spent the 2017 season with the Class-A Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League. In 2016, Smith posted phenomenal numbers: 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 42 strikeouts (against only eight walks) in 40 innings pitched.
The Gateway bullpen also returns Tanner Cable after a very strong rookie campaign. Another three returning relievers — Kyle Richards, Austin Sweet and Dalton Shalberg — are set to join him.
ABOUT THE GATEWAY GRIZZLIES: The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 100-yards from I-255 (10 minutes from downtown St. Louis). The Grizzlies offer baseball fans entertainment, the likes of which are difficult to find - affordable, family, fun in the comfortable GCS Credit Union Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. For tickets or general information please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call 618.337.3000.
ABOUT THE FRONTIER LEAGUE: The Frontier League is a professional, independent baseball organization. Since its inception, the Frontier League has provided millions of fans to a fun and exciting baseball experience within the American Midwest. Consisting of 12 teams in two divisions and 96 game schedules, the league is recognized for the amount of talented athletes that are picked up by various MLB teams every year.