SAUGET, Ill. - The Gateway Grizzlies announce that they have signed five players who played in the Pioneer League in 2023 to their roster for the upcoming 2024 season, inking former Boise Hawks Trevor Minder, Sean Skelly, and Matt Voelker, while also bringing in former Grand Junction Jackalopes Adam Bloebaum and Matt Golda.
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An infielder who hails from Springfield, Illinois, Minder is coming off a strong season with Boise in 2023, hitting .309 with eight homers, 17 doubles, 61 RBIs, and 102 hits over 91 games. Minder also batted .281 with two homers, 20 RBIs, and 12 doubles in 63 games in 2022 with the Hawks. He finished his college baseball career at Tulane University in New Orleans after two seasons at Parkland College, hitting .244 with seven homers, 31 RBIs, and 14 doubles over 60 games as a regular for the Green Wave in 2022.
Skelly, a catcher, played for Boise behind the plate for the last three seasons. He posted solid numbers in 2023, hitting .277 with 10 homers, 12 doubles, and 42 RBIs in 54 games, marking an improvement across the board from his previous season. Skelly finished his collegiate career in his home state at Cal State Northridge, earning 2nd Team All-Big West honors in 2019 by hitting .288 with seven homers and 21 RBIs in 50 games.
Voelker joins the Grizzlies out of Granite Bay, California, and was mainly a starter with Boise last season, going 7-5 with 42 strikeouts in 81 innings over 17 appearances, 16 of which were starts. He also put up a 2.29 ERA in 14 relief appearances along with 16 strikeouts and six walks with Frederick in the MLB Draft League in 2022 after a season at Baylor University in Texas where he had a 37:17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 43 1/3 innings over 23 games. The southpaw also pitched four years at Loyola Marymount University and amassed 17 saves in total over the course of his collegiate career.
Bloebaum comes to Sauget as another left-handed pitcher, and as a rookie with Grand Junction had 74 strikeouts and only 25 walks in 63 innings over 16 games in 2023, nine of which were starts. He had a similar role in two seasons at the University of Washington, posting a 5.23 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 41 1/3 innings as a redshirt sophomore in 2022. The previous year, after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh, the 6’5” North Carolina native was the Huskies’ Sunday starter, owning a 4.15 ERA in 18 games (10 starts) with 59 strikeouts and only 16 walks over 60 2/3 innings.
Finally, Golda joins Gateway after batting .303 with a pair of homers and 27 RBIs over 50 games in 2023 with Grand Junction. The Acushnet, Massachusetts native finished his college career at UAB in 2022 after also playing one season at Oklahoma State.
The Grizzlies will release more information on their official player signings for 2024 as the offseason progresses. Follow along with the team on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram) as well as GatewayGrizzlies.com for updates as the team prepares for an exciting 2024 season!
About the Gateway Grizzlies
The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis in Sauget, Illinois. The Grizzlies offer baseball fans affordable, family fun at Grizzlies Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. They have also won two Frontier League Organization of the Year Awards, four West Division titles, and the 2003 Frontier League Championship. For tickets or general information, please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call (618) 337-3000.
About the Frontier League
The Frontier League debuted in 1993, and is the largest of the Major League Baseball Partner Leagues, featuring teams stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. More information and the complete 2024 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.
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