The Gateway Grizzlies will begin the 2025 Frontier League season on May 8. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

CRESTWOOD, IL — The Frontier League completed its 2025 Rookie Draft on Wednesday at Ozinga Field in south Chicago, home of the Windy City ThunderBolts.

All 18 Frontier League teams were present at the tryout camp and draft, represented by managers, scouts, and Major League Baseball representatives.

The Gateway Grizzlies selected three players in the draft. With the No. 4 pick, the Grizzlies took Jett Thielke, a righthanded pitcher from Madison, Wisc. later in the draft, with the No. 16 pick, Gateway selected Geo Rivera, a righthanded pitcher from Williamsburg, Va. And with its final choice, the Grizzlies picked Ryan Davis, an outfielder from Midway, Ky.

New Gateway Grizzlie, Jett Thielke, played in college at Belmont University. (Photo courtesy: Belmont Athletics)

Thielke joins the Grizzlies after spending the last two years at Belmont University in Nashville. Last season, as a graduate student, Thielke had no wins or losses in 16 innings of work, where he struck out 18 batters and gave up nine walks.

The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder had his season end early due to an injury. In 2023, Thielke pitched in 24 games and had a 5-1 record, with a 4.76 ERA. He struck out 57 and walked 19 in 45 1/3 innings.

Before Belmont, Thielke played at Madison College — a junior college in Kentucky — where he went 9-2 as a freshman, with a 2.62 ERA, 70 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 55 innings.

New Gateway Grizzlie, Geo Rivera, was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in 2022. (Photo courtesy: Yahoo.com)

Rivera has not played since 2022, when he was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the 19th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. That summer, in the MLB Draft League, Rivera had a 2.20 ERA in five games (four starts), and struck out 12 and walked seven in 16 1/3 innings pitched.

Injuries have been a problem for Rivera since 2022. He was assigned to Cleveland’s rookie league team, the Lake County Captains, in 2023 but he didn’t play due to injury. Then in 2024, Rivera was sent to Cleveland’s single-A affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats, but he missed that season also due to injury.

This spring, Rivera is finally healthy and hoping the restart his career with the Grizzlies.

New Gateway Grizzlie, Ryan Davis, played collegiately at Midway University in Kentucky. (Photo courtesy: Midway U. Athletics)

Davis played his college ball at Midway University, an NAIA school in Kentucky. He was a part-time player his freshman year, but a three-year starter after that.

In his senior season, Davis hit .316, with a .446 on-base percentage, seven home runs, 42 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. Davis also drew 46 walks in 52 games.

He also played in 11 games for the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League last summer. He went five-for-32, with one home run, two RBIs, and one stolen base.

The Grizzlies will begin training camp this weekend, with their eyes on the 2025 Frontier League season opener against the Evansville Otters on May 8.

Gateway’s 2025 home opener will be May 16 at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., against the Trois-Rivières Aigles.

2025 GATEWAY GRIZZLIES BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Date	Time	At	Opponent	Location
May 8, 2025 (Thursday)	6:35 pm	Away	Evansville Otters	Evansville, IN / Bosse Field
May 9, 2025 (Friday)	6:35 pm	Away	Evansville Otters	Evansville, IN / Bosse Field
May 10, 2025 (Saturday)	6:35 pm	Away	Evansville Otters	Evansville, IN / Bosse Field
May 13, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Away	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park
May 14, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Away	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park
May 15, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Away	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park
May 16, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Home	Trois-Rivières Aigles	Grizzlies Ballpark
May 17, 2025 (Saturday)	6:30 pm	Home	Trois-Rivières Aigles	Grizzlies Ballpark
May 18, 2025 (Sunday)	1:05 pm	Home	Trois-Rivières Aigles	Grizzlies Ballpark
May 20, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:40 pm	Away	Florence Y’alls	Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium
May 21, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:40 pm	Away	Florence Y’alls	Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium
May 22, 2025 (Thursday)	6:40 pm	Away	Florence Y’alls	Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium
May 23, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Away	Schaumburg Boomers	Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field
May 24, 2025 (Saturday)	3 pm	Away	Schaumburg Boomers	Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field
May 25, 2025 (Sunday)	6:30 pm	Away	Schaumburg Boomers	Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field
May 27, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Florence Y’alls	Grizzlies Ballpark
May 28, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Florence Y’alls	Grizzlies Ballpark
May 29, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Home	Florence Y’alls	Grizzlies Ballpark
May 30, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Home	Sussex County Miners	Grizzlies Ballpark
May 31, 2025 (Saturday)	6:30 pm	Home	Sussex County Miners	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 1, 2025 (Sunday)	1:05 pm	Home	Sussex County Miners	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 3, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:35 pm	Away	Windy City ThunderBolts	Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field
June 4, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:35 pm	Away	Windy City ThunderBolts	Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field
June 5, 2025 (Thursday)	6:35 pm	Away	Windy City ThunderBolts	Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field
June 6, 2025 (Friday)	6:35 pm	Away	Joliet Slammers	Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field
June 7, 2025 (Saturday)	6:05 pm	Away	Joliet Slammers	Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field
June 8, 2025 (Sunday)	1:05 pm	Away	Joliet Slammers	Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field
June 10, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Away	Tri-City Valley Cats	Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium
June 11, 2025 (Wednesday)	10 am	Away	Tri-City Valley Cats	Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium
June 12, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Away	Tri-City Valley Cats	Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium
June 13, 2025 (Friday)	6 pm	Away	New York Boulders	Pomano, NY / Clover Stadium
June 14, 2025 (Saturday)	5:30 pm	Away	New York Boulders	Pomano, NY / Clover Stadium
June 15, 2025 (Sunday)	12 pm	Away	New York Boulders	Pomano, NY / Clover Stadium
June 17, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Schaumburg Boomers	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 18, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Schaumburg Boomers	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 19, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Home	Schaumburg Boomers	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 20, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Home	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 21, 2025 (Saturday)	6:30 pm	Home	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 22, 2025 (Sunday)	5:30 pm	Home	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 24, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Evansville Otters	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 25, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Evansville Otters	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 26, 2025 (Thursday)	10:45 am	Home	Evansville Otters	Grizzlies Ballpark
June 27, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Away	Lake Erie Crushers	Avon, OH / Crushers Stadium
June 28, 2025 (Saturday)	6:30 pm	Away	Lake Erie Crushers	Avon, OH / Crushers Stadium
June 29, 2025 (Sunday)	6:30 pm	Away	Lake Erie Crushers	Avon, OH / Crushers Stadium
July 1, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Washington Wild Things	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 2, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Washington Wild Things	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 3, 2025 (Thursday)	7:05 pm	Home	Washington Wild Things	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 4, 2025 (Friday)	7:05 pm	Home	Lake Erie Crushers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 5, 2025 (Saturday)	7:05 pm	Home	Lake Erie Crushers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 6, 2025 (Sunday)	5:30 pm	Home	Lake Erie Crushers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 8, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Joliet Slammers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 9, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Joliet Slammers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 10, 2025 (Thursday)	10:45 am	Home	Joliet Slammers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 11, 2025 (Friday)	6:35 pm	Away	Evansville Otters	Evansville, IN / Bosse Field
July 12, 2025 (Saturday)	6:35 pm	Away	Evansville Otters	Evansville, IN / Bosse Field
July 13, 2025 (Sunday)	5:05 pm	Away	Evansville Otters	Evansville, IN / Bosse Field
July 16, 2025 (Wednesday)	6 pm	Neutral	Frontier League All-Star Game (hosted by Tri-City Valley Cats)	Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium
July 18, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Home	Schaumburg Boomers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 19, 2025 (Saturday)	6:30 pm	Home	Schaumburg Boomers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 20, 2025 (Sunday)	5:30 pm	Home	Schaumburg Boomers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 22, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:35 pm	Away	Joliet Slammers	Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field
July 23, 2025 (Wednesday)	10:05 am	Away	Joliet Slammers	Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field
July 24, 2025 (Thursday)	6:35 pm	Away	Joliet Slammers	Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field
July 25, 2025 (Friday)	6:35 pm	Away	Windy City ThunderBolts	Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field
July 26, 2025 (Saturday)	6:05 pm	Away	Windy City ThunderBolts	Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field
July 27, 2025 (Sunday)	1:05 pm	Away	Windy City ThunderBolts	Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field
July 29, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Joliet Slammers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 30, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Joliet Slammers	Grizzlies Ballpark
July 31, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Home	Joliet Slammers	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 1, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Home	Windy City ThunderBolts	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 2, 2025 (Saturday)	6:30 pm	Home	Windy City ThunderBolts	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 3, 2025 (Sunday)	5:30 pm	Home	Windy City ThunderBolts	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 5, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 6, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 7, 2025 (Thursday)	10:45 am	Home	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 8, 2025 (Friday)	6:05 pm	Away	Washington Wild Things	Washington, PA / EQT Park
August 9, 2025 (Saturday)	6:05 pm	Away	Washington Wild Things	Washington, PA / EQT Park
August 10, 2025 (Sunday)	4:35 pm	Away	Washington Wild Things	Washington, PA / EQT Park
August 12, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Lake Erie Crushers	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 13, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Home	Lake Erie Crushers	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 14, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Home	Lake Erie Crushers	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 15, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Home	Windy City ThunderBolts	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 16, 2025 (Saturday)	7:15 pm	Home	Windy City ThunderBolts	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 17, 2025 (Sunday)	5:30 pm	Home	Windy City ThunderBolts	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 19, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Away	Schaumburg Boomers	Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field
August 20, 2025 (Wednesday)	6:30 pm	Away	Schaumburg Boomers	Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field
August 21, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Away	Schaumburg Boomers	Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field
August 22, 2025 (Friday)	7:05 pm	Away	Florence Y’alls	Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium
August 23, 2025 (Saturday)	6:35 pm	Away	Florence Y’alls	Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium
August 24, 2025 (Sunday)	1:05 pm	Away	Florence Y’alls	Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium
August 26, 2025 (Tuesday)	6:30 pm	Away	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park
August 27, 2025 (Wednesday)	11 am	Away	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park
August 28, 2025 (Thursday)	6:30 pm	Away	Mississippi Mud Monsters	Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park
August 29, 2025 (Friday)	6:30 pm	Home	Evansville Otters	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 30, 2025 (Saturday)	6:30 pm	Home	Evansville Otters	Grizzlies Ballpark
August 31, 2025 (Sunday)	6:05 pm	Home	Evansville Otters	Grizzlies Ballpark
September 3-6, 2025	TBD	TBD	Frontier League Wild Card Round	TBD
September 9-14, 2025	TBD	TBD	Frontier League Divisional Championship Series	TBD
September 16-21, 2025	TBD	TBD	Frontier League Championship Series	TBD