The Gateway Grizzlies celebrate with Sawyer Smith, after his game-winning hit in Thursday’s win over the Mississippi Mud Monsters. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| Frontier League Baseball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi (36-38) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| Gateway (45-29) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
WP: Xander Lovin (1-0) LP: Sergio Sanchez (2-5)
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
SAUGET, IL — The Gateway Grizzlies were one strike away from suffering another late-inning, blown-lead loss, but rookie shortstop Sawyer Smith delivered a two-strike, two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Grizzlies to a 5-4 win over the Mississippi Mud Monsters in a Frontier League baseball game, Thursday afternoon at Arsenal BG Ballpark.
Smith, who completed his college career at the University of Kansas this spring, was making his professional debut with Gateway on Thursday, when he came to the plate with two runners on, two outs, and the Grizzlies trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
On a 3-2 pitch, Smith laced a shot into the left-field corner that scored teammates D.J. Stewart and Abdiel Diaz to tie the score and then win the game for Gateway. The entire Grizzlies bench stormed the field to celebrate with Smith who had just delivered his first pro hit.
The win raised Gateway’s season record to 45-29 and pulled the Grizzlies to within 1/2 game of first place in the Frontier League Midwest Division standings. The Schaumburg Boomers, who have lost four games in a row, still hold first place with a 46-29 record.
Abdiel Diaz had two hits in the Grizzlies win over Mississippi Mud Monsters on Thursday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Gateway built a 3-1 lead through five innings, thanks to a two-run homer in the fourth inning by Stewart (his 17th of the season) and an RBI double by Edwin Mateo in the fifth. Mississippi responded by scoring single runs in the sixth, seventh, and ninth innings to take the lead.
Stewart led off the bottom of the ninth by getting hit by a pitch. Diaz drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second. Mateo popped out for the second out, which set the stage for the rookie Smith.
Another rookie, pitcher Xander Lovin got the win — his first as a professional player — after getting the final three outs in the top of the ninth.
The Grizzlies will be on the road this weekend, with games this weekend in Pennsylvania against the Washington Wild Things. Gateway and Washington will play single games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, before the Grizzlies return home to begin another homestand next week against the Lake Erie Crushers and the Windy City ThunderBolts.
2025 GATEWAY GRIZZLIES BASEBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Evansville Otters | Evansville, IN / Bosse Field | W 5-4 (1-0) |
| May 9, 2025 (Friday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Evansville Otters | Evansville, IN / Bosse Field | L 3-2 (1-1) |
| May 10, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Evansville Otters | Evansville, IN / Bosse Field | W 4-0 (2-1) |
| May 13, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park | W 8-5 (3-1) |
| May 14, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park | W 9-8 10 inn. (4-1) |
| May 15, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Pearl, MS / Trustmark Park | W 6-1 (5-1) |
| May 16, 2025 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Trois-Rivières Aigles | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 9-7 (6-1) |
| May 17, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Trois-Rivières Aigles | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 4-0 (6-2) |
| May 18, 2025 (Sunday) | 1:05 pm | Home | Trois-Rivières Aigles | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 21-2 (7-2) |
| May 20, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:40 pm | Away | Florence Y’alls | Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium | W 6-1 (8-2) |
| May 21, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:40 pm | Away | Florence Y’alls | Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium | L 6-3 (8-3) |
| May 22, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:40 pm | Away | Florence Y’alls | Florence, KY / Thomas More Stadium | W 10-7 (9-3) |
| May 23, 2025 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Schaumburg Boomers | Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field | W 8-1 (10-3) |
| May 24, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Away | Schaumburg Boomers | Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field | L 4-1 (10-4) |
| May 25, 2025 (Sunday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Schaumburg Boomers | Schaumburg, IL / Wintrust Field | L 5-4 (10-5) |
| May 27, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Florence Y’alls | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 13-9 (10-6) |
| May 28, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Florence Y’alls | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 11-10 (10-7) |
| May 29, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Florence Y’alls | Grizzlies Ballpark | Postponed |
| May 30, 2025 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Sussex County Miners | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 6-5 (10-8) |
| May 31, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Sussex County Miners | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 9-2 (11-8) |
| June 1, 2025 (Sunday) | 1:05 pm | Home | Sussex County Miners | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 12-7 (12-8) |
| June 3, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Windy City ThunderBolts | Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field | W 9-6 (13-8) |
| June 4, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Windy City ThunderBolts | Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field | L 5-2 (13-9) |
| June 5, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Windy City ThunderBolts | Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field | L 4-3 (13-10) |
| June 6, 2025 (Friday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Joliet Slammers | Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field | W 8-3 (14-10) |
| June 7, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:05 pm | Away | Joliet Slammers | Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field | W 7-0 (15-10) |
| June 8, 2025 (Sunday) | 1:05 pm | Away | Joliet Slammers | Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field | W 10-4 (16-10) |
| June 10, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Tri-City Valley Cats | Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium | L 6-1 (16-11) |
| June 11, 2025 (Wednesday) | 10 am | Away | Tri-City Valley Cats | Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium | L 4-3 (16-12) |
| June 12, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Tri-City Valley Cats | Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium | W 10-5 (17-12) |
| June 13, 2025 (Friday) | 6 pm | Away | New York Boulders | Pomano, NY / Clover Stadium | W 10-9 (18-12) |
| June 14, 2025 (Saturday) | 5:30 pm | Away | New York Boulders | Pomano, NY / Clover Stadium | L 14-10 (18-13) |
| June 15, 2025 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Away | New York Boulders | Pomano, NY / Clover Stadium | W 6-1 (19-13) |
| June 17, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Schaumburg Boomers | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 13-10 (20-13) |
| June 18, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Schaumburg Boomers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 17-10 (20-14) |
| June 19, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Schaumburg Boomers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 5-2 (20-15) |
| June 20, 2025 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 18-3 (21-15) |
| June 21, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 4-0 (22-15) |
| June 22, 2025 (Sunday) | 5:30 pm | Home | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 8-7 (22-16) |
| June 24, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Evansville Otters | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 12-8 (22-17) |
| June 25, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Evansville Otters | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 5-4 (23-17) |
| June 26, 2025 (Thursday) | 10:45 am | Home | Evansville Otters | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 2-1 (24-17) |
| June 27, 2025 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Lake Erie Crushers | Avon, OH / Crushers Stadium | W 4-3 (25-17) |
| June 28, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Lake Erie Crushers | Avon, OH / Crushers Stadium | L 4-0 (25-18) |
| June 29, 2025 (Sunday) | 6:30 pm | Away | Lake Erie Crushers | Avon, OH / Crushers Stadium | W 10-3 (26-18) |
| July 1, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Washington Wild Things | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 13-6 (27-18) |
| July 2, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Washington Wild Things | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 12-2 (28-18) |
| July 3, 2025 (Thursday) | 7:05 pm | Home | Washington Wild Things | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 6-4 (29-18) |
| July 4, 2025 (Friday) | 7:05 pm | Home | Lake Erie Crushers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 2-1 (29-19) |
| July 5, 2025 (Saturday) | 7:05 pm | Home | Lake Erie Crushers | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 7-5 (30-19) |
| July 6, 2025 (Sunday) | 5:30 pm | Home | Lake Erie Crushers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 3-2 (30-20) |
| July 9, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 14-3 (31-20) |
| July 10, 2025 (Thursday) | 10:45 am | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 5-1 (32-20) |
| July 11, 2025 (Friday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Evansville Otters | Evansville, IN / Bosse Field | W 12-3 (33-20) |
| July 12, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Evansville Otters | Evansville, IN / Bosse Field | W 6-5 (34-20) |
| July 13, 2025 (Sunday) | 5:05 pm | Away | Evansville Otters | Evansville, IN / Bosse Field | W 11-6 (35-20) |
| July 16, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6 pm | Neutral | Frontier League All-Star Game | Albany, NY / Bruno Stadium | Atlantic 5 Midwest 4 |
| July 18, 2025 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Schaumburg Boomers | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 9-3 (36-20) |
| July 19, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Schaumburg Boomers | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 12-7 (37-20) |
| July 20, 2025 (Sunday) | 5:30 pm | Home | Schaumburg Boomers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 5-2 (37-21) |
| July 22, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Joliet Slammers | Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field | W 2-1 (38-21) |
| July 23, 2025 (Wednesday) | 10:05 am | Away | Joliet Slammers | Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field | W 7-2 (39-21) |
| July 24, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Joliet Slammers | Joliet, IL / Duly Health Care Field | W 7-2 (40-21) |
| July 25, 2025 (Friday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Windy City ThunderBolts | Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field | W 6-1 (41-21) |
| July 26, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:05 pm | Away | Windy City ThunderBolts | Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field | L 2-0 (41-22) |
| July 27, 2025 (Sunday) | 1:05 pm | Away | Windy City ThunderBolts | Crestwood, IL / Ozinga Field | W 5-1 (42-22) |
| July 29, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 7-6 (42-23) |
| July 30, 2025 (Wednesday) | 5 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 5-2 (42-24) |
| July 30, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 5-3 (42-25) |
| July 31, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 12-11 (42-26) |
| August 1, 2025 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Windy City ThunderBolts | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 7-3 (42-27) |
| August 2, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Windy City ThunderBolts | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 9-6 (43-27) |
| August 3, 2025 (Sunday) | 5:30 pm | Home | Windy City ThunderBolts | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 4-3 (43-28) |
| August 5, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 9-3 (44-28) |
| August 6, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Grizzlies Ballpark | L 2-1 (44-29) |
| August 7, 2025 (Thursday) | 10:45 am | Home | Mississippi Mud Monsters | Grizzlies Ballpark | W 5-4 (45-29) |
| 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 |