The Gateway Grizzlies have won four of their last five games and seven of their last 10. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| Frontier League Baseball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schaumburg Boomers (22-12) | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 0 |
| Gateway Grizzlies (20-13) | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | X | 13 | 11 | 0 |
Jason Barnes
Special to the Editor
SAUGET, IL — The Gateway Grizzlies kicked off a nine-game home stand on Tuesday, by scoring nine runs in the bottom of the second inning to come back from an early deficit on the team’s way to a 13-10 victory over the Schaumburg Boomers in a Frontier League baseball game at Arsenal AG Ballpark.
Shortstop Abdiel Diaz made a triumphant returen to the Grizzlies by hitting a grand slam and posting a career-best five RBIs to lead the team to the win.
Things did not begin well for the Grizzlies or starter Lukas Veinbergs, who surrendered a two-out RBI double to Anthony Calarco that made the score 1-0 in the first inning, then three more runs in the second on RBI hits by Andrew Sojka and Calarco that made the deficit 4-0 heading into the bottom of the frame.
But Schaumburg starter Quinlan Wiley (2-1) lost his command of the strike zone, walking the first three batters of the inning to kickstart what would become the Grizzlies’ biggest inning of the year offensively.
With the bases loaded, Edwin Mateo doubled in two runs to make it a 4-2 score, and Cole Brannen followed with a game-tying two-run double of his own to right field.
Brannen moved to third base on a flyout by Jose Alvarez, and would score on a go-ahead sacrifice fly by Gabe Holt, with Gateway taking a 5-4 lead on the second out of the inning.
But the damage would not end there. Victor Castillo hit an automatic double to keep the inning going, and D.J. Stewart was hit by a pitch before Mark Shallenberger walked, loading the bases for Diaz. The veteran shortstop came up huge, smashing a grand slam home run down the right field line to make the score 9-5.
Undaunted, Schaumburg was able to plate four runs in the top of the next inning to threaten the newfound lead and knock Veinbergs out of the game. But Gateway stayed in front by a run, a lead that was extended when the Grizzlies plated two runs in the bottom of the third inning on a wild pitch by Hambleton Oliver as well as a solo home run by Alvarez, making it a 11-8 ballgame.
The Boomers would threaten again by scoring single runs in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Alec Craig, and in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Satchell Norman.
But with the tying run at third base an no outs in the latter frame, Matt Hickey wiggled out of trouble without allowing any more runs to score, and Diaz would earn his fifth RBI of the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth on a single.
Castillo would homer to left field in the eighth inning to make it a 13-10 contest, and Keegan Collett would nail down his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
Having now won four of their last five games, the Grizzlies will look to take the series from the Boomers in the middle game of the set on Wednesday. Claudio Galva will start the contest for Gateway against Schaumburg right-hander Derek Salata, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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 | |
| 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 |