(Press Release; Photo Credit: Saint Louis Athletics)
The Grizzlies have added catcher Grant Nelson to the team’s 2015 roster.
Nelson played his final two seasons of college baseball at nearby Saint Louis University. The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Nelson in the ninth round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
“I see it as a huge opportunity,” said Nelson, a native of San Mateo, Calif. “I’m happy to be a part of the team so early.”
With the Billikens’ program, Nelson posted a .326 career batting average. During his senior year, he hit .338 with a .465 slugging percentage and a .433 on-base percentage.
“I have a lot of friends in the St. Louis area and I’m comfortable with the surroundings,” said Nelson, who helped the Billikens reach the NCAA Regional playoffs for just the fourth time in school history during the 2013 season. “It’s like a second home to me,” he said.
Nelson spent time at three different levels during the past two years in the Diamondbacks’ system.
“From what I understand, he really handles a pitching staff well and helps the pitches get better,” said Grizzlies’ manager Phil Warren, who enters his ninth season at the helm for Gateway.
“Saint Louis head coach Darin Hendrickson told me he exemplifies everything we look at as far as leadership and being a good clubhouse guy,” Warren said.
