SAUGET – The Gateway Grizzlies announce that they have signed catcher Tanner Garrison and right-handed pitcher Jonathan Largaespada, continuing to build a winning roster for the 2025 season.
Garrison becomes the third former University of Florida Gator to join the Grizzlies’ roster alongside Dale Thomas and Tyler Shelnut. The 6’3” catcher played in 20 games last year in Gainesville, batting .246 with one home run and nine RBIs before a shoulder injury cost him the rest of the season. That followed four years at Coastal Carolina University, where the Dallas, Texas native hit .275 with six homers and 20 RBIs in 38 games as a senior in 2023.
But where Garrison really shined was behind the dish, as he was one of the very best defensive catchers in all of college baseball. At Florida last year, he committed just one error in nearly 200 chances for a .995 fielding percentage while also gunning down 44% of opposing base-stealers. While at Costal Carolina, he had a .996 fielding percentage in 230 chances in 2023, and also ranked as the top backstop in Division I in “pitch framing”.
Standing 6’5”, Largaespada comes to Sauget after finishing his college career at Long Beach State University, posting a 5.53 ERA in 23 games while striking out 32 and walking nine in 27 2/3 innings. He also pitched two seasons at the junior college level in his home state of California, with the Compton product playing one season at Los Angeles Harbor College, where he again averaged more than a strikeout per inning with 34 batters fanned in 32 frames, and two years at Cypress College.
Stay tuned for player signings, promotions, and more in the coming weeks by following the Grizzlies on social media, and on their website at GatewayGrizzlies.com!
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.
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 2025 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.
