June 9, 2005

SAUGET, Ill. - (Wednesday, June 08, 2005) Former Southeast Missouri State baseball players Bo Jenkins and Freddy Lopez have joined the Gateway Grizzlies of the Independent League. Their signing gives the Grizzlies five former Southeast Missouri State baseball players on their current active roster as they join Gary Gilbert, Phil Warren and Brandon Smith.

Both players have made an immediate impact for the one of the top teams in the Frontier League. In only seven games Lopez is tied for the team lead in homeruns with three. He is batting .355 with two doubles, seven RBIs and leads the team with a .710 slugging percentage. Used primarily as a designated hitter as a Redhawk this past season he has been the Grizzlies everyday rightfielder and has seen action at first base as well.

Freddy Lopez has hit three homeruns in seven games for the Grizzlies

As a Redhawk this past season the left-handed batting Lopez hit .302 and led the team with 41 RBIs and was the tied for the team lead in homers with five.

Jenkins has taken over the starting position at second base for the Grizzlies showing the same defensive play as a Redhawk. Jenkins as made an impact with his bat as well as he is batting .320 with two doubles one homerun and two RBIs.

Bo Jenkins is batting .320 for the Grizzlies

Jenkins batted .250 with 17 RBIs as a Redhawk. Jenkins ranks sixth on the career assists list for the Redhawks with 283 assists in only two seasons.

This makes the third time the two Phoenix, Arizona natives have been teammates as they were both members of the Central Arizona Community College baseball team before coming to Cape Girardeau were they each starred for two seasons.

In their first game at home at GMC Stadium on June 4 both players were named Belleville News Democrat co-players of the game as each recorded their first homeruns of their professional careers as they led the Grizzlies to a 8-7 extra inning victory.

Gilbert, who starred for the Redhawks from 2003 to 2004 is in his second season with the Grizzlies and is third on the club with a .375 batting average as he has scored six runs and drove in four as the starting shortstop.

Phil Warren is batting .279 with one homer and six RBIs

Warren (1997-2000) is in his third season with Grizzlies and his fifth season at the professional level. Warren owns various club records for the Grizzlies and has starred as the club's first baseman. He is currently batting .279 with one homerun and six RBI. Last season he led the Frontier League with 23 homeruns as he batted .314 and drove in 66.

Smith (2001-2002) is in his second season with the Grizzlies and returns as the club ace. This season he is 3-0 with a 1.50 earned run average in three games, all starts. He has thrown two-straight complete games with an 8-3 win over the Windy City Thunderbolts. He has thrown 24 innings allowing only four earned runs while striking out 22 batters and only walking three.

The Grizzlies are 6-7 this season heading into Thursday's home game against the Thunderbolts. They have won of five of their past seven games since the arrival of Jenkins and Lopez.

You can follow the former Southeast players at www.gatewaygrizzlies.com.