Four JUCO Connections Added To AppleSox

Head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Thursday the addition of four players with junior college connections to the 2025 AppleSox roster. Nate Gray Jr., Blake Sandvik, Brayden Walls and Trevor Young are signed to play for the AppleSox in their 25th season.

Gray joins the AppleSox for his second summer in the WCL after a standout campaign as an outfielder with the Kelowna Falcons. He hit .331 with six doubles and six stolen bases in 31 games. Gray collected at least one hit in all but five of his starts and recorded 10 multi-hit efforts.

The Longview native is in his first season at Hawaii-Hilo after two seasons with Lower Columbia that included winning an NWAC Championship in 2023. Gray batted .216 in 36 games as a sophomore after a .247 mark in 33 games as a freshman. 

Sandvik is a sophomore right-handed pitcher at Everett Community College. He has been lights-out in two seasons for the Trojans, cumulatively recording a 1.41 ERA over the last two seasons. The righty shined in a relief role last spring as a freshman, posting a 1.93 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 10 walks over 28 innings in 12 games (two starts). Sandvik has followed that up with even better results while moving into a starting role with a 1.15 ERA, 63 strikeouts and 10 walks over 55 innings in nine games (all starts). 

The Des Moines, Wash. native pitched in the WCL last summer with the Cowlitz Black Bears, recording a 9.48 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 14 walks over 12.1 innings in six games (two starts). Sandvik’s best outing came July 27, when he tossed a 1.2 scoreless innings against Ridgefield with three strikeouts.  

Walls is a sophomore left-handed pitcher at Columbia Basin College looking to commit to a four-year university. He recorded a 4.25 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 18 walks over 29.2 innings in 14 games as a freshman reliever. Walls has transitioned to more of a starting role as a sophomore this spring with a 1.49 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 29 walks over 66.1 innings in 13 games (10 starts). 

The Boise native graduated from Timberline High School in 2023, where he recorded a 2.22 ERA over three years of varsity baseball. Walls finished his prep career strong, posting a 2.39 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 24 walks over 55.2 innings in 11 games as a senior. This will be his second stint in summer collegiate baseball after posting a 5.62 ERA in 14 games with the Sawtooth Sockeyes last summer.

Young is a redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher at Everett Community College. He has a 3.46 ERA with 17 strikeouts and seven walks over 13 innings in seven relief outings this spring. Young’s best appearance to date came Apr. 5 vs. Edmonds when he fired three scoreless innings and punched out three batters. 

The Bothell, Wash. native graduated from Bothell High School in 2023. Young posted a 1.53 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 17 walks over 45.2 innings in eight games as a senior.

The AppleSox open up their 25th season May 30 when they face the Yakima Valley Pippins at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The 2025 season consists of 30 home games and concludes in mid-August. Ticket packages, including season tickets for as low as $150 and 10-game flex packs for $65, are available for purchase at applesox.com/season-tickets. Single-game tickets are now available for purchase at applesox.com/schedule2025.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast as Joel Norman chats with returning AppleSox pitcher and Tonasket native Joe Thornton.