SAM ROCHARD PURCHASED BY THE TWINS

SAUGET, IL – The Gateway Grizzlies are pleased to announce that Sam Rochard has been signed by the Minnesota Twins, making him the third Gateway hurler to sign in 2025 and the 55th former Grizzlies to sign with a MLB organization all-time.

Coming to the Grizzlies from Tennessee Wesleyan University, the right-hander has impressed all season long. In his professional debut on May 13 at Mississippi, he fired five shutout innings out of the bullpen and got the win over the Mud Monsters with three strikeouts. Rochard followed that up with five innings of two-run ball and seven strikeouts in another win over Trois-Rivières on May 18.

Then, after allowing one run over five innings on May 24 at Schaumburg in a loss, the Williamsburg, Virginia native painted a masterpiece in his final outing on May 31 against the Sussex County Miners, snapping a five-game losing streak for the club with eight, two-hit, shutout innings, walking two and striking out 10 while touching 95 miles-per-hour on the radar gun.

For the Grizzlies this season overall, Rochard went 3-1 with a 1.17 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 23 innings pitched. He joins Teague Conrad and Sam Coonrod as the third Grizzlies pitcher to join up with Minnesota this year