Ben Harris Named Frontier League Pitcher of the Week

Right-hander shuts out Lake Erie, helping Gateway to road series win 

SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies announce that Ben Harris has been chosen as the Frontier League's Pitcher of the Week for the week ending July 19. It is the Grizzlies' first Frontier League weekly honor in 2026, and the first of Harris' career.

The Crystal Lake, Illinois native earned the award by dominating the Lake Erie Crushers on the road on Saturday night, tossing eight shutout innings with four hits allowed, two walks, and nine strikeouts, throwing 75 of his 116 pitches for strikes in a 7-0 Grizzlies win that eventually led to a series triumph in Avon, Ohio this past weekend. It marked his third outing this season with eight or more innings pitched, the most of any pitcher in the Frontier League this season, and his second such start with no runs allowed.

The 25-year-old is in his second season with the Grizzlies, and currently ranks third in the Frontier League in strikeouts (73), tied for fourth in wins (6), and fifth in innings pitched (72 1/3). He is one of just two pitchers, alongside Sussex County's Rob Hensey, to be in the league's top-5 in all three categories.

Harris is also the first Grizzlie to win the Pitcher of the Week award since Teague Conrad, who received the honor in May of last year.

The Grizzlies return to action this week in Florence, Kentucky on the hunt for a third straight victorious road series against the Florence Y'alls beginning on Tuesday night, July 21. Gage Vailes will toe the rubber to begin the series at Thomas More Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 5:52 p.m. CT.

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 Arsenal BG 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 2026 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.