AppleSox Snag Two Nighthawks and One Antelope for the Summer
WCL Wenatchee AppleSox

AppleSox Snag Two Nighthawks and One Antelope for the Summer

Published on April 6, 2026 under West Coast League (WCL)
Wenatchee AppleSox News Release


While two are from Northwest Nazarene and one is from Grand Canyon University, the AppleSox are adding three new faces that each have a wide range of experience in college ball. Grayden Lucas, Max Paterson, and Landon Sloan may be from different schools, but they will be sitting on the same bench during the summer.

Whether it's a redshirt freshman with an interesting quirk, a redshirt junior who batted 0.284 in JUCO or a freshman who allowed only three runs in his high school career, Wenatchee is getting a talented trio on the diamond.

So, let's break down who these new additions are...

Grayden Lucas - LHP - Redshirt freshman

Watching Lucas pitch gives many baseball fans flashbacks to Jim Abbot. Why's that? Well, much like Abbot, Lucas does not have a right hand.

In 2006, the now redshirt freshman from Nampa, Idaho, was born without his right appendage. However, it has not slowed him down for a moment.

He was the No. 7 overall player in Idaho as well as the No. 2 overall lefty pitcher in the state back in 2024. Fresh off the graduation stage, Lucas stayed close to home when he committed to Northwest Nazarene to play ball.

Although he did not play at all with the Nighthawks last year, he did get to work with the Sawtooth Sockeyes during the 2025 summer season.

With the Sockeyes, Lucas made 13 relief appearances, averaging 1 2/3 innings per appearance. He also struck out 23 batters, walked 15, gave up 11 hits, and just seven earned runs.

Lucas reps a fastball that clocks in at 86 miles per hour and a four-pitch arsenal that clearly fooled college bats in the summer. The quartet of the fastball, curve, cutter, and changeup makes Lucas a versatile southpaw that may get Wenatchee out of jams this coming season.

With still half a season left with the Nighthawks, Lucas will be continuing to develop. He has already made double-digit appearances this year, with nearly 20 strikeouts to boot.

The crafty lefty is clearly a standout southpaw. The 'Sox will no doubt benefit from the one-armed Idahoan when he inevitably drives north for the summer.

Max Paterson - OF - Redshirt junior

Accompanying Lucas on the drive from Nazarene is Paterson. Although he is older than Lucas by two years, Paterson is just joining the Nighthawks this season.

The redshirt junior from Bothell, Washington, played three years at Everett Community College before making the move to the Nighthawks. While with the Trojans, Paterson stood out in the field, at the dish, and on the base paths.

Even though he missed his sophomore year, his two seasons of work gave him a career 0.384 average with 35 RBIs, 59 hits, 11 doubles, and three home runs. His redshirt-sophomore season was by far his most impressive, where Paterson batted 0.459 off of 43 hits, 29 RBIs, and eight doubles.

On top of that, Paterson posted a flawless fielding percentage in his Trojan tenure, recording no errors in 64 career games. Plus, he stole 14 career bags, with 13 of those coming just last year.

He posted these numbers after missing his sophomore year and playing in the same number of games as his freshman season. Essentially, Paterson is a guy who has both handled adversity and developed year-to-year.

Those are two qualities that make him an attractive pick-up for the 'Sox this summer. With Wenatchee being his first stop in summer league baseball, it will be interesting to see how he fits in on the roster.

But, as a guy who mashed the baseball, locked down the outfield, and traversed the base paths, Paterson may be one of the funnest names to watch this summer in Wenatchee.

Landon Sloan - RHP - Freshman

After dominating on the mound in high school, Sloan decided to keep his talents local by committing to GCU for the 2026 season. The freshman from Goodyear, Arizona, had a stellar career with Estrella Foothills High School and will be joining the pair of Nighthawks in the valley this season.

During his time in high school, Sloan posted a career 0.91 ERA, 29 strikeouts, 17 walks, and no extra base hits. Yes, in his entire high school career, he allowed no doubles, triples, or home runs.

After a standout sophomore campaign where he made nine appearances and struck out 24 batters, Sloan did not pitch at all in his junior year. When he returned to the rubber in his senior season, he made three flawless appearances, striking out five batters and allowing only one hit.

While Sloan did excel at the plate in high school, batting a career 0.432 with nine home runs and 31 doubles, he has put the bat down in college, transitioning to the bullpen. Thus far, he has made very few cameos with the Lopes, pitching less than a full inning and posting an ERA over 10.00.

Prior to this year in the canyon, Sloan joined the Portland Pickles during the summer. As a fellow WCL opponent, the Pickles finished first in the southern division. They also went 3-1 in the playoffs, opposed to the 'Sox's 1-3 postseason record last year.

With a fastball that clocks in at 94 miles per hour, Sloan is bringing some heat out of the bullpen. He may prove to be a high-leverage arm that can overpower hitters late in ball games and help the 'Sox sneak out win after win this coming season.

The 2026 season begins on May 29 as the AppleSox jet off to Edmonton to play the Edmonton RiverHawks at RE/MAX Field at 6:05 p.m. The AppleSox open their home season on June 5th at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium as they host the Kamloops NorthPaws. The AppleSox have 29 home games and play until mid-August. The franchise's five West Coast League championships are the second-most in league history. Season ticket packages are available for purchase now at applesox.com/season-tickets.

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West Coast League Stories from April 6, 2026


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