APPLESOX SNAG TWO NIGHTHAWKS FOR THE SUMMER
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Smith Slye - smith.slye@wsu.edu
AppleSox snag two Nighthawks for the summer
From Northwest Nazarene University, the AppleSox are adding two new faces who each have a wide range of experience in college ball. Grayden Lucas and Max Paterson are each heading north for Wenatchee to suit up on the same squad yet again.
Whether it’s a redshirt freshman with an interesting quirk or a redshirt junior who batted 0.284 in JUCO, Wenatchee is getting a talented duo 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 ⅔ 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.
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.
