City Connect: Zags Alums That Played for the Spokane Indians
March 24, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Spokane Indians News Release
Royce Bolinger (2012): A sixth-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2012, Bolinger hit .301 for the Indians that summer including a 23-game hitting streak that is tied for fifth-longest in Spokane franchise history. He returned to the team as a pitcher in 2018, posting a 3.14 ERA in seven appearances with a 20 K/3 BB mark across 14.1 innings.
Troy Cunningham (1989): A Spokane native, Cunningham was drafted in the eighth round by the Padres out of East Valley High School but chose to attend Gonzaga instead. The right-hander was selected by San Diego again after graduating in 1989 (this time in the 43rd round) and was part of Spokane's Northwest League Championship winning squad that summer, appearing in 18 games and picking up three saves under manager Bruce Bochy.
Pat Donovan (2006): The Spokane southpaw pitched at North Central High School and Gonzaga before being selected in the 50th round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. Donovan appeared in 27 games with the Indians that same year, picking up a pair of saves while allowing just six walks in 48 innings.
Greg Harris (1986): A 13th-round selection of the San Diego Padres in 1986, Harris tossed a complete game and picked up a pair of saves in 15 appearances with Spokane. The southpaw reached as high as Double-A in the Padres organization and tragically passed away from cancer at the age of 54 in 2018.
Sam Hellinger (2019): Undrafted out of college in 2017, Hellinger signed with the Texas Rangers two years later after enjoying a bump in his velocity while training with Driveline. The right-hander acquitted himself nicely in his return to Spokane, posting a 2-1 record and 3.00 ERA in six appearances with the Indians before earning a promotion to Hickory.
Gabriel Hughes (2023): The highest-drafted player in program history (10th overall in 2022), Hughes was Spokane's Opening Night starter in 2023 and currently ranks as the 16th-best prospect in the Rockies farm system. The right-hander made a strong impression in Spring Training this year after returning from Tommy John surgery, tossing six scoreless innings for the big league club and two more perfect frames in the Spring Breakout game against Chicago.
Casey Parsons (1980-81): A graduate of University High School, Parsons signed with San Francisco as an amateur free agent and joined the Indians-then a Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners-in 1980. The speedy outfielder would appear in 107 games with Spokane over the next two years before getting a cup of coffee with the Mariners at the tail end of the 1981 season.
Larry Patterson (1981): A 21st-round selection by the Seattle Mariners out of Gonzaga in 1977, Patterson reached Spokane in 1981 and hit .295 with more walks (26) than strikeouts (19) in 55 games with the Indians. He retired from baseball following the 1983 season and was inducted into the Gonzaga Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
Kevin Richardson (2003): Richardson was undrafted out of Gonzaga but signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent in 2002. He slashed .304/.405/.554 in 32 games with Spokane the following year and eventually reached the majors with Texas in 2009, appearing in four games and hitting .500 (3-for-6) in his lone taste of big league action.
Lenn Sakata (1976-78): Drafted tenth overall by the Brewers after a standout career with the Bulldogs, Sakata rocketed through the minors and reached Spokane in just his second professional season, hitting .280 with 10 home runs and 70 RBI in 141 games. He returned to the Indians in 1977 and 1978 before embarking on 11-year MLB career that included a World Series title with the Baltimore Orioles in 1983. Sakata was inducted into the Gonzaga Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988 and accumulated over 1,000 wins as a minor league manager in the A's and Giants farm systems.
Jack Spring (1952-53, 1969): The first Zag to ever suit for the Indians, Spring spent his first two years of professional baseball in Spokane, posting a combined 20-13 record with 17 complete games over 48 appearances in the Western International League. The right-hander went on to appear in 155 MLB games and returned to the Indians for a last hurrah in 1969 before retiring to become a teacher and coach at West Valley High School.
• Discuss this story on the Northwest League message board...
Northwest League Stories from March 24, 2025
- City Connect: Zags Alums That Played for the Spokane Indians - Spokane Indians
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
