Dominic Topoozian (pronounced "tuh-POOH-zhun") enters his first season with the Grizzlies and third as a pro in 2019.

Topoozian, 25, spent 2017 and part of 2018 with the Sonoma (Calif.) Stompers of the independent Pacific Association before he was acquired by the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association midway through last season. Topoozian was traded within the A.A. — from Sioux City to the Sioux Falls Canaries — after the season ended to complete an earlier swap. He was shortly thereafter (Nov. 15, 2018) dealt to Gateway in exchange for Trae Santos and Kevin Simmons.

Topoozian made 11 appearances (two starts) for Sioux City: 1-1, 2.93 ERA over 30 2/3 innings. He struck out 19, walked five, and allowed two home runs. Prior to signing with Sioux City, he was 6-0 with a 2.89 ERA across 56 innings in Sonoma.

The Stompers are known for a couple unusual decisions over their first two years of existence: Former MLB pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee started a game for the Stompers on August 12, 2014, and earned the victory over the Pittsburg Mettle (now the Pittsburg Diamonds). With the win, the 67-year-old Lee became the oldest person to ever win a professional baseball game. Lee pitched 5 2/3 innings, and batted for himself! In 2015, Sonoma (and general manager Theo Fightmaster) allowed Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller, then of Baseball Prospectus’s "Effectively Wild" podcast, to take over the team’s baseball operations department. The pair published a book the following year on their experience: The Only Rule is it Has to Work.

Topoozian pitched in junior college for two seasons at Fresno (Calif.) City College, where his career ERA was under 2.50, then for two more years (2015 and 2017) at NCAA Div. I Fresno State University.

He pitched at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif., where he went 11-0 with a 1.02 ERA as a junior on a team that was named Powerade Fab50 National Champions.