Cody Luther enters his first season with the Grizzlies and in professional baseball in 2019.

Before pro ball, Luther pitched two years at NCAA Div. I Saint Louis University in the Atlantic 10 Conference. (SLU plays its home games nine miles from GCS Credit Union Ballpark.) After pitching only 6 2/3 innings over three appearances as a junior (and first-year Billiken) in 2018 after transferring from junior college, Luther made 14 starts and led qualified Billikens with 85 innings and a 2.96 ERA. He struck out 82 batters and walked only 22 (3.73 K:BB) en route to an 8-3 record.

On April 13 against St. Bonaventure, Luther threw SLU’s first nine-inning no-hitter since 1961. He struck out 11 Bonnies and walked two in the Billikens’ 5-0 victory.

A junior college transfer from Cuesta College in his native California, Luther signed with the Grizzlies on May 30 ahead of his May 31 professional debut against the Washington Wild Things at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. Luther will become the second Grizzlie to make his professional debut with the club this season; the first, Ryan Gowens, made his debut in relief on May 15 in Joliet and tossed three innings of relief without an earned run to claim the victory in a 6-5 Grizzlies triumph over the Slammers in 13 innings.

Luther is taking Reign Letkeman’s spot in the Grizzlies starting rotation. Letkeman is on the 14-day injured reserve after he was forced to leave his most recent start Saturday in Washington with nobody out in the fifth inning. Letkeman has been leading the Grizzlies’ rotation with a 1.38 ERA.