Nolan Blackwood #36

Nolan Wallace Blackwood was originally signed by A's scout Kelcey Mucker…graduated from Southaven (MS) High School, where he led the Chargers to the 2013 state championship…played collegiately at Memphis where he set the program record for saves with 14 in 2015…also posted a 0.52 ERA that year and earned NCBWA second team All-America honors.

2017

Spent the entire season at Single-A Stockton and was 1-5 with 19 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 44 relief appearances…led the A's farm system and ranked second in the California League in saves (21, Dylan Rheault, SJ)…ranked second among Cal League relievers in opponents batting average (.205)…led the league in sacrifice hits allowed (7)…converted 19-of-20 (95.0%) save opportunities and allowed just 3-of-25 (12.0%) inherited runners to score…surrendered just two home runs in 57.0 innings, an average of 0.32 per nine innings…allowed a .205 opponents batting average, including .167 (19-for-114) against right-handed hitters compared to .253 (23-for-91) against left-handers…yielded a .194 batting average with runners in scoring position, including .118 with RISP and two out…opponents hit .311 when leading off an inning…had a 3.45 ERA and surrendered both of his home runs in 19 games before the All-Star Break…then logged a 2.54 ERA and .180 opponents batting average after the break…converted each of his 11 save opportunities after the break and stranded all nine of his inherited runners…compiled a 0.65 ERA in the ninth inning, a 7.06 ERA in all other innings…posted a 3.58 ERA in 21 games at home, 2.45 in 23 contests on the road…tossed at least one inning in 42 of his 44 appearances…including eight games with two or more innings…pitched for Mesa in the Arizona Fall League following the season and was 2-0 with a save and a 1.59 ERA in nine relief appearances…struck out 16 batters in 11.1 innings (12.71 strikeouts per nine innings).

STOCKTON: Converted each of his first two save opportunities before he was charged with his first and only blown save of the season April 18 at Modesto…was successful in each of his final 17 save chances…did not allow an earned run in six games in April (8.2 ip, 3 r) and had a 0.00 ERA over his first eight games through May 4 (11.1 ip)…then allowed four runs in one inning May 9 against Lake Elsinore…surrendered both of his home runs over a six-game stretch from May 14 to June 2…did not allow a home run over his final 29 games and 33.2 innings…tossed a season-high 2.2 scoreless and hitless innings May 17 against Inland Empire but walked a season-high three batters…struck out a season-high three batters May 27 at Rancho Cucamonga…did not allow an earned run over a 10-game stretch from June 15 to July 18 (11.0 ip)…allowed a season-high five runs on a season-high tying four hits in 1.1 inning July 22 against Modesto…matched his season high with three strikeouts on July 31 against Inland Empire…had a seven-game, 7.1-inning scoreless streak from Aug. 2 to 18…logged a 1.50 ERA, a .190 opponents batting average, converted each of his seven save chances and stranded all eight of his inherited runners in 11 games in August…made one postseason appearance for the Ports (1.0 ip, 2 h, 2 r, 2 er, 2 bb, 1 so, 1 hr).

2016

Began his professional career with Short-Season Single-A Vermont and had four saves and a 2.84 ERA in five appearances when he was promoted to Single-A Beloit July 21…was 2-2 with two saves and a 4.05 ERA in 13 relief outings with the Snappers and combined for a 2-2 record, six saves and a 3.76 ERA in 18 games overall…tied for eighth in the A's farm system in saves… surrendered just one home run in 26.1 innings…allowed a .297 opponents batting average, including .235 against right-handed hitters compared to .300 against left-handers…yielded six extra base hits (five doubles, one home run), all to left-handed hitters…opponents went 4-for-26 (.154) with no walks when leading off an inning and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and two outs…allowed just 1-of-10 (10.0%) inherited runners to score…converted 6-of-9 (66.7%) save opportunities…did not allow a run in three day games (5.1 ip)…did not allow a run in the eighth inning (8.2 ip)…tossed at least one inning in 17 of his 18 appearances…recorded his first save in his professional debut June 29 against Aberdeen (1.2 ip, 2 so)…had a save opportunity in each of his five games with the Lake Monsters and converted four of them…struck out a season-high four batters July 30 against Quad Cities…tossed a season-high 2.1 innings Aug. 3 against Kane County…did not allow a run or walk a batter over his final seven appearances beginning Aug. 14 (11.1 ip, 4 h, 11 so)…was credited with his first win Aug. 24 against Clinton when he matched his season high in innings (2.1 ip) and strikeouts (4).