Lancaster returns Ball to rotation

Right-hander Nile Ball has become the first player to sign a contract with the Lancaster Barnstormers for the 2024 season, it was announced today by manager Ross Peeples.

Ball, who will turn 27 on March 1, first joined the ‘Stormers in the middle of the 2021 season, going 3-6 with a 4.63 ERA in the midst of the highest scoring season in Atlantic League history. Since then, he has played an integral role in Lancaster’s back-to-back Atlantic League championships, winning 11 games in 2022 and seven more during the 2023 campaign. His overall mark as a Barnstormer stands at 21-17.

He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning at Lexington, June 28, 2022, and threw eight shutout innings at Staten Island five days later. In 2023, he racked up four consecutive wins early in the second half, helping to boost the Barnstormers into their early lead en route to the second half North title.

The native of Decatur, Georgia had previously pitched for Sioux City and Gary in the American Association in 2019 but was working in commercial real estate at the time the Barnstormers signed him in July, 2021.

With 12 wins in the 2024 season, Ball would tie left-hander Nate Reed for the most regular season wins in franchise history at 33. He is fifth in career innings as a Barnstormer with 350.

“Nile has pitched well and eaten up a lot of innings for us,” said Peeples. “Hopefully, he continues to grow and be a dependable starter for us again.”

Lancaster will begin its quest to become the first team in ALPB history to win three titles in a row, April 25, at Long Island. The 19th home opener at Clipper Magazine Stadium is set for 6:45 pm on Tuesday, April 30 against the newly formed Hagerstown Flying Boxcars