(Sugar Land, Texas, Feb. 27, 2019) - The Skeeters today announced that they’ve signed left-hander Roy Merritt as a player-coach. Merritt will work in the Skeeters pitching staff as well as serve as the team’s pitching coach.
Merritt, 33, re-joins the Skeeters after helping lead the team to the 2016 Atlantic League Championship. He went 8-2 with a 2.99 ERA and one save in 25 regular-season outings in 2016 (18 starts), as well as making five appearances in the postseason.
The Houston native spent the 2018 regular-season campaign with the Olmecas de Tabasco and the Rieleros de Aguascalientes, going a combined 6-7 with a 4.03 ERA in 21 starts.
The New York Mets took Merritt in the 29th round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of Southern University. The St. Louis Cardinals also took Merritt in the 42nd round of the 2003 MLB Draft out of Nimitz High School (Houston, Texas).
Merritt pitched five seasons in the New York Mets Minor League system, peaking at Triple-A. He last pitched at the affiliated level in 2016 with Triple-A Oklahoma City (Los Angeles Dodgers). Merritt was selected as an Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star in 2009 with Double-A Binghamton.
Merritt first joined the Atlantic League in 2012 with the Somerset Patriots and appeared with Somerset from 2012-15. He is 21-13 with a 2.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 93 career Atlantic League appearances (350.0 IP).
Through 12 seasons at the professional level, Merritt has gone 79-72 with a 3.69 ERA and 35 saves in 522 games (199 starts).
Merritt takes over for Cory Domel as the Skeeters pitching coach. In his first season with the Skeeters, Domel helped guide the pitching staff to a 3.14 ERA, which led the Atlantic League and was the lowest team single-season ERA in Skeeters history.
The Skeeters, winners of the 2018 Atlantic League Championship, open the 2019 season April 25th at Constellation Field against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Season tickets and mini plans for the 2019 season are currently available and individual tickets will soon be made available. To purchase season tickets or mini plans, or for more information on ticketing, please visit sugarlandskeeters.com or call the TDECU Ticket Office at 281-240-4487.
Visit SugarLandSkeeters.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@SL_Skeeters) for all the latest team news and the latest on events to be hosted at Constellation Field.
About the Sugar Land Skeeters
The Skeeters play at Constellation Field, a state-of-the-art stadium located at the intersection of State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 90A in Sugar Land. The Skeeters are a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) and play 140 regular season games. The Skeeters Baseball Foundation promotes youth education and healthy activities lifestyles by providing support to culturally, racially and economically diverse areas of the community. For more information please call 281-240-4487 or visit sugarlandskeeters.com.
About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
With eight teams in Texas and the Mid-Atlantic, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 900 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 40 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 22-year history.
For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.
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