SAN FRANCISCO - Former San Francisco State baseball student-athlete Nathan Shinn '25 had his contract selected by the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

The left-handed pitcher was signed by the Lake Erie Crushers in February 2026. The Crushers are a member of the Frontier League, a proud MLB Partner League. Through five games this season, Shinn has played and started in five games, posted a 3.14 ERA with 31 strikeouts and a 2-2 record.
 

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The Pleasanton native was a four-year starter on the mound for the Gators who finished with a career ERA of 4.71, 18 wins, six saves and the program record in strikeouts with 273. He helped lead the Gators to three straight CCAA Tournament appearances that included back-to-back Tournament Championship appearances. He was also instrumental in guiding the Gators to back-to-back Division II NCAA West Regional appearances. Shinn had his best season during his final season in 2025. He posted a 3.65 ERA with a 8-4 record, a save and 83 strikeouts. Shinn was named to the All-CCAA First Team and earned West Region Second Team Honors by ABCA, NCBWA and D2CCA.

Shinn has been assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals, the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. 

About San Francisco State Athletics
San Francisco State Athletics sponsors ten NCAA Division II programs and competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in all sports expect for  wrestling, which competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). The mission of the Department of Athletics at SF State is to provide a broad-based NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics program that fosters the physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development of a diverse and highly skilled group of student-athletes. Fans can follow the Gators @sfstate_gators on Instagram, X, Threads, and Facebook. Click here to support San Francisco State Athletics.