Arjun Nimmala fills up box score, Spokane Indians downed by Vancouver 11-1 | NWL baseball

Arjun Nimmala is the Toronto Blue Jays' No. 3 ranked prospect by MLB.com, selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, making him the highest first-generation Indian-American ever taken in one of the four major U.S. sports.

Nimmala was off to a slow start this season, hitting just .132 over his first 10 games, but he broke out in a big way Saturday.

The 20-year-old shortstop went 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs and three RBIs, and the Vancouver Canadians topped the Spokane Indians 11-1 in the fifth of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium.

Vancouver third baseman Tucker Toman added three hits with a homer, three runs and three RBIs.

After striking out 18 times in Friday's 1-0 win, the Indians (6-8) were punched out 15 times by four Canadians pitchers on Saturday and are averaging 13.5 per game this season.

Indians starter Everett Catlett, making his third start of the season, struggled early and lasted only three innings. He allowed four runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Catlett threw 76 pitches, 46 for strikes.

With two down in the first, Nimmala hit one about halfway up the new video board in left center for his second home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.

The Indians got that run back in the bottom half - all with two down. Robert Calaz singled and went to second when Ethan Hedges drew a walk. Tommy Hopfe hit a high bouncer to short, and Nimmala's rushed throw got past first baseman Carter Cunningham for an error, and Calaz hustled home to tie it.

Catlett (1-2, 6.23 ERA) ran into more trouble in the second. With two on and one down, Manny Beltre singled home a run, and No. 9 hitter Brennan Orf knocked in a pair with a base hit to make it 4-1. The damage could have been worse, but Orf was later thrown out at home on a tremendous throw by right fielder Max Belyeu.

Catlett needed 34 pitches to get out of the inning.

The Canadians (5-9) added to the lead in the fourth on a solo home run by Cunningham, his third of the series and sixth of the season, off reliever Bryan Perez.

In the fifth, Toman drew a walk and was running when Matt Scannell singled to right. Belyeu fumbled the pickup in the outfield and Toman sprinted home, beating the relay and scoring the Canadians' sixth run.

Toman lined a two-run homer off Bryson Van Sickle just in front of the caboose in right field in the seventh to make it 8-1.

Van Sickle gave up two more in the eighth on a two-out single by Nimmala before he was relieved by Hunter Omlid, who gave up a bloop RBI single later in the inning, allowing Nimmala to score.

The series concludes on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 11:44 PM.