Kane County Cougars Homestand Preview: May 1-6
April 29, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release
GENEVA, IL - The Kane County Cougars, Class-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, open a six-game homestand Wednesday evening and will welcome the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays affiliate) and the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds affiliate). Homestand highlights include the first post-game fireworks show of the season on 5/3 Day, Star Wars Night on May 4, and the first Sunday Funday and Nancy Faust appearance on May 5. Tickets are available for each game on the upcoming homestand by calling (630) 232-8811 or visiting kccougars.com.
Wednesday 5/1 Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays farm team) 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- National Anthem - Graham School Chorus(Naperville)
- Ozzie pencils for the first 1,500 kids age 14 and under
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Thursday 5/2 Bowling Green Hot Rods 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- National Anthem - Lincoln Middle School (Mt. Prospect)
- Ozzie pencils for the first 1,500 kids age 14 and under
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Friday 5/3 Bowling Green Hot Rods 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- Pre-game performance by Spirit Cheerleading
- Foam claws for the first 1,500 fans, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank
- 5/3 Bank Day
- National Anthem - Long Beach Honor Choir (Montgomery)
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame - led by St. Rita of Cascia
- Post-game fireworks show
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Saturday 5/4 Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds farm team) 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 4:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)
- Youth baseball/softball clinic from 9:30-11
- MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition from 11-1
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club parade
- Star Wars Night
- Pre-game Star Wars costume parade
- Pre-game autograph session with Cougars players
- National Anthem - Band for Today
- Appearance by the Midwest Garrison (Star Wars costumed characters)
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame - led by Norton Creek Elementary
- Post-game performance by the Jesse White Tumblers
- Post-game Star Wars-themed fireworks show
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Sunday 5/5 Dayton Dragons 1 p.m. (gates open at 12 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (12:45 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- Sunday Funday - free kid-friendly activities inside the ballpark
- Brookfield Zoo kids admission passes for the first 1,500 kids age 14 and under
- Pre-game autograph session with Cougars players
- National Anthem - Fry Elementary (Naperville)
- Live organ music by Nancy Faust
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Monday 5/6 Dayton Dragons 11 a.m. (gates open at 9 a.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (10:45 a.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- Ozzie's Reading Club Kids Day
- National Anthem - Glen Crest Band (Glen Ellyn)
- High School Sports Business and Marketing Seminars (Downers Grove South, Wheaton Warrenville South, Waubonsie Valley, East Leyden, Burlington Central, Minooka, Plano, Palatine)
Fans can run the bases after the game
Homestand Notes
Use the force: The first of two Star Wars Nights in 2013 is set for Saturday's May 4 game. The Cougars will welcome back the Midwest Garrison, a costumed group of Star Wars characters. Fans are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Star Wars characters and participate in a pre-game parade on the field. The evening culminates in a post-game Star Wars-themed fireworks show.
5/3 Day : Fifth Third Bank and the Cougars will celebrate 5/3 Day with a food drive and post-game fireworks show - the first of the season - at Friday's May 3 game. Fans are encouraged to bring a canned good and will receive one undated ticket voucher, valid for a 2013 regular season game.
Nancy Faust, Jesse White Tumblers are back : The famed Jesse White Tumblers will perform following each Saturday game this season beginning with May 4...famed ballpark organist Nancy Faust will play at each Sunday game beginning with this Sunday's May 5 game.
Save the date : The Cougars will host a free youth baseball and softball clinic this Saturday, May 4, from 9:30-11 a.m. at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Participants are asked to bring a glove and bat. Following the clinic, the Cougars will host a MLB Pitch, Hit and Run competition from 11-1 p.m. The event is free for area youth between the ages of 7 and 14; participants must bring a copy of their birth certificate in order to participate.
Team News: The Cougars (7-11) are in the midst of a six-game road trip against a pair of Eastern Division teams: Fort Wayne and Lake County...infielder Rock Shoulders leads the Midwest League with a .403 batting average. Shoulders has the second-most hits in the league with 27. Cougars batters are hitting .285 as a team, tops in the Midwest League. Pitcher Pierce Johnson had seven strikeouts Friday night against Fort Wayne.
Alumni News: Detroit Tigers infielder Miguel Cabrera ('01 Cougar) is 2nd in the American League with a .368 batting average. Cabrera's 32 hits are third-best in the A.L. Boston pitcher Ryan Dempster ('96) has 43 strikeouts, 2nd-best in the A.L. Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Adrian Gonzalez ('01) is 2nd in the National League with a .363 batting average. Pittsburgh pitcher A.J. Burnett ('98) is 1st in the N.L. with 42 strikeouts. Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz ('03) is batting .322 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI. Boston pitcher Andrew Bailey ('07) is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 5 saves. Arizona pitcher Trevor Cahill ('07) has a 3.00 ERA through 5 starts.
Outfielder Lane Adams ('11-'12) is batting .325 at Class-A Advanced Wilmington (Royals). Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio ('12) is batting .299 and outfielder Tim Ferguson ('12) is batting .344 at Wilmington. Pitcher Kyle Smith ('12) has a 2.33 ERA through 4 starts at Wilmington while Kyle Zimmer ('12) has posted a 3.38 ERA through 4 starts. Infielder Angel Franco ('11) is batting .313 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Royals). Pitcher Justin Marks ('10) is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA at Northwest Arkansas while Yordano Ventura ('11) is 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA. Infielder Anthony Aliotti ('10) is batting .338 at Double-A Midland (A's). Teammate Jeremy Barfield ('09) has 5 home runs and 11 RBI. Infielder Dusty Coleman ('09) is batting .313 and pitcher Murphy Smith ('09-'10) is 3-2 with a 2.20 ERA at Midland. Infielder Jemile Weeks ('08) is batting .314 at Triple-A Sacramento (A's) and outfielder Michael Choice ('10) is batting .275 with 4 home runs and 20 RBI. Pitcher Travis Banwart ('07-'08) is 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA at Sacramento. Pitcher Dan Straily ('10) is 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA at Sacramento. Outfielder Javier Herrera ('05) is batting .306 with 3 home runs and 15 RBI at Double-A Richmond (Giants). Outfielder Jermaine Mitchell ('07) is batting .242 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia). Pitcher Ian Krol ('10) has a 0.84 ERA in 8 appearances with Double-A Harrisburg (Washington). Infielder Jeff Baisley ('06) is playing with Acereros del Norte in the Mexican League.
(Statistics through games played on April 26)
Where's Ozzie? Ozzie T. Cougar is scheduled to make upcoming appearances in the community at the following locations:
Thursday May 2 from 6-7 p.m. - DuPage County Forest Preserve
Sunday, May 5 from 1-2 p.m. - Woodstock Little League
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