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Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) at Hickory Crawdads (Rangers) - April 15, 2014 (Doub

April 15, 2014 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS vs. HICKORY CRAWDADS

4-7 (Chicago White Sox) 5-6 (Texas Rangers)

Tuesday, April 15, 2014 - 4:00 p.m.

L.P. Frans/Crawdads Stadium - Hickory, N.C.

Games #12 & #13

RHP James Dykstra (1-1, 1.54) vs. RHP Cole Wiper (0-1, 5.14)

RHP Tyler Danish (1-0, 1.13) vs. RHP Collin Wiles (1-0, 0.00)

Today's Preview: After the Intimidators (A, White Sox) played 14 innings on Sunday, Mother Nature granted them an off-day Monday courtesy of a rainout in Hickory. Today, Kannapolis takes on the Crawdads (A, Rangers) in a doubleheader comprising two 7-inning games at Crawdads Stadium. Fresh off a perfect game bid in his last outing, James Dykstra takes the ball for the to open this 3-game series against Hickory. Kannapolis has lost four straight, including being swept in Greenville in its most recent series. Hickory enters the series losers of three straight, dropping a 4-game series to Asheville, 3-1. The Intimidators took their series over the Crawdads, 2-1, last week to claim their first series win over Hickory since August 2011. This is the Intimidators first trip to Hickory in 2014.

Intimidating Starter: James Dykstra, 23, makes his third start and second against Hickory. He retired the first 17 Crawdads he faced on April 9 en route to his first professional win. Dykstra pitched in six games with Advanced Rookie Great Falls in his professional debut, working 5.1 innings, going 0-0 with a 5.06 ERA in 2013. The White Sox selected Dykstra in the sixth round of the June 2013 draft out of Cal State San Marcos. As a senior in 2013, he went 9-4 with a 2.02 ERA in 13 starts, working 89 innings en route to being named All-Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) First Team for the second straight season.

Tyler Danish, 19, makes his third start and first against Hickory. He worked 5.0 scoreless innings, striking out six, in his season debut against Greenville. The White Sox drafted him in the second round (55th overall) in the June 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Durant High School in Plant City, Fla., where he was named the 2013 Louisville Slugger National Player of the Year after going 15-1 with a 0.00 ERA (94.0 IP) and 156 strikeouts in his 17 games (15 starts). Last season, Danish went 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA (4 ER/30 IP) in 15 games between Advanced Rookie Bristol and Class A Kannapolis. Baseball America rated Danish (along with Brad Goldberg) as Closest to the Majors and possessing the Best Secondary Pitch in the Sox 2013 draft class. He made two scoreless appearances in the SAL in 2013.

Hickory's Hurler: Cole Wiper, 21, makes his third start and second against Kannapolis. He went 4.0 innings against the Intimidators on April 9, striking out seven and walking three while allowing a run on two hits. The Rangers selected him in the 10th round of the June 2013 draft out of the University of Oregon where the right-hander went 2-1 with a 7.11 ERA in seven games (three starts) in 2013. He made his professional debut last season with the AZL Rangers, going 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 10 games (two starts), striking out 26 batters over 25.1 innings. The Bellevue, Wash., native graduated from Newport High School, posting a 0.64 ERA over 48.0 innings with 73 strikeouts as a senior.

Collin Wiles, 19, makes his first start of the season and second appearance against Kannapolis. The sandwich round selection (53rd overall) in the June 2012 First-Year Player Draft has worked 7.0 scoreless innings out of the pen so far this season, including 4.0 scoreless innings against the Intimidators on April 9. He has struck out six while walking one and surrendered just six hits in 7.0 innings. After making his professional debut in 2012, the Rangers farmhand spent 2013 with Short-A Spokane, going 2-7 with a 3.09 ERA in 14 games (14 starts).

Last Time Out:Greenville's Carlos Asuaje singled through a drawn-in infield to drive in the winning run as the Drive beat Kannapolis, 5-4, in 14 innings on Sunday to complete a series sweep. Jimmy Rider, Greenville's shortstop, pitched the top of the 14th inning and earned the win. Dylan Chavez (1-1) worked a scoreless 13th before giving up the winning run with one out in the 14th.

Extra! Extra!: Kannapolis played 14 innings in 4:24 in Sunday's 5-4 loss in Greenville, its most innings since going 15 on July 12, 2012, at Lexington (L, 6-5) and its longest game without a delay since playing 4:25 against Hickory on June 27, 2011 (L, 10-8 in 13 innings).

Barnette Blanks 'Em: Tyler Barnette pitched 5.0 scoreless relief innings Sunday, keeping the Drive off the scoreboard in the 8th through 12th innings. The former Charlotte 49er allowed two hits and a walk with a strikeout. Barnette has now worked enough innings to qualify as the SAL's co-leader in ERA at 0.00 (0 ER/9 IP). He joins Rome's Chuck Buchanan, Asheville's Johendi Jiminian and Charleston's Cesar Vargas with a 0.00 ERA.

Morris' Monster Mash: Jacob Morris hit his first home run of the season, a shot over the Green Monster in Greenville's left field to tie Sunday's game 4-4 in the top of the eighth. He finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-7. Morris leads the SAL with 18 strikeouts.

Birthday Boy: Cleuluis Rondon went 3-for-6 with an RBI on his 20th birthday on Sunday. He is batting .298 (14-47) with 6 RBI and 3 doubles, including .350 (7-20) on the road.

Atta-boy Adam: Leadoff man Adam Engel walked, stole second and third, and scored to open Sunday's game at Greenville. He is tied for the SAL lead with 10 runs scored in 2014.

Swept Away: The Intimidators suffered a sweep for the first time since July 20-23, 2013, when they lost four games at West Virginia last season. Kannapolis was swept nine times in 2013.

Broadcast: Tuesday's games will not be carried on IntimidatorsBaseball.com. Intimidators broadcasts will return on Wednesday, April 16, when Kannapolis plays its series finale at Hickory. Josh Feldman, now in his fourth season as the Voice of the Intimidators, will broadcast all 70 home games and select road games in 2014.

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