Briceño Makes History in 14-1 Win
May 30, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
DAYTON, OH - In a feat that hasn't occurred in Major League Baseball since at least 1901, Detroit Tigers Top-5 Prospect Josue Briceño etched his name in the record books as the first player to homer three times and record a steal of home plate in the same game as part of a 14-1 win over the Dayton Dragons in front of 7,368 fans at Day Air Ballpark.
Briceno, the Detroit Tigers No. 4 Prospect by MLB Pipeline, becomes the first since Minor League Baseball established its statistics database in 2005 to accomplish the feat and the first 'Caps player since Michael Hollimon in 2006 to homer three times in a ballgame. "It's very special to hit three homers in one game," said Briceño. "I also hit three homers in the Arizona Fall League last year, but it's very special to do it here."
Briceno, who entered the contest with nine home runs on the season -- three against the Dragons -- connected for an opposite-field home run in the first inning before a towering fourth-inning home run to right field in his next at-bat. After narrowly missing a home run with a double off the right-center field wall in his third plate appearance, the 20-year-old completed the trifecta with a 424-foot two-run shot in the seventh. The Whitecaps sit with a record of 33-15 and are 18 games over .500 for the first time since the 2017 season and sit seven games in front of the Lansing Lugnuts in the Midwest League Eastern Division standings.
Thursday's contest featured the best of a Whitecaps team that's stormed out to the best record in the Midwest League to this point of the regular season. After Briceño's two homers in the first and fourth put West Michigan ahead 2-0, the 'Caps exploded for a six-run fifth inning highlighted by back-to-back homers from Peyton Graham and Patrick Lee to extend the lead to 8-0. Later in the frame, Briceño launched a deep drive that came inches from becoming his third home run but hit off the middle of the right-center field wall. The 20-year-old prospect also picked up his first stolen base of the season with a steal of home as part of a double steal in the inning. With a runner at first base in the seventh, Briceño etched his name in the history books with his third home run of the night that nearly left Day Air Ballpark on the fly. Graham added a two-run double as part of a three-hit night with four RBI, and Patrick Lee collected an RBI-Double to end the scoring in a memorable Thursday night victory.
The Whitecaps improve to 33-15 while the Dragons fall to 17-31. Whitecaps hard-throwing knuckleballer Kenny Serwa (3-1) picks up his third win after tossing five innings and allowing just one run. Dragons starter Brian Edgington (2-2) allowed a career-high seven runs in 4.1 frames while giving up four home runs in the appearance. West Michigan pitcher Max Alba began the contest by tossing four scoreless frames and has given up just one run over his last 12.2 innings spanning four games. Briceno, who finished 4-for-4 on the evening, was lifted for a pinch hitter as part of an injury progression in the eighth inning. The team launched a total of five home runs in their fourth straight win in their biggest single-game total since hitting six to tie their franchise record on June 2, 2022, at Lake County.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps face the Dragons at Day Air Ballpark in the fourth game of this six-game series on Friday at 7:05 pm. Lefties Andrew Sears and Adam Serwinowski plan to take the mound for the Whitecaps and Dragons. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm on 106.1 FM 'The Ticket' and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids. Catch all the action on the radio or listen to the game live at whitecapsbaseball.com.
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