Brooklyn Cyclones Game Notes - Saturday, May 16 - at Rome (6:45 PM ET)
SAL Brooklyn Cyclones

Brooklyn Cyclones Game Notes - Saturday, May 16 - at Rome (6:45 PM ET)

Published on May 16, 2026 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Brooklyn Cyclones News Release


The Brooklyn Cyclones (10-26, 10-26) continue their six-game series against the Rome Emperors (20-17, 20-17) - the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves - on Saturday evening at 6:45 p.m. ET from AdventHealth Stadium in Rome, Ga.

RHP Irving Cota (1-1, 0.96) is expected to make the start for the Cyclones. The Emperors are scheduled to counter with RHP Cedric De Grandpre (2-2, 6.49).

Live coverage on the Cyclones Radio Network, Bally Sports Live, and MiLB.tv will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.

LAST TIME OUT: The Cyclones captured their second-straight victory on Friday night with an 8-5 win in Rome...C Ronald Hernandez put Brooklyn in front in the 1st with a two-run single, and the Cyclones never looked back...The Venezuelan backstop continued his strong road trip, collecting two hits and driving in three runs on the night...1B Corey Collins broke out of his slump in a big way, going 2-for-4 with his third home run and his second triple of the season...LF Trace Willhoite, making his first career start in the outfield, slugged a solo shot for his third home run of the road trip...SS Mitch Voit reached base three times, picking up two hits and a walk...Seven Cyclones recorded hits in the victory...The 10 hits were the fifth time this season reaching double-digit hits for Brooklyn, with the high being 13 in an 8-3 win against Greensboro on April 18...RHP Noah Hall had traffic on the bases throughout his outing, but held Rome to just two runs over 4.0 innings...RHP Tanner Witt pitched a scoreless 5th to record his first professional win, and RHP Danis Correa ended the Emperors' rally in the 9th by striking out the final two batters to pick up his first save of the season...The victory marked the first time Brooklyn had won back-to-back games since April 10-11 at Jersey Shore.

25th ANNIVERSARY: The Cyclones celebrate their 25th anniversary season in 2026...Since the inaugural 2001 campaign, Brooklyn has captured 3 league titles...The Cyclones shared the New York-Penn League crown with the Williamsport Crosscutters in their first season before taking home the final NYPL title in 2019...Brooklyn captured its first full-season championship in 2025, going 4-0 in the postseason against Greensboro and Hub City...Entering play on Friday, the Cyclones hold a record of 1,128-981 (.535) in the regular season...Last Wednesday marked the 2,100th game in franchise history.

COTA OF ARMOR: RHP Irving Cota rejoined the Cyclones from Double-A Binghamton on Saturday and is scheduled to make the start this evening in Rome...The 22-year-old suffered his first loss of the season in Game 1 of a doubleheader last Sunday vs. Hartford, allowing five runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings...Cota has been outstanding for Brooklyn this season...Among South Atlantic League pitchers with 15.0 or more innings of work, the Los Mochis, Mexico, native is third in ERA (0.96) and 11th in WHIP (0.91) and opposing OPS (.484).

RONNY ROCKETS: C Ronald Hernandez has been one of Brooklyn's hottest hitters during the two-week road trip...Over the last two weeks, the 22-year-old is hitting .273/.333/.545/.878 with five runs scored, three home runs, seven runs batted in, and two stolen bases in nine games...Hernandez has had a marvelous start to the month of May, as well...The Venezuela native is slashing .282/.364/.590/.954 in 11 games with all four of his home runs and eight of 18 RBI...Hernandez's 111 wRC+ leads the Cyclones and ranks sixth among New York Mets full-season minor leaguers...The switch-hitter recorded his second career multi-home run game last Sunday at Bowling Green...Hernandez also powered a pair of long balls on April 30, 2025, vs. Wilmington.

OFFENSE ON POINT: The Cyclones have won back-to-back contests in Rome after winning 7-0 on Thursday and 8-5 on Friday...The 15 runs over the last two games are the most in consecutive games for Brooklyn in the 2026 season...It is the most runs the Cyclones have scored in a two-game span since they compiled 18 runs on August 26 and 27, 2025, vs. Hudson Valley...Brooklyn beat Hudson Valley on August 26, in walk-off fashion, 10-9, and again on August 27, 8-7.

HALL OF FAME: RHP Noah Hall continued to climb the Cyclones' all-time pitching leaderboard on Friday in Rome...The 25-year-old has 164 Ks in his Brooklyn career, having passed RHP Garrison Bryant (135) and LHP Felipe De La Cruz (133) for second and third, respectively, on the all-time list on April 10 at Jersey Shore...The Charlotte, N.C. native trails only RHP Jaison Vilera (173) on Brooklyn's career strikeout list...Hall is also second on the all-time starts list by Brooklyn pitchers with 33 and innings pitched with 158.2, having passed Bryant (143.1) earlier this season...In 2025, Hall ranked second in the South Atlantic League in ERA (2.72) and batting average against (.200)...He also finished fifth in strikeouts (115), tied for fifth in double plays induced (9), sixth in innings (112.2), ninth in WHIP (1.27), and tied for 10th in starts (21)...Hall became the first player in franchise history to start multiple Opening Days in 2025 and started his third-straight Opening Day in 2026.

TIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS: The Cyclones collected their second shutout of the season in Thursday's 7-0 win at Rome...RHP Channing Austin (5.0 IP, 3 H, 5 K), LHP Gregori Louis (2.0, 0, 4), RHP Juan Arnaud (1.0, 0, 1), and RHP Hunter Hodges (1.0, 0, 2) combined on the three-hitter, striking out 12...It was Brooklyn's first shutout since blanking Frederick, 2-0, at Maimonides Park on May 2...Austin also started that contest, tossing 5.2 innings in a combined one-hitter...The 7-0 victory was the Cyclones' most lopsided shutout since a 13-0 win vs. Wilmington on July 9, 2025...RHP Brendan Girton (4.1 IP, 2 H, 4 K), LHP Ryan Ammons (1.2, 0, 3), RHP Brett Banks (2.0, 0, 4), and RHP Ben Simon (1.0, 1, 3) united to strike out 14 in a combined three-hitter.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND: The Cyclones series this week in Rome marks a homecoming for a pair of Georgia natives...INFs Corey Collins and Colin Houck will each play their first professional games in their home state of Georgia...Collins attended North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Ga., located about 105 miles and 90 minutes southeast of AdventHealth Stadium...The 24-year-old also went to the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., which is roughly 134 miles or a two-hour, 10-minute drive southeast of Rome...Meanwhile, Houck graduated from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga...The 21-year-old's alma mater is situated approximately 89.4 miles or a 90-minute drive southeast of AdventHealth Stadium.

I'M JUST A TRAVELER: The Cyclones continue their longest road trip of the 2026 season this week...Brooklyn opened with a six-game series at Bowling Green before concluding the 12-game road swing with six games at Rome...The two six-game sets will mark the Cyclones' first visit to both ballparks since May 2024...Brooklyn is slated to travel 2,014 miles between Coney Island, Bowling Green, Rome, and back...The Cyclones will endure just one more two-week road trip in 2026...Brooklyn will play six games in Asheville from August 18-23 before heading back north to conclude the road schedule at Hudson Valley from August 25-30.

AUSTIN POWERS: RHP Channing Austin was brilliant once again on Thursday in Rome, pitching 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out five to pick up his first win of the season...Austin is off to a marvelous start to 2026...The right-hander struck out 10 over 4.1 innings last Friday night at Bowling Green, setting a new career-high...Austin's performance marked the first time a Brooklyn pitcher struck out 10 or more hitters in a game since RHP Jack Wenninger accomplished the feat on September 6, 2024, vs. Wilmington...Over his last five starts, Austin has struck out 33 batters (32.4 K%) to 12 walks (11.8 BB%) with a 0.74 ERA (2 ER in 24.1 IP)...The University of Southern California alum is second in the South Atlantic League in ERA (1.42), fourth in batting average against (.170), tied for fourth in strikeouts (40), fifth in opposing OPS (.559), and ninth in WHIP (1.26)...Austin is the only Brooklyn starter this year to record an out in the 6th inning...Since Game 1 of April 26's doubleheader at Hudson Valley, Brooklyn is a perfect 4-0 in games started by Austin...They are 2-12 since that date in games started by other pitchers.

BILLY BILLY!: After a 0-for-13 start to his Cyclones career, OF Sam Biller has hit his stride at the High-A level...The 23-year-old enters Saturday on a six-game hitting streak since May 7, going 8-for-18 at the plate with two doubles, three runs batted in, two walks, and two stolen bases...Biller has also reached base safely in seven-straight contests since May 3...He is 8-for-20 (.400) in that stretch with two doubles, three RBI, three walks, and two steals...Between Brooklyn and Single-A St. Lucie, the Los Angeles native is hitting .314/.395/.386/.781 in 21 games this season.

SOUTHERN SWING: Brooklyn's offense has thrived on the long-ball during their two-week road trip...Over the first 10 games of the trip, the Cyclones offense has accumulated 15 home runs, including at least one in 8 of 10 games...C Ronald Hernandez (3), INF Trace Willhoite (3), OF John Bay (2), INF Colin Houck (2), and C Vincent Perozo (2) all have hit multiple home runs during the swing...Brooklyn has hit 15 of their 28 home runs (53.6%) this season during the road trip.

GRAB SOME PINE: Brooklyn pitchers struck out 18 hitters in May 8's 7-2 win at Bowling Green, marking the third time this year the staff has accomplished the feat and the second time doing so in a 9-inning game...RHP Channing Austin (10), LHP Gregori Louis (2), RHP Bryce Jenkins (1), and RHP Cristofer Gomez (5) were dominant, striking out 18 while Austin allowed just two early runs...The last time Brooklyn arms whiffed 18 over 9.0 innings was in a 3-2 loss to Greensboro on April 17...The franchise record for punchouts is 22, set in a 20-inning contest on June 17, 2016, vs. Staten Island.

BALL MAGNETS: The Cyclones have worn their fair share of pitches to start the 2026 season...Entering play on Saturday, Brooklyn has been hit by 32 pitches this season, which is fifth in the South Atlantic League, but tied for 12th in Minor League Baseball...OF John Bay (8) and C Daiverson Gutiérrez (8) are tied for third in the SAL in HBP and tied for seventh in MiLB.

2025 IN REVIEW: A memorable 2025 saw the Cyclones capture their first-ever South Atlantic League Championship...Brooklyn swept their way through the postseason, compiling a perfect 4-0 record with two-game sweeps over Greensboro in the North Division Finals and Hub City in the South Atlantic League Championship Series...It was just the second time Brooklyn inked a playoff spot as a full-season affiliate, joining the 2022 squad...The Cyclones' first-half record of 46-20 was good enough to earn them the first-half crown...Brooklyn was 26-39 in the 2nd half before running the table in the postseason.

PUT IT IN THE (HISTORY) BOOKS!: Last year's Cyclones squad set a new single-season franchise record for wins with 72...The 2022 club (70-54) is the only other team in Brooklyn history to register 70 or more wins...The Cyclones' 72 wins and .550 winning percentage were the franchise's best at the full-season level...The inaugural 2001 team holds the organizational high-water mark for winning percentage (.684).

NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN: Eduardo Núñez grabs the reins as Brooklyn's manager for 2026, serving as the 16th skipper in franchise history...Núñez takes over after serving as Brooklyn's hitting coach in 2024 and bench coach for the 2025 championship-winning squad...The 40-year-old replaces Gilbert Gómez, who joined the Mets coaching staff as New York's first base and outfield coach for 2026...Núñez joined the Mets organization before the 2021 campaign, and previously held positions in the organization with St. Lucie and in both the Florida Complex League and Dominican Summer League...He also worked on Team Puerto Rico's staff in the 2023 and 2026 World Baseball Classic.

BROOKLYN TO THE BIGS: After 14 former Cyclones made their Major League debuts in 2025, four alumni have already accomplished the feat early in 2026...On Tuesday, OF A.J. Ewing had his contract selected from Triple-A Syracuse and made his debut batting eighth in center field...The 21-year-old reached base four times with three walks and a triple, driving in two...The organization's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline played in 78 games for the Cyclones in 2025, slashing .288/.387/.388/.775 with 44 stolen bases...He joined OF Carson Benge, RHP Cameron Foster, and RHP Anthony Nunez, who made their debuts earlier this season...Foster and Nunez each debuted with the Baltimore Orioles in April...Last year's 14 debuts set a new single-season franchise record.

AMAZIN' STARTS HERE: According to MLB Pipeline, the Cyclones hold three of the Mets' Top 30 prospects...Those are INF Mitch Voit (6), and INF Antonio Jimenez (15), and C Daiverson Gutiérrez (24)...All three are also considered Top 30 prospects according to Baseball America and SNY...BA has Voit at 8, Jimenez at 19, and Gutiérrez at 23, while SNY lists Voit at 10, Jimenez at 20, and Gutiérrez at 27...Baseball America also ranked INF Colin Houck as the organization's No. 35 farmhand entering 2026.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 16, 2026


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