Columbia Fireflies Game Notes
Published on May 9, 2021 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
Today the Columbia Fireflies wrap up their series with the Augusta GreenJackets at 2:05 pm. RHP Cruz Noriega (0-0, 6.00 ERA) will start for the Fireflies and Augusta will toss RHP Roddery Munoz (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Columbia returns home to Segra Park Tuesday to begin a series with the Charleston RiverDogs.
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GREENJACKETS DOWN FIREFLIES AFTER BIG FIRST: Starting pitcher Rylan Kaufman (L, 0-1) was unable to record a single out in Saturday evening's contest against the Augusta GreenJackets. The southpaw ended up surrendering eight hits and eight runs, all of which were earned as Augusta batted around in the first and took the contest 13-2. The last time the Fireflies allowed 10 runs in a single contest came July 21, 2019 when the Greenville Drive beat the Fireflies 16-5.
I THINK WE'RE CATCHING ON: Columbia has utilized two catchers this season so far, Kale Emshoff and Omar Hernandez. Through the first five games, the two have had vastly different fortune handling the pitching staff. With Emshoff behind the dish, Columbia is 2-0 and pitchers have a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings, meanwhile, when Hernandez lines up 60'6" away from the arms on the bump, the team is 0-3 and has spun an 8.71 ERA through 22.2 innings.
FIRST BALL IN ORBIT THIS SEASON: It took five games, but Matt Schmidt hit Columbia's first homer of the season last night. The home run also marked his first round-tripper in professional baseball.
SWIPER, WE'RE SWIPING: Friday, the Columbia Fireflies stole a franchise record 10 bases in their 12-2 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets. Tucker Bradley, Maikel Garcia and Tyler Tolbert all swiped multiple bags in the effort. Prior to last night, the Fireflies had just two stolen bases in their first three games.
MOVING ON UP: After scoring in the first inning of the first game of the year, the Fireflies went 17 innings without scoring a run. To add to that, they were one hit in the first game of the season and in the second game of the season, they managed just three hits to combine for four hits in 16 innings at the plate. Since then, they've been on a tear, getting 22 hits in the next 16 innings. Their offense peaked in the fourth inning last night as the team scored eight runs in a single inning for the first time since July 3, 2019 when the Fireflies accomplished the same feat in the first inning against the Greenville Drive. The Fireflies also scord 12 runs in a game for the first time since they defeated the Lexington Legends 12-5 April 14, 2019.
DYNAMIC TRIO TO LEAD 2021 SQUAD: The Columbia Fireflies have three top-30 prospects from the Royals' farm according to MLB.com. The are RHP Ben Hernandez, SS Brady McConnell and OF Darryl Collins. Hernandez was picked in the second round of the 2020 draft out of De La Salle Institute. The 18-year-old managed to wring up 67 batters in just 45 innings while maintaining a 1.80 ERA in his final year at De La Salle. He brings a mid-90's fastball to the table and pairs it with one of the top change-ups in the 2020 draft class. Those familiar with SEC baseball will remember McConnell. The former Florida Gator terrorized SEC pitching in 2019, hitting .332 and knocking 15 homers, the most for any shortstop in program history. He also drove in 48 RBI. Collins was named after famed Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry, and his game certainly mirrors the way he plays. As a 15-year-old in his hometown Spijkenisse, Netherlands, Collins had a .418/.510/.532 slash in the country's top professional league. After being signed by Kansas City, he went state-side in 2017 and reached base safely in his first 24 games, rocking a very similar slash in the Arizona Rookie League, .398/.472/.548.
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