CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Dash Doubleheader Game Notes

Published on April 13, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


WINSTON-SALEM DASH (3-1) @ POTOMAC NATIONALS (1-2)

Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 6:00 p.m. ⌂ G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium ⌂ Woodbridge, VA

Webcast available on www.wsdash.com 15 minutes before first pitch

Games No. 5 & 6 ⌂ Road Games No. 5 & 6 ⌂ 2011 Home Record 0-0 ⌂ 2011 Road Record 3-1

Game One: LHP Joe Serafin (-, -) @ RHP Paul Demny (-, -)

Game Two: RHP Terry Doyle (0-0, 2.25) @ LHP Mitchell Clegg (-,-)

Rain Drain: Today the Dash and Nationals will play a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games as a result of a rainout on Tuesday. Wet weather has now affected three of Winston-Salem's games this season. Opening night in Kinston featured a 27-minute rain delay, while Saturday's game was cut short in the eighth inning because of rain.

Bayne's Reign: Winston-Salem captured its third straight win Monday night by virtue of a 7-5 triumph over the Potomac Nationals in the first game of a three-game series. Right-hander Cameron Bayne had a Carolina League debut that would make fellow Hawaiian and former major league pitcher Ron Darling proud; Bayne took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and yielded just one hit over seven shutout frames. The Dash led 2-0 when Bayne was removed from the game but needed an offensive explosion to hold off the feisty P-Nats. After moving ahead 5-0 in the top of the eighth, Potomac scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to get to within one run. Winston scored two more in the top of the ninth, only to see the Nationals plate one more and put the tying run on base. Brandon Kloess put out the fire by striking out Eury Perez to end the ballgame and deliver the Dash the victory.

Trader Jose's: Jose Martinez continued his early assault on Carolina League pitching Monday night, going 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Martinez has picked up multiple hits in all four games this season and is batting .556 (10 for 18), good enough for third in the league. He leads the league in hits and is tied with teammate Daniel Wagner for the league lead in runs scored with five.

Happy Anniversary: One year ago today, the Dash and Nationals officially opened BB&T Ballpark. On April 13, 2010, the two teams played the first-ever game in the new stadium. Potomac won the contest 5-4 in 12 innings when Jose Lozada scored the winning run from third base on a wild pitch from Charlis Burdie. Despite the loss, BB&T Ballpark proved to be a strong home field advantage for the Dash. Winston-Salem went a league-best 47-22 at home, good for the second-best record among all full-season minor league teams. BB&T Ballpark also won the award for "Ballpark of the Year" from BaseballParks.com, beating out the Minnesota Twins' Target Field.

Bitter Memories: The Dash concludes its season-opening road trip with tonight's doubleheader at the Potomac Nationals. This is Winston's first trip to Pfitzner Stadium since losing the Mills Cup Champion Series to the P-Nats last September. The Dash, making a bid for its 12th league title, won game one of the series before dropping the last three, sending the Nationals to their second championship in three years. The series headed to Woodbridge tied at one game apiece. The P-Nats slugged their way to a 10-2 win on a soggy night in game three before nipping Winston-Salem one night later by a 2-1 final score to take the series. The Dash won the regular season series last year 12-8 and the MCCS marked the only time all year that Winston lost three straight games to Potomac. Of the players who experienced the championship defeat for Winston-Salem, ten remain on the Dash's roster to begin this season.

Tough Act to Follow: This year's Dash team will attempt to mimic the success enjoyed by the last few Winston-Salem outfits. Last year, the Dash finished 81-58, seven and a half games better than the next best Carolina League team. Winston won the Southern Division in both the first and second halves of the season and advanced to the Mills Cup Champion Series, where the team lost to Potomac three games to one. The Dash hit .288 as a team in 2010, the sixth best batting average in minor league baseball. Additionally, the team led the CL in runs scored, hits, home runs, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. The Dash has finished with at least a share of first place in the Southern Division in the last four halves (going back to 2009), a feat that had not been accomplished since Wilmington last did it from 2001-02. The team has also made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. Winston-Salem owns a league-record 11 Mills Cup Championships, but this season will be looking for its first since 2003.

Carmen Sandiego's kind of team: The Dash's opening day roster is strikingly diverse, geographically speaking. Winston's 25 players hail from 18 different states and five countries. The following states are represented by the Dash: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The five countries represented are the United States, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.

Me and Julio Down by the Ballyard: This season marks the full-season managerial debut for new Dash skipper Julio Vinas. The native Floridian returns to the organization that drafted him as an amateur 20 years ago when Vinas was a High School All-American. The White Sox selected Vinas in the 33rd round of the 1991 draft and he spent seven years in the Chicago system before finishing his playing career in the Orioles, Red Sox, and Indians organizations. Vinas spent eight years as a coach in the Orioles system, serving as both the team's field coordinator and hitting coordinator. He has previously managed on a fill-in basis for some of Baltimore's minor league teams in addition to teams in the Colombian and Venezuelan winter leagues. Vinas replaces former Dash skipper Joe McEwing, who won the Carolina League's "Manager of the Year" award in each of the last two seasons. McEwing is now managing the AAA Charlotte Knights. Vinas is joined on the coaching staff by pitching coach Bobby Thigpen (third season in Winston) and hitting coach Rob Sasser (fourth).

Today's Game One Opposing Starter: RHP Paul Demny makes his Advanced-A debut tonight for the Nationals. The East Bernard, Texas native has spent the last two seasons with low-A Hagerstown, going 6-10 with a 4.23 ERA in 27 starts last year and 3-11 with a 5.14 ERA in 23 starts in 2009. He suffered from bouts of inconsistency in both of his seasons with the Suns. While he had 15 starts in which he allowed one run or fewer, he also had 12 during which he yielded five or more runs. According to scouting reports, Demny's inconsistency stems from inconsistent mechanics that have led to shaky control, leaving him effectively wild at times and uncomfortable for hitters to face. At 21 years old, he is the youngest pitcher on the P-Nats and the fourth youngest on the entire roster. He throws his four-seam fastball in the low-90s and his two-seamer in the high-80s. His repertoire also includes a curveball and changeup. Demny was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft after two years at Blinn College (Brenham, TX), where he mainly pitched in relief. He was originally selected by Atlanta in the 12th round in 2006 but did not sign. In high school, Demny was an All-State player and the Houston Chronicle Athlete of the Year. He was an accomplished hitter in high school, leading East Bernard HS in on-base percentage, slugging, doubles, and total bases.

Game Two Starter: LHP Mitchell Clegg makes his Advanced-A debut in game two of tonight's doubleheader. The southpaw spent most of last season with low-A Hagerstown, compiling a 9-3 record with two saves and a 3.48 ERA in 20 games (13 starts). His nine wins led the Suns and ranked fourth in the SAL. He was 8-1 with a 2.60 ERA before shoulder soreness prompted a stay on the disabled list and a rehab stint with the GCL Nationals. The Woburn, Massachusetts native was a NYPL All-Star in his professional debut in 2009, going 2-4 with a 2.20 ERA and a complete game in 13 games (ten starts). Washington selected Clegg with the 622nd overall pick (21st round) in the 2009 draft out of the University of Massachusetts. After going 4-5 with a 4.56 ERA as a junior, he went 7-1 as a senior with a 4.15 ERA, leading the lead in innings pitching (91) and strikeouts (81). His winning percentage (.875) was tied for the seventh best in Minutemen history and he was named to the ABCA All-Northeast Region and All-New England second teams. Clegg spent two years at UMass after transferring from the University of Maine, where he went 2-2 in 22 appearances over two seasons. He throws a two - and four - seam fastball that tops out in the low-90s in addition to a slider, curveball, and changeup.

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Carolina League Stories from April 13, 2011


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