Fireflies Game Notes: April 25 at Charleston (Game 20)
April 25, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
Columbia Fireflies (7-12) @ Charleston RiverDogs (8-11)
RHP S. Woods-Richardson (0-1, 1.54) vs. RHP Daniel Bies (0-1, 8.49)
Thurs., April 25, 2019 - Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park (Charleston, SC) - First Pitch 7:05 p.m. - Game 20
LISTEN: FirefliesLiveStream.com / ColumbiaFireflies.com / TuneIn App
WATCH: MiLB.TV
LAST TIME OUT: Columbia dropped the series finale to West Virginia on Wednesday, 2-1. The Fireflies had the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second in the ninth (after a Mark Vientos RBI double) before eventually being retired in the final frame.
MOUND MOJO: Thursday is Simeon Woods-Richardson's fifth start of the season. The Mets 2nd-round draft choice from 2018 has not walked a batter and punched out 15 over 11.2 IP this year. Woods-Richardson faced Charleston on opening day and promptly struck out the side in his first inning of work.
"HE'S NOT AFRAID": Ronny Mauricio is hitting .314 through 17 games and is seventh in the South Atlantic League with 22 total hits. Manager Pedro Lopez said to The State newspaper this week that the 18-year-old Mauricio is "not afraid" at the plate.
FOLLOW THE LAW: Keith Law, senior baseball writer at ESPN, ranked Columbia's roster as the 7th-most "Loaded Roster" in all of Minor League Baseball. Law recognized the fact Columbia's roster includes the Mets' third, fourth and fifth-rated prospects (infielders Ronny Mauricio, Mark Vientos and Shervyen Newton, respectively), New York's past two second-round draft choices (RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson, Vientos) and the system's ninth-rated prospect, left-hander Thomas Szapucki (drafted in the fifth round in 2015). The roster also features 26th (Baseball America) and 27th-rated prospects Chris Viall and Christian James. The prospect rankings are according to MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
YOUTHFUL ENERGY: Columbia's 2019 roster features three teenagers: SS Ronny Mauricio (18), RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson (18) and 3B Mark Vientos (19). All are considered top-10 rated Mets prospects. The Fireflies roster currently includes nine players aged 21 or younger. Columbia's opening day roster was the youngest (average age 21.6) ever. Take a look below for more information on the prospects in Columbia in 2019.
NEW STAFF: Fireflies second-year manager Pedro Lopez notwithstanding, Columbia has an entirely different coaching staff in 2019. Former big leaguer and Mets pitcher Royce Ring assumes the role as pitching coach and former Eastern League champion Luis Rivera is the new hitting coach. One-time Mets farmhand (and former player for Lopez in Binghamton in 2014) Gilbert Gomez is the team's first-ever bench coach. Daichi Arima (athletic trainer), Sam Nickelsen (strength and conditioning coach), Nicole Collins (assistant athletic trainer) and Dave Williams (mental skills coach) complete the Fireflies coaching staff in 2019.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 25, 2019
- Ramiz and Rosa Go Back-To-Back in 5-1 Power Win - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Legends Can't Slow Drive in Game One - Lexington Legends
- 'Birds Ride Knight in Augusta Opener - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Walks, Three-Run Fifth Bury Suns - Hagerstown Suns
- Road Trip Woes Continue in Tough Loss at West Virginia - Asheville Tourists
- Bies Shines in Leading Dogs to First Win of Homestand - Charleston RiverDogs
- GreenJackets Drop Opener in Delmarva 4-3 - Augusta GreenJackets
- Huff Homers in Third Straight Game But 'Dads Fall - Hickory Crawdads
- Claws Escape Jam in 9th, Hold off Crawdads 3-1 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Fireflies Pitchers Strike out Season-High 15 Batters in Opener - Columbia Fireflies
- Fireflies Game Notes: April 25 at Charleston (Game 20) - Columbia Fireflies
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Game Notes (April 25) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Delmarva Completes Sweep of Asheville Thanks to Massive Inning - Asheville Tourists
- Ten-Run Third Powers 'Birds to Another Sweep - Delmarva Shorebirds
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