MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

First-Rounder Kozma Promoted to Palm Beach

Published on August 4, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Pete Kozma, the Cardinals first-round pick in the 2007 draft, is moving on.

After spending the first four months of the season with the Quad Cities River Bandits, Kozma was promoted to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League on Monday. In a corresponding move, Domnit Bolivar has been promoted from the Batavia Muckdogs of the New York-Penn League to Quad Cities.

Kozma, the 18th overall pick of the 2007 draft out of Owasso High School in Oklahoma, leaves the River Bandits with a .284 batting average, five homers and 40 runs batted in. Just one year removed from his days as a high school student, Quad Cities' everyday shortstop led the club with 33 multi-hit games, 107 hits, 58 runs scored, 20 doubles, 45 walks, 377 at-bats, and 99 games played at the time of his departure.

Kozma began his stay in the Midwest League with a .341 batting average during the month of April, and ended it with a streak in which he batted .387 while hitting safely in 19 of his last 20 games with the River Bandits. The stretch included a team-high 15-game hitting streak from July 13-30 that saw the five-tool prospect hit .417 with nine multi-hit games. During his last 29 games he shared the left side of the infield with 2008 first-round pick (13th overall) Brett Wallace, giving the River Bandits one of the most formidable 1-2 punches in the Midwest League.

While Kozma moves to Palm Beach, Domnit Bolivar returns to the Quad Cities to take his place on the active roster.

Bolivar, a 19-year-old infielder from Caracas, Venezuela, spent the first three months of the 2008 season with the River Bandits, hitting .238 with 17 extra-base hits and 24 RBI as the everyday third baseman with occasional starts at shortstop. Despite hitting .429 over his last 10 games with the club, he was sent down to the New York-Penn League on July 2 to make room for Wallace on the roster. This time around Bolivar is expected to be the team's regular second baseman, with Oliver Marmol shifting from second to his natural position of shortstop.

Between his two stints with Quad Cities, Bolivar played 25 games with the Batavia Muckdogs as their primary shortstop. He hit .258 with one homer, 10 RBI, and five stolen bases. He left Batavia in the midst of a six-game hitting streak that saw the wiry infielder bat .360 with four runs scored, five RBI, and four stolen bases.

The River Bandits current roster stands at 25 active players, the maximum allowed by the Midwest League. An updated roster accompanies this release.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits will start a four-game series in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday before returning to Modern Woodmen Park on Saturday, August 9, to host the Clinton LumberKings for a four-game set. Bandit Wear featuring the new team name and logo is currently available by visiting the Modern Woodmen Park team store, and prorated versions of season ticket packages, mini-packages, and the popular You-Pick-10 Plan are on sale at the park or by calling (563) 3-BANDITS!

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from August 4, 2008


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