
Game Info: Saturday, June 1 vs. Montgomery Biscuits: 5:05 PM: Trustmark Park
June 1, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release
Mississippi Braves (23-25) vs. Montgomery Biscuits (27-21)
Saturday, June 1, 2024 - 5:05 PM CT Doubleheader - Trustmark Park - Pearl, MS
Game 49/50 of 138 - Home Game 22/23 of 69 - 102.1 The Box - Bally Live - MiLB.tv
Starting Pitchers:
Game 1: LHP Luis De Avila (0-6, 5.53) vs. RHP Cole Wilcox (2-2, 3.56)
Game 2: LHP Drew Parrish (4-3, 4.11) vs. RHP Ben Peoples (2-2, 3.92)
Watch Live: Bally Live / MiLB.TV / MLB At Bat
Listen Live: 102.1 The Box
Today's Roster Move
RHP Hurston Waldrep transferred from Mississippi to Triple-A Gwinnett
INF/RHP David Fletcher transferred to Mississippi from Triple-A Gwinnett
Today's Promotions
Post-Game Fireworks: Stay after the game for another exciting Post-Game Fireworks show, presented by Entergy, themed to Miranda Lambert's top hits ahead of her July 26 concert at Trustmark Park.
TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves and Montgomery Biscuits continue a six-game series tonight with another doubleheader at Trustmark Park. This is the second of four series between the two teams in 2024 and the 10th and 11th of 24 overall meetings. The two will play next at Trustmark Park from June 25 to 30 to start the second half.
ABOUT THURSDAY: Ian Mejia returned to the Trustmark Park mound for the first time since his May 17 no-hitter and almost matched the effort in a game one 3-0 shutout of the Montgomery Biscuits. Mejia scattered three hits over 7.0 innings to post his second-straight complete-game shutout for Mississippi. The Biscuits got a strong start from Ian Seymour to win the nightcap, 4-1. Mejia gave up a single and hit by a pitch in the first inning but retired 15 straight Biscuits hitters from the first inning to the sixth inning and ultimately ran his scoreless streak that began on April 28 to 29.2 innings. Justin Dean pushed his on-base streak to 10 games in game one, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs, and Drake Baldwin was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cal Conley had a hit in both games to extend his team-best hitting streak to nine games.
M-BRAVES COMPLETE SWEEP OF CHATTANOOGA: The six-game sweep of Chattanooga, May 21-26, was the second by an M-Braves team, and first since a six-game sweep of Rocket City July 12-17, 2022. The M-Braves scored 39 runs over the six games with no home runs but 18 doubles, one triple, a .299 batting average, and a .371 OBP. Nacho Alvarez hit .370 (10x27) with a double, two RBI, four runs, walk, and three steals ... Cal Conley hit .368 (7x19) with four doubles, six RBI, two walks, and three runs ... Tyler Tolve hit .300 (6x20), three doubles, six RBI, and four runs ... Drake Baldwin hit .292 (7x24) with a double, RBI, and four runs ... Keshawn Ogans hit .286 (6x21) with two doubles, six RBI, three runs, and a walk. The pitching staff went 6-0 with Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach combining for 13.1 shutout innings, 16 strikeouts to one walk.
MAY BE A SEASON TURNING AROUND: After going 7-15 in April, the M-Braves completed a 16-10 May, and are 12-4 over their last 16 games. The M-Braves have moved from eight games back to four games back and are in third place in the Southern League's South Division. The 16 wins are the 5th-most in Double-A this month.
MC HAMMER WOULD BE PLEASED: Mississippi hurlers rank 4th in the Southern League, 7th in Double-A, and 11th in minor league baseball with a 3.37 ERA as a staff. The staff is 9th in Double-A with 449 strikeouts. In May, the M-Braves rank 4th in Double-A with a 3.19 ERA. In 20 home games, the Mississippi pitching staff has a 2.61 ERA.
SCHWELLY TO THE SHOW: Atlanta Braves No. 3 overall prospect Spencer Schwellenbach had his contract selected by the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. He made his MLB debut on Wednesday vs. Washington (5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO). Schwellenbach is the second M-Braves alum to make their major league debut this season, joining Tyler Ferguson, who debuted for Oakland on May 7. The right-hander is the 171st Mississippi player to make their major league debut and the 24th to be promoted directly from Double-A. Michael Harris II and Vaughn Grisson were promoted from Mississippi to Atlanta in 2022. Max Fried was the last pitcher to be promoted from the M-Braves roster in 2019.
The right-hander was promoted to Mississippi on May 14 from High-A Rome. Over his two Double-A starts, the 2nd-round pick in 2021 out of Nebraska is 2-0 and hasn't allowed a run over 13.0 innings, striking out 17 and walking just two. He made his Mississippi debut in game two of the May 15 doubleheader against Biloxi, striking out a career-high nine over 6.0 shutout innings on three hits, issuing just one walk, and in his second start on May 22 at Chattanooga, striking out eight and walking none, ceding two hits over 7.0 shutout innings. In eight starts between Mississippi and Rome, Schwellebach is 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA (9 ER/45.0 IP), 10 walks, and 51 strikeouts.
WALDREP TO TRIPLE-A: RHP Hurston Waldrep, was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. The Atlanta Braves' 1st-round pick in 2023 (24th overall) went 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA in May, with 31 strikeouts to seven walks. Waldrep tossed a Southern League-high second complete game in a doubleheader in game one on May 15 vs. Biloxi with a career-high 8.0 innings, scattering six hits, one run with no walks, and eight strikeouts ... In his last three starts, Waldrep has given up three runs over 19.1 innings with three walks to 23 strikeouts. Waldrep now ranks among the league leaders in complete games (1st, 2), ERA (2.84, 12th), strikeouts (48, T-8th), and innings pitched (2nd, 49.1).
MEJIA TOSSES FIFTH NO HITTER IN M-BRAVES HISTORY: RHP Ian Mejia's seven-inning no-hitter in game two of the Friday, May 17 doubleheader vs. Biloxi was the fifth no-hitter in M-Braves history, and first individual one since Tommy Hanson's nine-inning no hitter on June 25, 2008 vs. Birmingham at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves beat the Barons 6-0, and Hanson walked three and struck out 14 in the game. There have been three combined nine-inning no-hitters in team history (Julio Teheran & Tyrelle Harris, 8/2/10 vs. Mobile, Ian Anderson & Jeremy Walker, 6/28/19 vs. Jackson (TN), and Bryce Elder & Daysbel Hernandez, 7/10/21 vs. Pensacola.
THE MEJIA MAGIC: When Ian Mejia takes the mound, the Mississippi Braves were 8-1 in his nine starts. Mississippi's opening-day starter leads the Southern League with two shutouts and ranks among the league leaders in ERA (2nd, 1.45), strikeouts (T-4th, 57), WHIP (2nd, 0.87), wins (T-2nd, 5), and opponent's batting average (1st, .160) ... Mejia has not allowed a run over his last 22.2 M-Braves innings pitched. Mejia is 4-0 in May and allowed no runs over 26.2 IP, five walks, and 30 strikeouts. Mejia has not allowed a run at home this season over four starts and 27 innings and, overall, has set a new club record, having not allowed a run over 29.2 innings since his start on April 28.
HAYDEN HARRIS ON A ROLL: LHP Hayden Harris has a 0.55 ERA over 14 relief outings and 16.1 IP, five walks, and 29 strikeouts. The Augusta, GA native is 1-0 with four holds and 1-for-1 in save opportunities. Over the last two seasons Harris's 37.5% strikeout rate ranks fourth in minor league baseball (min 70 IP).
NEED FOR SPEED: The M-Braves are 2nd in Double-A behind Birmingham in stolen bases with 93 (93-for-109) through 48 games. The club has five players who have reached double-digit steals. Justin Dean leads the way and is 2nd in the league with 21. Cody Milligan and Geraldo Quintero rank T-6th in the league with 17, plus Nacho Alvarez is T-9th with 16. Cal Conley has 13. The M-Braves logged a stolen base in each of the first 14 games of the season. Mississippi had 157 stolen bases last season and is on pace for 267 (1.9 per game) in 2024. The most by an M-Braves team was 159 in 2007.
"NACHO" AVERAGE SHORT STOP: Atlanta's top-ranked position player prospect, Nacho Alvarez Jr., went on a 13-game on-base streak from April 13 to May 1, the longest by a Mississippi player this season. The 21-year-old leads the club and ranks 6th in the Southern League with a .378 OBP ... He also ranks among the league leaders in walks (4th, 25), steals (T-9th, 16), and hits (T-9th, 43).
GIVE ME FIVE: The M-Braves are 18-12 in games when starters go 5+ innings and 5-13 when going less than 5. In the 29 games with 5+ innings, they have combined for a 2.01 ERA (40 ER/178.2 IP). In the 17 games of less than 5, the starter's ERA is 6.65 (49 ER/66.1 IP).
M-BRAVES REACH 1,200 WINS: The April 25, 13-3 win over Montgomery was Mississippi's 1,200th in franchise history. It took the M-Braves until the sixth game of the inaugural season in 2005 to win the first game in club history, which was an April 12, 2005, 7-4 win over the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in game two of a doubleheader at Pringles Park. Jeff Francoeur was 0-for-3, with a walk and RBI, in the game, using a five-run sixth fueled by RBIs by Scott Thorman, Francoeur, and Derrick Gibson. Brian O'Connor got the win for Mississippi.
COACHING STAFF WITH A NEW FLO: After spending one season as manager of the Braves High-A affiliate Rome Braves (Emperors), Angel Flores will take the reins for the first time at the Double-A level, succeeding Kanekoa Texeira. Texeira was promoted to manager of the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers after Matt Tuiasosopo was named to the Braves' Major League coaching staff for 2024. Flores returns to Mississippi, where he served as bench coach in 2022. Flores took over as interim manager from April 26 to May 15, 2022, while Bruce Crabbe took a leave of absence from the club. During the 18-game stretch, the M-Braves went 10-8. During his first season as a full-time manager last year, Flores led the R-Braves to a 34-32 record in the second half and an overall 64-68 mark. Rome closed the year with a 21-15 record in August and September. Overall, he holds a 74-76 record as a manager.
FINAL SEASON IN MISSISSIPPI: On January 9, it was announced that after 20 years, 2024 will be the M-Braves' final season in Pearl, MS. As of the start of the 2025 season, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves will be relocating to Columbus, GA.
Southern League Stories from June 1, 2024
- Big Arms, Small Ball Pave Way for Pandas - Rocket City Trash Pandas
- Biscuits Sweep Doubleheader from M-Braves on Saturday Night - Mississippi Braves
- Yoho Stars in Double-A Debut, Shuckers Fall to Pensacola - Biloxi Shuckers
- Superb Pitching, Timely Hitting, Leads Biscuits to Doubleheader Sweep and Series Win on Saturday - Montgomery Biscuits
- Furious Comeback Helps Wahoos Beat Shuckers 8-7 - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Heart of a Shucker Community Fund Announces Donation to Grace's Home of Heroes - Biloxi Shuckers
- RHP Logan Henderson Promoted to Biloxi from High-A Wisconsin - Biloxi Shuckers
- Game Info: Saturday, June 1 vs. Montgomery Biscuits: 5:05 PM: Trustmark Park - Mississippi Braves
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Mississippi Braves Stories
- A Special Message from M-Braves Manager Angel Flores
- Ian Mejia, Brandon Parker Named Farm Bureau Pitcher & Player of the Week
- M-Braves Drop Final Game in Team History on Sunday
- Mejia Deals Shutout, Parker Blasts Another Homer
- Game Info: Saturday, September 14 at Biloxi Shuckers: 6:05 PM: Keesler Federal Park

