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SL Mississippi Braves

Game Info: Sunday, April 28 at Montgomery Biscuits: 3:33 PM CT: Riverwalk Stadium

April 28, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Sunday, April 28, 2024 - 3:33 PM CT - Riverwalk Stadium - Montgomery, AL

Mississippi Braves (6-14, 4th, SL South, -5.0) at Montgomery Biscuits (11-9, T-1st, SL South, --)

Starting Pitchers: RHP Ian Mejia (1-0, 2.89) vs. RHP Logan Workman (0-0, 3.79)

Watch Live: Bally Live / MiLB.TV / MLB At Bat

Listen Live: 102.1 The Box

Today's Roster Move

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TODAY'S GAME: The M-Braves and Biscuits conclude a six-game series this afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium, the sixth of 24 meetings between the teams this season. The two teams next meet for a six-game series from May 27 to June 2 at Trustmark Park. This series is the second leg of a 12-game road trip. The M-Braves went 1-5 against the Birmingham Barons last week, April 16-21, at Regions Field.

BRING ON THE BISCUITS, LET'S COOK: Mississippi went 11-19 against Montgomery last season, 4-8 at Riverwalk Stadium, and 7-11 at Trustmark Park ... Montgomery has won the season series against Mississippi in 14 of 18 seasons since 2005 ... The M-Braves are 144-197 all-time against the Biscuits franchise ... The Biscuits have played the most games against the M-Braves since 2005, with 341 total meetings.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The M-Braves out-hit Montgomery 12-7 but stranded 13 runners on base in a 7-2 loss to the Biscuits on Saturday night at Riverwalk Stadium. All 12 hits were singles. Cody Milligan was 4-for-5 with an RBI, stolen base, and run scored, the first four-hit game by a Mississippi player this season. JJ Niekro started and surrendered seven runs (four earned), six hits, four walks, and five strikeouts. Keshawn Ogans was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, and Bryson Horne was 2-for-4.

M-BRAVES REACH 1,200 WINS: Thursday night's 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 a 7-4 win over the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in game two of a doubleheader at Pringles Park on April 12, 2005. 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.

SCORING SPREE: Over the first five games of the series in Montgomery, the M-Braves have scored 29 runs, tied for the third-most in Double-A over the span, with three home runs and seven doubles. The club scored a season-high 13 runs in the 13-3 win in Montgomery on April 25. In the previous 15 games, Mississippi had scored just 31 runs, the fewest in Double-A with three home runs.

THE TOLVE FACTOR: Catcher Tyler Tolve was 1-for-19 in the series at Birmingham but has turned things around this series. Over the first four games, Tolve is 6-for-18 with two home runs, three doubles, seven RBI, and four runs scored.

NEED FOR SPEED: The M-Braves lead all of Double-A with 46 stolen bases (46/50) through 20 games. Geraldo Quintero and Cody Milligan are tied for the team lead and T-4th in the Southern League with 10. Justin Dean is T-6th with nine stolen bases. Mississippi had 157 (1.1 per game) stolen bases last season and is on pace for 317 (2.3 per game) in 2024. The most by an M-Braves team was 159 in 2007.

THE DEAN OF THE CLASS: OF Justin Dean has appeared in 248 games for the M-Braves since 2021 ... He currently ranks among the league leaders in batting average (5th, .313), OBP (4th, .414), OPS (9th, .893), and stolen bases (T-6th, 9).

"NACHO" AVERAGE SHORT STOP: Atlanta's top-ranked position player prospect, Nacho Alvarez Jr., is on an 11-game on-base streak, batting .310 with 13 hits, five RBI, five walks, and a .383 OBP. The 21-year-old ranks among the circuit leaders in walks (T-2nd, 12), hits (T-7th, 19), and OBP (6th, .403).

DRAKE IS "TOO GOOD": Atlanta's top-catching prospect, Drake Baldwin, has reached base safely in 12 straight games from April 11 to 27. Baldwin hit his first home run in game two of last Sunday's doubleheader in Birmingham. Over the 12 games, Baldwin is slashing .279/.380/.419, with 12 hits, three doubles, a home run, four RBI, seven walks, and two runs. Over his last five games, he is 7-fo-18, with a homer, three doubles, three RBI, and four walks.

GIVE ME FIVE: The M-Braves are 6-5 when their starters go 5+ innings and 0-9 when starters go less than 5.0 innings. In the 10 games with 5+ innings, they have combined for a 2.18 ERA (15 ER/62.0 IP). In the nine games of less than 5, the starter's ERA is 8.13 (28 ER/31.0 IP).

MR. MEJIA: After struggling in his first start, Ian Mejia has allowed just one run over his previous two quality starts, including 12 innings, one run allowed, four walks, and 13 strikeouts. Mejia set a new career high with nine strikeouts in his start on April 17 at Birmingham. Mejia ranks among the league leaders in strikeouts (T-7th, 22) and opponents' average (8th, .203).

TOP PROSPECTS: According to MLB Pipeline, the M-Braves have five of Atlanta's Top 30 prospects. RHP Hurston Waldrep (No. 2), SS Nacho Alvarez Jr. (No. 6), C Drake Baldwin (No. 11), LHP Luis De Avila (No. 20), and INF/OF Geraldo Quintero (No. 28) are included. In Baseball America's Top 30, OF Cody Milligan (No. 27), RHP Ian Mejia (No. 28), and INF Keshawn Ogans (No. 30) are included.

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.

MISSISSIPPI MADE: M-Braves outfielder Brandon Parker, a native of Saucier, MS, on the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product, became the first player to prep in Mississippi and play for the M-Braves since Austin Riley in 2017. Riley prepped at Desoto Central in North Mississippi ... Parker was a two-time All-American at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Parker attended West Harrison High School.

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.

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