Game Info: Sunday, April 6 vs. Chattanooga
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Game Info: Sunday, April 6 vs. Chattanooga

April 6, 2025 - Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


Sunday, April 6, 2025 - 2:35 PM - Toyota Field - Madison, AL

Rocket City Trash Pandas (1-1) vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (1-1)

Pitching Matchup: LHP Sam Aldegheri (0-0, --) vs. RHP Ryan Cardona (0-0, --)

TV/Radio: WAAY-TV 31.6 - Bally Live - MiLB.tv - ESPN WZZN 97.7-HD-2

GAME 3 of 138 - Home Game: 3 of 69

Sunday's Promotions

Pregame Autographs: On Sundays this season, select Trash Pandas players will be available for autographs before the game, from 1:40 to 2:00 p.m., at the Pepsi Gate, located on the first-base side of the Bill Penney Concourse.

Fleece Blanket Giveaway: The first 1,500 adults, 18 years or older, will receive a Trash Pandas Fleece Blanket, presented by Crestwood Medical Center!

Postgame Kids Run the Bases: Kids can run the bases at Toyota Field after every Sunday home game, presented by Listerhill Credit Union! Sprocket's kids' club members can skip to the front of the line by presenting their ID cards.

Blue Bell Sundae Sundays: Limited-edition souvenir helmet sundaes will be available exclusively at the Sweet Space concession stand on Sundays.

TODAY'S GAME: The Rocket City Trash Pandas continue their opening homestand and conclude the first leg with the rubber match of the three game series with Chattanooga, at Toyota Field.

LAST NIGHT: The Trash Pandas erased a six-run deficit on Saturday night and got a three-run walk-off home run from Denzer Guzman in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Chattanooga Lookouts 8-6 at Toyota Field. No stranger to Toyota Field magic, Guzman's walk-off blast was his second as a Trash Panda, following a walk-off grand slam against Montgomery in May last year. Rocket City scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth, picked up a Sonny DiChiara solo home run in the eighth.

TOYOTA FIELD MAGIC: The Trash Pandas had six walk-offs last season, including the previous walk-off home run on July 15, when Christian Moore hit an opposite-field walk-off home run. All-time, it was the 18th walk-off win in Toyota Field history.

PACKING 'EM IN: Through the first two games of the 2025 season, the Trash Pandas lead the Southern League in attendance with 11,137 fans on Friday and Saturday. The next closest is Pensacolaat 10,076. The Trash Pandas had 6,597 on Opening Night. The Trash Pandas have led the league in attendance each of their first four seasons, including last year, drawing 319,417 fans to push the all-time number over one million.

LAUNCHED TO THE LEAGUE: Former Trash Pandas pitcher Micahel Darrell-Hicks had his contract selected by the Angels on Sunday, and would become the 37th Rocket City player to make an MLB debut. Darrell-Hicks was 6-4 with a 1.73 ERA over 30 relief outings in 2024 for the Trash Pandas, earning eight saves in ten chances, and 46 strikeouts to eight walks over 41.2 innings. Overall Darrell-Hicks had a 6-7 record in Rocket City over 33 games, three starts, striking out 58 and walking 13 over 53.2 innings in 2023 and 2024. The Angels signed the Parkersburg, WV native to a minor league contract on July 26, 2022.

IT WENT MYLES AND MYLES: Catcher Myles Emmerson had two of Rocket City's three hits on Friday night, including the first, a double, in the third inning, and a solo home run in the fifth inning. The home run provided Rocket City with their lone run, which was Emmerson's second as a Trash Panda, and fifth in his career.

BACK FOR MOORE: Christian Moore returns to Rocket City, ranking as the top prospect in the Angels' organization and the No. 66 overall player in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Selected eighth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Moore starred as a second baseman for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he emerged as one of college baseball's brightest stars, leading them to the 2024 College World Series Title. He played in only two games with Single-A Inland Empire in the California League last season before being promoted to Rocket City. Moore hit .347 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in his first 25 minor league games.

WEEKEND ARMS: Opening Night starter George Klassen and Sunday's starter Sam Aldegheri came over from Philadelphia in a trade last July and have added pitching depth to the organization. Klassen joined the Trash Pandas in August last year and made seven starts, which included being named Southern League Pitcher of the Week after tossing six no-hit innings at Chattanooga on September 14. Klassen struck out at least seven hitters in 10 starts last season and recorded double-digit strikeouts in two outings at Rocket City. Aldegheri, a native of Verona, Italy, became the first pitcher born and raised in Italy to play in the majors when he made his MLB debut with the Angels on August 30, 2024, against Seattle. The Italian made four starts for the Trash Pandas in 2024. The 20-year-old Ureña made 16 starts for High-A Tri-City last year, finishing 2-7 with a 4.19 ERA. In 77.1 innings pitched, Ureña allowed 66 hits, issued 54 walks, and struck out 64 batters.

PROSPECTS WITH A HALO: The Opening Day roster features five of the Angels' top 10 prospects and 11 of the top 25, included in the top 10 are Moore (1), RHP George Klassen (3), LHP Sam Aldegheri (5), OF Nelson Rada (6), and INF Denzer Guzman (9). The other members of the roster included in the Top-30 include LHP Samy Natera Jr. (16), RHP Walbert Ureña (17), RHP Joel Hurtado (19), RHP Camden Minacci (20), INF Cole Fontenelle (23), and RHP Ryan Costeiu (24).

SCHATZLEY RETURNS FOR FOURTH SEASON: The 2022 Southern League Manager of the Year, Andy Schatzley, returns for his fourth season with the Trash Pandas. Under his tutelage, he has helped guide 23 Trash Pandas to the Major Leagues since '22. He came to Rocket City after serving as the manager with High-A Tri-City in 2021. He earned the Preston Gomez Award as the Angels' Minor League Manager of the Year that year. The Arkansas native guided the team to the top of the Southern League standings in 2022, winning first and second-half North Division titles for the best record in the league at 81-57. The 2022 Trash Pandas marked the first time the Angels' Double-A affiliate reached the postseason since the Arkansas Travelers accomplished the feat in 2015.

SEC! SEC! SEC!: The 2025 Opening Day roster features seven players from SEC schools, starting with Hoover native and Auburn star Sonny DiChiara. The others include Ryan Costeiu (Arkansas), Houston Harding (Mississippi State), Luke Murphy (Vanderbilt), Jared Southard (Texas), Evan White (Kentucky), and Christian Moore (Tennessee), who have spent time in the Southeastern Conference.

THE YOUNG GUNS, GUZMAN, AND RADA: OF Nelson Rada had a fantastic spring with the Angels, batting .333 over 11 games, a .370 on-base percentage, and six RBI. The Venezuela native spent the 2024 season in Rocket City, hitting .234 with 13 extra-base hits in 123 games. The 19-year-old was seventh in the Southern League with 35 stolen bases as the youngest player in the league. INF Denzer Guzman was promoted to Rocket City on May 7, collecting six home runs, nine doubles, and 30 RBI in 83 games. The 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic had his season highlighted with a walk-off grand slam on May 25, leading the Trash Pandas to a win over Montgomery.




Southern League Stories from April 6, 2025


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