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SL Mississippi Braves

Game Info: Wednesday, May 8 at Rocket City Trash Pandas: 11:05 AM CT: Toyota Field

May 8, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (9-19) at Rocket City Trash Pandas (14-13)

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - 11:05 AM CT - Toyota Field - Madison, AL

Game 29 of 138 - Away Game 17 of 69 - 102.1 The Box - Bally Live - MiLB.tv

Starting Pitchers: RHP Hurston Waldrep (1-3, 4.38) vs. RHP Victor Mederos (1-2, 6.94)

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

Listen Live: 102.1 The Box

Today's Roster Move

RHP Patrick Halligan transferred from Mississippi to Triple-A Gwinnett

TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves and Rocket City Trash Pandas continue a six-game series this morning at Toyota Field ... This is the second 12 meetings between the clubs this season ... Rocket City will visit Pearl for a six-game series, June 11-16 at Trustmark Park.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Tuesday night's series opener at Toyota Field got off to a fast start and appeared to be a slugfest. All seven runs were scored in the first three innings, and Rocket City took the opener 4-3 over the M-Braves. Drew Parrish made his seventh appearance and sixth start and logged 6.0 innings for a third straight start. The left-hander gave up four runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts, suffering the loss. Nacho Alvarez Jr. had a first-inning RBI double and was 2-for-4 on Tuesday to lead the offense. The M-Braves led 1-0 and 3-2, scoring all three runs in the first two frames.

FINAL TRIP TO THE ROCKET CITY: This week marks the final meeting between the Mississippi Braves and Rocket City Trash Pandas at Toyota Field ... Since Rocket City's first season in 2021, the M-Braves are 15-10 against the LA Angels Double-A affiliate ... The two teams did not meet during the 2021 season. In the first-ever matchup at Trustmark Park, the M-Braves swept the Trash Pandas in a six-game set, July 12-17, 2022 ... Against the previous iteration of minor league baseball in North Alabama, the Huntsville Stars, Mississippi was 81-82 against the Stars from 2005-14.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK: RHP Ian Mejia, Mississippi's Opening Day starter tossed 7.0 shutout innings, on two hits with one walk, and seven strikeouts on Saturday to earn Southern League Pitcher of the Week ... In a team-best six starts, the New Mexico State product has a 2.40 ERA, which ranks 9th in the Southern League, and 34 strikeouts, which is 6th. He also ranks among the league leaders in innings pitched (5th, 30.0), and opponent's batting average (8th, .192). In his last five starts, he has given up four earned runs in 28.1 innings, which is a 1.27 ERA ... The M-Braves are 5-1 in Mejia's six starts.

WINNING WALDREP: RHP Hurston Waldrep, the Atlanta Braves' first-round pick in 2023 (24th overall), earned his first professional win on Thursday night. Over his previous three starts, Waldrep has a 1.04 ERA, giving up just two earned runs in 17.2 innings.

NEED FOR SPEED: The M-Braves lead all Double-A in stolen bases with 58 (58/66) through 28 games. The club has four players who have reached double-digit steals. Justin Dean leads the way with 12 and is T-4th in the Southern League. Cody Milligan has 11, and is T-7th. Geraldo Quintero and Nacho Alvarez Jr. have 10, which is T-9th ... Mississippi had 157 stolen bases last season and is on pace for 286 (2.1 per game) in 2024. The most by an M-Braves team was 159 in 2007.

THE DEAN OF THE CLASS: Justin Dean, Mauldin, SC native, had a nine-game hitting streak from April 21 to May 2, the longest by an M-Braves player this season ... He currently leads the club, and ranks 10th in the Southern League with a .282 batting average ... He ranks among the league leaders in OBP (9th, .369), OPS (10th, .792), slugging (10th, .423), and stolen bases (T-4th, 12) ... Dean has appeared in 255 games for the M-Braves since 2021.

"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 4th in the Southern League with a .402 OBP ... He ranks among the circuit leaders in walks (T-2nd, 17), hits (T-6th, 26), and batting average (8th, .289).

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.

GIVE ME FIVE: The M-Braves are 8-10 in games when starters go 5+ innings. In the 18 games with 5+ innings, they have combined for a 2.42 ERA (28 ER/104.1 IP). In the 10 games of less than 5, the starter's ERA is 7.69 (30 ER/35.1 IP).

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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