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SAL1 Hagerstown Suns

Hagerstown Suns Game Notes

April 5, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release


Anderson Returns... Patrick Anderson returns to the Suns for a team-high fifth season in 2018 after leading last year's squad to the second-best overall win percentage (.537) in the Northern Division. Anderson has won more games (311) than any other manager in Suns history, dating back to the team's founding in 1981 when they were managed by former MLB manager Grady Little. The 45-year-old took the Suns to the SAL Championship in 2014, his first season, and helped Hagerstown to a post-season berth in 2016. He's managed the Suns to three winning seasons in four years and in his first campaign in the Nationals organization, Anderson guided the Gulf Coast League Nationals to a league title and a 49-9 record back in 2013.

The Roster... The 2018 Hagerstown Suns roster was released on Wednesday, and includes 11 returners from the 2017 season. Headlining this season's squad is Juan Soto, who ended up missing most of 2017 due to injury. Soto is the only top-100 prospect on the roster, but is accompanied by nine other ranked Nationals farmhands. Infielders Luis Garcia and Yasel Antuna both are top-10 in the Nats system and hit over .300 with the GCL Nationals last season, and the teenagers jump to Class-A to start 2017. Brigham Hill, who is the opening day starter, is #17 on Baseball America's list while tomorrow's starter, Nick Raquet, is #16 on MLB.com and 21 on Baseball America's list.

On Opening Day Since 2007... The 2017 season was the first time since the Suns became affiliated with the Nationals that opening day was rained out on April 6 against Augusta. The final day of the series was turned into a double-header, thus opening day happened on April 7, with the Green Jackets besting the Suns 11-1. Over the last 11 openers since joining the Nationals, Hagerstown is 5-6 on opening day with a breakdown of 2-3 and home and 3-3 on the road. The last time the Suns started a season on the road was 2015 with Hagerstown taking a 5-2 loss in Hickory. Hagerstown has played three extra-inning contests on opening day since 2007, with all three coming on consecutive openers from 2008-2010. They are 2-1 in those games, with the longest coming in '08 against the Delmarva Shorebirds in a 5-4 win that finally concluded in 14 innings.

About the Opponents... The Suns face Rome on opening day for the third time since becoming a Nationals Affiliate (2007). Hagerstown is 2-0 in those games with one game on the road and one played back at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown. Hagerstown and Rome faced each other six times in 2017, with the series split 3-3 at the end of the year. Sheldon Neuse hit the best in the season series, carrying a .364 average through the six games played, but the Suns mustered just one homer thanks to Daniel Johnson. Juan Yepez played in all six games of the series prior to being traded to the Cardinals, and he hit .308 while tying for the team-lead in RBIs against Hagerstown with four. Lucas Herbert played in five games against Hagerstown, also logging a .308 average with two home runs and three RBIs. Tyler Watson gave the Suns their best start against the Braves, with Watson earning a win after tossing six-innings of four-hit ball without allowing a run and striking out eight. Hagerstown hasn't lost a season series to Rome since 2009, going 33-16 over that run and even swept the Braves in 2011. Since 2007 the Suns lead the season series 34-23, and the two teams did not play each other in the 2007 season.

Tonight's Starter: RHP Brigham Hill gets the ball for the season opener in Rome against the Braves. Hill is amongst the top pitching prospects in the Nationals organization, with MLB Pipeline ranking him the 25th best Nationals prospect, and Baseball America having his at #17. He split time between Auburn (New York-Penn League) and Hagerstown last season, going a combined 0-2 with a 4.98 ERA. Prior to his call-up, Hill had a 2.63 ERA with the Doubledays over four appearances with three starts. With Hagerstown, he averaged nine strikeouts-per-nine innings, but his ERA was 6.07. He's a product of Texas A&M and was a fifth-round choice by the Nationals in 2017. Hill had Tommy John Surgery in 2012. He has not faced a Braves affiliate prior to today's contest.

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