Hot Rods Game Notes
Published on April 15, 2026 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
Back From Intermission.... Anderson Brito, Jonathan Russell, and Jacob Kmatz hurled the first Hot Rods shutout of the year. There were 11 regular season games between Hot Rods shutouts, a total of 221 days, with the last on September 5, 2025. On that day, Gary Gill Hill, Drew Dowd, Alexander Alberto, and Noah Beal shutout the Asheville Tourists at Bowling Green Ballpark.
One-Hit Wonder.... Along with the first shutout of the season, the Hot Rods pitching staff limited the Drive to just one hit in the series opener on Tuesday. This was the 25th time in franchise history that the Hot Rods have recorded a one-hit pitching performance. The last one-hitter for Bowling Green came on August 30, 2024, at Bowling Green Ballpark against the Greenville Drive. In that game, Jackson Baumeister tossed 7.0 frames of one-hit baseball and Seth Chavez capped it off with 2.0 perfect innings.
Hujsak's Highlights.... On Tuesday, Connor Hujsak left the park twice, blasting two solo homers in the 3-0 win. It was Hujsak's first multi-homer performance since September 5, 2024, against the Columbia Fireflies when he belted three home runs. He is the second Hot Rods hitter to collect a multi-homer game this season, trailing only Theo Gillen who has already accomplished the feat twice. Bowling Green's record for homers in a game was set in 2021 when Hill Alexander homered three times at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Gillen Garners Attention.... Theo Gillen was awarded SAL Player of the Week for his performance against the Rome Emperors. He played in five games, going 7-for-17 (.412) with a double, four homers, and eight RBI. Although the numbers are impressive by themselves, they are even more eye-popping when you look at Gillen's start in the Tampa Bay organization. Over 73 games with Single-A Charleston last year, Gillen hit five home runs, nearly matching his season-high in just a two-game span.
Arm Barn Affirmation.... One of the brightest spots to start the season for Bowling Green has been the bullpen. Over the first 10 games, relievers have posted a 3.04 ERA over 47.1 innings of work. They have held opponents to a .213 batting average while striking out 52 and walking 19 batters.
On the Road Again.... For the first time in 2026, the Hot Rods hopped on a bus to Greenville, South Carolina. To end the 2025 season, the last Bowling Green road trip was to Greenville, splitting the series with the Drive. The Hot Rods enter the first road trip of the year 6-3 with a 1.0 game lead in the SAL South.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 15, 2026
- Four Homers, One Tough Result: Drive Fall to Hot Rods - Greenville Drive
- Polanco Collects Three Hits, Flewelling and McCoy Homer in 6-4 Win - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Renegades Sweep Quasi-Doubleheader - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Offensive Outburst Leads Spartanburgers to Third Straight Win - Hub City Spartanburgers
- Keys Drop Two Games to Renegades - Frederick Keys
- Hot Start Sets the Tone for Asheville Win - Asheville Tourists
- Jiménez's First Pro Homer Not Enough as Greensboro Tops Brooklyn, 15-4 - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Schultz, Antonacci Called up to the Major Leagues - Winston-Salem Dash
- Renegades & Good Boy Vodka Team to Present 2026 Bark in the Park Games - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Shojinaga Caps 4-Run 9th with 2-Run Single; Claws Win 3rd Straight Game - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Renegades Game Notes - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Brooklyn Cyclones Game Notes - Wednesday, April 15 - vs. Greensboro (4:00 PM) - Brooklyn Cyclones
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