Hot Rods Game Notes
Published on June 16, 2026 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
On the Road Again... After one week at Bowling Green Ballpark, the Hot Rods hit the road again. The previous road trip for Bowling Green was a two-week stint in the northeast, taking on the Hudson Valley Renegades and the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Over that span, the Hot Rods went 9-3, boosting their road record in 2026 from 11-7 to 20-10. Bowling Green has yet to lose a series this season, winning nine while splitting two. Both splits came on the road, once in Greenville and the other in Rome.
Award-Winning Week... After his start on Saturday, Jacob Kisting was awarded South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week. The righty tossed 6.2 scoreless frames against the Rome Emperors, tying a career-high with eight strikeouts. This is the second time this season Kisting has marked his career-best in strikeouts, also whiffing eight batters against Asheville at Bowling Green Ballpark on May 21. Overall this season, Kisting is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA through 10 appearances and 41.2 innings pitched.
Jack is Back... Jack Kartsonas is set to make his eighth start for Bowling Green this season. The righty is currently 3-2 with a 3.97 at the High-A level this season. This will be the second time this season Kartsonas has pitched against the Tourists. Last time around, he tossed 5.0 frames, allowing just one run on one hit, striking out seven and walking one.
The Beginning of the End... This week in Asheville will be split between the first and second half of the season. The first three games of the series represent the end of the SAL first half, while the last three games of the series start the second half. The Hot Rods locked up a first-half title in an 11-0 win last Tuesday against the Emperors.
Gillen's Going Off... Theo Gillen's 4-for-4 performance on Friday night marked the fifth four-hit game by a Hot Rods player in 2026. The Tampa Bay Rays' No. 1 prospect delivered a solid encore Saturday night, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Gillen leads the South Atlantic League with a .335 batting average and has reached base in each of his last 16 games dating back to May 24. Gillen ranks in the league's Top Five in six major metrics, including OPS (1.015, 3rd), OBP (.443, 4th), stolen bases (25, 3rd), hits (63, T-3rd) and runs scored (46, 5th).
South Atlantic League Stories from June 16, 2026
- Flewelling Homers, Hot Rods Drop Series Opener 9-8 in Asheville - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Booming Bats Pace Renegades over Rome - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Wild Pitch, Wild Throw, Wild Win: Tourists Take 9-8 Walk-Off - Asheville Tourists
- Hub City Shuts out Frederick 4-0 to Begin Road Series - Hub City Spartanburgers
- Gutiérrez's Big Night Not Enough in Cyclones' 6-4 Loss - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Keys Fall in Series Opener to Spartanburgers at Home - Frederick Keys
- Grasshoppers Pull Away Late in Series Opener - Winston-Salem Dash
- Bowker Sharp in Claws Debut, But Drive Win 2-1 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Winston-Salem Dash - Homestand #5: June 16-21 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Renegades Game Notes - 6/16/2026 - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Brooklyn Cyclones Game Notes - Tuesday, June 16 - at Wilmington (6:35 PM ET) - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Four Clearwater First Half Champion Pitchers Join Claws - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
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