Kane County Cougars Homestand Preview: May 1-6
April 29, 2015 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release
Kane County Cougars Celebrate Halfway to Halloween
(Kane County Cougars)
GENEVA, Ill. - The Kane County Cougars, Class-A Minor League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, open a six-game homestand Friday evening and will welcome the Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics) May 1-3 and the Quad Cities River Bandits (Houston Astros) May 4-6. Homestand highlights include the first fireworks shows of the season on Friday and Saturday, "Halfway to Halloween" theme nights on both nights and a special guest of the Cougars, World War II veteran Walter Guzy, who will throw a ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday's game for his 99th birthday. Tickets are available for the upcoming homestand by calling (630) 232-8811 or ordering online at kccougars.com.
Friday 5/1 Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics farm team) 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club and Halloween Parade
- Halfway to Halloween Theme Night: Trick-or-treating stations throughout ballpark
- Fans encouraged to dress in costume
- National Anthem - D303 Bands
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame - led by St. Patrick School Choir (St. Charles)
- Post-game fireworks show
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Saturday 5/2 Beloit Snappers 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club and Halloween Parade
- Halfway to Halloween: Trick-or-treating stations throughout ballpark
- Fans encouraged to dress in costume
- Pre-game performance by The School of Performing Arts (Naperville)
- National Anthem - Band for Today
- Color Guard - Cub Scout Pack 156 (St. Charles)
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame - led by Norton Creek Elementary (West Chicago)
- Post-game performance by the Jesse White Tumblers
- Post-game fireworks show
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Sunday 5/3 Beloit Snappers 1 p.m. (gates open at Noon) WBIG 1280 AM (12:45 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- Sunday Funday presented by Dave and Buster's
- 5/3 Day
- Free family-friendly entertainment inside the ballpark
- Live organ music by Nancy Faust
- Pre-game performance by LaGrange District 105
- Pre-game autograph session with Cougars players
- National Anthem - May Watts School (Naperville)
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame - led by LaGrange District 105
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Monday 5/4 Quad Cities River Bandits (Houston Astros farm team) 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- National Anthem - JB Nelson School (Batavia)
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Tuesday 5/5 Quad Cities River Bandits 12 p.m. (gates open at 11 a.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (11:45 a.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- High School Sports Business Seminars (Naperville Central HS, Downers Grove South HS, Hampshire HS)
- Seniors Eat Free Day (free hot dog and small soda voucher for seniors)
- Ceremonial first pitch by Walter Guzy, World War II veteran
- National Anthem - Sean Thompson
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Wednesday 5/6 Quad Cities River Bandits 11 a.m. (gates open at 10 a.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (10:45 a.m.)
- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club Parade
- High School Sports Business Seminars (Willowbrook HS, Minooka HS, Hersey HS)
- Seniors Eat Free Day (free hot dog and small soda voucher for seniors)
- National Anthem - Glen Crest Middle School (Glen Ellyn)
- Color Guard - Steinmetz High School JROTC (Chicago)
- Fans can run the bases after the game
Homestand Notes
Here comes the fun: Fans will be treated to some great entertainment throughout the homestand, particularly this weekend. Friday and Saturday are the Cougars' annual "Halfway to Halloween" theme nights. Fans are encouraged to dress in costume and take part in a pre-game parade on the field beginning at approximately 5:50 p.m. on both nights. Trick-or-treating stations will be located throughout the ballpark and following both games, fans will be treated to Halloween-themed fireworks shows. Cougars players will also be wearing specialty Halloween jerseys on both nights. Saturday's game includes a post-game performance by the Jesse White Tumblers, who will perform following every Saturday home game this season. Live organ music by famed ballpark organist Nancy Faust fills the air on Sunday. Faust will play at every Sunday game beginning this weekend. Sunday's 1 p.m. game is also the first Sunday Funday of the season, presented by Dave and Buster's. Fans will be treated to free family-friendly entertainment inside the ballpark. Sunday Fundays are also autograph days as Cougars players will sign autographs before the game on the field.
A true hero: The Cougars are honored to welcome Walter Guzy to Fifth Third Bank Ballpark on Tuesday. Guzy is a veteran of World War II and served under General Patton as a machine gunner. Guzy is celebrating his 99th birthday at the ballpark that afternoon and is scheduled to throw a ceremonial first pitch before the game at 11:45 a.m.
New this homestand: Pitch In For Charity kicks off beginning on Friday. Select games this season will feature the charity tennis ball toss as fans can purchase numbered tennis balls during the game and share in a cash pot if their ball lands on an on-field target. The Cougars, as part of their community outreach partnership with Acres Group, will donate the charitable proceeds from Pitch In For Charity this season to the Gateway Foundation Alcohol & Drug Treatment Centers of Aurora. Young fans will be treated to the formal opening of the new KidZone area. Sponsored by Rainbow Play Systems, the expanded KidZone area includes many new inflatable attractions, a newly-constructed swingset and a Snack Shack with a variety of food and drink items. Single-turn tickets are $1, all-day wristbands for unlimited use are $10 and on Sunday Fundays, wristbands are only $5. The general admission lawn seating area, including "The Patio", a new area of the first base lawn, opens for the first time on Friday.
Team/Alumni Notes
Kane County is currently 8-11 after dropping the first game of a three-game series in Burlington Tuesday evening. The team has won 6 of their last 10 games. The Cougars host Beloit on Friday, the first non-Iowa club the team has faced this season - a span of 21 games. Reliever Mason McCullough is tied for 2nd in the Midwest League with 3 saves while catcher Stryker Trahan is tied for 2nd with 3 home runs and infielder Fernery Ozuna is tied for 1st in the league with 9 extra-base hits.
Detroit infielder Miguel Cabrera ('01 Cougar) is batting .355 with 13 RBI through 21 games. Seattle outfielder Nelson Cruz ('03) has already clubbed nine home runs this season, which is tied for 1st in Major League Baseball while Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Adrian Gonzalez ('01) is tied for 3rd in the big leagues with 7 home runs. Dodgers teammate Andre Ethier ('03) is batting .310. Pittsburgh pitcher A.J. Burnett ('98) has a 1.80 ERA through 4 starts. San Francisco pitcher Santiago Casilla ('03-'04) has 6 saves while Los Angeles Angels pitcher Huston Street ('04) has saved 7 games.
Infielder Anthony Aliotti ('10) is batting .314 at Triple-A Nashville (Oakland) while outfielder Brett Eibner ('11) is batting .302 at Triple-A Omaha (Kansas City). Pitcher Tim Melville ('12) has a 3.80 ERA in 4 starts at Triple-A Toledo (Detroit). At Double-A Tennessee (Cubs), outfielder Albert Almora ('13) is batting .297, catcher Kyle Schwarber ('14) is batting .388 and infielder Dan Vogelbach ('13) was named Southern League Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks. He's batting .387 with 13 RBI. Outfielder Jake Hannemann ('14) was promoted earlier this week to Tennessee and went 3-for-4 in his Double-A debut, including a home run in his first at-bat. Tennessee's roster also includes Fernando Cruz ('11), a former Cougars position player and Royals farmhand who has made the conversion to pitcher. Pitcher Duane Underwood ('14) has a 1.13 ERA in 4 starts at Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach (Cubs) while teammate Jen-Ho Tseng ('14) has a 3.14 ERA in 3 starts. Myrtle Beach manager Mark Johnson ('13-'14), who led the Cougars to a Midwest League Championship last season, is currently 9-8 to open the season. (statistics through 4/28)
Where's Ozzie? Ozzie is scheduled to make appearances at the following locations:
Saturday, May 2 from 8-9 a.m. - March of Dimes event (St. Charles)
Monday, May 4 from 11 a.m.-Noon - St. Michael School (Wheaton)
Images from this story
 Kane County Cougars Halloween Jerseys |
 Kane County Cougars Celebrate Halfway to Halloween |
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