MWL1 Kane County Cougars

Kane County Cougars Homestand Preview: May 15-18

May 13, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release


GENEVA, Ill. - The Kane County Cougars, Class-A farm team of the Chicago Cubs, open a homestand on Thursday and will welcome the Quad Cities River Bandits, a Houston Astros affiliate, for a four-game series. Homestand highlights include the first Thirsty Thursday of the season as well as a pair of Halfway to Halloween theme nights scheduled for Friday and Saturday, both of which include post-game fireworks shows. Tickets are available for each game on the upcoming homestand by calling (630) 232-8811 or visiting kccougars.com.

Thursday 5/15 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.)

- Thirsty Thursday presented by Miller Lite ($1 select beers, sodas and hot dogs)

- Recognition of Cubs Minor League Player of the Month of April, Will Remillard

- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club parade

- National Anthem - JB Nelson School (Batavia)

- Fans can run the bases after the game

Friday 5/16 Quad Cities River Bandits 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)

- Halfway to Halloween Theme Night

- Pre-game costume parade

- Trick-or-treating stations inside the ballpark

- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club parade

- National Anthem - D303 Bands (St. Charles)

- Post-game fireworks show (Halloween theme)

- Fans can run the bases after the game

Saturday 5/17 Quad Cities River Bandits 6:30 p.m. (gates open at 5 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (6:15 p.m.)

- Halfway to Halloween Theme Night

- Pre-game costume parade

- Trick-or-treating stations inside the ballpark

- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club parade

- National anthem - Edison Middle School Band (Wheaton)

- Post-game performance by the Jesse White Tumblers

- Post-game fireworks show (Halloween theme)

- Fans can run the bases after the game

Sunday 5/18 Quad Cities River Bandits 1 p.m. (gates open at 12 p.m.) WBIG 1280 AM (12:45 p.m.)

- Pre-game Ozzie's Reading Club parade

- Pre-game performance by Discover Dance (Villa Park)

- Pre-game autograph session with Cougars players

- Sunday Funday - free kid-friendly entertainment inside the ballpark presented by Dave & Buster's

- National Anthem - Monroe Middle School (Wheaton)

- Live organ music by Nancy Faust

- Fans can run the bases after the game

Homestand Notes

Halfway to Halloween: Fans attending Friday and Saturday's games will enjoy the Cougars' Halfway to Halloween celebration. Fans are encouraged to dress in costume and participate in a parade on the field. Several trick-or-treat stations will be set up inside the ballpark and between-innings contests will reflect the theme as well. Cougars players will wear commemorative Halloween jerseys and caps for both games. The Cougars will have a very limited supply of Halloween caps available for sale inside the souvenir shop on both dates. Both evenings culminate with a post-game Halloween-themed fireworks show.

Thirsty Thursday: Thursday's game is the first Thirsty Thursday of the season, presented by Miller Lite. Fans attending Thirsty Thursday games can enjoy $1 select beers, sodas and even hot dogs. This is the first of eight Thirsty Thursdays at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark this season.

Homestand fun: The Jesse White Tumblers will perform following Saturday's game. Sunday's game is a Sunday Funday, presented by Dave and Buster's, with free kid-friendly entertainment inside the ballpark. Attendees can take part in a pre-game autograph session with Cougars players and renowned organist Nancy Faust will play during the game.

Team Notes The Cougars' 26-11 record leads the 16-team Midwest League and is the fourth-best record across all of Minor League Baseball, trailing Triple-A Las Vegas and Class-A Hagerstown and Dunedin. The Cougars lead the Western Division by 5.5 games over Peoria and are hoping to clinch a postseason berth; the season's first half concludes on June 15. Infielder Danny Lockhart is tied for 2nd in the league with 26 runs scored. Catcher Will Remillard, who was recently named Cubs Minor League Player of the Month for April, is batting .366 and is tied with outfielder Yasiel Balaguert for the team lead in RBI with 23. A total of 10 different Cougars players have 10 or more RBI. Pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng is 3-0 and has only allowed five walks in 32 innings of work. The Cougars' team ERA of 3.15 is 3rd-best in the league. Outfielder Shawon Dunston, Jr. has seen his batting average climb nearly 100 points in the past several weeks.

Elsewhere in the Cubs' system, pitcher Jeff Antigua ('13 Cougar) is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA at Triple-A Iowa. At Double-A Tennessee, pitcher Pierce Johnson ('13) has made 4 starts while reliever Armando Rivero ('13) has made 13 relief appearances, posting a 1.45 ERA. At Class-A Advanced Daytona, infielder Gioskar Amaya ('13) is batting .307 in 22 games. Outfielder Bijan Rademacher ('13) is batting .356 in 29 games. Pitcher Felix Pena ('13) is 1-4 with a 1.38 ERA in 7 starts. Pitcher Zack Godley, who was the first Cougars player to receive a promotion this season, made his Daytona debut on May 9, pitching 2 scoreless relief innings.

Detroit Tigers infielder Miguel Cabrera ('01) is batting .290 with 5 home runs and 30 RBI. Baltimore outfielder Nelson Cruz ('03) is batting .270 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI. Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Adrian Gonzalez ('01) has 9 home runs and 27 RBI. New York Mets catcher Anthony Recker ('06) is batting .238 in 16 games. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett ('00) has a 2.80 ERA in 6 starts. Philadelphia pitcher A.J. Burnett ('98) has a 2.90 ERA in 8 starts. San Francisco pitcher Santiago Casilla ('03-'04) has a 0.81 ERA in 18 relief appearances. Detroit pitcher Ian Krol ('10) has a 2.25 ERA in 16 relief appearances. Pittsburgh pitcher Vin Mazzaro ('06) opened the season at Triple-A Indianapolis but has since made 2 relief appearances with the Pirates. Miami pitcher Henry Rodriguez ('07) was recently called up to the Marlins and has appeared in 2 games. San Diego pitcher Tyson Ross ('08) has a 3.02 ERA through 8 starts while Padres teammate Huston Street ('04) has 11 saves and a 0.56 ERA. Kansas City pitcher Yordano Ventura ('11) is 2-2 with a 2.34 ERA in 7 starts. Baltimore pitcher Ryan Webb ('05) has made 16 relief appearances for the Orioles.

Outfielder Travis Buck ('05) is batting .333 at Triple-A El Paso (San Diego). Infielder Anthony Aliotti ('10) is batting .339 at Double-A Midland (Oakland). Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio ('12) is batting .270 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Kansas City). Teammate Orlando Calixte ('11-'12) made his first appearance of the season last week and had a two-homer game on May 11. Pitcher Andrew Triggs ('12) is 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA at Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Kansas City). Outfielder Brian Fletcher ('11) is batting .309 at Triple-A Omaha (Kansas City) while teammate Sugar Ray Marimon ('11) is 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA. Pitcher Travis Banwart ('07-'08) is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA at Triple-A Columbus (Cleveland). Pitcher Nate Robertson ('00) has a 3.43 ERA in 14 relief appearances at Triple-A Toledo (Detroit). Pitcher Kyle Smith ('12) was recently promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi (Houston). (Statistics through 5/12)

Where's Ozzie? Ozzie T. Cougar is scheduled to make upcoming appearances in the community at the following locations:

Sunday, May 18 from 2-3 p.m. - Elmhurst Historical Museum

Saturday, May 31 from 1-2 p.m. - Learning Express (Geneva)

Check out the Kane County Cougars Statistics



Midwest League Stories from May 13, 2014


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