Kjerstad, Povich Win Player and Pitcher of the Month
Published on May 3, 2024 under International League (IL)
Norfolk Tides News Release
Minor League Baseball today announced that Heston Kjerstad won International League Player of the Month, while Cade Povich won Pitcher of the Month. Kjerstad hit .324 (24-for-74) with 21 runs, three doubles, 10 home runs, 26 RBI, 12 walks and a stolen base while slashing .420/.770/1.190. Povich posted a 2-1 record with a 1.03 ERA (3 ER, 26.1 IP), a 0.76 WHIP and a .116 batting average against while striking out 40 batters. It's the first time a team has swept the International League monthly awards since Toledo's OF Aderlin Rodríguez and RHP Mark Leiter Jr. won in July of 2021.
HESTON KJERSTAD, 25, had a historic month for the Tides. He finished the month leading the International League in home runs (10), RBI (26) and slugging percentage (.770) while ranking second in OPS (1.190) and tied third in runs (21). During a 26-11 win on April 3 at Charlotte, Kjerstad recorded a franchise record 10 RBI while going 5-for-7 with two doubles and two home runs, his second of which was a grand slam. He became the first hitter in Orioles affiliate franchise history to have four straight games with at least three RBI. Kjerstad also hit at least one home run in four straight games from April 2 - 5, becoming the first Tide to do so since Mark Johnson from April 8 - 11, 2000.
Kjerstad's dominant April performance ranked among the best franchise calendar month totals in Orioles affiliate history. His home runs were tied first with Rylan Bannon, while he finished in the top 10 in slugging (4th), RBI (T-6th) and OPS (7th). His historic month earned him a call-up to Baltimore on April 23, and he finished atop the International League rankings in nearly all hitting categories despite playing 18 games in April.
CADE POVICH, 24, also capped off a record-breaking month. Through five starts in April, Povich posted a 2-1 record with a 1.03 ERA (3 ER, 26.1 IP) while striking out 40 batters and walking just 10. He held opposing hitters to a .116 average while finishing with a 0.76 WHIP. Povich led the International League in strikeouts and batting average against while posting the second-best ERA and WHIP in April.
He became the first Tides pitcher in Orioles affiliate franchise history to punch out 40 batters through April and became the first Norfolk arm since DL Hall (July 1 - 17, 2022) to fan at least seven batters in four straight outings after he did so in four of his five starts in April. He also ranked among the best franchise calendar month totals since 2007 in strikeouts (T-3rd), opponent's average (1st min. 20.0 IP) and strikeouts per nine (3rd min. 20.0 IP, 13.79).
Ticket Information
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