Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on April 9, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (0-0) vs. FREDERICK KEYS (0-0)
April 9th, 2010 -- 6:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field @ Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Matt Fairel (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Rick Zagone (0-0, 0.00)
THE HILLCATS: Last season the Hillcats won the Carolina League Championship to earn their third Mills Cup crown in team history and the sixth for Lynchburg...The 2010 campaign begins tonight with game one of a four-game series with the Frederick Keys and the first game of a seven-game homestand for the Cats...Last night's game was postponed due to rain and will be made up on Saturday as part of a doubleheader...
VS. FREDERICK: The Hillcats went 14-5 versus the Keys last season were 7-2 at City Stadium...Lynchburg holds the all-time advantage 158-135 and they are 82-66 at Calvin Falwell Field...The Hillcats won five of the six series versus the Keys last season and tied the other...The Cats record against the Keys was their best against any opponent in the Carolina League at home, on the road and overall...Seven of the Hillcats first ten games are against Frederick...
RAINING CATS AND KEYS: Last night's season opener was postponed due to rain and has been resceduled as part of a doubleheader on Saturday...This is the second straight year the first game between these two teams was rained out...Last season they had three games postponed due to the weather (one of which was canceled), two that were delayed due to rain and one that was suspended...Their canceled contest on June 11th was the only scheduled game all season the Hillcats did not play...They also had a rain shortened contest at The Grove on June 3rd when Lynchburg earned a 7-6 victory in five and a half innings of play...
ATTENDANCE TOPPING: The Hillcats attendance of 167,577 last season was the highest single season attendance in the history of Lynchburg baseball...The Cats have drawn more than 148,000 every season since the renovation of City Stadium was completed in 2004...
LIFE AT THE TOP: At the all-star break Lynchburg was tied for the second most wins in all of Minor League Baseball (45-24)...It was the second best half in team history...They finished only behind the 2002 first half Hillcats, who went 47-23 and also won the Carolina League Championship...
NEW KIDS IN TOWN: This season the Hillcats are the minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds for the first time ever...It is the first season since 1994 that the Cats have not been affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates...The Reds are the tenth different Major League team that has been the parent club to Lynchburg...Over the last 34 seasons Lynchburg has only has only been affiliated with three different teams (New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates)...None of the players on the Hillcats roster have ever played in the Carolina League...
BEST OF THE REDLEGS: Seven members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Reds organization prior to the season according to Baseball America...That list includes RHP Brad Boxberger (9), UTIL Neftali Soto (13), SS Miguel Rojas (17), RHP Mark Serrano (24), OF Josh Fellhauer (26), INF Cody Puckett (28) and C Devin Mesoraco (30)...
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: Of the 26 players on the Hillcats roster, 22 have played for the Dayton Dragons (Low-A Affiliate of the Reds) at one point and 16 of those played for Dayton last season...Also, 17 of the current Hillcats played for the Sarasota Reds (Advanced-A affiliate of the Reds prior to this season) a year ago...
THIS AIN'T MY FIRST RODEO: Lynchburg's Opening Night roster features 12 players who have at least three seasons of professional baseball under their belt (drafted or signed in 2007 or earlier)...Only two Hillcats began their professional career last year and only one will make his pro debut with the Cats this season...Last season 17 of the current Hillcats played at the Advanced-A level or higher...
POINTING THE WAY: The Hillcats new coaching staff is led by Manager Pat Kelly, who is managing his 15th team in 21 years of managing experience...Kelly, a former professional catcher who spent time at the Major League level, is also serving as the Minor League Catching Coordinator for the Reds this season...Pitching Coach Rigo Beltran is in his fourth season in the Reds organization this year and Hitting Coach Tony Jaramillo is entering his third season in the Cincinnati system...
CAROLINA LEAGUE CONNECTION: Manager Pat Kelly won the batting title in the Carolina League in 1980 with a .309 clip while playing for the Kinston Eagles...Kelly's son RHP Casey Kelly played in the CL last season with Salem and began the season as the number two ranked prospect in the Red Sox system...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Rick Zagone was selected by Baltimore in the sixth round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Missouri...In his three years with the Tigers he went a combined 15-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 54 games (38 starts)...He made his professional debut in 2008 with Short-Season Low-A Aberdeen and went 7-1 with a 2.89 ERA in 15 games (11 starts) for the IronBirds...He began last season with full-season Low-A Delamarva and had a 4-5 record with a 4.66 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) for the ShoreBirds before his promotion to Frederick...After joining the Keys, Zagone went 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA in 13 starts...He made one start against Lynchburg and took the loss at City Stadium, allowing five runs in five innings on August 2nd...
Carolina League Stories from April 9, 2010
- Dash lose first game in shutout - Winston-Salem Dash
- Hillcats beat Keys 3-1 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- K-Tribe Shuts Out Dash 5-0 - Kinston Indians
- Frederick Goes 1-for-10 With Runners In Scoring Position in Defeat - Frederick Keys
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- K-Tribe Takes On Winston-Salem Tonight At 7pm - Kinston Indians
- Keys Announce 2010 Promotional Schedule - Frederick Keys
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