March 28 Game Notes: Columbus Clippers vs. Iowa Cubs
Published on March 28, 2026 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (1-0) vs. Columbus Clippers (1-0)
Saturday, March 28 - 3:08 PM CT - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA
RHP Will Sanders (0-0, -.--) vs. RHP Rorik Maltrud (0-0, -.--)
TODAY'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Columbus Clippers are slated to play their second game of the season today... the I-Cubs picked up their first win of the season last night on Opening Night by a 5-2 score...the pitching staff struck out 17 and a four-run sixth inning led Iowa to victory... Jonathon Long went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and Justin Dean drove in two with a triple... Charlie Barnes picked up the win in relief as he struck out seven across 3.0 scoreless innings... Javier Assad tossed 3.0 scoreless frames with five strikeouts.
ROSTER RUNDOWN: In conjunction with the Chicago Cubs, the Iowa Cubs yesterday announced their Opening Day roster...the roster features 16 players with Major League service time and 16 players who have past suited up for Iowa...additionally, the roster features seven players on the Cubs' Top 30 Prospects List according to MLB.com, including RHP Jaxon Wiggins (No. 2), OF Kevin AlcaÃÂntara (No. 4), INF Jonathon Long (No. 7), INF Pedro RamiÃÂrez (No. 9), INF James Triantos (No. 10), OF Brett Bateman (No. 21) and LHP Riley Martin (No. 28).
LONG BALL: Jonathan Long, the No. 7 overall prospect in the Chicago Cubs minor league system (MLB.com), was named the 2025 Buck O'Neill Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Year...former I-Cub Moises Ballesteros received the award in 2023 and 2024...Long batted .305 (157-for-514) with 23 doubles, 20 home runs and 91 RBI...he ranked among International League leaders in hits (1st), total bases (2nd, 246), runs scored (2nd, 86), walks (3rd, 79), RBI (3rd, 91) and on-base percentage (5th, .404)...Long reached base in 35 straight games from July 9-Aug. 24 setting an I-Cubs record since data was made available in 2005...his 157 hits were the most by an I-Cub since Felix Pie (158) in 2006.
PLAY BALL!: The I-Cubs improved to 35-38 on Opening Night and 26-33 on Triple-A Opening Night...Iowa is 5-0 in home openers since becoming members of the newly restructured International League in 2022.
PUNCHIES: The I-Cubs struck out 17 batters last night which was tied for the most by any team in the International League with Worcester...marked just the third time Iowa has tallied at least 17 strikeouts since the start of 2025, along with May 16 vs. St. Paul (17) and Sept. 4 vs. Omaha (17).
AT THE HELM: Iowa Cubs Manager Marty Pevey returns as Iowa's manager for the 14th consecutive season in 2026, extending his records of longest tenured and winningest manager in Iowa history...his 82 wins in 2023 were the second most by any team Pevey has managed, trailing the 2000 Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays, who went 84-54 (.609)...Pevey has 823 career wins with Iowa, and holds a career managerial record of 1,467-1,511...he has the fifth-most career wins among MiLB skippers.
PROSPECTING: Right-handed starter Jaxon Wiggins, the No. 58 ranked prospect in all of baseball (MLB.com) made 19 appearances last season (18 starts) and went 3-4 with a 2.19 ERA (19 ER in 78.0 IP) and 97 strikeouts...among pitchers who tossed at least 70.0 innings, Wiggins' 31% strikeout rate led all Cubs' minor leaguers and ranked 30th in all of minor league baseball...the 24-year-old made three starts with the I-Cubs last season and went 0-2 with a 4.66 ERA (5 ER in 9.2 IP).
TRILL WILL: Today's starter Will Sanders is slated to make his first start of the 2026 campaign...Will made nine starts with Double-A Knoxville and went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA (13 ER in 44.1 IP)...Sanders was promoted to Iowa in late May and posted a 7-4 record with a 6.38 ERA (56 ER in 79.0 IP) and 79 strikeouts in appearances (14 starts).
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Pedro RamiÃÂrez and Brett Bateman made their Triple-A debuts last vs. Columbus...Bateman singled in the sixth frame and drove in James Triantos to give him first Triple-A hit and RBI. IOWA CUBS (1-0) vs. Columbus Clippers (1-0)
International League Stories from March 28, 2026
- Sounds Lose in Walk-off Fashion to Norfolk - Nashville Sounds
- Four-Run Rochester Fifth Sinks Jumbo Shrimp - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Red Wings Top Jumbo Shrimp, Start 2-0 for First Time Since 2017 - Rochester Red Wings
- Clippers Gets 12 Hits and Notch First Win - Columbus Clippers
- Thrilling Ending Goes the Knights' Way Thanks to Bergolla Jr - Charlotte Knights
- Stripers Fight, Fall Short in 3-2 Loss to Memphis - Gwinnett Stripers
- Bergolla's Extra-Inning Heroics Pin Down Bulls in 11th - Durham Bulls
- Redbirds Clinch Series Win, Hang on Late at Stripers - Memphis Redbirds
- MudHens Drop Game Two against the IronPigs, 1-0 - Toledo Mud Hens
- Indians Drop Back-And-Forth Battle to St. Paul - Indianapolis Indians
- Iowa Falls to Columbus - Iowa Cubs
- Flipping the Script, Saints Equal Win Total over Last Two Years in Indianapolis with 9-7 Win - St. Paul Saints
- Zack Wheeler Stellar in First Rehab Outing as 'Pigs Blank Mud Hens - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Bats Walk off Storm Chasers in Extras - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Bats Walk off with Wild 6-5 Win - Louisville Bats
- WooSox Open Season with a 3-1 Loss to Syracuse at Polar Park - Worcester Red Sox
- March 28 Game Notes: Columbus Clippers vs. Iowa Cubs - Iowa Cubs
- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - March 28 at Jacksonville - Rochester Red Wings
- Hens Battle It out on Opening Day against the Lehigh IronPigs - Toledo Mud Hens
- Top Prospect Brito Gets Three Hits in Opener - Columbus Clippers
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Buffalo Postponed Saturday - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Bisons/RailRiders Game Postponed Saturday - Buffalo Bisons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
