March 29 Game Notes: Columbus Clippers vs. Iowa Cubs
Published on March 29, 2026 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (1-1) vs. Columbus Clippers (1-1)
Sunday, March 29 - 1:08 PM CT - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA
RHP Jaxon Wiggins (0-0, -.--) vs. RHP Matt Jachec (0-0, -.--)
TODAY'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Columbus Clippers are slated to play the third and final game of the season opening series today...Iowa dropped a 4-3 decision to the Clippers yesterday... the I-Cubs were leading 3-1 the majority of the game until giving up a run in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning... Will Sanders made the start and worked 3.2 innings and allowed one run on five hits and struck out six... Kevin AlcaÃÂntara went 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBI, marked his first homer since Aug. 29, 2025 at Las Vegas.
ROSTER RUNDOWN: In conjunction with the Chicago Cubs, the Iowa Cubs on Friday 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 have struck out 28 through two games this season, which is the third-most in Triple-A...Iowa struck out 17 batters Friday 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.
THE JAGUAR: Cubs No. 4 prospect Kevin AlcaÃÂntara hit his first home run of the season yesterday and his first since Aug. 29, 2025 at Las Vegas...last season, The Jaguar tallied 43 extra-base hits with 69 RBI in 102 games with Iowa...he played in 10 games with the Cubs and batted .364 (4-for-11).
PROSPECTING: Today's 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).
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Pedro RamiÃÂrez and Brett Bateman made their Triple-A debuts on Opening Night vs. Columbus...Bateman singled in the sixth frame and drove in James Triantos to give him first Triple-A hit and RBI...RamiÃÂrez doubled last night for his first Triple-A hit.
International League Stories from March 29, 2026
- RailRiders Split Sunday Doubleheader at Buffalo - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Charlotte Walks off Bulls - Durham Bulls
- With First Win of 2026, Bisons Earn Twinbill Split with RailRiders - Buffalo Bisons
- Iowa Drops Series Finale to Columbus - Iowa Cubs
- Toledo Comes up Short in Game 3 of Season Opening Series - Toledo Mud Hens
- Nolan Jones Powers Clippers to Comeback Win - Columbus Clippers
- Jacksonville Hangs on to Win Series Finale against Rochester - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Red Wings Fall Just Short in Sunday Afternoon Series Finale - Rochester Red Wings
- Indians Swept in Three-Game Weekend Set with Saints - Indianapolis Indians
- Stripers Swept in Late 6-5 Defeat to Memphis - Gwinnett Stripers
- Sounds Secure First Win of Season 6-2 over Norfolk - Nashville Sounds
- What a Weekend - Knights Sweep Bulls to Start 3-0 - Charlotte Knights
- Saints Begin Season 3-0 for First Time in Triple-A Franchise History with Sweep of Indianapolis, Win 4-1 - St. Paul Saints
- Cade Fergus Walks-Off Mud Hens as 'Pigs Rally for Season-Opening Sweep - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Bats Finish Series Sweep of Storm Chasers - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Bisons "Kids Week" (April 7-12) Includes $10 Kids Tickets, First Pitch Giveaways & Kids Run the Bases EVERY Game - Buffalo Bisons
- Memphis Sweeps Gwinnett Behind Productive Prieto - Memphis Redbirds
- Bats Dominate Omaha in a 10-4 Win - Louisville Bats
- Norfolk Drops Opening Series Finale - Norfolk Tides
- March 29 Game Notes: Columbus Clippers vs. Iowa Cubs - Iowa Cubs
- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - March 29 at Jacksonville - Rochester Red Wings
- WooSox Beat Syracuse, 5-3 to Even Their Record at 1-1 - Worcester Red Sox
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