March 30 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Omaha Storm Chasers
March 30, 2024 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release
IOWA CUBS (0-1) @ OMAHA STORM CHASERS (1-0)
Saturday, March 30 - 2:05 PM CT - Werner Park - Papillion, NE
RHP Chris Clarke (0-0 -.--) vs. LHP Anthony Veneziano (0-0, -.--)
TODAY'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs will play the second of a three-game series tonight on the road at Werner Park...right-handed pitcher Chris Clarke is expected to start for Iowa vs. left-hander Anthony Veneziano for Omaha.
YESTERDAY'S NEWS: The I-Cubs fell 5-4 to the Storm Chasers in walk-off fashion last night at Werner Park...Iowa is now 24-33 on Triple-A Opening Day and have lost eight of their last 11...with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, Omaha's Cam Devanney scored on a passed ball to give the Storm Chasers the win...Alexander Canario led Iowa offensively as he went 2-for-4 and hit the clubs first homer of the season in the 3rd inning...Owen Caissie made his Triple-A debut and tallied three hits, including a double in the 5th...starting pitcher Thomas Pannone tossed 5.0 scoreless innings, which marked his first scoreless outing of at least 5.0 innings since last June 14 vs. Nashville with Gwinnett (also 5.0 innings).
EXTRAS ON OPENING DAY: Last night's extra innings game marked the first time the I-Cubs have gone to extra innings on Opening Day since April 3, 1997, in which they defeated Omaha 6-5 in 11 innings on the road...Iowa has gone to extras on Opening Day five times in franchise history, including 2024, 1997, 1995, 1988 and 1973.
THE BIG O: Cubs No. 3 prospect and No. 46 prospect (MiLB.com) in all of baseball Owen Caissie made some noise in his Triple-A debut...the southpaw tallied three hits, one double with a walk and a run scored...in 2023, Caissie slashed .289/.398/.519 (127-for-439) in 120 games with Double-A Tennessee and added 22 home runs and 84 RBI...he was named a Minor League All-Star and Double-A All-Star by Baseball America along with All-MiLB Prospect First Team and MiLB.com Organization All-Star honors...additionally, he ranked among Cubs farmhands in RBI (3rd), doubles (3rd, 31), home runs (T3rd), and batting average (5th).
STORM CHASIN': The I-Cubs had the Storm Chasers number last year at Werner Park, going 9-2 but dropped the opener last night...the two clubs faced off 21 times in 2023, with Iowa going 13-8 and outscoring Omaha 160-117 (+43) including a 20-1 win here at Werner Park on Aug. 9 in which Iowa outhit Omaha 17-4 and hit seven home runs, four of which came in the first inning...the I-Cubs tallied a seven-game winning streak against the Storm Chasers last year from July 2 (G2)-Aug. 12.
ROSTER RUNDOWN: In conjunction with the Chicago Cubs, the Iowa Cubs announced their Opening Day roster yesterday...the roster features 14 players with major league service time and 18 players who have past suited up for Iowa...additionally, the roster featured seven players on the Cubs' Top 30 Prospects List according to MLB.com, including OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (No. 1), OF Owen Caissie (No. 3), RHP Ben Brown (No. 10), OF Alexander Canario (No. 11), INF Matt Mervis (No. 14), INF BJ Murray Jr. (No. 17) and INF Luis Vázquez (No. 19)...just three players are making their first Triple-A roster, including right-handed pitcher Walker Powell, Murray Jr. and Caissie.
AT THE HELM: Iowa Cubs Manager Marty Pevey returns as Iowa's manager for the 12th consecutive season in 2024, 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 680 career wins with Iowa, just 20 short of the 700-mark and holds a career managerial record of 1,324-1,355...this season marks the skipper's 42nd season in pro ball, 13 as a player and 28 as a coach.
PETE ROCK: Cubs' No. 1 prospect and No, 16 prospect in all of baseball (MLB.com), Pete Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-5 with a triple and an RBI last night...it marked his eighth triple since the beginning of 2023, which is the most among all Cubs minor leaguers during that span...made his first Triple-A Opening Day roster after beginning last season with Double-A Tennessee... he is a two-time Futures Game selection (2022-2023), named the MiLB Defensive Player of the Year (2022), named to the AllMiLB Prospect Second Team (2023) and is a two-time MiLB.com Organizational All-Star (2022-2023)...he batted .283 (124-for-438) with 26 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs, 82 RBI and 37 stolen bases between Tennessee and Iowa...he was one of eight players in the minors to record at least 20 home runs and 35 steals last season.
MARCH ON: The I-Cubs got off to a strong start last season as they posted a 16-8 record through March/April...Iowa won seven of their first 10 games, including each of their first four, outscoring their opponents 81-69 (+12) during that span...in 23 April games, the I-Cubs hit .292 (226-for-773) with 49 doubles, 6 triples and 39 home runs.
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