March 31 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Louisville Bats
IL Iowa Cubs

March 31 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs at Louisville Bats

Published on March 31, 2026 under International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (1-2) at LOUISVILLE BATS (3-0)

March 31 - 5:35 PM CT - Louisville Slugger Park - Louisville, KY

LHP Riley Martin (0-0, -.--) vs. LHP Brandon Leibrandt (0-0, -.--)

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Louisville Bats are set the play the first of a six-game series tonight at Louisville Slugger Field...left-hander Riley Martin is set to make his third career start for the I-Cubs and first since July 1, 2025 vs. Omaha...left-hander Brandon Leibrandt is slated to start for the Bats.

SAD SUNDAY: The Iowa Cubs fell in the series finale to the Columbus Clippers on Sunday by a 7-5 score...the I-Cubs held a 4-1 lead heading to the eighth inning but gave up two runs in the eighth and four in the ninth... Pedro Ram í rez and BJ Murray Jr. each homered for Iowa... Jaxon Wiggins tossed 4.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts and just two walks... Gavin Hollowell added 2.0 scoreless frames with three strikeouts.

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 Alcántara (No. 4), INF Jonathon Long (No. 7), INF Pedro Ramírez (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.

PUNCHIES: The I-Cubs have struck out 41 through two games this season, which is the third-most in Triple-A, trailing leaders and tonight's opponent Louisville (46)... 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.

NEWCOMER: Cubs No. 9 prospect Pedro Ramírez hit his first career Triple-A home run in the second inning of Sunday's game off Sean Matson ...Ramírez will celebrate his 22nd birthday tomorrow... Pedro hit 21 doubles, four triples with eight home runs and 73 RBI in 129 games with Double-A Knoxville last season and was named a Southern League Postseason All-Star.

SPEED KILLS: Despite hitting just .182 (2-for-11), Justin Dean a .357 on-base percentage and both of his hits have gone for extra-bases (2B, 3B)...Dean has also stolen a base and is one of five players in the International League to have to have scored a run in all three games this season.

THE JAGUAR: Cubs No. 4 prospect Kevin Alcántara hit his first home run of the season Saturday 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).

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