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March 31 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Columbus Clippers

March 31, 2023 - International League (IL)
Iowa Cubs News Release


IOWA CUBS (0-0) vs. COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (0-0)

Friday - 7:08 PM - Principal Park - Des Moines, IA

RHP Adrian Sampson (0-0, -.--) vs. LHP Konnor Pilkington (0-0, -.--)

TONIGHT'S GAME: The I-Cubs kick off the Minor League Baseball season for the entire Cubs' organization following Chicago's Opening Day yesterday afternoon. Tonight's matchup is the first of 18 scheduled with the Columbus Clippers this season. Righty Adrian Sampson gets the starting nod on Opening Night for Iowa. After signing with the Cubs last May, Sampson started the year with Iowa tossing 28.1 innings. He spent most of the season with Chicago, making 19 starts in 21 appearances with a 4-5 record. Opposite of Sampson will be Konnor Pilkington, set to face off against Iowa for the third time in his career and second at Principal Park. In his two outings last year, the southpaw combined to throw 8.2 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on 10 hits and four walks while striking out 13.

FAMILIAR FACES: Five players from the Iowa Cubs' 2022 Opening Day roster are back in Des Moines on the 2023 Opening Day roster. Starting pitchers Caleb Kilian and Adrian Sampson, righty reliever Manuel Rodriguez, outfielder Brennen Davis and infielder Jared Young round out the group making their return. Kilian made his Triple-A debut with Iowa on April 9 last year and ended the season leading the I-Cubs in innings pitched (106.2), strikeouts (125) and games started (26). Sampson had a roller coaster season, starting with Iowa, going to Chicago, Seattle, Tacoma and back to Iowa all by May 31. In all, he pitched in eight games for Iowa and 21 games with Chicago, where he went on June 16 and remained. Rodriguez pitched in just five games with Iowa, starting the season here before landing on the 15-day IL on April 12 and transferred to the 60-day IL on June 1. He rehabbed with Iowa on August 17 before being activated by Chicago on the 26 where he stayed for the rest of the season. Davis also had an injury-filled season last year, entering the season as Chicago's No. 1 ranked prospect. He played in just 22 games before going on the IL and having a back surgery that put him on the shelf until August 30. All told, Davis hit .191 in 43 games with Iowa in 2022. Young led the end of year active roster in games played (109), while also making his major league debut with Chicago on September 16. The utility player hit a two-run walk-off blast to end the 2022 campaign in style for the I-Cubs.

SPOILED OPENERS: Opening Day is the celebration of countless days of baseball ahead. For the I-Cubs, there's not always been a celebration at the end of the night, with a 23-32 overall Opening Day record since 1969.

TO RECAP: Iowa finished ninth in the International League West division last year, ending the 2022 campaign with a record of 68-81. They finished the season 13 games below the .500 mark and 23.0 games out of the top-spot in the division. The I-Cubs totaled 216 transactions and used 85 different players to get through the 2022 season. 20 of those players made their Triple-A debut with Iowa, while 16 players came through Iowa to make their Major League debut and 43 players played for both Iowa and Chicago.

GOING FOR TWO: Marty Pevey returns as Iowa's manager for the 11th consecutive season in 2023, extending his records of longest tenured and winningest manager in Iowa history. His 68 wins in 2022 puts him at 598 total wins as Iowa's manager, just two shy of the 600-mark. As the 2023 season opens at Principal Park, the skipper continues his hunt for a career milestone. He holds a career managerial record of 1,242-1,286 through his 19 seasons in the minors.

IN THE BIGGEST MOMENTS: Jared Young closed out Iowa's 2022 season on an unforgettable note: a two-run, walk-off home run. Months later, Young didn't skip a beat. A member of Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Young started as the DH in a matchup against team USA on March 13. In his first at bat, he launched a 393-foot homerun off long-time MLB veteran Lance Lynn. Two of Young's biggest career homeruns have come in his last 50 at-bats. Whether he's in Iowa or playing in the biggest global baseball showcase, you can count on Young to deliver.

AGAINST COLUMBUS: The I-Cubs and Clippers faced off 18 times in 2022, with Iowa going 7-11 overall. It was a losing record at home for Iowa as well at 4-8. This is just the third year the two teams will face off, with the first being 2021. Columbus has the advantage in the all-time record with 19 wins, while Iowa has 11. This weekend's three-game series is the first of four times the two teams will play this year. Iowa and Columbus will matchup for two six-game series and another three-game.

SHORT HOPS: Since 1998, Iowa is 10-15 in their first home game of a season and have not won a season opener at home since April 5, 2012, when they beat Round Rock 5-3. The I-Cubs won at home on Opening Day in 2018, but it was their second game of a double header. Iowa's largest ever home attendance on Opening Day was 12,669 in 2015 vs. OKC.

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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.

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