FL Joliet Slammers

May 19 Joliet Slammers Game Notes

May 19, 2012 - Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


JOLIET SLAMMERS (1-1) @ GATEWAY GRIZZLIES (0-1)

Saturday, May 19- 7:05 p.m. CT

GCS Ballpark - Sauget, IL

Game #3 - Road Game #3 (1-1), (1-1)

RHP #4 Steven Maxwell (0-0) vs. RHP #24 Tim Brown (0-0)

Last time out...

Zach Mandelblatt hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and the Joliet Slammers (1-1) knocked off the Gateway Grizzlies (0-1) by a final score of 7-1 Friday night. With one out in the first, Abel Nieves singled sharply up the middle. Hector Pellot followed with a seeing-eye single through the left side and Erik Lis drew a walk. That brought Mandelblatt to the plate and the left-handed hitting slugger unloaded on a pitch for a grand slam home run. Joliet tacked on two more in the second as Brad Netzel doubled home Ben Hewett and Netzel scored later in the inning from third on a wild pitch. Tommy Mendoza got the win for Joliet as he went five innings, only allowing one run. Mandelblatt hit his second home run of the game in the fifth, a solo shot. Chase Doremus, Geoff Brown, Daniel Carela and Amalio Diaz combined to shut down Gateway the remainder of the game.

For Starters...

RHP Steven Maxwell is making his professional debut today. He put up outstanding numbers at Division One powerhouse Texas Christian University and got drafted twice, once by the Minnesota Twins, and once by the Chicago Cubs. Maxwell's junior season at TCU saw him tally an 11-2 record with a 2.70 ERA. Maxwell tossed 103.1 innings that season and struck out 93 batters while only walking 34 in 18 starts. He was a 2010 2nd-team Louisville Slugger all-American, the 2010 Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year, a 2010 1st-team All-Mountain West Conference selection, a 2010 ABCA 2nd-team All-Midwest Region selection and he made the 2010 NCAA Fort Worth Regional All-Tournament Team. His pitching helped lead TCU to the College World Series. Maxwell was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 12th round of the 2010 draft but elected to return to TCU for his senior season. Injuries shortened Maxwell's senior campaign but the right-hander still went 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 11 starts. He was named to the All-Mountain West 2nd Team at the end of the season. Maxwell finished his collegiate career with a 21-5 record and a 3.43 ERA. He was chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the 37th round of the 2011 draft.

Mandel-BOMB, Mandel BOMB!

Zach Mandelblatt's two home runs Friday night matched the Slammers' record for most home runs in one game. His grand slam in the first inning was the first grand slam in franchise history. The last time a Slammers player hit two home runs in one game was September 2, 2011 when Josh Flores and David Fox both did it against Rockford.

Still perfect against Gateway...

Yesterday's win moved Joliet's record against Gateway to 7-0. The Slammers went 6-0 against the Grizzlies in 2011. They were the only team Joliet went undefeated against last year.

Locked down...

The Slammers' bullpen has tossed 6 and a third innings through two games and has yet to allow a run.

Debuts...

Friday night saw the professional debuts of RHP Chase Doremus, LHP Geoff Brown and OF Jimmy Waters. Doremus struck out the side to leave the bases loaded in his inning of work. Brown tossed a perfect seventh. Meanwhile Waters went 0-2. He and Trevor Willis are looking for their first pro hits.

Triple-A talent...

The Slammers boast five players who have played at Triple-A level during their careers, one step below the major leagues. DH Erik Lis played for the Rochester Red Wings of the International League in 2010. Utility man Abel Nieves played for the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League in 2006, 2009 and 2010. RHP Gaby Hernandez has played for the Albuquerque Isotopes, Tacoma Rainiers, Omaha Royals, Charlotte Knights and Reno Aces during his four years at the Triple-A level. RHP Amalio Diaz pitched for the Salt Lake Bees of the PCL in 2010 and 2011. Meanwhile RHP Tommy Mendoza also pitched for Salt Lake in 2009 and 2010.

Check out the Joliet Slammers Statistics



Frontier League Stories from May 19, 2012


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