IL Omaha Storm Chasers

O'Hearn Named Triple-A East Player of the Month for June

Published on July 2, 2021 under International League (IL)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


PAPILLION, Neb. - Ryan O'Hearn was named Triple-A East Player of the Month for June, Minor League Baseball announced Friday.

He is the second Storm Chasers to earn a monthly honor this season, joining right-hander Jackson Kowar, who was named Triple-A East Pitcher of the Month in May.

O'Hearn, who played 17 games with Omaha in June before being recalled to Kansas City on June 21, hit .385 (25-for-65) with a league-leading 12 home runs and 65 totals bases during his June tenure with the Chasers. He also led the league in OPS (1.421) and was second in the league in RBIs (24) in June.

He began the month in dramatic fashion, bashing a two-run, walk-off home run on June 1 against the Iowa Cubs at Werner Park to lift the Chasers to a 5-3 win. His five home runs in a six-game span-including a two-homer game with five RBIs on June 4-helped Omaha win five of six against Iowa and finish the 12-game homestand 11-1.

O'Hearn followed up the first week of June with a sensational second week, earning Triple-A East Player of the Week honors for June 7-16 after smashing five home runs in five games against the St. Paul Saints at CHS Field. All five of his home runs came in a three-game span from June 9-11, including back-to-back two-home games on June 9 and June 10 to become the first Chaser to have back-to-back multi-homer games since Brett Hayes on Aug. 21 and 22, 2013, vs. New Orleans. He also became the second of three Chasers players (Ryan McBroom, Emmanuel Rivera) to homer in three consecutive games.

His first of the five home runs came on Wednesday, June 9, a solo homer to right field against Kenta Maeda, who was making a rehab start for St. Paul. He also homered in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game to lift Omaha to a 5-2 win. The following day, he homered in each of his first two at-bats to help Omaha build a 10-2 lead through two innings in an eventual 16-9 win. He finished that game 4-for-5 with two home runs and career-high-tying six RBIs.

O'Hearn's final blast of the week came on June 11, when he launched a solo home run to left field in his first at-bat, giving him four home runs in a six at-bat span.

He continued his hot hitting in his final week with Omaha before his promotion, hitting safely in five of the six games he played at Werner Park against Louisville from June 16-20. O'Hearn went 4-for-5 with a home run and two double in the series opener and added his final home run of the month on June 17 as part of a three-homer first inning for Omaha in an eventual 6-5 win.

The Storm Chasers continue their series with the St. Paul Saints on Friday at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn., when left-hander Daniel Lynch (4-1, 4.24) faces St. Paul right-hander Josh Winder (Triple-A debut). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with the Sarpy County Tourism Pregame Show at 6:45 p.m. on 1180 The Zone.

After the series in St. Paul, the Omaha Storm Chasers return to Werner Park on Tuesday, July 6, to begin a six-game series against the Toledo Mud Hens that features special FNBO Summer Fireworks Series shows on July 8 and July 10 and an Adalberto Mondesi bobblehead giveaway on July 9. For tickets and more information, please visit omahastormchasers.com, call the Werner Park Ticket Office at (402) 738-5100 and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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International League Stories from July 2, 2021


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