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SAL Hudson Valley Renegades

Renegades Game Notes - April 7, 2024

April 7, 2024 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release


Hudson Valley Renegades (1-1) at Bowling Green Hot Rods (1-1)

RHP Cam Schlittler (First Start) vs RHP Yoniel Curet (First Start)

| Game 3 | Road Game 3 | Sunday, April 7, 2024 | Bowling Green Ballpark | Bowling Green, Ky. | First Pitch 2:05 p.m. EDT |

THIRTY, FLIRTY & THRIVING: The Hudson Valley Renegades are celebrating their 30th anniversary season throughout 2024. Now in their fourth season as a full-season club and affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Renegades will pay tribute to the greatest players and moments in franchise history throughout the season. Since the team's inaugural 1994 season, 130 Renegades have gone on to play in Major League Baseball, with catcher Kevin Brown being the club's first alumni to reach MLB on Sept. 12, 1996. Hudson Valley has been affiliated with three MLB clubs, the Texas Rangers (1994-96), Tampa Bay Rays (96-19) and Yankees (20-Present). They won the New York-Penn League Nader Cup Championship three times: 1999, 2012, and 2017. Other notable former Renegades include 2008 AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria, 2009 AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson, 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton, and Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt.

OVER A DECADE OF SUCCESS: With a 70-62 (.530) record in 2023, the Hudson Valley Renegades recorded their 11th consecutive season with an above .500 record (since 2012). During that span, the team has won two league championships (2012 and 2017), seven playoff appearances (12, 14, 16-19, 23), and five league championship series appearances (12, 16-18, 23). Among teams in affiliated baseball with at least 500 games played, the Renegades have the second-best winning percentage (.575) in MiLB. Sadly, three of the five-winningest teams since 2012 are no longer affiliated (Savannah, State College, and Trenton).

LEADING OFF: On Saturday night Jared Serna connected for a leadoff home run in the top of the first against Bowling Green's Alex Cook. It was the first leadoff home run by the Renegades in 2024 after the club had four in 2023, three hit by Spencer Jones and one by Ben Cowles.

THAT'S ALL THEY GOT? ONE HIT?: Four Renegades pitchers, Kyle Carr, Trent Sellers, Leonardo Pestana and Joel Valdez combined to one-hit the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Saturday night in a 14-2 victory. The lone Hot Rods hit was a second inning double by Brock Jones.

It was the 15th one-hitter thrown by the Renegades since 2005.

It was the 11th one-hitter thrown by the Renegades since becoming a Yankees affiliate in 2021.

HV threw three one-hitters in 2023, including one on June 20 at Brooklyn to clinch the SAL North Division First Half.

It was the first one-hitter thrown by the Renegades against a South Atlantic League South Division opponent.

STARTING STRONG: After Jesús Rodríguez homered to lead off the top of the second inning on Friday night against Trevor Martin, the Renegades have now had a solo home run be their first hit of the season in three straight years. In 2022, Trey Sweeney hit the first pitch of the season from Greenville's Brian Van Belle for a home run, while Spencer Jones took Greensboro's Anthony Solometo deep in the bottom of the third in 2023.

OPENING NIGHT SWOON: Following Friday night's 6-1 loss at Bowling Green, Hudson Valley has lost four of its last five Opening Night games, with each loss coming on the road. The 'Gades have been defeated by Aberdeen (2019), Jersey Shore (2021), and Greenville (2022), with their lone triumph coming against Greensboro in 2023 at Heritage Financial Park.

KINGS OF THE HILL: Through two games of the 2024 season, Hudson Valley pitchers have recorded 22 strikeouts, tied for fifth-most in the South Atlantic League, while reaching double digits as a staff in each of the team's first two games. In 2023, Hudson Valley set a franchise record by striking out 1,420 batters, the most of any High-A team and fifth-most in MiLB. The staff recorded 10-or-more strikeouts in 61.4% (81-of-132) games in 2023, whiffing a season-high 19 on two occasions.

TOP OF THE HEAP: There are four Top-30 Yankees prospects on the Renegades Opening Day Roster, with two of those players are returning from last year's squad. Jared Serna and Anthony Hall bring their talents back to Hudson Valley in 2024. The 21-year-old Serna made his mark in his second professional season in 2023, slashing .283/.350/.463 (144-for-508) with 19 HR, 79 RBIs, 28 doubles, and 29 stolen bases in 122 games with Tampa and Hudson Valley. In his first full pro season last year, Hall knocked in 47 runs and had 28 extra-base hits in 84 combined games with Single-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley. His .353 on-base percentage was 107 points better than his batting average, recording 52 walks in 325 at-bats.

OUR NEW KENTUCKY HOME: The season-opening series with the Bowling Green Hot Rods is the first-ever series for the Renegades in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. With this trip, the Renegades will have played regular season games in 14 different states and one Canadian province in their 30-year history. Hudson Valley has competed in games in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada.

NEW IN TOWN: The Renegades welcome three 2023 Yankees draft picks to the Opening Day squad: Kyle Carr, Roc Riggio, and Kiko Romero. All three selections were taken in the seventh round or earlier. Carr was the Yankees 3rd round pick in 2023, and is currently ranked as the 10th-best prospect in New York's system according to MLB Pipeline. Riggio, another 21-year-old, was taken in the fourth round out of Oklahoma State. Romero thrived in his hometown of Tucson at the University of Arizona in 2023, and was selected by the Yankees in the seventh round. Romero set the Arizona single-season RBI record, ranking sixth in the nation in RBI.

IN OUR RAYS ERA: Hudson Valley starts the season taking on Bowling Green, the High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, the former parent club of the Renegades. From 1996-2020, the Renegades were the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Rays, winning three NYPL Championships (99, 12, 17) and compiling a 927-876 (.514) overall record. Notable Renegades players from the Rays affiliation include 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton, 2008 AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria and 2011 AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson.

HUDSON VALLEY TO THE SHOW: Already in 2024, the Renegades have seen three former players make their MLB debuts. Mitch Spence (2021) made his MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics, Matt Sauer (2021-23) debuted with the Kansas City Royals, and Oliver Dunn (2021) broke in with the Milwaukee Brewers all over MLB Opening Weekend. The Renegades have now had 130 former players reach the major leagues, including 17 from the Yankees era and 15 from the star-studded 2021 team.

FINISHING STRONG: Over his last 14 games of the 2023 regular season, Jesús Rodríguez went 19-for-53 (.358) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, 9 RBIs, and seven runs scored. Rodríguez has also recorded a hit in 12 of his last 15 games and reached base safely in the last 12 contests of the regular season. He has begun the 2024 season by reaching in his first two games, extending his on-base streak to 14 straight games. The Renegades team record on-base streak was set last season by Ben Cowles, who reached safely in 41 consecutive games from 7/4-9/2.

INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH: The Hudson Valley Renegades and the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association have partnered to present Bhutan Night on August 20 at Heritage Financial Park. The team is currently fundraising to bring over several Bhutanese baseball players for baseball and cultural enrichment tour of the Hudson Valley and New York. More details on the night can be found at www.hvrenegades.com/bhutan.

WELCOME, SKIP: The Renegades welcome their fourth manager in their four years as a Yankees affiliate this season as Nick Ortiz begins his first season as the Renegades' skipper in 2024. Ortiz comes to the 'Gades after spending the last four seasons as the Quality Assurance Coach for the San Francisco Giants on Gabe Kapler's staff. He previously coached in the Yankees minor leagues from 2016-19, including stints as a manager with the GCL Yankees East (2017, 2019) and Pulaski (2018), both Rookie-level teams.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 7, 2024


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