Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Information: April 7, 2023
April 7, 2023 - Eastern League (EL)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release
The Richmond Flying Squirrels open their 13th season and face the Reading Fightin Phils, Double-A affiliate of
the Philadelphia Phillies. This series marks Reading's only trip to The Diamond in 2023. The Flying Squirrels will visit FirstEnergy
Stadium for six games from June 28-July 3.
OPENING WITH THE FIGHTIN PHILS:
Tonight's opener marks the first time the Flying Squirrels have opened the season against
Reading. Overall, the Flying Squirrels are 3-6 when beginning the season against an opponent from the Northeast Division
(formerly the Eastern Division). Richmond is 2-2 when opening against an affiliate of a National League club, with the only previ-
ous meetings coming against Hartford (Colorado Rockies) in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. Richmond has hosted Reading for two
previous home openers after beginning the season on the road, a 3-0 win in 2010 and a 3-1 win in 2018.
HOME SWEET HOME:
In six previous season-openers held at The Diamond, the Flying Squirrels have gone 4-2 compared to 1-5
on the road. Last season, the Flying Squirrels picked up their first Opening Day road win in team history with a 7-5 win at Bowie.
Richmond last played at home to open the season in 2021 and fell against Hartford, 6-3.
A BUNCH OF SELLOUTS:
Tonight marks the 13th consecutive home-opening sellout for the Flying Squirrels, a streak that dates
back to the franchise's first season in 2010. The Flying Squirrels are 8-4 in their first 12 home openers, but lost to Altoona, 3-2,
last season. In their 2018 home opener against Reading, the Flying Squirrels set a new franchise record with 8.845 fans and
matched it again in 2019. Last year's home-opening crowd of 9,810 was tied for the third-largest crowd in team history. In sell-
outs at home, the Flying Squirrels are 42-26 all time.
GOING DEEP:
Six players have homered for the Flying Squirrels on Opening Day. Mario Lisson was the first with a two-run homer
in 2014 at New Britain. Ryder Jones and Ricky Oropesa each homered in a loss at Hartford in 2016, the only multi-homer game
for Richmond in a season-opener. Chris Shaw hit a two-run homer at The Diamond in 2017 against the Yard Goats. In 2018,
Dylan Davis homered at Trenton. Last year at Bowie, Brett Auerbach became the first Flying Squirrels player in four years to
hit a home run on Opening Day.
THE FLYING SQUIRRELS
embark on a new season after qualifying for the postseason in 2022 for the first time in eight years, win-
ning the Eastern League Southwest Division first-half title before being eliminated in the Division Series by Erie. Richmond went
66-71 overall, posting a 40-29 mark in the first half and a 26-42 record in the second half. Last year's team also set a franchise
record with 169 homers, passing the previous mark of 127 set in 2021.
THE FIGHTIN PHILS
went 61-77 last season, including a 29-40 record in the first half and a 32-37 mark in the second half. Reading's
roster including five of Baseball America's top-30 Phillies prospects, including Mick Abel (No. 2), Johan Rojas (No. 5), Andrew
Baker (No. 6), Ethan Wilson (No. 9) and Carlos De La Cruz (No. 20). Baseball America also rates Baron Radcliff as the organiza-
tion's best power hitter and Rojas as the best defensive outfielder. MLB.com's top-30 Phillies prospects list includes Abel (No.
2), Rojas (No. 6), De Le Cruz (No. 9), Wilson (No. 14) and Baker (No. 17). Philadelphia's No. 1 prospect, Andrew Painter, begins the
year on Reading's 60-day IL.
FOR RICHMOND:
Right-hander Carson Seymour takes the mound for his Double-A debut. A native of Poway, Calif., Seymour was
selected by the New York Mets in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Kansas State University. After making four appear-
ances in 2021, he began the 2022 season with Low-A St. Lucie, where he went 4-0 with a 1.19 ERA in seven outings (four starts).
He was promoted to High-A Brooklyn on May 23 for 11 outings before being traded to the Giants on August 2 as part of the
deal that sent Darin Ruf to the Mets. Seymour closed the year with High-A Eugene, going 2-3 with a 3.99 ERA in six starts. His
only previous Opening Day start came on February 14, 2020 during his collegiate career at Kansas State, when he pitched their
season-opener at UT-Rio Grande Valley. He also started Kansas State's home opener that year against Fairleigh Dickinson. He
started St. Lucie's home opener last season and threw four scoreless innings against Clearwater. Seymour is rated by Baseball
America as the No. 12 Giants prospect and No. 17 by MLB.com. For more on Seymour, see page two.
FOR READING:
Right-hander Tyler Phillips makes the third Opening Day start of his professional career. He was the Low-A Hickory
Crawdads' Opening Day starter on April 5, 2018 at Greensboro and allowed five runs over 3.2 innings in a loss. He was the
Opening Day starter on April 4, 2019 for the Down East Wood Ducks against the Carolina Mudcats and pitched five scoreless
innings in a no-decision. Phillips was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 16th round in 2015 out of high school. He
was claimed off waivers by the Phillies on July 24, 2021. Phillips missed the 2021 season and tonight marks his first outing since
September 2021.
FAMILIAR FACES:
This year's Opening Day roster includes 14 players who have previously spent time with the Flying Squirrels.
Returners include pitchers Matt Frisbee, Ryan Murphy, Kai-Wei Teng, Evan Gates, Randy Rodriguez, Wil Jensen, Chris Wright
and Blake Rivera, catcher Brandon Martorano and infielders Tyler Fitzgerald, Carter Aldrete, Brett Auerbach, Riley Mahan and
Simon Whiteman.
FRESH FACES:
Thirteen players on the Opening Day roster will be playing for Richmond for the first time. Newcomers to Richmond
include pitchers Nick Zwack, Erik Miller, Carson Seymour, Mason Black, Nick Swiney, Raymond Burgos, Michael Stryffeler,
Juan Sanchez, catchers Andy Thomas and Patrick Bailey, infielder Hayden Cantrelle and outfielders Luis Matos and Ismael
Munguia. Of these players, only Miller and Stryffeler have
previous experience at the Double-A level.
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH:
Of the 27 players on the Opening Day
roster, the average age is 24.3 years old. Luis Matos is the
youngest at 21 years, two months and 10 days old. With
his debut tonight, he will become the ninth-youngest player
in team history. He will also be the franchise's first player
born in the year 2002. The 2022 Flying Squirrels had an
average age of 24.1 years old, fourth-oldest in the Eastern
League. The 2022 Eastern League average age was 23.9
years old.
SQUIRRELS AROUND THE WORLD:
The Flying Squirrels'
Opening Day roster includes players from five different
countries. Two players, Luis Matos and Juan Sanchez
were born in Venezuela. Randy Rodriguez is a native of
the Dominican Republic. Ismael Munguia is set to become
the second player in team history born in Nicaragua. Ray-
mond Burgos was born in Puerto Rico and Kai-Wei Teng is
from Taiwan. Twenty-one players are natives of the United
States, spanning 16 different states, including a team-high
four from California.
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Eighteen players were originally
signed or drafted by the San Francisco Giants. Eleven play-
ers were selected in the MLB Draft, four were signed as in-
ternational free agents and three were signed as non-draft-
ed free agents. Two players were signed as minor league
free agents after starting their careers in other organiza-
tions. Riley Mahan, previously with the Miami Marlins or-
ganization, was signed last May. Raymond Burgos signed
in December after reaching free agency following seven
years as a member of the Cleveland Guardians organiza-
tion. Seven players were acquired via trade. Kai-Wei Teng
came in a deal with the Minnesota Twins in 2019. Hayden
Cantrelle was swapped from the Marlins in 2022. Carson
Seymour and Nick Zwack came to the Giants in a trade
with the New York Mets at the trade deadline last year, the
same day Andy Thomas and Michael Stryffeler were trad-
ed from the Seattle Mariners. Erik Miller was traded from
the Philadelphia Phillies in January.
PROSPECT WATCH:
The Flying Squirrels have eight players
ranked in Baseball America's Top-30 Giants prospects,
Luis Matos (No. 5), Mason Black (No. 9), Carson Seymour
(No. 12), Erik Miller (No. 15), Ryan Murphy (No. 20), Nick
Swiney (No. 24), Patrick Bailey (No. 27) and Randy Rodri-
guez (No. 30). MLB.com's Top-30 Giants prospect list in-
cludes Matos (No. 7), Black (No. 10), Bailey (No. 11), Seymour
(No. 17), Rodriguez (No. 26) and Murphy (No. 27).
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