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EL Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Information: April 8, 2023

April 8, 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. After last night's rainout, tonight will be a single-admission doubleheader.

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.

Left-hander Nick Zwack starts Game 2 for his Double-A debut. He was selected in the 17th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Mets out of Xavier and traded to the Giants last August as part of the deal for Darin Ruf. After starting the 2022 season with Low-A St. Lucie, Zwack earned a promotion to High-A Brooklyn, where he went 5-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 14 outings, landing him a South Atlantic League Post-Season All-Star selection. He closed the season with six starts for High-A Eugene following the trade. Zwack, a native of Minneapolis, played his college career at Xavier, where he was a First-Team All-Big East selection in 2021 as a senior. For more on Zwack, see page three.

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.

Right-hander Mick Abel takes the mound in Game 2. He was the top-rated high school pitcher in the 2020 MLB Draft before being selected with the 15th-overall pick by the Phillies. Abel made 14 starts in his first professional season in 2021 with Low-A Clearwater before spending most of 2022 with High-A Jersey Shore. He closed the year with five starts for Reading, going 1-3 with a 3.52 ERA. Abel is rated by Baseball America and MLB.com as Philadelphia's No. 2 prospect. He is the No. 45-overall prospect according to MLB.com.

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.3

FRESH FACES:

Thirteen players on the Opening Day roster will be playing for Richmond for the first time. Newcom- ers 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.

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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