EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Notes

Published on April 9, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS (1-1) VS. NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS (1-1)

RHP JUSTIN FITZGERALD (0-0, -.--) VS. RHP BOBBY LANIGAN (0-0, -.--)

April 9, 2011 -- 6:35 PM

The Diamond

Game #3/Home #3

Radio Broadcast -- Sports Radio 910 WRNL

Internet Webcast -- www.sportsradio910.com

TONIGHT: The Richmond Flying Squirrels and New Britain Rock Cats will meet in game three of a four-game series...The Rock Cats broke through a scoreless tie on a Mark Hollimon two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning, then scored five runs later to defeat the Flying Squirrels 7-1 on Friday night at The Diamond.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Right-hander Justin Fitzgerald gets the start in game three of the series for the Flying Squirrels...Making his Double-A debut...Spent the entire 2010 season with Advanced-A San Jose...First season as a starter after appearing exclusively in relief in his first two pro campaigns...Went 10-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 26 games, 25 starts...Only relief appearance came on 8/15/10 vs. Modesto when he entered the game following Jeremy Affeldt's rehab appearance with San Jose...Struck out 116 batters and walked 46 in 146 innings...Fired six hitless innings in his second start of the season 4/17/10 against Bakersfield...Ranked 4th in the California League in ERA (3.45), 3rd in opponent batting average (.258) and tied for 5th with 10 wins....Named a California League Mid-Season All-Star...Made three postseason starts with San Jose, going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA (4R/18.2 IP)....Was the Game One starter in both the Divisional Series against Modesto and the Championship Series against Rancho Cucamonga...Made 39 relief appearances with Low-A Augusta in 2009...Went 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA, striking out 63 and walking 27 in 56 innings...Went two-plus innings 13 times and struck out three-plus batters 10 times...Made pro debut in 2008, going a combined 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances...Selected in the 11th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft...Attended the University of California-Davis.

Right-hander Bobby Lanigan gets the nod in game three of the series for the Rock Cats...Split the 2010 season between Advanced-A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain...Went 3-1 with 2.15 ERA in 11 games, 10 starts, with the Miracle, striking out 41 batters and walking seven in 54 1/3 innings...Opponents hit .212 (43-for-203) against him...Promoted to New Britain 7/19/10...Allowed 1 run on seven hits in six innings in his Double-A debut that same day at Harrisburg (ND)...Went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his first four starts with the Rock Cats...Was 0-3 over his final five outings, four starts, with a 8.50 ERA as opponents hit .363 (29-for-80) against him...Split the 2009 season between Low-A Beloit and Fort Myers...Went 10-7 with a 4.52 ERA in 22 starts with the Snappers...Struck out 102 batters and walked 29 in 123 1/3 innings...Struck out 10-plus batters twice...Promoted to Fort Myers 8/13/09...Worked primarily in relief (5 games) while making two starts...Went 1-0 with a 4.70 ERA...Struck out 14 batters and walked four in 15 1/3 innings...Gave up six runs over nine innings in his two starts...Made his pro debut with Rookie Elizabethton in 2008 and went 6-5 with a 2.78 ERA in 13 starts...Struck out 65 batters and walked just nine in 74 1/3 innings...Finished sixth in the Appalachian League in ERA and third in innings pitched...Selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Division II Adelphi University...Holds school records for most career strikeouts (241) and tied the school record for most strikeouts in a season (94) in 2007...Tied a school record with 12 wins in 2007...Posted a 1.94 ERA in 2008, ninth-best all-time.

RECORD-SETTING DEBUT: Left-hander Eric Surkamp struck out 10 batters over four scoreless innings in his Double-A debut last night...The 10 "Ks" matched a Flying Squirrels franchise record, originally set by right-hander David Mixon 7/16/10 against Bowie...It was the seventh career double-digit strikeout game for Surkamp who struck out 10-plus three times in both 2009 with Augusta and 2010 with San Jose...The 23-year-old's career-high for strikeouts in a single game is 14 which came 7/7/10 at Stockton...The Flying Squirrels pitching staff has struck out 19 total batters in its first two games, third most in the Eastern League.

ERROR ALERT: The Flying Squirrels committed three errors defensively last night leading to three unearned runs...The club did not commit a single error on Opening Day...Last season Richmond committed three or more errors eight times in 141 games...The Flying Squirrels finished last season tied for third in fielding percentage (.980) and third in fewest errors (107).

PROSPECTING THE SQUIRRELS: Eight members of the Flying Squirrels 2011 roster are ranked in the top-30 prospects in the San Francisco Giants farm system according to Baseball America...The group includes infielder Charlie Culberson (#8), left-hander Eric Surkamp (#9), outfielder Roger Kieschnick (#14), right-hander Jason Stoffel (#22), outfielder Juan Perez (#24), left-hander Ryan Verdugo (#25), catcher Johnny Monell (#28), and left-hander Clayton Tanner (#30).

FAMILIAR FACES: Seven members of the Flying Squirrels inaugural 2010 squad return to Richmond to start the 2011 season...Right-handers Daryl Maday and Ronnie Ray, left-handers Clayton Tanner and David Quinowski, catcher Aaron Lowenstein, and infielder Sharlon Schoop all spent time with the Flying Squirrels in 2010...Tanner and Ray spent the entire season in Richmond....Tanner and Maday were both named Eastern League All-Stars; however, neither were available to pitch in the game.

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Eastern League Stories from April 9, 2011


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