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SL Mississippi Braves

Saturday, June 5 at Pensacola Blue Wahoos: 6:05 PM: Blue Wahoos Stadium

June 5, 2021 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (ATL) (14-14, 2ND, AA-S South, -3.0) at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (MIA) (17-11, 1st, AA-S South, +3.0)

Starting Pitchers: RHP Jose Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Max Meyer (2-1, 1.96)

Radio: 103.9 FM WYAB and (LISTEN LIVE LINK)

TV: MiLB.TV

Today's Roster Moves:

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TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves (ATL) continue a 12-game road trip tonight with game five of a six-game series against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (MIA) and Blue Wahoos Stadium (2-2). The second-leg of the road trip will take the M-Braves to face Biloxi for the second time at MGM Park.

AGAINST THE FISH: The M-Braves are 4-6 against the Wahoos this season, dropping four of six in the opening series of 2021, May 5-9, at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves and Wahoos meet 30 times this season (18 games at Trustmark Park and 12 at Blue Wahoos Stadium). The Wahoos return to Pearl, July 6-11.

WAHOOS STYMIE M-BRAVES ON FRIDAY NIGHT, 4-1: Justin Dean was 3-for-4 with a double and RBI, but it wasn't enough in the loss on Friday night. The M-Braves were held to just one run on six hits by three Pensacola pitchers. Dean also added his league-best eighth stolen base in the contest. The M-Braves used five pitchers on Friday with starter AJ Puckett logging 3.0+ innings of one-run baseball on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Josh Graham and Emmanuel Ramirez had scoreless outings.

LANGELIERS AGAINST THE WAHOOS: In nine games, the Baylor product is batting .281 with two doubles, five home runs, seven RBI, seven runs, four walks and a 1.174 OPS against Pensacola.

SIC 'EM...: The three-homer game he hit on Wednesday at Pensacola was the first of his pro career and first since hitting three home runs for Baylor during the 2019 NCAA tournament against Nebraska-Omaha. He ended up with three home runs and an NCAA-record 11 RBI in the 24-6 Bears win. The four hits and four runs matched career highs.

LANGELIERS SINCE MAY 25: Over his last nine games, since May 25, Langeliers is batting .400 (14x35) with three doubles, four home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs, three walks and a 1.290 OPS.

AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: The 23-year-old Shea Langeliers leads the league in OPS (.1033), slugging (.622), T-1st in home runs (7), 2nd in OBP (.411), T-6th in extra-base hits (11), runs (16) and total bases (46), 7th in batting average (.296), and T-7th in walks (14). Drew Lugbauer is 8th in OBP (.387) and 9th in batting average (.284). Justin Dean leads the league in stolen bases (9), T-7th in walks (14) and 10th in OBP (.371). CJ Alexander is T-6th in home runs (5) and 10th in slugging (.468). Brandon White is 3rd in saves (4). Nolan Kingham is T-6th in innings pitched (27.0) and T-6th in winning percentage (.667).

GREAT RELIEF: Troy Bacon has yet to allow a run in relief so far this season and is 2-0 with 12 strikeouts and two walks over his first 12.2 IP. He's holding the opposition to just a .186 AVG.

WITHROW GETTING THE JOB DONE: 27-year-old RHP Matt Withrow has allowed just one earned run over his first seven outings (3 starts) this season, posting a 0.52 ERA in 17.2 innings with 19 strikeouts and 11 walks.

ONE-RUN GAMES: The M-Braves had won six-straight one-run games until the 4-3 loss on Tuesday in Pensacola. The Bravess lost their first four to begin the season, and are 6-5 overall. Only Pensacola has more wins in one-run games than Mississippi (9-2).

SOLID DEFENSE: The M-Braves lead the Double-A South with a .980 fielding percentage, just 19 errors in 28 games and 1st with 32 double plays turned (also T-1st w/Midland in all Double-A baseball). M-Braves catchers have given up only 14 stolen bases, which is best in the league and T-2nd in all of Double-A baseball. Shea Langeliers is 12-for-23 in catching opposing base stealers, 52%, which leads all of Double-A baseball. His 12 caught stealings and 22 assists are 2nd in MiLB.

USING THE LONG BALL: The M-Braves have 27 home runs so far this season, ranking 3rd in the Double-A South (BIR, 40/RCT, 37). Of the 99 runs scored this season, 49 have come via the home run ball (49%). Braves batters rank last in the league with a .204 batting average.

- On the pitching side, M-Braves hurlers have served up just 12 home run balls, the fewest in Double-A and 2nd-fewest in minor league baseball (Lynchburg, 8). Braves pitchers have the 3rd-best ERA in the league at 3.58, but have walked the most batters at 134 this season.

LANGELIERS NAMED AA-SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The former 9th overall pick in 2019 and Baylor star ended his week on Sunday night with a walk-off single to give the M-Braves a fourth-straight victory, 2-1, over Montgomery. Over the week, the 22-year-old hit .421 (8-for-19) with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, five runs, and a .476 on-base percentage. In a week in which the Braves went 5-1, Langeliers capped his week with his first professional grand slam on Thursday night in the third inning of a 7-6 win over the Biscuits.

M-BRAVES FINISH HOMESTAND 8-4: The M-Braves went 3-3 against Chattanooga and 5-1 against Montgomery to finish a successful 8-4 homestand from May 18-30. With Sunday's win, the M-Braves are 14-12 in extra-inning games since the new rule of a runner at second base was installed in 2018.

GRAND SALAMI TIME: Langeliers' grand slam last Thursday night against Montgomery was the first by the M-Braves since Luis Valenzuela blasted one in Chattanooga on April 15, 2019. The grand slam was the first by a Braves player at Trustmark Park since Carlos Martinez hit one on June 12, 2018. The M-Braves have hit just four grand slams since 2014. For Langeliers it was his first professional home run and first since hitting a pair during the Cape Cod League during the summer of his freshman year at Baylor.

FIRST ROUND PICKS AND PROSPECTS: The squad features both of Atlanta's first-round selections from the 2019 draft in catcher Shea Langeliers (#9) and shortstop Braden Shewmake (#21). They represent the third and fourth-ranked prospects in the organization, according to MLB.com and Langeliers is #64 on the MLB.com Top 100 and sixth-ranked catching prospect in baseball.

- Overall, the M-Braves feature eight of the Braves' Top 30 prospects. After Langeliers and Shewmake, OF Trey Harris (#14), RHP Victor Vodnik (#15), RHP Daysbel Hernandez (17), INF Greyson Jenista (#19), INF C.J. Alexander (#20) and OF Justin Dean (#26) are among the Top 30.

BRAND NEW COACHING STAFF: The 17 newcomers on the Opening Day 28-man roster joined an entirely new coaching staff, all having major league experience. The M-Braves are led by manager Wyatt Toregas and is joined by hitting coach Einar Diaz, pitching coach, former Braves first-round pick Dan Meyer and coach Devon Travis.

- Toregas, 38, is a former catcher who played in 22 major-league games across two seasons with Cleveland (2009) and Pittsburgh (2011). After spending the previous five minor-league seasons managing in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, the upcoming campaign will be his first with the Braves, including most recently with High-A Bradenton in 2019. in fives seasons, Toregas holds a 293-263 (.527) record as a skipper entering the 2021 season.

150 MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUTS: Despite no season in 2020, the M-Braves saw their 150th player make their major league debut. Starting in 2005, the 150 include 32 All-Star Game appearances, 11 Silver Sluggers, 12 Gold Gloves, 11 World Series champs, two Rookies of the Year, and one MVP.

- In 2020, William Contreras, Joe Odom (SEA), Ricardo Sanchez (STL), Cristian Pache, Ian Anderson, Patrick Weigel, Bruce Zimmermann and Tucker Davidson. The first was Brian McCann back in June, 2005.

WELCOME TO THE DOUBLE-A SOUTH: In MLB's new structure for the 2021 season, the M-Braves will be part of the Double-A South. The eight-team circuit consists of eight former members of the Southern League, split into two divisions. Mississippi will be in the South Division along with the Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers), Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays), and Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins). The North Division will consist of the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox), Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds), Rocket City Trash Pandas (LA Angels), and Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs).

- The M-Braves will play the South Division in 80 of the 120 games this season. In a shedule quirk, the M-Braves will not play the new Rocket City Trash Pandas this season. The clubs were scheduled to meet during the first series of the 2020 season.

2019 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Mississippi Braves concluded their 15th anniversary season in Central Mississippi with a 64-75 overall record, finishing fourth in the Southern League South Division. While the club missed out on the postseason for the third-straight season, the 2019 campaign saw the 3 millionth fan enter Trustmark Park, 1,000th franchise win, third no-hitter in club history, record three postseason All-Stars and the first Southern League Most Valuable Player.

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Southern League Stories from June 5, 2021


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