Ten Things to Know in the American Association: First Week of June
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Ten Things to Know in the American Association: First Week of June

Published on June 5, 2025 under American Association (AA) News Release


MOORHEAD, Minn. - Jabari Henry made news last Thursday, becoming the all-time home run leader for the American Association of Professional Baseball (@AA_Baseball) with his 147th home run for Sioux Falls against Cleburne (and another one a few innings later for good measure). But there's plenty more going on around the league as it reaches the first quarter of the season...

Here are 10 (or so) Things to Know about the AAPB this week:

It was quite a busy week for 45-year-old righty J.D. Scholten, who rejoined the Sioux City Explorers' roster on Sunday. A day later, the Iowa House of Representatives member, currently representing District 1 in the state legislature, announced his run for U.S. Senate. Scholten pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings in his season debut at Sioux Falls on Tuesday.

Cleburne Railroaders infielder Kyle Martin and Kane County Cougars starter Konnor Ash won the American Association's Rawlings batter and pitcher of the month for May, respectively. Martin leads the AAPB with eight home runs and is 27 RBI and sports a .298 average. Ash has a league-best 1.20 ERA across 30 innings in five starts this year. Rawlings is the official baseball of the American Association.

Pitcher Brenton Thiels of Fargo-Moorhead, at 7'0, is one of the tallest pro baseball players at any level in the history of the game. He has pitched in six RedHawks games to date, allowing no runs in four of the outings, including a clean eighth inning with a strikeout against Kansas City on Tuesday.

You can go home again after all, just ask Cougars pitcher Casey Crosby. The Kane County native (Elburn, Ill.) made a return to the mound on May 29 after having not played baseball for five years. Crosby has tossed five scoreless frames in three relief appearances for the Cougars, all since May 29, hitting 97 on the radar gun. Casey attended Kaneland HS in Kane County and was drafted out of high school by the Detroit Tigers in 2007.

Sioux City Explorers players and mascot Slider will read to and meet area kids to kick off the city's summer reading program at the Sioux City Public Library on Monday.

The first no-hitter of the season was turned in by the Kane County trio of Vin Timpanelli, Tommy Sommer and Jake Gozzo. They combined for the no-no on Sunday against the Lincoln Saltdogs. Timpanelli struck out seven across the first seven innings and Sommer and Gozzo pitched 1-2-3 eighth and ninth frames, respectively.

Fargo-Moorhead took civic pride to another level on Tuesday, honoring public services in the city of Fargo by donning Red and Blue jerseys with the logos of several local organizations on Salute to Service night. The jerseys were auctioned off with more than $1500 raised through winning bids alone for United Way of Fargo.

Staying local is UW-Milwaukee righthander Logan Snow, who signed with the Milkmen this week. The 2025 UWM grad was the Horizon League Reliever of the Year and a First Team All-Horizon League selection, pitching to a sharp 1.89 ERA with seven saves.

The Kansas City Monarchs signed John Nogowski, who played in the majors with St. Louis and Pittsburgh and posted a 1.014 OPS with 15 home runs and 76 RBI for Sioux City in 2024, to play first base. He has had five hits, including a double and triple, in a three-game set with Fargo-Moorhead Monday through Wednesday in his return to the AAPB.

Another Major Leaguer has made his way back to the AAPB, but this time as a coach, as Dan Butler has been added to the Sioux City Explorers field staff, to work with the team's hitters and catchers. Butler was a member of the 2018 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. Butler caught 748 games in his professional career that began in 2009 at class A Lowell in the New York-Penn League.

Some of this week's notable promotions across the league include:

The Milkmen will host their ROC'n Pink Game on Sunday in support of Milwaukee-based After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD). The organization provides free, customized, one-to-one, emotional support to anyone impacted by breast cancer

Fargo-Moorhead will promote reading with Library Night & Daniel Tiger tonight. The first 500 kids will receive a free kids book and Daniel Tiger will be on hand courtesy of partner Great Kids Therapy.

Sioux Falls fans are encouraged to celebrate South Dakota, one of 11 states with only one area code, on 605 night, tonight. Beer specials help keep everyone dialed in.

Friday in Cleburne is Wild West Night presented by Texas Best BBQ and Chisholm Trail Outdoors Museum. La Moderna Field becomes a new frontier of celebration. The theme continues with Wild Rodeo Night on Saturday.

The Wicked Witch's Flying Monkeys take over Wisconsin Brewing Company Park as the Lake Country DockHounds' alter ego Friday through Sunday.

It's a motor showcase on Saturday in Lincoln as the Saltdogs rev up Automotive Night at Haymarket Park.

Media interest in AAPB remains strong. Some of the recent articles on teams include:

The Kansas City Star traversed Legends Field looking for the best deals at the Monarchs' home field while recalling the history of the team's Negro Leagues namesake.

Anthony Bender's strong start for the Miami Marlins (1.82 ERA in 24 2/3 innings over 25 relief outings) earned notice in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's roundup of former Milwaukee area players. Bender pitched for the Milkmen in 2020 and briefly for Sioux City in 2019.

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American Association Stories from June 5, 2025


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