SL Mississippi Braves

Thursday, April 14 at Biloxi Shuckers: 6:35 PM: MGM Park

Published on April 14, 2022 under Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Thursday, April 14, 2022 | 6:35 PM CT | MGM Park| Biloxi, MS

Mississippi Braves (ATL) (1-4, 4th SL South, -4,0) vs.

Biloxi Shuckers (MIL) (5-0, 1st SL South, +2.0)

RHP AJ Puckett (0-0, 4.50) vs LHP Andy Otero (0-0, 4.50)

Game #6 | Road Game #3

Radio: 103.9 FM WYAB and (LISTEN LIVE LINK)

TV: MiLB.TV

Today's Roster Moves: N/A

News & Notes:

Back Home on Tuesday: The M-Braves return home to face the Chattanooga Lookouts at Trustmark Park, April 19-24. The series will feature a 6:05 pm game on Tuesday, 11:05 am game on Wednesday, a 6:35 pm game on Thursday and Friday, 6:05 pm on Saturday, and 2:05 pm on Sunday. 2022 M-BRAVES MEDIA GUIDE 2022 GAME PROGRAM TODAY'S GAME: The M-Braves continue their first road trip of 2022 with game three of a six-game series against Biloxi at MGM Park. The Magnolia State rivals will meet 30 times this season, with 18 games at MGM Park and 12 games at Trustmark Park. The Shuckers will make their first visit to Trustmark Park for a series, May 17-22.

- The Shuckers lead the all-time series 73-67, with Mississippi taking the 2021 season series, 15-13, the first winning season since 2017.

SHUCKERS WALK OFF M-BRAVES ON WEDNESDAY: RHP Freddy Tarnok delivered 4.2 scoreless innings with only one hit, but the M-Braves (1-4) lost to the Biloxi Shuckers (5-0) on a walk-off walk on Wednesday night at MGM Park 3-2. Tarnok struck out four, walked three, and hit a batter in his first outing of the season. Tarnok, a member of Atlanta's 40-man roster, came off a 2021 season with a 3.44 ERA in 14 starts between High-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi. Michael Harris II went 3-for-4 with a triple, double and single. Atlanta's No. 1 prospect (MLB Pipeline) now has a hit in all five games. Harris II is 9-for-21 with two triples, four RBI, and two stolen bases on the season.

THE SLUGBAUER HAS POWER: First baseman Drew Lugbauer is T-2nd in homers (2) and RBI (6), having hit in four of five games so far this season. Lugbauer hit his second home run in four games on Tuesday night in Biloxi.

MR. MICHAEL HARRIS II: The Atlanta Braves' top prospect has hit in all five games to start the season, and is batting .429 (9-for-21) with two triples, and four RBI. Harris is 4th in the Southern League in average, 6th in slugging (.667), 7th in OPS (1.112), 1st in triples (2), and T-3rd in total bases (14).

solid starts: The M-Braves rotation the first trip through has posted a 2.79 ERA (6 ER/19.1 IP) with 12 walks and 19 strikeouts, holding the opposition to a .171 batting average.

WHAT'S THE DEAL: LHP Hayden Deal has dealt two scoreless outings over 6.0 innings, one unearned run, two hits, three walks and nine strikeouts to lead the bullpen.

M-BRAVES GET CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS: 18 players from the 2021 M-Braves championship team will get their rings and raise the championship flag before the game. The 2021 Double-A South championship is the second in club history. The first took place in 2008 when manager Steven DeSalvo lead Mississippi to a Southern League championship.

M-braves return 20 from the championship team: The M-Braves bring back 20 players from the championship roster, including nine position players and 11 pitchers.

- Returning M-Braves position players include C Hendrik Clementina, INF C.J. Alexander, INF Riley Delgado, OF Trey Harris, INF Drew Lugbauer, INF Jalen Miller, OF Jacob Pearson, OF Jefrey Ramos, and INF Luke Waddell.

- Returning M-Braves pitchers include RHP Troy Bacon, LHP Hayden Deal, RHP Indigo Diaz, RHP Tyler Ferguson, LHP Jake Higginbotham, RHP Odalvi Javier, RHP Justin Maese, RHP A.J. Puckett, RHP Alan Rangel, LHP Jared Shuster, and RHP Freddy Tarnok.

TOP PROSPECTS: Atlanta Braves' No. 1 MLB Pipeline prospect Michael Harris II headlines the roster. Harris II ranks No. 65 in MLB Pipeline's Top 100, the only Atlanta player on the Top 100 list. Harris II spent the 2021 season with High-A Rome. The Georgia native hit .294 with seven home runs, 64 RBI, and an impressive 27 stolen bases in 101 games. The former 2019 third-round pick (98th overall) provides great speed, a plus arm, and a solid bat to the M-Braves roster.

- The other Top 30 prospects include RHP Freddy Tarnok (No. 9), LHP Jared Shuster (No. 10), OF Jesse Franklin V (No. 11), RHP Darius Vines (No. 14), RHP Indigo Diaz (No. 15), RHP William Woods (No. 21), RHP Alan Rangel (No. 22), INF Luke Waddell (No. 27) and OF Trey Harris (No. 30).

BRAND NEW COACHING STAFF: Bruce Crabbe takes over as the M-Braves 10th manager in club history after spending 17 seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization. He will be joined by pitching coach Bo Henning, hitting coach Mike Bard and coach Angel Flores.

- Crabbe spent the last eight seasons as a coach for the Triple-A Pawtucket/Worcester Red Sox. The Orlando, FL native last managed the Lowell Spinners (Red Sox Short-A) from 2012-13. Crabbe's professional career began in 1984 with the Chicago Cubs organization. Crabbe played for five teams over nine professional seasons before transitioning to coaching in 1994.

2022 SCHEDULE: The 2022 schedule will feature 138 games, including 69 home games, beginning on with a three-game homestand vs Montgomery. The M-Braves will take on division rivals Biloxi, Montgomery, and Pensacola 30 times each while taking on North Division foes Birmingham, Tennessee, Chattanooga, and Rocket City 12 times each (6 home, 6 road). All 2020 series will be six games in length, except for the first series against Montgomery, April 8-10, and at Montgomery, July 22-24, just after four days off around the Major League All-Star Break.

2021 season in review: The M-Braves went 67-44, a .604 winning percentage, eight games ahead of the team with the second-best record, the Biscuits...It was the best regular-season winning percentage in club history. Despite playing just 111 games, the 2021 club recorded as many or more wins as 10 of the previous 15 seasons of M-Braves baseball.

- The M-Braves went 22-8 (six shutouts) over the final 30 games of the regular season (since August 8), plus 13-4 in the last 17 road games. The M-Braves matched a club record with 8-straight wins from August 6-14. The previous eight-game winning streak was August 3-12, 2016, vs. Pensacola and Biloxi.

- The M-Braves finished 3rd in Double-A baseball, and 6th in MiLB, with a 3.58 ERA. M-Braves hurlers served up just 74 home runs, the fewest in Double-A baseball and 3rd-fewest in all minor league baseball.

- The M-Braves blew past the M-Braves record for homers in a single season (98, 2017) with 143 in 111 games. The club ranked 2nd in the Double-A South and 9th in Double-A. The M-Braves hit 93 home runs on the road and a record 50 at Trustmark Park. The all-time franchise record for homers is 147, set by the 1997 Greenville Braves in 140 games. The Pearl City Bombers came four shy, with nine cancellations hurting the chances. The M-Braves set a new M-Braves record with six players in double-digits for home runs: Shea Langeliers led the way with 22, while Greyson Jenista had 19, Drew Lugbauer had 18, Wendell Rijo had 15, Braden Shewmake had 12, and CJ Alexand6er had 10.

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