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SL Mississippi Braves

Thursday, June 17 vs. Birmingham Barons: 6:35 PM: Trustmark Park

June 17, 2021 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (ATL) (21-17, 2nd, AA-S South, -1.0) vs. Birmingham Barons (CHW) (23-14, 1st, AA-S North, +1.0)

Starting Pitchers: RHP Jose Rodriguez (0-1, 1.62) vs. RHP Blake Battenfield (5-0, 2.50)

Game #39 | Home Game #21

Radio: 103.9 FM WYAB and (LISTEN LIVE LINK)

TV: MiLB.TV

Today's Promotions:

Thirsty Thursday - Join the M-Braves for Thirsty Thursday with 16 oz beer or fountain drinks for only $2 at every Thursday home game in 2021 for fans 21 & older.

Mississippi State Night - Hail State! Wear your Bulldog attire and receive $5 admission at the Trustmark Park box office. Mississippi State Night is presented by Farm Bureau Insurance.

Trivia in the Farm Bureau Grill - Check out the coolest spot in Trustmark Park and from 6-7, enjoy trivia from Central MS Trivia. Get your seat for you and your team. Trivia is 100% FREE to play; all you have to do is purchase any ticket. Win great prizes like suite nights and much more!

RUNable $5 5K for the MS Chapter - Alzheimer's Association: Walk, roll, stroll, crawl, or #RunForAReason! Meet at 6 pm. The first 100 participants to check in on race day will receive FREE ADMISSION to the Braves game that night! For those of you new to our event, here's the low down: there's no need to register! Just grab $5 cash and your favorite sneakers. The $5 5k is a family event so bring your favorite 4-legged and 2-legged friends; the route is dog and stroller-friendly. This is a NO PRESSURE 5K; perfect for your first race or a great training run if you're gearing up for marathon season. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come!

Today's Roster Moves:

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TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves (ATL) continue a 12-game homestand against the Birmingham Barons (CHW) on Thursday night at Trustmark Park with game three of a six-game set (1-1). This is the first of two series between the clubs this season, and 12 total games. The M-Braves will visit Regions Field in Birmingham, August 3-8. The Tennessee Smokies (CHC) will be the next opponent for the M-Braves, June 22-27.

- The Braves are 116-106 all-time against the Barons and 62-44 against the Barons at Trustmark Park. The Braves went 4-6 against Birmingham in 2019. The M-Braves were Birmingham's first opponent at Regions Field on April 9, 2013, a 9-5 Barons victory.

PUCKETT OUTDUELS PILKINGTON IN 2-1 WIN ON WEDNESDAY: AJ Puckett recorded his first Mississippi Braves victory on Wednesday night with 5.0 shutout innings, on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. The M-Braves scored both runs in the bottom of the third inning against former MSU star Konnor Pilkington. Justin Dean hit an RBI single, after an RBI groundout from Braden Shewmake. Matt Withrow and Josh Graham recorded holds, while Brandon White netted his seventh save, in seven chances. Graham nearly had an immaculate inning in the eighth, striking out the first two batters on six pitches, and beginning the third with a strike.

151 MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUTS: LHP Kyle Muller made his major league debut for the Atlanta Braves in the top of the fifth inning on June 16 vs. Boston. Muller became the first M-Braves alum to debut in 2021 and 151st all-time. Muller made 27 starts for the M-Braves over the 2018 and 2019 seasons, going 11-7 with a 3.14 ERA. The Dallas, TX native gave up four hits and two runs in the outing with one strikeout in 1.0 inning of relief.

AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: Shea Langeliers ranks among the league leaders in home runs (3rd, 9), slugging (2nd, .571), OPS (2nd, .945), extra-base hits (T-7th, 14) and RBIs (T-11th, 19). Justin Dean leads the league in stolen bases (10), and T-1st in doubles (10). Brandon White is 3rd in saves (7). Nolan Kingham is T-1st in starts (7), 1st in innings pitched (41.2), 11th in ERA (3.02), T-10th in WHIP (1.13), and T-4th in winning percentage (.750). Odalvi Javier is 4th in ERA (1.74), 8th in OBA (.196), 10th in strikeouts (37), and T-10th in WHIP (1.13).

LEADING THE LEAGUE IN PITCHING AND DEFENSE: The M-Braves lead the league and are 3rd in all of Double-A baseball with a 3.47 ERA. M-Braves hurlers have served up just 19 home run balls, the fewest in Double-A, and T-5th-fewest in all of minor league baseball.

- The M-Braves lead the Double-A South with a .982 fielding percentage, just 23 errors in 38 games, and are 1st with 35 double plays turned (also T-2nd to Midland's 36 in all Double-A baseball). M-Braves caught 22 attempted base-stealers, which leads all of Double-A baseball and ranks T-2nd in all of MiLB (Tri-City, 26).

DON'T RUN ON SHEA: Shea Langeliers is 16-for-28 in catching opposing base stealers, 57%. His 16 caught stealings, seven double plays and 29 assists are first among catchers in minor league baseball. He's caught nine of his last 11, would-be base stealers.

TURNING THINGS AROUND: The M-Braves are one game back of Pensacola in the division, and are 13-5 over their last 18 games dating back to May 27. Since starting the season 0-4, the Braves are 21-13, and have won two of their last three series.

MISSISSIPPI CONNECTIONS: Wednesday starting pitcher, Konnor Pilkington attended East Central High School in Hurley, MS before committing to Mississippi State. The Hurley, MS native was 14-12 with a 3.47 for the Bulldogs, before being a 3rd round pick of the White Sox in 2018. He earned a win over North Carolina in the 2018 College World Series. INF Ti'Quan Forbes is a native of Columbia, MS and attended Columbia HS. He was originally selected by the Rangers in the 2nd round in 2014. The White Sox acquired him in 2017 for pitcher Miguel González. As a senior for the Wildcats, Forbes batted .427 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 49 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 33 games. He also anchored his team's starting rotation, posting a solid 2.02 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 45 innings.

WINNING ROAD TRIP: The M-Braves went 8-4 on the road trip to Pensacola and Biloxi, splitting six games in Pensacola, before taking five of six from Biloxi. Overall, the M-Braves outscored the opposition, 61-41, averaging 5.1 runs per game, 21 doubles, tw triples, 18 home runs and .232 batting average. On the mound, the M-Braves posted a 3.30 ERA with 105 srikeouts, 40 walks, in 103.2 innings, holding opponents to just a .211 batting average.

UP TO 40 HOME RUNS ON THE YEAR: The M-Braves hit 18 home runs during the recent 12-game road trip, and have 40 home runs so far this season, ranking 3rd in the Double-A South (BIR, 51/RCT, 57). Of the 144 runs scored this season, 68 have come via the home run ball (47%). In just 37 games, the M-Braves are nearly half way to the 2019 total (in 139 games) of 87.

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.

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.

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