TinCaps Game Information: April 4 at Great Lakes
MWL Fort Wayne TinCaps

TinCaps Game Information: April 4 at Great Lakes

Published on April 4, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release


Fort Wayne TinCaps (0-1) @ Great Lakes Loons (1-0)

Saturday, April 4 | Dow Diamond | 1:05 PM | Game 2 of 132

RHP Kleiber Olmedo (0-0, 0.00 ERA) @ LHP Zach Root (0-0, 0.00 ERA | LAD No. 12)

WATCH: Bally Sports Live, MLB.TV, MLB+ | LISTEN: 1380 The Fan & 100.9 FM & TinCaps.com/Listen

KASH THAT CHECK: The highest-rated Opening Day starting pitcher in TinCaps history, No. 4 Padres prospect Kash Mayfield, dazzled in his High-A debut. The southpaw faced just one batter over the minimum in three innings of work, striking out four and generating an inning-ending double play off the bat of No. 3 Dodgers prospect Eduardo Quintero to conclude his outing. The Padres drafted the 21-year-old 25th overall in the 2024 MLB draft out of Elk City High School. Mayfield made 19 starts with Single-A Lake Elsinore in 2025 and led the Padres organization with a 13.05 K/9 among arms with at least 50 IP. In his final 14 starts with the Storm, Mayfield held a 1.96 ERA across 41.1 IP, striking out 64.

ROAD OPENING DAY WOES: Friday marked the beginning of the 17th season of TinCaps baseball and the 33rd of affiliated professional baseball in the city of Fort Wayne. Following its 2-1 loss, the TinCaps are now 8-9 on Opening Day, while Fort Wayne as an organization is 19-14 all-time. The 'Caps have not won on Opening Day on the road since 2017, having dropped their last five. The Fort Wayne Wizards won seven-straight Opening Day games from 1993-1999.

C'ROD'S STRONG DEBUT: Fort Wayne's Opening Day designated hitter, Carlos Rodriguez, came through with 2 of the 4 TinCap hits. The 22-year-old reached base safely in 3 of his 4 plate appearances in his High-A debut. Rodriguez began last season in the Arizona Complex League before being transferred to Single-A Lake Elsinore, where he played in 46 contests. He completed both an 8-game and a 9-game hitting streak while collecting 17 extra-base hits with the Storm.

WELCOME BACK: The 2026 roster features 13 players who have appeared at Parkview Field in the past. Jack Costello, Rosman Verdugo, Clark Candiotti, Luis German, and Isaiah Lowe spent all of 2025 in Fort Wayne. End-of-season call-ups include Kasen Wells, Jonathan Vastine, Zach Evans, Maikel Miralles, Braian Salazar, and Lamar King Jr.

AN OLD FRIEND BACK AT THE HELM: Manager Jonathan Mathews returns for his third stint in Fort Wayne and second as manager. The 53-year-old acted as the 'Caps manager in 2023, bringing Fort Wayne to the postseason behind a second-half Midwest League East Division title. Mathews' first stint in Fort Wayne spanned from 2018-2021 as the team's hitting coach. He spent the past two years as the Padres Minor League Hitting Coordinator.

260 TO THE SHOW: 33 former TinCaps were listed on MLB Opening Day rosters in 2026. Since Fort Wayne's Minor League Baseball franchise was established in 1993, there have been 235 players who've ascended from playing in the Summit City to the big leagues. Former TinCaps are listed on 15 of MLB's 30 teams heading into 2026, seven of which are a part of the San Diego Padres. Seven former TinCaps made their MLB debuts in 2025, including August's National League Rookie of the Month, Jakob Marsee (2023). 2025 MLB All-Stars include LHP Max Fried (2013), LHP MacKenzie Gore (2018, '21), LHP Adrián Morjejón (2017), RHP Andres Muñoz (2017), and OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (2017).

CAPS IN THE TOP 30: Entering 2026, Fort Wayne has 6 of the Padres' Top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Kash Mayfield leads the crop as the No. 4 prospect, with C/1B Lamar King Jr. (No. 16), RHP Kannon Kemp (No. 19), OF Alex McCoy (No. 21), OF Kavares Tears (No. 27), and Jaxon Dalena (No. 30) rounding out the group.

EXPERIENCE IS KEY: The TinCaps Break Camp Roster heads into Opening Day with an average age of 23.0. It is the second-oldest Opening Day roster in TinCaps history, behind the 2024 team. The average age jumped nearly two years (20.6 to 22.5) when the TinCaps and Midwest League moved from Low-A to High-A in 2021.

Check out the Fort Wayne TinCaps Statistics

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