Toyota Road Report: July 22-27
MWL South Bend Cubs

Toyota Road Report: July 22-27

July 21, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


An old Midwest League East Division rivalry renews this week on the road for the South Bend Cubs! It's a trip for the second July in a row to Dayton, Ohio, to take on the Dayton Dragons; Midwest League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. This marks the fourth straight season that South Bend and Dayton have seen each other in exactly one series, with the Dragons last playing at Four Winds Field in 2023.

It's an important series on the way for the Cubs, not just because they are looking to stay on-pace in the Midwest League West Division playoff race, but after being swept this past weekend versus the Beloit Sky Carp at Four Winds Field. Over the last two months, one could argue that the Cubs have played their best baseball on the road, after they took five of six games in both Fort Wayne and Wisconsin, respectively.

The key to the road dominance? Quick starts at the plate, and dominant starting pitching. Especially in that Wisconsin series. Sure, it helps for the Cubs to have put up a season-best on both runs and hits in that series, along with 10 total home runs. But South Bend scored early, often, and consistently to dominant their way through the last road trip. It really was like watching a symphony orchestra in baseball terms. Every single player group, whether it was the hitters, or the starting pitchers, or bullpen arms were all picking up where the last guy left off. Everyone played their role perfectly. Now you have to bottle that up and replicate it this week at Day Air Ballpark.

The weekend against Beloit comes with pros and cons for the Cubs. South Bend only gave up five runs all series, but the Sky Carp were still able to find a way to cap off a series sweep, including with a pair of 1-0 finals. That rarely happens. South Bend's bats will come back around, but so far, the Cubs are still searching to replace the efficiency and dominance of Jefferson Rojas, who has now been at Double-A Knoxville for three games.

Who is next to join the South Bend Cubs? To be determined. When it comes to a Dayton perspective, the Dragons got off to a similar struggle-filled start in 2025. Dayton overall is 28-59, along with a second-half record of 7-15. If the Cubs are going to have success for the rest of the half, they need to take care of business in Dayton against a ballclub that quite frankly has really struggled. Sometimes that is baseball. Respect all opponents no question, but know when you truly need to go take a series.

Like every team in the circuit, Dayton has talent. Led by manager Vince Harrison, the brother of long time Big Leaguer Josh Harrison, Vince is no stranger to the Midwest League. He managed the 2019 Kane County Cougars, as well as Dayton a year ago too. Dayton pitching coach Willie Blair is back in the Midwest League after also serving in the same role for the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2019 and 2021. Blair is a former Detroit Tigers pitcher that came over to the Reds organization following his stint in the Detroit umbrella.

While Dayton has a team ERA of 5.25, lockdown good out of the Dragons bullpen has lefty Joseph Menefee. South Bend saw this southpaw last year. A 20th-round pick in 2022 out of Texas A&M, his fellow Aggie Evan Aschenbeck will make the start for South Bend on Saturday. Batters are hitting just .183 against Menefee, and he has arguably been Dayton's best reliever,

Righty Brian Edgington made his Midwest League debut against the Cubs in a starting role last year, and now is exclusively in Dayton's bullpen.

At the plate for the Dragons, infielder Carlos Sanchez has been a menace in the Dayton batting order. After hitting .308 in 60 games with Low-A Dayton, Sanchez's first 18 games in the Midwest League have been equally as good, batting .290 with a couple homers and 10 RBI. The same can be said for first baseman and another former Texas A&M Aggie, Jack Moss. The big lefty stands at 6'4'', and is batting a sizzling .407 in 11 High-A games with eight RBI.

Players to watch on South Bend...

Brooks Caple, RHP: The thing that has consistently impressed about South Bend Cubs starting pitchers in 2025, is the consistent ability those Cubs have had of giving their team a chance to win. Brooks Caple seemingly does that every time he toes the rubber. In Wisconsin, it was a winning effort in a 13-run outburst by South Bend that earned him the victory. And of course the big storyline from that game was the 13 runs, but Caple did not nearly get enough love for how good he was that night in Appleton. Now, he switches up a little bit. After being exclusively the Tuesday starter since arriving in South Bend, it's going to feel like college at Lamar University for Caple, as he becomes South Bend's Friday starter since the rotation switch-up since the All-Star Break. Caple certainly pitched well enough to win last Friday against Beloit, taking that tough loss in a 1-0 final. You will take five innings of one-run ball from your starter every single day. Caple has provided back-to-back strong starts, let's see if he can make that three in Dayton.

Carter Trice, OF: It's never a surprise that Carter Trice shows up on the Toyota Road Report preview. But you can't leave this guy off, especially now that he's got 11 home run son the season, to tie Jefferson Rojas for the 2025 team lead. Trice provided South Bend's lone run of the weekend thanks to that seventh inning solo shot on Saturday, and with Rojas now in Knoxville, Trice will have to find the power stroke that helped earn him seven home run in the month of June. When Trice is hot, South Bend's lineup is really difficult to maneuver for an opposing pitcher. But more so, Trice doesn't need to rely on the long ball. He is such a talented hitter, using all fields, and smacking line drives all over. The home run ball is the cherry on top, but heck, the guy's got 11 bombs. That's not by accident. We'll see if he can use the short porch in left field in Dayton to clobber a few more.

Evan Taylor, LHP: The "Mr Reliable" role of 2025 in the South Bend Cubs rotation can go to all kinds of nominees. Johzan Oquendo comes to mind, Vince Reilly, Brayden Risedorph, and others. But Evan Taylor needs to get more attention of what he is doing out of the South Bend Cubs bullpen. The lefty Taylor just pitched against his former team on Sunday, the Beloit Sky Carp. "ET" was released by the Miami Marlins, which set the Cubs up to scoop him back in April. Taylor's first day as a South Bend Cub was spent at Wrigley Field for the Cubs' team workout at The Friendly Confines. And on a nightly basis when his name is called, Taylor gets outs. Plane and simple. Taylor has that patented sweeper with all kinds of horizontal movement, but throwing from the sidearm angle that he does only makes his fastball zing quicker from a hitter's perspective. Again, even though it's his first year in the organization, Taylor needs more love among the prospect ranks. Absolutely nasty, and records zeroes. He's as trustworthy of a guy in that bullpen as there is on this team.

Schedule and Probables...

Tuesday, July 22 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Connor Schultz vs RHP Jose Montero

Wednesday, July 23 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Erian Rodriguez vs RHP Nestor Lorant

Thursday, July 24 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Kevin Valdez vs. LHP Nick Sando

Friday, July 25 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Brooks Caple vs. RHP Luke Hayden

Saturday, July 26 - 7:05 PM ET: LHP Evan Aschenbeck vs. LHP Adam Serwinowski

Sunday, July 27 - 1:05 PM ET: RHP Yenrri Rojas vs. RHP Jose Montero

Check out the South Bend Cubs Statistics



Midwest League Stories from July 21, 2025


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