SL Mississippi Braves

Wednesday, June 2 at Pensacola Blue Wahoos: 6:35 PM: Blue Wahoos Stadium

June 2, 2021 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (ATL) (12-13, 2ND, AA-S South, -4.0) at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (MIA) (16-9, 1st, AA-S South, +4.0)

Starting Pitchers: LHP Hayden Deal (0-2, 4.24) vs. LHP Brandon Leibrandt (0-2, 7.31)

Radio: 103.9 FM WYAB and (LISTEN LIVE LINK)

TV: MiLB.TV

Today's Roster Moves:

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TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves (ATL) continue a 12-game road trip tonight with game two of a six-game series against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (MIA) and Blue Wahoos Stadium (0-1). The second leg of the road trip will take the M-Braves to face Biloxi for the second time at MGM Park.

- The M-Braves are 2-5 against the Blue Wahoos this season, dropping four of six in the opening series of 2021, May 5-9, at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves and Wahoos meet 30 times this season with 18 games at Trustmark Park and 12 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The Wahoos will return to Pearl, July 6-11.

WAHOOS SNAP M-BRAVES' FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAK TUESDAY: In a back-and-forth game on Tuesday, the Blue Wahoos held on for a 4-3 victory over the M-Braves in the series opener at Blue Wahoos Stadium. CJ Alexander hit his team-leading fifth home run in the 3rd inning, a solo shot that tied the game at 1-1. Starter Nolan Kingham allowed two runs on eight hits over 4.2 innings, walking one and striking out two. Pensacola scored runs in the seventh and eighth to pull ahead. Riley Unroe and Drew Lugbauer each finished with two hits.

m-braves finish homestand 8-4: The M-Braves went 3-3 against Chattanooga and 5-1 against Montgomery to finish a successful 8-4 homestand from May 18-30. With Sunday's win, the M-Braves are 14-12 in extra-inning games since the new rule of a runner at second base was installed in 2018.

ONE-RUN GAMES: The M-Braves had won six-straight one-run games until the 4-3 loss on Tuesday. The Braves lost their first four to begin the season, and are 6-5 overall. Only Pensacola has more wins in one-run games than Mississippi (9-2).

LANGELIERS NAMED AA-SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The former 9th overall pick in 2019 and Baylor star ended his week on Sunday night with a walk-off single to give the M-Braves a fourth-straight victory, 2-1, over Montgomery. Over the week, the 22-year-old hit .421 (8-for-19) with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, five runs, and a .476 on-base percentage. In a week in which the Braves went 5-1, Langeliers capped his week with his first professional grand slam on Thursday night in the third inning of a 7-6 win over the Biscuits.

AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: CJ Alexander is T-4th with 5 home runs...Justin Dean is T-1st with 7 stolen bases...Shea Langeliers is T-9th with 4 home runs, T-10th with 12 walks. 10th in slugging, .484, and 8th in OPS .865...Brandon White is 3rd in saves with 4...Nolan Kingham is 3rd with 27.0 innings pitched.

bacon stays hot: Troy Bacon has yet to allow a run in relief so far this season and is 2-0 with 10 strikeouts and two walks over his first 11.1 IP. He's holding the opposition to just a .184 AVG. Brandon White is 4-for-4 in save opportunities and has allowed just one run in his first 10.0 innings this season (0.90 ERA), walking five and striking out 12, holding the opposition to a .111 batting average.

WITHROW GETTING THE JOB DONE: 27-year-old RHP Matt Withrow has allowed just one earned run over his first six outings (3 starts) this season, posting a 0.55 ERA in 16.2 innings with 16 strikeouts and 11 walks.

grand salami time: Langeliers' grand slam last Thursday night against Montgomery was the first by the M-Braves since Luis Valenzuela blasted one in Chattanooga on April 15, 2019. The grand slam was the first by a Braves player at Trustmark Park since Carlos Martinez hit one on June 12, 2018. The M-Braves have hit just four grand slams since 2014. For Langeliers it was his first professional home run and first since hitting a pair during the Cape Cod League during the summer of his freshman year at Baylor.

SOLID DEFENSE: The M-Braves rank 2nd in the Double-A South with a .978 fielding percentage (BLX, .982), just 19 errors in 25 games, and 1st with 26 double plays turned. M-Braves catchers have given up only 13 stolen bases, which is the best in the league. Shea Langeliers is 10-for-20 in catching opposing base stealers, 50%, which leads all of Double-A baseball.

USING THE LONG BALL: The M-Braves have 23 home runs so far this season, ranking 3rd in the Double-A South (BIR, 38/RCT, 34). Of the 84 runs scored this season, 44 have come via the home run ball (52%). Braves batters rank last in the league with a .194 batting average.

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.

BRAND NEW COACHING STAFF: The 17 newcomers on the Opening Day 28-man roster joined an entirely new coaching staff, all having major league experience. The M-Braves are led by manager Wyatt Toregas and is joined by hitting coach Einar Diaz, pitching coach, former Braves first-round pick Dan Meyer and coach Devon Travis.

- Toregas, 38, is a former catcher who played in 22 major-league games across two seasons with Cleveland (2009) and Pittsburgh (2011). After spending the previous five minor-league seasons managing in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, the upcoming campaign will be his first with the Braves, including most recently with High-A Bradenton in 2019. in fives seasons, Toregas holds a 293-263 (.527) record as a skipper entering the 2021 season.

150 MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUTS: Despite no season in 2020, the M-Braves saw their 150th player make their major league debut. Starting in 2005, the 150 include 32 All-Star Game appearances, 11 Silver Sluggers, 12 Gold Gloves, 11 World Series champs, two Rookies of the Year, and one MVP.

- In 2020, William Contreras, Joe Odom (SEA), Ricardo Sanchez (STL), Cristian Pache, Ian Anderson, Patrick Weigel, Bruce Zimmermann and Tucker Davidson. The first was Brian McCann back in June, 2005.

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.

2019 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Mississippi Braves concluded their 15th anniversary season in Central Mississippi with a 64-75 overall record, finishing fourth in the Southern League South Division. While the club missed out on the postseason for the third-straight season, the 2019 campaign saw the 3 millionth fan enter Trustmark Park, 1,000th franchise win, third no-hitter in club history, record three postseason All-Stars and the first Southern League Most Valuable Player.

Check out the Mississippi Braves Statistics



Southern League Stories from June 2, 2021


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