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Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - August 11th, 2013

August 11, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS SPLIT WELL-PITCHED DOUBLE HEADER: The Wichita Wingnuts split a double header with the Can-Am League's New Jersey Jackals at Yogi Berra Stadium on Saturday, dropping the opener 3-1 and winning the nightcap 2-1. Junior Guerra took a complete game loss in game one, allowing one earned run on eight hits in 6.0 IP. Guerra tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts and walked just one. John Rodriguez drove in Wichita's lone run with an RBI groundout. In game two, Anthony Capra earned the win, allowing one earned run on four hits in 6.0 IP. Capra struck out seven, walked three, and retired the final nine batters to face him. Rodriguez hit a two-run home run in support of Capra. Josh Dew pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to earn his 20th save, which tied a Wingnuts' single-season record.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE JACKALS: The Wingnuts are 4-4 all-time against the Can-Am League's New Jersey Jackals, including a 1-1 mark at Yogi Berra Stadium. The Jackals have been members of the Can-Am League since 2005 and spent their first seven years of existence (1998-2004) in the Northern League-East. New Jersey won four Northern League titles in a seven-year span, capturing championships in 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2004. Joe Calfapietra is in his 11th season as Jackals' manager and has guided New Jersey to a winning record in eight of his first 10. Current St. Paul Saints' manager George Tsamis managed New Jersey from 2001-02, winning a championship each year. Former Wingnuts' skipper Kash Beauchamp led the Jackals during their first three seasons and won a championship in 1998. The Jackals have finished with a winning record in 12 of their first 15 seasons and have reached the playoffs in 11 of them. New Jersey's roster features reigning Can-Am League MVP Nick Giarraputo, as well as former American Association all-star Bryan Sabatella.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 54-26 and lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats by 7.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts just swept a four-game series from the Can-Am League's Rockland Boulders. The Jackals are 40-37 and in second place in the Can-Am League. New Jersey trails Quebec by 5.0 games for first place, and leads Rockland by 1.0 game for the final Can-Am League playoff spot. The Jackals just won three of four from the Newark Bears. The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association in hitting (.297), first in pitching (3.39), and tied for third in fielding (.976). The Jackals are second in the Can-Am League in batting (.277), third in pitching (4.42), and first in defense (.973). New Jersey took two of three from Wichita at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in late-May.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts go with right-hander Josh Stone who is 1-0 with a 3.91 ERA in one start and 17 relief appearances. Stone made his first career start on Tuesday morning at Rockland, allowing four earned runs on five hits over 5.0 IP while taking a no-decision. The Wingnuts won the game 7-5. Stone is 0-0 with a 5.65 ERA on the road this season in one start and eight relief outings. Stone has not allowed an earned run in 12 of his 17 relief outings this year. Stone signed with the Wingnuts on June 14th after finishing his college career at Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS. Stone earned Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Pitcher of the Year honors as a senior this past spring, going 8-3 with one save and a 2.15 ERA. Stone struck out 81 and walked 20 over 79.2 IP. Stone played for the Wellington (KS) Heat prior to signing with the Wingnuts. Last summer, Stone played for the El Dorado Broncos. Both Wellington and El Dorado recently competed in the 2013 NBC World Series, with Wellington finishing as the runner-up. Stone earned Pitcher of the Year honors in last year's tournament while pitching for the Broncos.

The Jackals go with right-hander Wes Roemer who is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in five starts since the Jackals acquired him from the St. Paul Saints on July 15th in exchange for a player to be named later. Roemer picked up a win vs. Newark on Tuesday, allowing four earned runs on seven hits in 6.0 IP. Roemer walked one and struck out six. Roemer is 2-0 with a 4.05 ERA in three starts at Yogi Berra Stadium this season. Roemer has allowed four or fewer earned runs in four of five starts with the Jackals. Roemer has walked two or fewer batters in four of five starts and has walked three or fewer in all of them. Roemer has pitched at least 6.0 innings in four of five starts and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Roemer was 4-5 with a 6.88 ERA for the Saints in nine starts before the trade. Roemer faced the Wingnuts twice this season, going 1-1 with a 10.50 ERA. Roemer beat Wichita at St. Paul on June 7th, allowing four earned runs in 7.0+ innings. Roemer then lost to the Wingnuts at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on June 15th, allowing 10 earned runs on 11 hits in 5.0+ innings.

Roemer opened 2012 with the Saints and was 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA in four starts before having his contract purchased by the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization. Roemer was assigned to Double-A Chattanooga and was 4-2 with one save and a 2.73 ERA in 23 relief appearances.

Roemer is in his seventh season of professional baseball and is 44-45 in his career with a 4.41 ERA in 155 games, 121 of them starts. Roemer has averaged just 2.6 walks per nine innings in his professional career. Roemer was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 1st round (50th overall) out of Cal State Fullerton in 2007 and twice reached the Triple-A level. Roemer was the Big West's Pitcher of the Year and a First-Team All-American as a sophomore in 2006.

HOOPER FIVE FOR FIVE: The Wingnuts won their 51st game of the season on August 6th at Rockland, clinching a winning season under manager Kevin Hooper for a fifth time in five years. Hooper is 276-196 (.585) since taking over the club in 2009 and has guided the Wingnuts to three playoff berths. Hooper's .585 winning percentage is the highest among American Association managers over the last five years. His 276 wins also rank first during that stretch. Hooper was a member of a team that made the playoffs in eight different seasons over his 10-year playing career. Hooper was also a member of Wichita State University's College World Series team in 1996. The Shockers reached the NCAA tournament in all four of Hooper's collegiate seasons, and posted a composite .815 winning percentage.

NIEVES PACING THE LEAGUE: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves leads the American Association in batting average (.369). Wichita has had a player win the batting title in three of its first five seasons. Kevin Hooper won by 40 points in 2008 at .373, Greg Porter topped the league with a .372 mark in 2009, and Jake Kahaulelio finished first with a .372 average in 2012. Nieves had a 19-game hitting streak from June 8th-26th (38 for 76, .500) which ranks tied for the second-longest in team history (Greg Porter 2009 and Jorge Delgado 2010). The team record is held by Josh Horn, who hit safely in 20 consecutive games from August 29th, 2009 through June 5th, 2010. Nieves finished second in the Frontier League in batting average last year, hitting .320 for the Joliet Slammers. Nieves reached the Triple-A level three times with the Los Angeles Angels' organization.

KHOURY SETTING THE TABLE: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury has reached base in 71 of 79 games this season with a hit, walk, or hit by pitch. Khoury reached base in 87 of 100 games in 2012, and was named the American Association's Defensive Player of the Year. Khoury also ranked in the top-four in the league in runs scored, walks, and stolen bases. On June 26th vs. Laredo, Khoury missed his first game since joining the Wingnuts last year. Including the postseason, Khoury had started 145 consecutive games both at shortstop and in the leadoff spot, and missed just five total innings in the field during that stretch. Prior to June 26th, the last time a Wingnuts' player other than Khoury started at shortstop was September 4th, 2011 when Josh Horn started Game Four of the Division Series vs. Grand Prairie. Jimmy Mojica was the last Wingnuts' player to bat leadoff, which was also on September 4th, 2011.

ZIEGLER CLEANING THE TABLE, WINGNUTS' NEW HOME RUN KING: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler is second in the American Association in home runs (22) and ranks first in RBI (79). On August 8th at Rockland, Ziegler set a franchise single-season record with his 22nd home run of the season, besting Kelly Hunt and Greg Porter who each hit 21 home runs in 2009. In the opener of a double header vs. St. Paul on June 14th, Ziegler hit his ninth home run of 2013 and his 27th in a Wingnuts' uniform over the last two years, passing Ryan Patterson (2010-11) for the most in franchise history. Ziegler is only the third player in team history to reach the 20 home run plateau. Ziegler tied a Wingnuts' single-game record with seven RBI on June 24th vs. Laredo. Last season, Ziegler ranked tied for third in the American Association with 18 home runs in just 58 games played. Ziegler has helped his team reach the playoffs in each of his first five professional seasons.

POWER AND SPEED: The Wingnuts offense has benefited from a rare mix of power and speed. Wichita ranks first in the American Association with 89 home runs and first with 108 stolen bases. Wichita led the American Association with 86 home runs in 2009. The Wingnuts have never led the league steals. Their franchise-best for stolen bases is 150 set last year.

STINGY ARMS: The Wingnuts' pitching staff ranks first in the American Association in opponents' batting average at .234. Anthony Capra ranks first among active starting pitchers at .209. Chris Smith ranks second at .225. Junior Guerra is tied for ninth at .254. Ryan Hinson, who was recently purchased by the Atlanta Braves, ranks first overall at .193.

PITCHING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a 3.39 team ERA. The Wingnuts ranked first in ERA in 2009 and 2010 while finishing third in 2011.

SWINGING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a .297 team batting average. Over the last two seasons, the Wingnuts have finished first and second respectively in the league batting race.

GLOVE WORK: The Wingnuts are tied for third in the American Association with a .976 fielding percentage. Wichita has led the league in defense in three of their first five years of existence (2008, 2009, 2012), and finished second in 2011. The Wingnuts hold the American Association record for team fielding percentage at .980, which they accomplished in both 2009 and 2012.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Wingnuts are 180-103 (.636) all-time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. It is the highest home winning percentage for any American Association team since the Wingnuts began play in 2008.

SCORELESS BALL: The Wingnuts have posted seven shutouts as a team this season. The franchise record for shutouts in a single season is nine, set in both 2010 and 2011.

COMPLETE ME: The Wingnuts' pitching staff ranks tied for first in the American Association with six complete games. Wichita's club record for complete games in a single season is seven, set in both 2009 and 2010.

TOUGH LOSSES: Of the Wingnuts' 26 losses this season, 14 have been by one run, three by two runs, and three by three runs. Wichita has held a lead at some point in 14 of their 26 losses.

GUERRA PROTECTING THE HOME FRONT: Wingnuts' right-hander Junior Guerra has excelled when pitching at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Guerra is 11-3 with a 2.93 ERA (42 ER, 129.0 IP) all-time in Wichita over 18 starts.

`J-ROD' REACHES MAJOR MILESTONES: Wingnuts' DH John Rodriguez hit a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning on July 8th vs. Amarillo for the 1,500th base hit of his 17-year professional career. The home run also have Rodriguez 902 career RBI. On July 18th vs. Lincoln, Rodriguez set the Wingnuts' franchise record for RBI (126) with a two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Josh Horn (2009-11) held the previous team record with 125 RBI.

KHOURY BREAKS TEAM STEALS RECORD: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury set a franchise record with his 47th stolen base on July 6th vs. Amarillo. Josh Horn (2009-11) held the previous record with 46. Last year, Khoury established a Wingnuts' single-season record with 37 stolen bases, surpassing current manager Kevin Hooper's mark of 34 set in 2008.

BACK-TO-BACK: John Rodriguez and CJ Ziegler hit back-to-back home runs on consecutive pitches in the bottom of the third inning in game one of a double header on Friday, June 14th vs. St. Paul. They were the first back-to-back home runs for the Wingnuts since July 26th, 2011 when Josh Horn and Brent Clevlen accomplished the feat vs. Fargo-Moorhead. Ziegler and Clevlen homered on back-to-back pitches on Monday, June 24th vs. Laredo, while Clevlen and Abel Nieves hit back-to-back home runs on August 8th at Rockland.

GRAND SLAM TIME: On Tuesday, June 11th at Winnipeg, Abel Nieves hit the Wingnuts' first grand slam home run since August 27th, 2011 when Juan Richardson hit a bases loaded `big fly' in a 19-2 rout at El Paso. Wichita hit .309 as a team with the bases loaded in 2012, and was hitting .400 with the sacks full going into June 11th of this year, but had gone 126 consecutive games without a grand slam. CJ Ziegler hit the Wingnuts' second grand slam of 2013 on June 28th vs. Sioux City. Jake Kahaulelio smacked the first walk-off grand slam in team history on July 23rd at Amarillo.

ALUMNI REPORT: RHP Matt Nevarez (2011-12) has a 2.31 ERA for the Double-A Southern League's Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay) with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 IP. RHP James Hoyt (2012) was recently promoted to the Double-A Southern League's Mississippi Braves (Atlanta) and has a 2.88 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25.0 IP. Hoyt posted a 4.89 ERA with 72 strikeouts in just 49.2 IP earlier this year for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats. LHP and Wingnuts' co-owner Nate Robertson (2012) has a 3.50 ERA in 43.2 IP for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's Round Rock Express (Texas). RHP Jon Link was purchased by the Detroit Tigers on June 19th and went 3-1 with a 1.13 ERA in five starts for the Double-A Eastern League's Erie SeaWolves. Link was recently promoted to Triple-A Toledo and is 0-3 with a 6.63 ERA in three starts and three relief appearances. LHP Ryan Hinson was purchased by the Atlanta Braves on July 11th and is 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats.



American Association Stories from August 11, 2013


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