Sports stats



Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - August 9th, 2013

August 9, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS BREAK THREE TEAM RECORDS IN EIGHTH STRAIGHT WIN: The Wichita Wingnuts beat the Can-Am League's Rockland Boulders 9-6 at Provident Bank Park on Thursday night to win their eighth game in a row and finish a four-game sweep of the series. Three franchise home run records fell in the win. CJ Ziegler cracked his 22nd of the year to set an individual single-season mark. Kelly Hunt and Greg Porter held the previous record, each hitting 21 in 2009. The Wingnuts combined for six home runs in the win which breaks the team's single-game record of five set twice in 2012. With 88 home runs for the season, the Wingnuts also broke their team single-season record of 86, also set in 2009. John Rodriguez, Cole Armstrong, Brent Clevlen, and Abel Nieves joined Ziegler in going deep with Clevlen hitting a pair. Justin Klipp earned the win, allowing four earned runs on eight hits over 6.0 innings. Nick Walters and Andrew Aizenstadt each threw 1.0 shutout relief inning. Rodriguez has now hit safely in 12 games in a row.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE JACKALS: The Wingnuts are 3-3 all-time against the Can-Am League's New Jersey Jackals. This weekend marks Wichita's first ever visit to 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 53-25 and lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats by 6.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts just swept a four-game series from the Can-Am League's Rockland Boulders. The Jackals are 39-36 and in second place in the Can-Am League. New Jersey trails Quebec by 4.0 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 second in the American Association in hitting (.298), first in pitching (3.39), and third in fielding (.977). The Jackals are second in the Can-Am League in batting (.277), third in pitching (4.47), 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 Junior Guerra who is 8-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 15 starts. Guerra is tied for fifth in the American Association in wins, fourth in ERA, and third in strikeouts. Guerra earned a win at Newark on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on eight hits in 7.0 IP. Guerra struck out a career-high 10 batters in the victory. Guerra is 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA on the road this season in eight starts. Guerra has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of 15 starts and has allowed more than four earned runs in just three of them. Guerra has pitched at least 6.0 innings in 11 of 15 starts and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Guerra has walked three or fewer batters in 11 of 15 starts. In his last nine starts, Guerra is 5-2 with a 2.48 ERA (16 ER, 58.0 IP) with 60 strikeouts. Guerra beat New Jersey on May 24th at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, allowing one earned run on nine hits in 7.0 IP while striking out eight.

Guerra was 1-3 in five starts with a 5.46 ERA for the Leones de Yucatan in the Mexican League last year. Guerra allowed three or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts for the Leones. Guerra starred for the Wingnuts in 2011, posting a 9-3 record while finishing tied for ninth in the American Association in ERA (3.57) and seventh in strikeouts (103). Guerra was 8-1 with a 2.30 ERA over his final 12 regular season starts in 2011, and then allowed one earned run in 6.2 innings in Game One of the Division Series at Grand Prairie. On July 13th, 2011, Guerra worked the first 7.1 innings of a combined no-hitter over the Shreveport-Bossier Captains at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

As a pitcher, Guerra is 19-11 with a 3.81 ERA in 76 career games, 40 of them starts. Guerra is in his eighth year of professional baseball, and spent four years in the Atlanta Braves' farm system as a catcher. Guerra was signed by Atlanta as an international free agent in 2001.

The Jackals go with right-hander Jon Lucas who is 5-4 with a 4.48 ERA in nine starts and 14 relief appearances. Lucas picked up a win on Sunday at Quebec, allowing one unearned run on eight hits over 6.0 IP. Lucas walked two and struck out none. Lucas is 3-4 as a starting pitcher with a 4.88 ERA (26 ER, 48.0 IP). Lucas is 3-3 with a 4.77 ERA at home this season in five starts and five relief outings. Lucas has allowed three or fewer earned runs in six of nine starts. Lucas has walked two or fewer batters in seven of nine starts and has walked more than three in just one of them. Lucas faced the Wingnuts on May 25th in relief, allowing one earned run in 1.2 IP in a 7-6 Jackals' win.

Lucas is 9-8 with one save and a 4.02 ERA in three professional seasons over 71 games, nine of them starts. Lucas posted a 3.35 ERA in 27 relief outings for the Short- season Northwest League's Vancouver Canadians last year. Lucas signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent in 2011after a four-year career at Wagner College. Lucas was both a starting pitcher and DH during his time at Wagner and hit .308 or better during his sophomore and junior seasons.

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 275-195 (.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 275 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.

NBC TRIP IS HERE AGAIN: The Wingnuts' annual NBC road trip started on Friday, July 26th at Grand Prairie. This year's trip spans 16 games over 17 days and totals 4,633 miles from start to finish via bus and plane. The Wingnuts face Grand Prairie and El Paso before flying to the east coast. Wichita then takes on three Can-Am League teams, including Newark, Rockland, and New Jersey.

BACKGROUND ON THE NBC WORLD SERIES: The National Baseball Congress World Series is the nation's largest amateur baseball tournament, and has been played at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita, KS every year since 1935. Hall of Famer Satchell Paige helped bring the event into prominence during its first year and still holds the tournament record for strikeouts (60). Paige had his number "17" retired at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium during last year's World Series. Since the 1970s, the tournament has been mostly comprised of college summer league teams. Games are played throughout the day for two weeks, including "Baseball 'Round the Clock" (17 games in 56 hours) during the tournament's halfway point. Former Major Leaguers who have appeared in the NBC World Series include Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, and Tim Lincecum. Wingnuts that have played in the tournament include Kevin Hooper, Luke Robertson, Jake Kahaulelio, Anthony Capra, Josh Stone, and Ryan Scoles. Stone was the tournament's Pitcher of the Year in 2012 for the El Dorado (KS) Broncos.

NIEVES PACING THE LEAGUE: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves leads the American Association in batting average (.370). 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 70 of 77 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 tied for first 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 88 home runs and first with 107 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 .233. Anthony Capra ranks first among active starting pitchers at .209. Chris Smith ranks second at .225. Junior Guerra is seventh at .251. 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 second in the American Association with a .298 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 third in the American Association with a .977 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 is tied for the league lead with five 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' 25 losses this season, 14 have been by one run, two by two runs, and three by three runs. Wichita has held a lead at some point in 14 of their 24 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 3.13 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 23.0 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 3.64 ERA in 42.0 IP for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's Round Rock Express (Texas). RHP Jon Link was purchased by the Detroit Tigers in 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 7.56 ERA in three starts and two 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.

• Discuss this story on the American Association message board...

American Association Stories from August 9, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Wichita Wingnuts Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central