WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th, 2019
- Martis is Money—Winnipeg Sun, 7/10/19 - Saltdogs Top Goldeyes in Lincoln—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/9/19 - Smith, Saltdogs End Scoring Drought With Rout of Winnipeg—Lincoln Journal Star (Tim Gray), 7/10/19 - ‘Dogs Break Out on Historic Night at Haymarket Park—Lincoln Saltdogs (Michael Dixon), 7/9/19 - July 9th Game Highlights (Video Link)—Lincoln Saltdogs (Michael Dixon), 7/9/19 - Lincoln Has Field of Dreams—Winnipeg Sun, 7/10/19 - Injuries, Popgun Offence Has Fish Swimming Upstream—Winnipeg Free Press (Mike McIntyre), 7/9/19 - Goldeyes Head to Lincoln—Winnipeg Sun, 7/9/19 - Versatile Kinman Hits Stride for Saltdogs Following Tommy John Surgery—Lincoln Journal Star (Tim Gray), 7/6/19 - Saltdogs’ Tepesch Secures Victory, Then Retires—Lincoln Journal Star (Tim Gray), 7/5/19
MARTIS IS MONEY WINNIPEG SUN – WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th The Winnipeg Goldeyes lost 9-2 to the Lincoln Saltdogs at Haymarket Park on Tuesday night.
Winnipeg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a Kyle Martin sacrifice fly, but Lincoln tied the game in the bottom half on a two-out double from Nick Schulz.
The Saltdogs took the lead in the third when Randolph Oduber singled home Christian Ibarra. Two batters later, Curt Smith crushed a three-run home run to left.
Smith added a two-run double in the fifth, highlighting a three-run inning.
On the other side of the ball, Lincoln starter Shairon Martis held the Goldeyes without a hit for six and two-thirds innings. Kevin Garcia broke up the no- hit bid with a single to left on Martis’ 103rd pitch of the night. After Austin Pettibone relieved Martis, Tyler Hill singled home the Goldeyes’ second run to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Lincoln opened a 9-2 lead in the eight on back-to-back doubles from Ivan Marin and Christian Ibarra.
Joel Seddon took the loss for Winnipeg, allowing eight runs, seven earned, over five innings.
LINCOLN SALTDOGS 9, WINNIPEG GOLDEYES 2 WINNING PITCHER: LIN: Shairon Martis (2-4) LOSING PITCHER: WPG: Joel Seddon (2-2) HOME RUN LIN: Curt Smith (8).
THE SKINNY: Veteran Curt Smith homered and drove in five runs, while Lincoln starter Shairon Martis carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning as the Saltdogs beat the Goldeyes 9-2 in the opener of a three-game series at Haymarket Park.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Martis held the Goldeyes hitless until Kevin Garcia’s two-out single to left in the top of the seventh.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Forrest Allday had two hits in his Saltdogs debut and made a diving catch to rob Tyler Hill’s line drive to centre for the game’s final out. Allday was acquired from the Kansas City T-Bones earlier in the day in a four-player trade.
NEXT UP: The Goldeyes and Saltdogs play Game 2 of their three-game series Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Parker French takes on right-hander John Brownell. The game can be heard on 93.7 FM.
SALTDOGS TOP GOLDEYES IN LINCOLN STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – TUESDAY, JULY 9th LINCOLN, NE – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (28-21) lost 9-2 to the Lincoln Saltdogs at Haymarket Park on Tuesday night.
Winnipeg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Reggie Abercrombie was hit by a pitch with one out, stole second, took third on a throwing error, and scored on a Kyle Martin sacrifice fly to right.
Lincoln (23-27) answered back in the bottom half on a two-out, RBI double from Nick Schulz.
The Saltdogs took the lead with a four-run bottom of the third. Randolph Oduber singled home Christian Ibarra with the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Curt Smith hit a three-run home run to left.
In the bottom of the fifth, Smith lined a two-run double into the left field corner, and later scored on a Josh Mazzola sacrifice fly that pushed Lincoln’s lead to 8-1.
Lincoln starter Shairon Martis carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The no-hit bid was broken up with two outs on a line drive single to left from Kevin Garcia. After Austin Pettibone relieved Martis, Tyler Hill singled home Jordan Hovey with the Goldeyes’ second run. Hill has hit safely in 10 straight games.
Ibarra doubled home Ivan Marin with the Saltdogs’ ninth and final run in the bottom of the eighth.
Martis (2-4) picked up the win, allowing one unearned run on one hit in six and two-thirds innings. Martis walked three and struck out six.
Goldeyes’ starter Joel Seddon (2-2) took the loss, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on six hits in five innings. Seddon walked three and struck out one.
Christian Torres pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Seddon.
The series continues Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Parker French (2-2, 5.12) faces right-hander John Brownell (3-3, 4.39). All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca
The Goldeyes return home on Tuesday, July 16th when they host the Sioux Falls Canaries at Shaw Park. Advance tickets are on sale now by visiting www.goldeyes.com/tickets or by visiting the box office at Shaw Park.
For information on 2019 season tickets, 10-game mini packs, and group tickets, call the Goldeyes’ office at (204) 982-BASE, or visit the Goldeyes’ official website at www.goldeyes.com
SMITH, SALTDOGS END SCORING DROUGHT WITH ROUT OF WINNIPEG TIM GRAY – LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR – WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th Curt Smith had a different look in his eyes Tuesday at Haymarket Park.
The Lincoln Saltdogs had a scoreless streak of 21 innings before Smith scored in the bottom of the second inning. He had five RBIs and scored three times in front of 2,243 fans as the Saltdogs routed Winnipeg 9-2 in a series-opening victory.
“I was a little more aggressive and selective at the same time,” Smith said. “I knew we were struggling scoring runs and I was a part of that. I left some runners on base in the previous games.
“I took it very personal to drive runners in, and I'm glad I could help the team out today.”
Nick Schulz lifted the weight off Lincoln's shoulders with a two-out RBI double that scored Smith to tie the game 1-1. Following a Randolph Oduber RBI in the third, Smith put the Saltdogs in a scoring frenzy with a three-run blast to push the lead to 5-1. The Willemsted, Curacao, native added a two-RBI double in the fifth and finished 2-for-3. He is 5-for-7 in his last two games.
“As much as you don't want to think about and forget about it, it's there,” Smith said about the scoreless streak. It happened and we had to make an adjustment. I'm glad to see we did today.”
Another Willemsted native, Shairon Martis, had an interesting night on the mound, holding the Goldeyes hitless for 6 2/3 innings.
Winnipeg took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Martis hit American Association veteran Reggie Abercrombie with a pitch with one out. Abercrombie stole second and advanced to third on catcher Tyler Moore's throwing error. The Goldeye outfielder then scored on a sacrifice fly.
Martis allowed seven base runners on two hit batters, three walks and an error, including Winnipeg's first hit in the top of the seventh that ended the no- hit bid and Martis' night. He struck out six.
“(Sharion) is a veteran pitcher that knows how this league is,” Lincoln manager Bobby Brown said. “When you lose a couple games, you want your veteran to be the stopper, and he was the stopper tonight — he was outstanding.”
Newly acquired infielder Josh Mazzola singled in the second inning for his 700th career regular-season hit. Mazzola has a hit in all three games since joining Lincoln on Saturday.
The Saltdogs and Goldeyes continue the series Wednesday at 7 p.m.
‘DOGS BREAK OUT ON HISTORIC NIGHT AT HAYMARKET PARK MICHAEL DIXON – LINCOLN SALTDOGS – TUESDAY, JULY 9th LINCOLN, Nebraska – Curt Smith tied a club season-high with five RBI, Josh Mazzola became the fifth player in league history to 700 hits, and Shairon Martis took a no-hitter into the 7th inning of a 9-2 win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes at Haymarket Park on Tuesday night.
Smith hit a three-run homer as part of a four-run 3rd inning, while Shairon Martis built on another great start by allowing just one hit that came with two outs in the 7th inning.
Josh Mazzola, who had 493 career hits with the Goldeyes over his five seasons in Winnipeg, singled to left in the 2nd inning – joining Reggie Abercrombie, David Espinosa, Maikol Gonzalez and John Allen as the only player in American Association history with 700 or more hits.
The ‘Dogs fell behind on a sacrifice fly in the 2nd inning, but Nick Schulz answered immediately to tie the game in the bottom-half.
In the 3rd, Randolph Oduber singled in the go-ahead run before Smith’s three-run homer – Lincoln’s first since July 4th.
Lincoln added three more in the 5th with Smith’s two-run double and a sacrifice fly from Mazzola. After Winnipeg got one back on Tyler Hill’s two-out RBI single in the 7th inning, Christian Ibarra doubled in Ivan Marin in the 8th – Ibarra’s first hit since returning to the disabled list on Friday.
After going scoreless over the weekend, the ‘Dogs broke out for nine more runs on Tuesday and are now 22-9 when scoring three or more runs this season.
The ‘Dogs and Goldeyes will play Game 2 of the three-game series on Wednesday night. First-pitch time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. on ESPN Lincoln 101.5 FM/1480 AM.
VIDEO: JULY 9th GAME HIGHLIGHTS MICHAEL DIXON – LINCOLN SALTDOGS – TUESDAY, JULY 9th LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaGF-W6I_PM
LINCOLN HAS A FIELD OF DREAMS WINNIPEG SUN – WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th This week, the Winnipeg Goldeyes make their lone visit of the season to Lincoln’s Haymarket Park.
The facility is in its 19th year, but much like Shaw Park in Winnipeg, Haymarket Park could easily be mistaken as brand new.
The 4,000-seat stadium is home to both the American Association’s Lincoln Saltdogs and the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team.
For the past 18 seasons, the Saltdogs have been voted either Northern League or American Association Playing Surface of the Year.
“We’re very fortunate with our partnership with the University of Nebraska,” said longtime Saltdogs president and general manager Charlie Meyer. “Like any organization, you’re only as good as the people you have around you, and we’re very fortunate to have people around the organization that really take to heart making sure we’re an ‘A-No. 1’ facility.”
Athletic Turf managers Jeremy Johnson and Jen Roeber are responsible for a staff of roughly six that keep Haymarket Park baseball operational nine months out of the year.
The field is sunk below street level and drains exceptionally well. Despite a natural grass and dirt surface that requires the protection of a tarp in the event of rain, the park did not experience a postponement until its seventh season in 2007.
The annual tradition of the Saltdogs taking home the league’s top honour is even more impressive when you consider that Haymarket Park has become one of the American Association’s older facilities.
More than half of the remaining stadiums in the league were built in the years following Haymarket Park.
Venues such as St. Paul’s CHS Field (2015) and Chicago’s Impact Field (2018)—among others—have received nationwide acclaim for a variety of features. None of them, however, have been able to unseat Haymarket Park for best playing surface.
“I am biased, but I think Haymarket Park is probably one of the best playing surfaces in the country,” Meyer said. “We’ve been very fortunate and humbled that everybody thinks we’re the best playing surface for 18 years. Our team here takes pride in doing that. But when you look at all the newer facilities in this league that have come up since Haymarket Park, the players get to play in what I would say is the best independent league in the country, as well as the best facilities that they can play in.”
INJURIES, POPGUN OFFENCE HAS FISH SWIMMING UPSTREAM MIKE MCINTYRE – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – TUESDAY, JULY 9th Rick Forney can’t escape the feeling of déjà vu. And it’s causing no shortage of pain for the veteran skipper of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, where his clubhouse is once again starting to look like an infirmary.
"We’re not keeping people on the field. It’s just one injury after another and it just doesn’t seem to stop," he said Monday during a candid, wide-ranging chat as his team closed in on the halfway mark of the 100-game schedule.
Such is life in the American Association, where a compressed game schedule, dozens of hours of bus travel and small rosters can quickly take a toll and spoil the best-laid plans.
In the case of the Goldeyes, that would be a return to the playoffs after a rare down year and the quest for a third league championship in the past four seasons.
The MASH unit currently consists of outfielder and former league MVP Josh Romanski, first baseman Dominic Ficociello and shortstop Adrian Marin, representing one-third of the starting nine. Catchers Kevin Garcia and Cody Young have both been banged up recently but are fighting through it, while outfielder Willy Garcia is nursing a tender hamstring. As if that’s not bad enough, a flu bug has been going around, too.
"This has been a very difficult season," said Forney, who was hoping for a reversal of fortune in that department after the 2018 campaign went south by a rash of key injuries and player defections, resulting in a franchise-worst 41-59 record coming on the heels of back-to-back league titles in 2016 and 2017 where good health and winning baseball went hand in hand.
There’s other headaches, too. The team’s most promising young player, infielder/outfielder Kevin Lachance, was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks last month, leaving a gaping hole that hasn’t really been filled.
"The first few weeks of the season, that guy was the straw that stirred our drink. He was our offence," Forney said with a sigh.
Then there’s the case of the team’s most tenured player, Reggie Abercrombie, whose season has gone from bad to worse lately. The league’s all-time leader in home runs and RBIs can’t seem to hit anything these days, his average now a team-worst .201, which includes a dreadful 4-for-42 streak following Monday’s game, where he again went 0-for-4 including a strikeout, grounding into a double-play and hitting into a fielder’s choice where a teammate on third base was thrown out at home plate.
He’s been moved way down the batting order, but Father Time appears to finally be catching up with the former major leaguer, who turns 39 next week. Despite all of these woes, it’s not all gloom and doom. Remarkably, the Goldeyes are still in relatively good shape, at least in the standings. They departed Shaw Park on Monday night with a 28-20 record, which is third-best in the 12-team loop.
No, these guys are far from the Bad News Bears, even if a dark cloud does seem to be following them around.
There is one big problem, however: the only two teams ahead of them in the overall standings happen to be a pair of North division rivals in Fargo- Moorhead and St. Paul.
Since two teams from each division make the playoffs, the Goldeyes are currently outside of the playoff bubble, 3 1/2 back of the RedHawks and 2 1/2 behind the Saints.
Winnipeg has had an up-close look at the front-runners over the past week, with eight straight home games against Fargo-Moorhead and St. Paul.
The Goldeyes went 1-2 against the RedHawks, and split the first four games against the Saints before taking Monday’s rubber match by a 7-6 score. According to Forney, it’s been a real eye-opener, as the Fish have essentially been treading water against the two teams they’re chasing.
"We are what we are right now. I’m not saying we don’t have enough, but we’re not doing enough consistently to keep up with those two clubs, with what I’ve seen so far. We gotta catch ’em and pass them. We can’t just keep status quo and keep doing what we’re doing," he said.
"If you wanna get in it (playoffs), you gotta beat the people that you’re playing who are ahead of you. Considering all that (has happened), we’re fortunate to be where we’re at. At times we’ve played some really good baseball. But unless we can get super healthy and pick up the pace, we’re going to have a tough time catching St. Paul and Fargo."
Forney said offence has been the biggest worry. The club sits seventh in batting average, with too many players struggling to pull their weight at the plate.
"We pitch well enough, we defend well enough, even with people being out of the lineup. We’re just not scoring enough runs and pulling away from anybody," he said. "The talent’s there. We just gotta play better, play more consistent if we’re going to play in September."
A 10-4 May gave way to a 14-12 June and now a 4-4 start to July. They’ve managed to avoid any big losing streaks — the longest thus far is three games — but they’ve also been unable to string together long stretches of success, with just one four-game winning streak so far.
Some positives include committing a league-low 17 errors in 48 games, and a solid 12-5 record in one-run games.
"We’ve had enough practise at them," cracked Forney, alluding to the lack of offensive power, which means few games where they truly blow anyone out. To illustrate that, closer Victor Capellan already has a league-high 18 saves after notching another one on Monday, putting him on pace to shatter the franchise record of 22, which he set last season.
The Fish will have to get used to life on the road, with 30 of the final 52 games in enemy territory. They’ll wrap up a 20-games-in-20-days span on Sunday, getting a well-deserved day off next Monday.
Ficociello is the closest to returning, with Forney hopefully he can play later this week during a road trip that includes stops in Lincoln and St. Paul. They’ll also see plenty more of the Saints and RedHawks before the season is over, giving them the opportunity to keep pace with the leaders.
Not that playing any of the nine teams in the league who have a worse record than the Goldeyes is going to be a walk in the park.
"Everybody kind of expects Winnipeg and Fargo and St. Paul to be really good. We all care about winning and doing things (to improve the teams)," said Forney. "But there’s more parity in the league this year than I’ve ever seen. More parity than ever. Which is a good thing."
The key, as always, will be staying healthy down the stretch, which is why Forney might be reaching for both the Tums and the bubble wrap these days as he tries to steer his team into the playoffs.
GOLDEYES HEAD TO LINCOLN WINNIPEG SUN – TUESDAY, JULY 9th The Goldeyes open a three-game series tonight against the Lincoln Saltdogs at Haymarket Park in Nebraska.
The Saltdogs are competing in one of the tightest pennant races in recent American Association history. Five of the six clubs in the South Division are separated by just 4.5 games.
Lincoln ranks fifth in the league with 45 home runs, led by slugging utilityman Cody Regis. The former Arizona Diamondbacks farmhand has ranked among the American Association leaders in the triple crown categories for the majority of the season. Regis has also played double digit games at three different positions.
Former major league right-hander Nick Tepesch was pitching well in his first year with the club, and was tied for third in the league in wins. Tepesch, however, announced his retirement from baseball on Friday. The announcement came shortly after Tepesch delivered a victory against the defending champion Kansas City T-Bones.
Lincoln’s pitching staff is still supported by three front-of-the-rotation starters.
Shairon Martis, another former major leaguer, is in his fifth year with the club, and will start tonight opposite Goldeyes righty Joel Seddon. Fellow right- hander John Brownell set the Atlantic League’s career strikeouts record a year ago, and is slated to pitch Wednesday. Left-hander Kyle Kinman gets the ball Thursday. Kinman is sixth in the American Association with a 3.05 ERA and was named Pitcher of the Month for June.
Quality defence should be on display throughout this week’s series. The Goldeyes and Saltdogs rank first and second respectively in team fielding percentage. The two clubs have combined to commit just 45 errors this season. To put that in perspective, three of the remaining 10 teams have committed 44-plus errors alone.
Just two years ago, Lincoln set a league record with a .982 fielding average. Haymarket Park boasts one of the finest playing surfaces at all levels of baseball. The facility is shared with the University of Nebraska, and the Saltdogs have won Field of the Year honours every year since the ball park opened in 2001.
The Goldeyes’ defensive success has been a testament to their versatility just as much as their ability to catch and throw.
Of the four infielders the Goldeyes began the season with, only second baseman Alex Perez remains at his original position. First baseman Dominic Ficociello and shortstop Adrian Marin have endured injuries, and neither are currently on the active roster.
Perez still owns a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with nearly half the season complete. Opening Night third baseman Wes Darvill ranks third among shortstops at .983. First baseman Kyle Martin, who joined the team in June, has not committed an error in 27 games. 21-year-old true rookie Jordan Hovey has been praised for his defence by manager Rick Forney as he fills in for Darvill at third.
VERSATILE KINMAN HITS STRIDE FOR SALTDOGS FOLLOWING TOMMY JOHN SURGERY TIM GRAY – LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR – SATURDAY, JULY 6th Pick your poison when it comes to the Lincoln Saltdogs' Kyle Kinman.
The Bellevue University product has the ability to throw all nine innings, come out of the bullpen or find himself taking swings in the batters box.
Kinman made 21 appearances for the Saltdogs in 2018 on the mound, making 15 starts, and finished with a 3.90 earned-run average and a 6-5 record.
The 5-foot-10, left-handed hurler has since found himself a staple in the starting rotation in his second year with Saltdogs, sporting the American Association's lowest ERA through Friday (2.65), and was selected as the league's pitcher of the month for June. Kinman is 1-2 and made Saturday's start for Lincoln against the Kansas City T-Bones at Haymarket Park.
"Last year was my first year back from TJ (Tommy John surgery)," Kinman said. "That was my first season back, and it was just like everyone says. It was an absolute roller coaster. You just didn't know how your arm was going to feel, and usually the second year is as close as back to normal."
Kinman was a 25th-round draft pick out of Bellevue by the Atlanta Braves in 2014, sporting a 5-2 record in relief in 76 minor-league games between 2014-16. In 2015, the he had 65 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings and recorded 18 saves as he climbed three levels to Double-A Mississippi. He had a total of 23 saves in the affiliated minors before suffering an elbow injury in early 2016.
"I feel like I'm hitting that stride right now. It's close to back to normal," Kinman said. "It comes and goes, because each outing is a little different. For the most part it feels as good as it has been to being back to normal."
Before being selected by the Braves, Kinman was a two-way player for Bellevue. In his two-year career for the Bruins, the versatile Omaha Northwest graduate had 14 home runs, a .345 batting average and 102 RBIs. As a pitcher, he went 14-6 with two saves and 11 complete games while being selected as the Minnesota College Athletic Conference 2014 pitcher of the year.
Kinman's versatility has even allowed him to take a couple of at-bats in the minors and with the Saltdogs. Though he has not recorded a hit since his college days, Kinman has struck out just once in five professional at-bats, two coming with the Saltdogs including one this season in an extra-inning contest.
"It was pretty tough," Kinman said of his lone 2019 at-bat. "I hadn't seen live pitching since last year, and I went down with a blaze of glory with a strikeout with the bases loaded and one out, I think it was.
"It's really tough to come in to hit when you haven't seen live pitching in how long. Especially in this league with how good as they are."
Kinman has taken a different approach this season, even joining some batting practice sessions before games just in case the situation calls for him to come to the plate.
If Lincoln manager Bobby Brown asked Kinman to play left field in the future, Kinman already has his answer.
"There is no question," Kinman said. "For the first half of the season I was taking BP just in case we had a situation I needed to hit or play the outfield.
"I actually enjoy hitting way more than I do pitching."
SALTDOGS’ TEPESCH SECURES VICTORY, THEN RETIRES TIM GRAY – LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR – FRIDAY, JULY 5th One final pitch.
Following Lincoln Saltdogs manager Bobby Brown's ejection in the top of the sixth inning, Nick Tepesch recorded the final outs of his baseball career with a double play.
Tepesch announced to the team in the clubhouse he was retiring following Lincoln's 9-5 victory over Kansas City on Friday at Haymarket Park. He moved to 6-4 with the victory after tossing six innings, and allowed just three runs over his final 15, including a complete-game shutout in his previous start.
“This is something I've been thinking about,” Tepesch said. “I had an opportunity to keep playing. That is why I was here. The front office was great, the coaches were great — I couldn't have asked for more.
"It wasn't a split decision — it was just that time."
It was a wild sixth inning for the Blue Springs, Missouri, native, as he held a 5-1 lead before the T-Bones scored three runs.
Lincoln responded after Brown's ejection, turning the double play and scoring four runs in the bottom half of the inning for a 9-4 lead.
“It was great that we responded offensively in the inning,” Brown said. “Tepesch was kind of at 100 pitches and was kind of out of gas there, but I left it up to him. He's a big lead pitcher that has been in that situation many times.
“I said, 'I have a guy ready, who's the best guy here?' and he said, 'I am.' You just kind of trust your veteran players at that point, and it worked out great.”
Nick Schulz hit a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, and Tyler Moore picked up his third RBI with a two-run single laced off the third-base bag into shallow left field.
Moore also had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first that gave Lincoln a 2-0 lead early.
Teodore Martinez also had three RBIs, two in the bottom of the third and one in the fifth that gave the Saltdogs a 5-1 lead before Kansas City rallied in the sixth.
“Teodoro has the ability to be the best player on the field any day that he wants to,” Brown said. “He is a special talent, he can defend, he can run (and) he can throw. He has a line-drive swing. We loved him when he was in Milwaukee and we are hoping he can hit .300 like he did for them.”
Lincoln and Kansas City continue the series at 7 p.m. Saturday.