Springfield Cardinals Media Notes Game # 1 Home Game # 0 Away Game # 1 Thursday, April 5, 2018 7Pm
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SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS MEDIA NOTES GAME # 1 HOME GAME # 0 AWAY GAME # 1 THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018 7PM SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS (0-0) VS. MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS (0-0) St. Louis Cardinals Oakland Athletics Today’s Starters: Springfield – RHP Jake Woodford (0-0, 0.00) Midland – RHP Joel Seddon (0-0, 0.00) Upcoming Probables: Friday, 7pm – SPR RHP Ryan Helsley (0-0, 0.00) @ MID RHP Corey Walter (0-0, 0.00) Saturday, 7pm – SPR RHP Conner Greene (0-0, 0.00) @ MID RHP Ben Bracewell (0-0, 0.00) The Book on Jake Woodford (7-6, 3.10 – 2017 Palm Beach)… High Strikeouts – 7 Most Hits Allowed – 10 Longest Outing – 8.0 Most Walks Allowed – 4 Shortest Outing – 0.2 HR Allowed (Season) – 7 Makes his Double-A debut as Springfield’s Opening Day Starter tonight Enters the season ranked #18 by Baseball America and #22 by MLB.com among the Cardinals Top 30 Prospects 2018 Major League Spring Training Non-Roster Invitee tossed 3.0 scoreless innings through three appearances in big league camp Spent all of 2017 with High-A Palm Beach, leading the Florida State League with a 3.10 ERA Helped Palm Beach to a 2017 FSL Co-Championship, making one postseason start on 9/5 at Fort Myers with just one run through 6.0 frames Posted a dominant month of June last year, going 3-0, 2.10 ERA in four starts, allowing just six runs while striking out 17 in 25.2 innings Excelled at home last year, going 5-2 with a 2.07 ERA through 11 starts at Roger Dean Stadium in Palm Beach Matched a career-high with 8.0 innings of work on 8/18/17, holding Brevard County to just one run on four hits In 2016 with Low-A Peoria, went 5-5, 3.31 ERA in 21 starts, earning a Midwest League Midseason All-Star Selection Named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May, 2016, going 3-0, 0.87 ERA in five starts, striking out 26 in 31.0 innings While with Peoria, struck out a career-best nine batters in 7.0 innings at Quad Cities on 7/27/16 Selected by St. Louis in the supplemental 1st round (39th overall) of the 2015 June Draft out of Plant High School in Tampa, FL Was High School teammate of Astros prospect and former Hooks OF Kyle Tucker CARDINALS REGULAR SEASON BREAKDOWN CURRENT STREAK – .................................. 0-0 LONGEST WINNING STREAK –……………….......0-0 LAST 5 GAMES – ......................................... 0-0 LONGEST LOSING STREAK – ….……………........0-0 LAST 10 GAMES – ....................................... 0-0 BEST RECORD – ......................................................... 0-0 HOME RECORD – ....................................... 0-0 WORST RECORD (by %) – ....................................... 0-0 AWAY RECORD – ....................................... 0-0 2017 vs. MIDLAND – ................................................... 8-4 Cardinals’ Chirps… Season 14 begins… Season 14 of Springfield Cardinals Baseball begins with Opening Day against the Midland RockHounds, kicking off a six-game Texas swing to start the campaign for the Cards. Springfield enters the year after posting a 77-63 record in 2017, tying the franchise’s all-time record for most wins in a season and making it one of the most successful years in Springfield Cardinals history. The Cardinals also tied the franchise’s mark for most 2nd-half wins (42) a year ago, but were edged during the final weekend of the Regular Season by the Tulsa Drillers, who claimed the 2nd-Half Title and eventually fell to the Midland RockHounds in the Texas League Finals. Meet the Staff… Manager Johnny Rodriguez enters his second campaign at the helm in Springfield. The veteran skipper boasts a 521-458 career managerial record and has guided his clubs to league championships in three of his eight seasons in the Cardinals system. Returning Hitting Coach Jobel Jimenez is back for year two with Springfield after helping the Cardinals to the 3rd-best team batting average (.264) in the circuit a campaign ago. New to the staff are Pitching Coach Darwin Marrero, who joins Springfield after three seasons with the State College Spikes (Short-A), and Athletic Trainer Brent Neuharth, who arrives in Double-A following two years in High-A Palm Beach. New to the organization are Strength Coach Frank Witkowski, imported from the Atlanta Braves system, and Coach / Scout Elijah Tupuola. Cards and ‘Hounds… Despite the RockHounds reeling in their fourth consecutive Texas League Title in 2017, the Cardinals controlled the head-to-head series last year. Springfield won all four series with Midland en route to an impressive 8-4 record against the eventual champs. Overall, the two teams have met a total of 156 times throughout the last 13 years, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series at a count of 83-73, including a 42-36 record at home and 41-37 record in the Permian Basin. Top Ranked Birds… Springfield opens the season touting seven of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Top 30 Prospects – RHP Ryan Helsley (#7 MLB.com / #8 Baseball America), C Andrew Knizner (#9 MLB.com / #10 BA), INF Edmundo Sosa (#16 MLB.com / #30 BA), RHP Conner Greene (#21 MLB.com / NR BA), RHP Jake Woodford (#22 MLB.com / #18 BA), RHP Connor Jones (#23 MLB.com / #22 BA) and INF Tommy Edman (#26 MLB.com / #29 BA). Opening Daze… Opening Days have not been kind to the Cardinals throughout team history, as Springfield has gone just 3-10 to start seasons. After winning just one Opening Day game in their first 11 years, the Cards have won two Opening Day games in a row (2016-17). Bird Seed… CHRIS CHINEA – First year with Springfield… .260, 6 HR, 48 RBIs, 24 2B in High-A Palm Beach in 2017… ranked among Cardinals Minor Leaguers in hits (8th, 121) and doubles (7th, 24) last year… 17th round pick in 2015 out of Louisiana State TOMMY EDMAN – Split 2017 between Low-A Peoria (38 G), High-A Palm Beach (18 G) and Springfield (63 G)… .247, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 12 2B with SGF… Ranked among STL Minor Leaguers in hits (9th, 116), doubles (t-10th, 22), triples (t-2nd, 8), RBIs (t-10th, 55) and steals (10th, 13)… Across the three levels in 2017, hit .330 (38x115) with RISP… 6th round pick in 2016 out of Stanford GRANDEN GOETZMAN – Signed by STL on 1/16/18… veteran OF has hit .245, 24 HR, 201 RBI, 83 2B, 21 3B in 457 G in Rays system… Reached AAA in 2017, playing 17 G with Durham - .314, 1 HR, 13 RBI… Played a career-high 110 games in 2014 but has battled injuries throughout his career… 2nd round pick in 2011 by Tampa out of Palmetto (FL) High School ANDREW KNIZNER – 2 HRs in MLB Spring Training with STL… promoted from Low-A Peoria to SGF on 6/14/17 and hit .324, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 13 2B in 51 Double-A games… Vs. LHP w/ SGF-.409 (18x44), 2 HR, 8 RBI… hit .358, 3 HR, 12 RBI in 17 G in 2017 Arizona Fall League, named to Rising Stars All-Star Game… Has thrown out 45.5 % (35x77) of attempted base stealers… Shifted from 3B to C after sophomore season at NC State JEREMY MARTINEZ – Made Double-A debut on 8/27/17 before debuting with AAA-Memphis on 9/3/17 (1x3, 2BB)… Hit .189, 0 HR, 15 RBIs, in 60 G in High-A Palm Beach in 2017 after .325, 1 HR, 32 RBI, in 57 G in Short-A State College in 2016… Has thrown out 44.4% (40x90) of attempted base stealers in career… 4th round pick in 2016 out of Southern California… Moved from 1B to C after his sophomore season at USC JOHN NOGOWSKI – Signed by STL on 6/27/17 out of Independent American Association… hit .295, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 12 2B in 59 G with SGF through 2nd half last year… July, 2017 – hit .320 (33x103), 1 HR, 13 RBI, 5 2B, 29 G… Prior to signing, was hitting .402, 4 HR, 28 RBI in 34 G with Sioux City last year… Originally drafted by Oakland in 34th round in 2014 out of Florida State VICTOR ROACHE – Signed by STL on 1/31/18… Veteran OF has hit .236, 68 HR, 239 RBI, 76 2B, 13 3B in 479 G… Played 22 G for AA-Biloxi (MIL) before being traded to LA Dodgers on 5/4/17 for cash considerations… Spent rest of 2017 (35 G) with High-A Rancho Cucamonga - .192, 6 HR, 17 RBI… Has 5 multi-HR games in career, along with 2 grand slams… 1st round pick in 2012 by Milwaukee out of Georgia Southern… Led NCAA D-1 and set Georgia Southern record with 30 HR in 2011 DARREN SEFERINA – Debuted w/ SGF on 7/7/17 and hit .277, 5 HR, 16 RBI in 48 G… 12-G hit streak from 7/14-7/26/17: .479 (23x48), 2 HR, 6 RBI, 11 R… 2017 Florida State League All-Star hitting .278, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 11 2B, league-best 9 3B in 70 G… Led Cardinals Minor Leaguers with 10 total triples last year… 5th round pick in 2014 out of Miami-Dade Community College… From Willemstad, Curacao THOMAS SPITZ – 11 G with SGF in 2017 from 5/7-6/4… Hit .253, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 16 2B in 101 G with High-A Palm Beach last year… Made Double-A debut with SGF with 4 G from 8/16 – 8/20/16… 32nd round pick in 2015 out of Wingate (NC) University where he was an All-American EDMUNDO SOSA – Debuted with SGF on 6/16/17, only game in Double-A… Hit .305, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 18 H in 17 G with Surprise in 2017 Arizona Fall League… Hit in each of his last 12 G for High-A Palm Beach (around an injury)… Played for Team Panama during 2016 qualifying round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic… Still ranked #16 for STL by MLB.com, was Top 5 ranked prospect as recently as 2015 LANE THOMAS – Acquired from Toronto on 7/2/17 for international cap space… Spent most of 2017 with High-A Dunedin (TOR), hitting .252, 4 HR, 12 2B, 6 3B in 73 G… Hit in 6 of 9 games with Palm Beach last year, including 3x4, 1 3B, 1 RBI on 7/16/17… Originally picked by Toronto in 5th round in 2014 out of Bearden HS in Knoxville, TN RAMON URIAS – Signed by STL on 1/4/18 after 5 years in Mexican League (2013-17)… 2017 Mexican League All-Star hitting .340, 19 HR, 79 RBI, 29 2B and league-best 91 R for Mexico City… 32-game on-base streak from 5/12-6/21/17… Older brother of Padres farmhand and former Missions INF Luis Urias… originally signed by Texas in 2011 before being sold to Mexico City in 2013 CARDINALS FIRST HALF DAY-BY-DAY Springfield OPP.