FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS (HOU) (6-6) VS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS (ATL) (5-7) Tuesday, May 18th - Sunday, May 23RD — Game #13-18/Home Game #7-12 – SRP Park — 7:05 EDT Game #13: RHP Christian Mejias (1-1, 7.71 ERA)(FAY) vs RHP Alec Barger (0-0, 1.04 ERA)(AUG) MiLB TV, GreenJacketsbaseball.com PELICANS TAKE SERIES IN WALK-OFF FASHION SAUNDERS SET TO LEAD JACKETS The GreenJackets went on the road and dropped four of six Michael Saunders has been tabbed as the Manager for the with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs). The Jackets 2021 campaign. Also joining Saunders will be Mike Bard as had a chance to earn a series split on Sunday, but Matt Hitting Coach, Elvin Nina as Pitching Coach, Myles Schroder Mervis provided another clutch hit in the series. A walk-off as a Coach, Austin Smith as the Athletic Trainer, and Kyle home run in the 10th ended it, 9-7. Myrtle Beach climbed out Lindsey as the Strength Coach. Michael Saunders brings nine of a 4-0 early deficit to win the series. years of experience in Major League Baseball, having spent time with the Seattle Mariners (2009-2014), Toronto Blue Jays VALDES STAYS HOT (2015-2016), and Philadelphia Phillies (2017). Saunders’ ca- Javier Valdes has gotten off to a red hot start to 2021. The reer batting average was .232 in 2,400 plate appearances. Augusta backstop is 8-for-22 (.365) to start the year and has He was a 2016 All-Star during his time in Toronto. In 2020, a seven-game hitting streak. He was a 21st round selection by Saunders was slated to be Manager of the Danville Braves. the Atlanta Braves in the 2019 MLB Draft. BRAVES ERA BEGINS AT SRP PARK WILLIE KEEPS REACHING BASE After spending the previous 16 seasons as the affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, the GreenJackets begin their new affil- Willie Carter has had the best start of any Augusta hitter so far this season. Carter has reached base in all nine games he’s iation with the closest Major League team to SRP Park: The played in, and is 11-for-31(.355) to start the year. Carter has Atlanta Braves. Truist Park sits 162 miles from SRP Park and batted 4th six times this year after not playing in the first two will serve as the Low-A Affiliate of the Atlanta Braves for the games of the season. The Braves drafted him in the 34th round of next 10 years. The Braves are the 4th major league affiliate the 2019 MLB Draft from Webber International. He also has one since 1988 joining the Pittsburgh Pirates (1988-1998), Bos- home run and eight RBI this year. ton Red Sox (1999-2004), and San Francisco Giants (2005- 2020). The Jackets will play in the newly formed, 12-team, FOUR TOP-30 PROSPECTS HEADLINE ROSTER Low-A “East” league. The Atlanta Braves sent three Top-30 Prospects to North Augusta to start the 2021 campaign: #19 prospect INF Vaughn Grissom, #24 prospect RHP Tyler Owens, #29 THIS DAY IN JACKETS BOX SCORE HISTORY OF Stephen Paolini. All three were drafted out of high May 18, 2010: GreenJackets 1, Savannah 0 school in the 2019 MLB Draft and will begin the season at Lake Olmstead Stadium - Augusta, GA WP: Mitch Lively (3-1) LP: Chris Hilliard (1-1) age 20. Six shutout innings on the mound for the GreenJackets Zack Wheeler helped Following the first series of the year, the Braves sent Augusta squeak out a 1-0 win over Savannah. Brandon Moore of Savannah went seven innings without allowing a run. He collected 12 strikeouts. Juan #21overall prospect RHP Spencer Strider to join the club Lagares batted 2nd for Savannah and went hitless while Wilmer Flores hit in Myrtle Beach. Strider was selected in the 4th round of the 3rd and went 1-for-4 for the New York Mets affiliate.Tommy Joseph finished 0-for-3 with a walk for Augusta. Evan Crawford walked-it-off with an RBI single 2020 MLB Draft out of Clemson. in the 9th. UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS Tuesday, May 18th 7:05 EDT RHP Christian Mejias (1-1, 7.71 ERA)(FAY) vs RHP Alec Barger (0-0,1.04 ERA)(AUG) Wednesday, May 19th 7:05 EDT RHP Jaime Melendez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) (FAY) vs TBD Thursday, May 20th 7:05 EDT RHP Angel Macuare (0-1, 1.17 ERA) (FAY) vs TBD Friday, May 21st 7:05 EDT RHP Cesar Gomez (0-2, 5.11 ERA) vs TBD Saturday, May 22nd 6:05 EDT TBD vs TBD TODAY’S TIDBITS: Jackets return home after going 2-4 on the road... Augusta has lost five of last seven... After going 0-for-16 in opening series, Stephen Paolini slashed .273/.407/.409 vs Myrtle Beach... GreenJackets starting pitchers have the best ERA in the Low-A East (1.54 ERA)... Bullpen ERA is 10th (5.84 ERA)... Javier Valdes leads GreenJackets in average (.365)... Cade Bunnell is T-4th in the Low-A East with 11 walks... GreenJackets went 24-21 against teams from North Carolina in 2019 (Asheville, Greensboro, Hickory, Kannapolis)... BATS/THROWS: R/R HEIGHT: 6’1” WEIGHT: 190 LBS AGE: 23 HOMETOWN: OXNARD, CA ACQUIRED: 7TH RD (2019) HS/COLLEGE: CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD #2 DARIUS VINES 2019 TEAM: DANVILLE/GCL (ROOKIE) 2019 STATS: 0-5, 6.68 ERA, 12 G (11 GS), 32.1 IP REPERTOIRE: FASTBALL, CURVEBALL, CHANGE SEASON HIGHS LAST FIVE OUTINGS LAST WIN: 5/06 vs Columbia... 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 4 SO (GS) (0.00 ERA) LAST SAVE: 5/13 vs Myrtle Beach... 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 SO (GS) (0.00 ERA) MOST STRIKEOUTS: 6 vs MB (5/13) MOST WALKS: 2 vs COL (5/06) MOST IP: 5.0 IP vs MB (5/13) ABOUT HIS HOMETOWN NOTES & TRENDS: -In 2nd start of season vs MB, 5 IP, 0 ER... Allowed leadoff double in 5th, went on to strikeout the side... OXNARD, CA -Made his season debut on May 6 vs COL. 4 IP, 0 ER, 4 SO. Combined shutout. Drew Campbell walk-off single to give Jackets a 2-0 victory. • Located one hour and nine minutes north of Los Angeles, CA. • Oxnard boasts over twenty miles of coastline covered with exceptionally soft, white sand. • Oxnard is well known for its huge strawberry ABOUT: Selected by the Braves in the 7th round of the 2019 MLB Draft... Pitched in 12 games during his first profession- fields consequently being named the “Strawberry al season, 11 for Danville, 1 for the GCL Braves... Began his collegiate career at Yavapai junior college in Prescott, AZ Capital of the World.” before transferring to Cal State Bakersfield... Is the highest drafted player in Roadrunner history... Had two teammates also drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft (Edgar Barclay, LHP, Yankees 15th RD...Jake Ortega, C, Mets 28th RD) BATS/THROWS: R/R HEIGHT: 6’0” WEIGHT: 223 LBS AGE: 24 HOMETOWN: LITHONIA, GA ACQUIRED: FREE AGENT (2019) HS/COLLEGE: GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE #5 BRENT BURGESS 2019 TEAM: GULF COAST LEAGUE BRAVES (ROOKIE) 2019 STATS: 1-0, 1.46 ERA, 8 G (0 GS), 12.1 IP REPERTOIRE: SEASONSEASON HIGHS HIGHS LAST FIVE OUTINGS LAST WIN: vs COL (5/05) 5/05 vs Columbia... W, 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 SO (0.00 ERA) LAST SAVE: 5/09 vs Columbia... L, 1.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 SO (3.86 ERA) MOST STRIKEOUTS: 4 vs COL (5/05) MOST WALKS: 1 (2x) MOST IP: 3.0 IP vs COL (5/05) ABOUT HIS HOMETOWN NOTES & TRENDS: -Placed on the Injured List on 5/11 LITHONIA, GA -Made his season debut on May 5 vs COL. Collected the win: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 SO. Helped secure a one-hitter •Just 18 miles east of Atlanta • Lithonia means “City/town of stone” • The huge nearby granite dome, Stone Mountain, is composed largely of a rock called Lithonia gneiss, a form of granite. The area has a history of rock quarries. ABOUT: Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Braves in 2019... Appeared in 8 games with an ERA of 1.46 for the Danville Braves... Attended Georgia Gwinnett College...40th round selection by the Texas Rangers in 2016...38th round selection by the New York Yankees in 2017 BATS/THROWS: R/R HEIGHT: 6’0” WEIGHT: 180 LBS AGE: 21 HOMETOWN: PUERTO PLATA, P.R.ACQUIRED: FREE AGENT (2017) HS/COLLEGE: #9 ESTARLIN RODRIGUEZ 2019 TEAM: DANVILLE/GCL (ROOKIE) 2019 STATS: 1-2, 4.09 ERA, 8 G (0 GS), 22.0 IP REPERTOIRE: SEASON HIGHS LAST FIVE OUTINGS LAST WIN: 5/06 vs Columbia... 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 SO (13.50 ERA) LAST SAVE: 5/11 vs Myrtle Beach... 1.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 SO (15.00 ERA)(L) MOST STRIKEOUTS: 3 vs COL (5/06) 5/15 vs Myrtle Beach... 3.2 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO (6.75 ERA)(L) MOST WALKS: 2 vs COL (5/06) MOST IP: 3.2 IP vs MB (5/15) ABOUT HIS HOMETOWN NOTES & TRENDS: PUERTO PLATA, D.R. -Made his season debut on 5/06 in Game #2 of doubleheader vs Columbia •Located on the northern coast of the Do- minican Republic. • Maintain the only cable car system in the entire Carribean.