TODAY’S MATCH-UP FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS (23-27) @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (24-24) Hillcats Fayetteville 24-24 Record 23-27 Game 49 - Home Game 27 - Monday, May 27, 2019 - 6:30 p.m. - City Stadium 11-15 Home 11-10 13-9 Road 12-17 L2 Streak W2 3-2 Last 5 2-3 RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1, 2.16) vs. LHP Juan Hillman (2-4, 2.61) 5-5 Last 10 4-6 ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Hillcats fell behind early against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on Sunday and couldn't mount a successful comeback, losing .254 (5th) Batting Avg. .255 (4th) 6-2. The Woodpeckers scored three runs in the third inning and never looked back. Hillcats starter Adam Scott was tagged with five earned runs in five 3.23 (3rd) ERA 3.66 (4th) .971 (5th) Fielding Pct. .969 (8th) innings of work, striking out nine batters in the process. For the second game in a row, Lynchburg collected just one hit with runners in scoring position, 4.1 (8th) Runs/Game 5.0 (1st) going 1-for-7 on Sunday afternoon. 26 (7th) HR 47 (1st) 176 (8th) RBI 240 (1st) 180 (5th) BB 197 (2nd) TAKE A WALK: Nolan Jones has been one of the most patent hitters in professional baseball this season. The Hillcats third baseman is currently first in 363 (9th) K 414 (5th) the Carolina League in walks drawn at 36, well ahead of Yonny Hernandez of Down East who is in second place with 31 walks. Jones is also fifth in all of 30 (7th) SB 24 (T-9th) 1st HALF STANDINGS minor league baseball in bases on balls and is first among hitters who are below the Double-A level. He also leads the Cleveland Indians organization in walks this season. Northern Division GB Wilmington 31-19 .620 -- Frederick 25-23 .521 5.0 SANTIAGO STREAKING: Wilbis Santiago is riding a hot bat with the Hillcats. The second baseman has collected a hit in each of his last nine games, and LYNCHBURG 24-24 .500 6.0 is 15-for-31 (.484) during that stretch. Santiago has also started at second base in each of the Hillcats' last 20 games while hitting in the heart of the Potomac 19-30 .388 11.5 Salem 18-30 .375 12.0 Lynchburg order. Southern Division Down East 34-17 .667 -- WOODPECKER WELCOME: The Hillcats will host the Fayetteville Woodpeckers at City Stadium for the first time in Carolina League history. The Wood- Carolina 29-21 .580 4.5 peckers are a new franchise in the league as of the start of the 2019 season. Previously, the Houston Astros league affiliate played in Buies Creek as the Winston-Salem 26-23 .531 7.0 Fayetteville 23-27 .460 10.5 Astros, where they were crowned the 2018 Carolina League champions. The organization made the switch to Fayetteville over the offseason and have Myrtle Beach 18-33 .353 16.0 been playing at brand new Segra Stadium since April 18. SERIES MATCHUP ON A ROLL: Oscar Gonzalez continues to succeed at the plate for the Hillcats. The 21-year-old outfielder is riding an 12-game hitting streak, his longest 4/29 @ Fayetteville L, 4-0 of the season, and has collected hits in 23 of his last 24 ballgames for Lynchburg. Gonzalez leads the Carolina League lead in total bases with 99 and is 4/30 @ Fayetteville W, 3-1 5/1 @ Fayetteville W, 4-3 second in the league in batting average at .353. 5/2 @ Fayetteville L, 4-2 5/24 vs. Fayetteville W, 5-4 (10) 5/25 vs. Fayetteville L, 9-3 5/26 vs. Fayetteville L, 6-2 TOP-30 IN THE HILL CITY: Lynchburg enters the season with a trio of top-30 prospects according to Baseball America. Third baseman Nolan Jones, the 5/27 vs. Fayetteville 6:30 p.m. second overall prospect in the system, returns to Lynchburg after playing in 30 games for the HIllcats in 2018. Starting pitcherJean Carlos Mejia, listed at 7/17 vs. Fayetteville 6:30 p.m. 7/18 vs. Fayetteville 6:30 p.m. No. 17, appeared in one game for Lynchburg last year after spending the majority of the season with Lake County. OutfielderOscar Gonzalez rounds out 7/19 vs. Fayetteville 6:30 p.m. 7/23 @ Fayetteville 7:00 p.m. the group, as the No. 22 overall prospect. He spent all of 2018 with the Lake County Captains, where he ranked fifth in the Midwest League in hits with 7/24 @ Fayetteville 7:00 p.m. 135. 7/25 @ Fayetteville 7:00 p.m. 2019 Overall ................................... 3-4 VETERAN AT THE HELM: The Hillcats are led this season by veteran MiLB skipper Jim Pankovits, who managed Mahoning Valley, Cleveland's Short-Sea- 2019 at City Stadium ...................... 1-2 2019 at Segra Stadium................... 2-2 son affiliate last year. Pankovits has managed more than 2,600 games in his minor league career, which includes stops in the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Houston Astros organizations. Pankovits picked up his 1,300th career managerial victory on April 21 against Myrtle Beach. HILLCATS COACHING STAFF Jim Pankovits Joe Torres Johnny Narron Mike Mergenthaler Jake Legan Manager (1st Season) Pitching Coach (1st season) Hitting Coach (1st season) Bench Coach (1st season) Athletic Trainer (1st season) Career Record: 1,313-1,322 3rd overall 9th overall 3rd overall 6th overall CATS AT GLANCE Pankovits is in his second year man- Torres enters his first season with the Narron comes to Lynchburg by way 2019 will mark Mergenthaler's first Legan is entering his first season with North Division: 3rd/ 6.0 GB aging in the Indians organization after Hillcats after serving as the pitching of Triple-A Columbus where he season coaching stateside after the Hillcats and fifth in the Indians organization. Legan held the same Magic Number: leading the Mahoning Valley Scrappers coach for Lake County in 2018. The served in the same capacity for the serving as the hitting coach for position with the Captains in 2018. April: 14-12 in 2018. Pankovits has 16 years of former left-handed pitcher was selected Clippers in 2018. Narron is entering Cleveland's Dominican Summer May: 10-12 managerial experience under his belt with the 10th overall draft pick in 2000 his third season in the Indians League co-op for two seasons. Eric Ortego with the Red Sox, Astros, Mariners, by the Anaheim Angels and played in organization and brings Major Mergenthaler is no stranger to the Current Home Stand: 1-2 Strength Coach (2nd season) the minor leagues for 13 seasons, even- League coaching experience to the Commonwealth, having starred at Extra Innings: 0-4 and Indians organizations. 2019 marks 3rd overall tually reaching Triple-A. The 36-year-old Hillcats' staff after serving as the Richmond in his college days. vs. RHP: 20-20 Pankovits' second stint in the Carolina League after he led the Salem Red Torres is a native of the Bronx, NY. Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach vs. LHP: 4-4 Ortego is in his third season in the Sox from 2006-2008. The Pennington from 2012-2014. With the Brewers, Indians organization. He graduated vs. North: 5-7 Gap, Virginia native enjoyed a Major he instructed stars such as Ryan from the University of Louisiana at vs. South: 19-17 League career with the Astros and Red Braun, Jean Segura, Aramis Ramirez, Lafayette in 2012. Following gradua- RECENT TRANSACTIONS Sox as an infielder that spanned six and Carlos Gomez. tion, Oretgo served as the Assistant seasons from 1984-1990. Director of Strength and Conditioning 5/11 - OF Gabriel Mejia transferred to at McNeese State. Lynchburg from Extended Spring Training 5/15 - RHP Jean Carlos Mejia reinstated UPCOMING GAMES AND PROBABLE PITCHERS from IL 5/16 - LHP Adam Scott placed on 7-day IL Wed., May 29 7 p.m. @ Frederick RHP Matt Solter (3-0, 1.02) vs. TBA with thumb blister Thurs., May 30 7 p.m. @ Frederick RHP Justin Garza (3-3, 4.97) vs. TBA 5/21 - LHP Adam Scott reinstated from IL Thurs., May 30 TBA @ Frederick RHP Jean Carlos Mejia (2-1, 5.19) vs. TBA ***** 8-TIME CAROLINA LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: 1978 • 1983 • 1984 • 1997 • 2002 • 2009 • 2012 • 2017 Tonight'’s starting pitcher #46 LHP JUAN HILLMAN HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 185 B/T: L/L EXP: 4 YRS BORN: WINTER HAVEN, FL IN 1997 (21) ACQUIRED: 2ND ROUND - 2015 (OLYMPIA HS) REPERTOIRE: FB, SNK, CH, SL, CV HILLMAN CAREER STATISTICS YR CLUB W-L ERA G/GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO 15 AZL Indians 0-2 4.13 8/6 0 0 0 24.0 26 13 11 0 5 20 16 Mahoning Valley (SS)3-4 4.43 15/15 0 0 0 63.0 66 36 31 5 24 47 CAREER HIGHS 17 Lake County (A) 7-10 6.08 26/26 0 0 0 137.2 158 102 93 22 48 101 IP: 8, 2x, last - 6/28 v. FW 18 Lake County (A) 6-12 5.18 26/26 0 0 0 128.2 140 95 74 7 52 110 K’s: 9, 2x, last - 7/20 v. CLI 19 Lynchburg (A+) 2-4 2.61 9/9 0 0 0 51.2 50 27 15 2 15 34 MiLB Totals (5 seasons) 18-32 4.98 84/82 0 0 0 405.0 440 273 224 36 144 312 BB’s: 4, 7x, last - 8/27 @ BG Hits: 14, 7/31 @ WM Runs: 12, 7/31 @ WM GAME-BY-GAME 2019 HIGHS DATE OPP DEC IP H R ER BB SO LEFT GM RESULT IP: 7, 2x, last - 5/22 @ CAR with A-Adv.