It was a short playoff run for the Class High A Wilmington Blue Rocks, who lost two of three games in the Carolina League Division Championship Series last week against the Lynchburgh Hillcats, the Braves High A affiliate.

The Blue Rocks hosted the first game where the Hillcats had a 15 hit attack, 14 of them being singles. The Hillcats scored one run in the first, one in the fifth, two in the eighth and four in the ninth to win the game 8-0. Hillcats starter Gus Schlosser got the win and Blue Rocks starter Brooks Pounders took the loss.

The next two games were in Lynchburg and the Blue Rocks got their revenge with a postseason record 18 hits on their way to a 12-3 game two victory, tying up the series. Rocks starter Jason Adam pitched seven innings, getting the win while Hillcats starter Dimasther Delgato took the loss.

The winner of game three would advance to the Mills Cup Championship Series. The two previous games were blowouts, but game three was tied at 1-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning. Hillcats catcher Braeden Schlehuber smacked a homer on a 3-2 count, giving the Hillcats a 2-1 lead. The Blue Rocks tried to answer in the ninth, but they failed to score and their season came to an end. The Lynchburg Hillcats advanced to the Mills Cup to face the Winston-Salem Dash, the Chicago White Sox High A affiliate.

Meanwhile, the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers played a five game American Conference Championship Series last week against the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. The winner of the series would play for the Pacific Coast League Championship.

The Chasers took the opening game at Omaha 8-4, jumping to an early 5-0 lead by the third inning. The Isotopes scored a run in the fifth, two in the sixth and a run in the top of the eighth to make the score 5-4. But the Chasers added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to get the win.

The second game in Omaha stared out well for the Chasers, who had a 3-0 lead by the fourth inning. But the Isotopes scored two runs in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth to get a 5-3 victory and tie up the series.

The next three games would be at Albuquerque, and game three started with a two hour and three minute rain delay and two scoreless innings before the Chasers took a 3-0 lead in the third. They tacked on two more runs in the seventh before the Isotopes scored one run in the seventh and three in the eighth. The Chasers answered with single tallies in the eighth and ninth to win 7-4, one win away from taking the series.

Game four was going the Chasers way, who were ahead 10-3 after the top of the seventh inning and nine outs from the PCL Championship Series. But Royals luck waylaid the Chasers and the Isotopes scored nine runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 12-10 victory. It was a demoralizing loss for the Chasers, who would have to win game five or go home.

For game five, the Chasers opened a can of whoop and pounded out 16 runs and 19 hits, defeating the Isotopes 16-7. The Chasers had 10 runs on the board before the Isotopes scored a run in the bottom of the fourth. The Isotopes scored six more runs, but so did the Chasers, who won the American Conference Championship Series three games to two. The Chasers would play the Reno Aces, the Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate, for the Pacific Coast League Championship.

The first game of the PCL Championship Series opened Tuesday night in Reno, NV. The Aces opened their own can of whoop, smacking the Chasers around in a 13-1 victory. Chasers starter Jake Odorizzi took the loss, lasting 3.2 innings and giving up nine runs, eight of them earned and four of them home runs. Aces starter Trevor Bauer got the victory, pitching 6.2 innings, giving up an earned run and three hits.

The Chasers will try to bounce back in game two, which began Wednesday night at 9:05 Central time. There’s an off day Thursday, then the series continues in Omaha for game three and if needed, game four and five.

KANSAS CITY, MO (September 4, 2012) – Baseball America announced today that Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Wil Myers has been named the publications’ 2012 Minor League Player of the Year. Myers becomes the third Royals prospect to win the prestigious award since its inception in 1981, joining Tom Gordon in 1988 and Alex Gordon in 2006.

Myers, 21, opened the 2012 campaign at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and batted .343 with 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 35 games before a promotion to Omaha in mid-May. For the Storm Chasers, who begin their quest to repeat as PCL champions tomorrow night in Omaha, Myers hit .304 (118-for-388) with 15 doubles, five triples, 24 home runs and 79 RBI in 99 regular season games. Overall, his 37 home runs were the second-most in minor league baseball, one shy of 26-year-old Darin Ruf who hit 38 for Reading (AA), while his 109 RBI ranked fourth overall.

The Royals’ third round selection in 2009 collected two hits and drove in three runs for the U.S. squad at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Kansas City on July 8 and then three days later was selected the “Star of Stars” for the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game after recording two hits, including a double, with an RBI and a run scored. Last week, he was named to the 12-member all Pacific Coast League squad and he is one of five finalists for USA Today Minor League Player of the Year.

Terry Bradshaw Named Coach of the Year
Bradshaw Named Mike CoolBaugh Texas League Coach of the Year

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals hitting Coach Terry Bradshaw has been named the Mike Coolbaugh Texas League Coach of the Year.  The award is named for Mike Coolbaugh, a longtime Minor League player who died at age 35 when he was struck by a batted ball while coaching first base for Tulsa on July 22, 2007.

The Mike Coolbaugh award began being presented in 2008.  The award goes to an individual who has “shown outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill mentoring young players.”

Terry was selected in recognition of his continuing record of success with hitters in the Kansas City system.  He has consistently helped young hitters adjust to the Double-A level and advance to Triple-A, ready to continue the success they attained in the Texas League.

While, 2012 has been less successful for the Naturals than previous seasons, Bradshaw has continued to patiently prepare his charges for the next level, this past season, most notably Wil Myers, who became a sensation in the Pacific Coast League after he tore through the Texas League during the first five weeks of the 2012 season, hitting .343, with 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 35 games.

During his five years in the Texas League, the list of current Major League players Bradshaw has helped fine tune include Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon, and Eric Hosmer, the core of future success of the Kansas City Royals.

Prior to coaching in Northwest Arkansas, Bradshaw spent five years as the hitting coach for Triple-A Omaha and spent four other seasons as a hitting coach in the Royals organization: Wilmington (2002-2003), Burlington (2001), and Charleston (2000).

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Triple-A

The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 4-2 over the last week improving to 44-27 on the season.  The Storm are leading the Northern Division by 14 games over the Iowa Cubs.

Who’s Hot

The Storm Chasers have continued to pile up runs on offense.  One of the best offenses in minor league baseball, got great weeks from Wil Myers and Irving Falu.  Myers, has lived on the hot list all season long.  In his past ten games he is hitting .350 (14-for-40) with three home runs, nine RBI, and 13 runs scored.  Falu has not been far behind hitting .351 (13-for-37) with three home runs and 12 RBI, to go along with 11 runs scored in his last ten games.  Blaine Hardy turned in his best Triple-A performance this past week. He went four innings allowing just one-hit while striking out four against Round Rock.

Who’s Not

Outfielder Jason Bourgeois is on the cold list despite heating up of late.  The outfielder is hitting .231 with two runs scored in his last five games.  Will Smith has hit a rough patch after being sent down from Kansas City to Omaha.  In his last two starts, the left-hander is 0-1, having worked ten and a third innings allowing 16 hits and nine runs.

Double-A

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) went 3-4 over the past week getting swept by Tulsa on the road, splitting a four-game set with the Cardinals on the road, and taking the first of an eight game home stand against the Drillers.  The Naturals sit in second place in the Texas League’s North Division four games behind Tulsa.

Who’s Hot

Paulo Orlando seems to be returning to the form that many fans remember.  After a spring injury and a cool start, Orlando’s bat has heated up in June.  The outfielder is hitting .378 (14-for-37) over his last nine games with six runs scored.  On the mound for the Naturals Buddy Baumann turned in a solid week in relief.  The left-hander appeared in three games for the Naturals working four innings allowing three hits, while striking out five.  He also picked up his first save of the season on June 17 in Springfield.

Who’s Not

Eric Duncan seems to always come through with a big clutch hit, but is hitting just .188 (6-for-32) with one home run and three RBI.  Elisaul Pimentel had been on a hot streak, but had a rough outing on his last trip to the hill.  Pimentel is 0-2, having worked nine innings allowing 18 hits and 11 earned runs.

Class-A Advanced

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went 1-5 over the past week dropping to 29-41 on the season.  The Blue Rocks have fallen to third place in the North Division and trail the Lynchburg Hillcats by 10.0 games for the division lead.

Who’s Hot

The Blue Rocks offense has continued to be sparked by shortstop Alex McClure.  McClure hit .304 (7-for-23) over the team’s last ten games.  He entered the season well-known for his defensive abilities.  Edwin Carl has continued to shine on the mound for the Blue Rocks since being promoted from Kane County.  In two outings last week he worked four and a third innings allowing just three hits and striking out five.

Who’s Not

Brian Fletcher has fallen into a slump.  The outfielder is still tops on the team in hitting with a .289 batting average, but has hit just .159 over the team’s last ten games.  Cole White has been hit hard in his last two outings in relief.  White has allowed six hits and six runs, while issuing seven walks in his last five innings of work.
 

Class-A

The Kane County Cougars went 1-5 over the past week making them 34-36 on the season.  The Cougars fell to fifth place in the Midwest League’s western division and are 10.5 games out of first place.

Who’s Hot

Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio is hitting everything that pitchers are throwing to him right now.  The 19-year-old is hitting .333 over his last ten games with two home runs and an impressive 15 RBI.  On the mound for the Cougars, Jason Mitchell has turned things around.  In his last two trips to the hill Mitchell has worked 11 innings allowing eight hits and one run while striking out 10.

Who’s Not

Infielder Michael Antonio went through a tough week last week for the Cougars.  He hit just .143 (5-for-35) with one run scored and one RBI.  Aaron Brooks has not been missing many bats lately on the mound.  The right-hander has allowed 21 hits and 14 runs in his last 11.2 innings (2 appearances).

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Royals Renew Player Development Contract With Omaha Through 2016

KANSAS CITY, MO (June 19, 2012) – The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has extended its Player Development Contract (PDC) with Omaha through the 2016 season.

Triple-A Omaha, an affiliate from the inception of the two franchises in 1969, won the 2011 Pacific Coast League Championship after compiling a 79-63 regular season record.  Omaha is currently in first place in the PCL’s American North Division with a 44-27 mark on the season.  The Storm Chasers announced their new ownership group, Alliance Baseball Omaha LLC, on Tuesday.

“Omaha has an outstanding new facility and a great management team in place,” said Scott Sharp, Royals Director of Minor League Operations.  “The club announced new ownership partners today, making this a perfect time for the Royals to show our continued commitment to the Omaha area.”

“Having been affiliated with Kansas City since 1969, there was never a question of if we were going to extend the PDC, but when,” said Omaha President and General Manager Martie Cordaro.  “In my 14 years of Minor League Baseball, I have never personally experienced such a great relationship with a Major League affiliate. We are excited to extend our partnership with the Royals.”

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 3-4 over the last week and now sit at 34-25 on the season.  The Storm are leading the Northern Division by eight games over the Iowa Cubs.

Who’s Hot

Wil Myers has been an offensive show by himself no matter what level he has been playing at this season.  Although, he has spent most of his time in Omaha at designated hitter, he will be in the field more in the coming weeks.  Over his last five games the outfielder is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with three home runs and eight RBI.  Since joining Omaha, Myers is hitting .321 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 19 games.  On the mound for the Storm Chasers Mike Montgomery has again jumped from the not to the hot list in one week.  In his last outing the left-hander went seven innings allowing just two hits and one run, to earn his third win of the season.

Who’s Not

Derrick Robinson seems to have hit a midseason slump.  The outfielder is hitting .172 (5-29) over his last nine games.  He is still hitting .296 for the season despite the slump and has scored 38 runs.  Jonathan Sanchez, who is in Omaha on a major league rehab assignment, has struggled in his two starts.  He has gone eight and a third innings allowing nine hits and seven earned runs, while walking five and striking out eight.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) went 3-3 over the getting swept by the Midland RockHounds, and then sweeping the Frisco RoughRiders.  The Naturals return home on Wednesday to take on the Arkansas Travelers.  The Naturals are 29-27 on the season and find themselves trailing the Tulsa Drillers by two games for the lead in the North Division.

Who’s Hot

Carlo Testa has continued to swing a hot bat for the Naturals.  The outfielder is hitting .316 (12-for-38) with three home runs and 11 RBI in his last nine games.  He is now tied for the team lead in RBI with Myers, who has since been promoted to Omaha.  Justin Marks has been one of the hottest pitchers in the Texas League as of late.  He has allowed just two earned runs over his last 11 innings, walking five and striking out nine.

Who’s Not

Christian Colon hit a rough patch on the road trip this past week.  The shortstop, who is also seeing action at second base has gone 6-for-35 (.171) over his last ten games, but has not stopped producing.  During that time he has one home run six RBI, and has scored seven times.    Chris Dwyer went 0-2 in his last two starts working six and two-thirds innings allowing ten hits and ten runs, issuing nine walks and striking out seven.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went 3-4 last and they now sit two games under .500 at 27-29 on the season.  The Blue Rocks are second in the Northern Division and are trailing the Lynchburg Hillcats by 1.5 games.

Who’s Hot

Brian Fletcher has continued to be one of the hottest hitters in the entire Carolina League.  Fletcher has hit .353 (12-for-34) over his last 10 games and has driven in four runs.  The outfielder has been playing the majority of his time at first base, and is hitting .318 for the season with three home runs and 23 RBI.  Greg Billo has been hot on the mound for the Blue Rocks.  In his last two outings Billo has worked seven and a third innings allowing four hits and one run, while walking three and striking out eight.

Who’s Not

Catcher, Jose Bonilla has been ice cold at the plate 0-for-14 in his last four games and just 2-for-25 over his last ten with one home run.  Cole White has found himself in trouble over the last ten games on the mound.  The right handed reliever has allowed three runs over his last three and a third innings.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars went 3-4 over the past week making them 30-28 on the season.  The Cougars are in third place in the Midwest League’s Western division trailing a pair of teams from Wisconsin, the Beloit Snappers and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Who’s Hot

Outfielder Runey Davis has really turned it up at the plate hitting .320 (8-for-25) with four RBI and five runs scored over the past nine games.  Davis is hitting .250 for the season in 22 games with the Cougars.  Robinson Yambati has been hot on the mound for the Cougars.  In his last two games he has logged seven and a third innings allowing just two hits and two walks, while striking out eight.  The right-hander earned his first save on May 26 and made his second start of the season on June 1.

Who’s Not

Infielder Justin Trapp has hit a cold spell at the plate.  He is hitting just .147 in his last eight games with one home run and three RBI.  For the season Trapp is hitting .270 with five home runs and 25 RBI.  Jason Mitchell has worked six innings in his last two appearances.  He has allowed 15 hits and 13 runs, while walking six and fanning four in those appearances.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot

Ernesto Mejia is making a case to make the Triple-A All-Star game.  The former Natural is now in the Braves organization with Triple-A Gwinnett.  He has hit .366 (15-for-41) over his last ten games.   For the season Mejia is hitting .319 with eight home runs and 41 RBI.

Infielder Jefff Bianchi has been on fire ever since being promoted by the Milwaukee Brewers to Triple-A Nashville.  Bianchi is hitting .329 with a home run, eight RBI, and eleven runs scored in 20 games for the Sounds.

Who’s Not

A pair of former Naturals, now find themselves in the Los Angeles Angels system with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.  Ed Lucas and Cory Aldridge both are struggling at the plate.  Aldridge has hit three home runs in his last nine games, but has gone just 6-for-35 during that stretch.  Lucas finds himself in an even deeper slump going 3-for-31 (.097) with only two RBI in his last nine games.

Dusty Hughes also with Triple-A Gwinnett has struggled in his last three outings.  Hughes has gone 0-1, while allowing nine hits and four runs in his last four innings.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 2-4 over their last eight games and now sit at 27-18 on the season as they finish up a trip to the west coast.  The Storm Chasers have the third best record in the PCL trailing Sacramento and Fresno, but lead their division by eight games.

Who’s Hot
Offensively for the Storm Chasers Tony Abreu and Clint Robinson each have continued to swing hot bats.  Robinson is hitting .351 with 10 RBI over his last ten games.  Abreu is hitting at a .324 clip over his last ten contests and has two home runs, six RBI, and seven runs scored in that time.  Both players have been hot all season offensively with Robinson hitting .315 with 29 RBI, and Abreu checking in at .333 with 24 RBI.  Will Smith has been getting things done on the mound in Omaha.  He has allowed just three runs in 14.2 innings over his last two starts.  Smith is 1-3 on the season with a 4.01 ERA in nine starts this season.

Who’s Not
Jason Bourgeois has continued to struggle at the plate after being sent down to Triple-A.  Bourgeois was one of the players acquired in Spring Training from the Houston Astros in exchange for left-hander Kevin Chapman.  He is hitting .135 (5-for-37) over his last ten games with two RBI.  Vin Mazzaro also had a tough outing his last time on the mound for the Storm Chasers.  In his last Triple-A start Mazzaro went five and a third inning allowing nine hits and five runs, despite striking out seven.

Double-A

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are now 24-coming off of their best road trip of the season.  The Naturals went 5-3 on the trip, including a sweep of the Tulsa Drillers, that has pulled them within one game of the lead in the North Division.

Who’s Hot
Catcher Julio Rodriguez is more known for his defense than his offense, but he has had one of the hottest bats in the Texas League over the past week.  Rodriguez is hitting .409 (9-for-22) over his last eight games with three runs scored and two RBI.  Yem Pradesis seeing his bat heat up again as well going 6-for-16 (.375) over his last five contests.  Prades also hit his second home run of the season during that span.  On the mound for the Naturals Patrick Keating has been lights out in May.  The right-hander has appeared in six games, tossing seven innings, and allowing just two hits, while striking out 10.

Who’s Not
First baseman Johnny Whittleman has hit his first slump of the season.  Whittleman is just 5-for-30 over his last nine games (.167), but when he has hit the ball it has been hard.  He has hit two home runs over that stretch to give him seven on the season.  Elisaul Pimentel had his strongest outing of the season in his first start of the year against Tulsa, but struggled his last time on the hill against the Arkansas Travelers.  Pimentel went three and two-thirds innings allowing five hits and three runs in his second start of the season.

Class-A Advanced

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went 5-2 last week and are now 20-23 on the season and in second place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division.  The Blue Rocks are trailing the Lynchburg Hillcats by four game and open the week with a series against third place Potomac.

Who’s Hot
Brian Fletcher and Kevin David have been providing the offense for the Blue Rocks over their last ten games.  David is hitting .417 (10-for-24) with a home run and six RBI.  The catcher has also scored four times in his last eight games.  Fletcher is continuing to be a force at the plate hitting .325 in his last ten games with one home run, seven RBI, and eight runs scored.  The outfielder has pulled his average up to .308 for the season with three home runs and 19 RBI in 42 games.  Yordano Ventura has been hot on the mound for the Blue Rocks.  The starting pitcher has gone 2-0 in his last two trips to the hill allowing only five hits and one run in 13 innings, while striking out 13.

Who’s Not
Outfielder Geulin Beltre, who appeared in some spring training games with the Naturals, has gone 4-for-32 (.094) over his last nine games with one home run and two RBI.  Tyler Sample continues to bounce back and forth between the hot and not lists.  In his last two outings Sample has logged nine innings of work allowing 12 hits and nine runs.

Class-A

The Kane County Cougars went 3-4 over the past week and they now sit at 23-22 on the season.  The Cougars are in third place in the Midwest League’s Western division, but are just 5.0 games behind the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers for the division lead.

Who’s Hot
Infielder Michael Antonio has been hitting everything in sight over his last nine games.  Antonio has gone 13-for-35 (.371) with eight runs scored, two home runs, and 10 RBI.  Jorge Bonifacio is back on another one of his hot streaks as well.  The young outfielder is hitting .341 (14-for-41) over his last ten games with nine runs scored, a home run and five RBI.  On the mound for the Cougars Edwin Carl has continued to be one of the best pitchers in the Midwest League.  In his last two outings Carl has logged 13 innings allowing 12 hits and three runs, while striking out seven.  The right-hander is 4-2 on the season with a 1.79 ERA in 50.1 innings of work.

Who’s Not
Shortstop Orlando Calixte, who was on the hot list just two weeks ago, has cooled off recntly.  He is 4-for-34 (.118) over his last nine games.  On the mound for the Cougars Kellen Moen is coming off one of his worst outings of the season.  Moen allowed ten hits and five runs in four and two-thirds innings.  He is 2-2 on the season with a 5.05 ERA in 46.1 innings of work.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization) 

Who’s Hot
Ernesto Mejia is putting together his best month of the season, so far in May.  The first baseman is hitting a blistering .357 (25-for-70) so far in May with four home runs and 17 RBI.  He has 32 RBI on the season, which ranks him sixth in the International League.  Outfielder Tim Smith, who was recently signed by the Atlanta Braves, was promoted to Double-A Mississippi last week.  In two games with the Braves Smith has gone 2-for-4 with a run scored an RBI and two walks.

Who’s Not
Josh Johnson who is now with Triple-A Syracuse in the Washington Nationals organization is 5-for-28 (.179) over his last nine games, but has managed to score eight runs and knock in four over that stretch.   Chris McConnell, who is also in the Nationals organization with Double-A Harrisburg is struggling at the plate as well.  He is hitting just .167 over his last seven games.

Kila Ka’aihue has been struggling recently in the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics.  The first baseman is 3-for-20 in his last seven games, but does have two RBI, including a game winner over that stretch.

Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 4-2 over the past six days making them 21-10 trailing only the Fresno Grizzlies who are 23-8 on the campaign in the race for the best record in the Pacific Coast League.  The Storm Chasers have remained hot despite sending several more players up to the Royals including Nate Adock and most recently Irving Falu.

Who’s Hot
The offense has continued to carry the Storm Chasers to wins providing walk-off victories on two consecutive nights thanks to home runs by Cody Clark and Johnny Giavotella.  Giavotella has been on fire since the calendar turned over to may hitting .458 (11-for-24) in the first six games of the month.  He has also hit two home runs and knocked in eight, while working six walks over that span.  On the mound for the Storm Chasers a pair of pitchers who returned from the Kansas City Royals have been on.  Everett Teafordtossed five and two thirds innings in his first start of the season in Triple-A.  Louis Coleman has allowed just three hits and one run over five and a third innings of work.

Who’s Not
Sean O’Sullivan looked to have found it working and inning and a third scoreless innings in his last appearance against Oklahoma City, but prior to that he allowed nine hits and five runs over five and a third innings in his previous two relief outings.  Jason Bourgeois has struggled at the plate since being demoted to Triple-A.  He is hitting .200 (6-for-30) in his first seven games of the season, but has hit a home run.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are back to .500 after at 15-15 and have won the first two games of a four game homestand against the Tulsa Drillers to pull within five games of the Drillers for the North Division lead.  The Naturals have been brilliant at Arvest Ballpark this season going 12-4 at home.

Who’s Hot
Wil Myers who was named the Texas League Player of the week (April 23-29) has continued to be the best player on the field nearly every night.  Myers has homered in three of his last four games and is hitting a healthy .336 on the season to lead the Texas League.  He is also tops on the Naturals with 22 RBI, knocking home seven runs in his last four games.  On the mounc Jake Odorizzi has been just as good as advertised winning the Texas League Pitcher of the week (April 30-May 6) and turning in a seven and a third inning eleven strikeout performance his last time out on the mound.

Who’s Not
Julio Rodriguez is still trying to find his rhythm at the plate going 7-for-36 in his first ten games of the season.  He has delivered some key hits knocking in three runs in ten games on the season.  On the mound for the Naturals Chris Dwyer is coming off his worst start of the season and will look to rebound later in the week.  Last time out Dwyer went three innings allowing five hits and ten runs, seven of which were earned, while walking a season high six.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went just 2-4 last week and after getting back and are now 12-17 on the season sitting in third place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division trailing the Potomac Nationals by just one game for second.

Who’s Hot
Brian Fletcher has been giving opposing pitchers nightmares so far in the month of May.  The former Auburn Tiger is hitting .348 in the month of May lifting his average to .314 on the season.  Nick Rogers turned in what has become a run of the mill performance out of the bullpen on Saturday going two innings allowing just one hit and fanning three.  Rogers has yet to allow and run this season and have fanned 12 in 11 innings of work.

Who’s Not
Catcher Kenny Swab is still trying to find himself at the plate this season in limited playing time.  The backstop has appeared in ten games for the Blue Rocks and is hitting .094 (3-for-32) on the season.  Sam Runion had a couple of tough appearances in the last week allowing four runs in five and a third innings of work, but for the season he has now allowed just five runs over 13 innings.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars went 3-2 over the past week and they now sit at 14-16 on the season.  The Cougars are sitting in fifth place in the Midwest League’s Western division, but are just 4.5 games behind the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers for the division lead.

Who’s Hot
Outfielder Lane Adams has continued to be one of the focal points of the Cougar offense.  He is hitting a cool .330 with a home run and 18 RBI on the campaign.  On the mound for the Cougars, Santiago Garrido is undefeated on the season, going 3-0 with a 0.68 ERA over 26.1 innings of work.

Who’s Not
First baseman Murray Watts is still trying to hit for a better average, but his power swing has definitely been there.  Despite hitting just .191 on the season Watts has popped five home runs and driven home 13.  Aaron Brooks is coming off of a pair of rough starts allowing seven runs in his last 11 innings of work to go along with 15 hits.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot
Corey Smith turned in a great week for Double-A Birmingham posting a .407 batting average, to go along with four doubles and four RBI.  Blake Johnson made three scoreless appearances for Double-A Chattanooga in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.  He logged two and a third innings surrendering just one hit and striking out two.

Jeff Bianchi posted a .300 average for the week while with Double-A Huntsville in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, and earned his first career promotion to Triple-A on Saturday.

Who’s Not
Dusty Hughes got knocked around this past week working a third of an inning allowing two hits, walking two, and surrendering three runs.  Hughes had been one of the hottest pitcher for the Atlanta Braves Triple-A affiliate prior to that outing.  Jordan Parraz, also with the Gwinnett Braves had a rough week at the plate going 0-for-16 with six strikeouts.

Josh Johnson who is now with Triple-A Syracuse in the Washington Nationals organization is 1-for-16 with a walk and three strikeouts.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) has posted the second best record in the PCL going 17-8 trailing only the Fresno Grizzlies who are 19-6 on the campaign.  The Storm Chasers have remained hot despite having send several players up to Kansas City, some of which have since returned.

Who’s Hot

The offense has slowed down a touch, but is continuing to carry Omaha to victories.  A pair of former Naturals have been leading the charge over the last week.  Anthony Seratelli is hitting .412 for the season, and posted his first four-hit game of the season back on April 27 against Memphis.  Terry Evans, who began the season in Northwest Arkansas has been red hot since being called up.  The outfielder has posted a .378 batting average and has belted a pair of home runs in 11 games.  On the mound for the Storm Chasers Mike Montgomery has been brilliant as of late.  The left-hander has turned in three straight quality starts (at least 6 innings and three earned runs or less).  He has allowed just seven runs in his last 20 innings of work after giving up the same number in his first 7.2 innings to start the season.

Who’s Not

Jamie Romak is in limited playing time (29 at bats) is hitting just .172 with no home runs and two RBI.  On the mound for the Storm Chasers Francisely Bueno  has surrendered five runs, only two of which were earned, in his last two outings, which have totaled three innings.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are back to .500 after at 12-12 after a 7-1 homestand that put them back in second place in the Texas League North.  The Naturals are heading out on the road to Springfield for four games.  They are just 2-8 away from Arvest Ballpark this season.

Who’s Hot

Wil Myers who was named the Texas League Player of the week (April 23-29) has been leading the charge for the Naturals.  The outfielder is hitting .349 while leading the Naturals in home runs with six and RBI with 15.  Another outfielder made a name for himself over the last homestand Carlo Testa.  Testa hit three home runs on the homestand including a grand slam on April 27 and two more home runs on April 30.  He is now tied for second on the team in RBI after driving home 10 runs in his last four games.

Who’s Not
Rey Navarro had a three hit game on April 26, but has been cold since.  The second baseman has gone 1-for-17 over the last four games.  On the mound for the Naturals Bryan Paukovits allowed just one run of his own in his last appearance, but did allow all three runners he inherited to cross the plate as well in two thirds of an inning.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went just 2-5 last week and after getting back to .500 the week before.   The Blue Rocks are now 10-13 on the season and sit in second place in the Carolina League’s North Division.

Who’s Hot

Brian Fletcher has turned his season around in a matter of days.  The corner outfielder has hit in eight of his last nine games and collected multiple knocks in seven of those contests.  He has raised his batting average from .152 to .305 over that same stretch.  Nick Rogers has continued to be as close to perfect as anyone on the mound, and has yet to allow a run this season.  The right-hander has allowed just six hits over nine innings walking just one and striking out nine.  His opponents are hitting just .182 against him and he has converted both of his save opportunities.

Who’s Not

Outfielder Geulin Beltre had a tough week, but showed signs of breaking out of his slump with his game yesterday tallying three hits in that contest, prior to that he had been mired in an 0-for-12 slump.  Tyler Sample allowed a season high five runs in his last outing on April 27 against Winston Salem.  Sample issued three walks and five hits in that contest.  The rough outing for Sample followed his best outing of the season, which came on April 17, when he worked six innings allowing just one run and fanning a season high seven.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars also went 2-5 over the past week and now sit at 11-14 on the season.  They are sitting in sixth place in the Midwest League’s Western division, but are just three games behind Quad Cities for the division lead.

Who’s Hot

Starting pitcher Alexander Scott has been on point for the Cougars as of late.  Scott made his first two appearances out of the bullpen, before starting in two of his last three appearances.  In his two starts Scott has worked ten innings allowing just eight hits and two earned runs, while striking out eight.  He has posted a 1.04 ERA in five appearances.  Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio has continued to carry the bulk of the load offensively.  He is leading the team with a .340 batting average, and has nine extra base hits in 24 games this season.

Who’s Not

Right-hander Michael Giovenco has hit a rough patch in his last two outings.  The 6’6” relief pitcher has giving up seven runs over his last three innings of work.  These two outings are coming after he had allowed just two earned runs over his first seven and a third innings.  Cather Jin-Ho Shin is stuck in an 0-for-16 slump over his last five games.  The South Korean born backstop has seen his average dip down to .179 after it had been up at .258 back on April 19.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot

Jordan Parraz continues to be hot for the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves.  The outfielder is leading the team with a .367 batting average in 22 games.  Parraz has been his best against left-handed pitching hitting a scalding .600 (15-for-25) against them on the season.  A teammate of Parraz Dusty Hughes seems to have found a spot in the bullpen late in games.  Hughes earned three saves in his last four outings and has continued to see his ERA be one of the top ones in all of minor league baseball.  The left-hander has allowed just one run in 12.2 innings, while striking out 11, posting an ERA of just 0.71.

Blake Johnson has continued to be one of the top pitchers for Double-A Chattanooga in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.  Johnson has appeared in eight games, and worked 15.1 innings allowing just three earned runs while striking out 14.  He also ranks second on the Lookouts with a 1.76 ERA.

Tim Smith, who was released by the Kansas City Royals following spring training, has signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves.  The veteran outfielder made his debut with Class-A Advanced Lynchburg this past week going 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored against Frederick on April 29.

Who’s Not

Ernesto Mejia had been off to a hot start for the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves, but has cooled off of late.  The first baseman is just 4-for-28 over his last eight games with the Braves.  He has provided some power though with five doubles and three home runs to go along with 15 RBI.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) have started off another very strong season going 9-3 over the first week plus. The Storm Chasers are an even more impressive 7-1 while playing at Werner Park. They will look to defend their Pacific Coast League Championship and certainly have the talent to do so.

Who’s Hot
The offense has carried Omaha early in the season and a pair of former Naturals, Clint Robinson and Derrick Robinson have been right in the middle of things. Clint hit a pair of home runs in the team’s most recent series against the Albuquerque Isotopes and is hitting .320 on the young season. Derrick spent the first few games hitting in the number two spot in the order behind Jarrod Dyson, but since Dyson’s call-up to Kansas City has moved to the lead-off spot. Derrick has scored nine runs on the young season, driven home four, stole four bases, and is hitting .364 at the top of the lineup for the Storm Chasers. On the mound Jeremy Jeffress has gone 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in five games out of the bullpen, already having worked 11 innings on the young season. Nate Adcock is also off to a good start. He has yet to surrender a run in his first two starts over 11.1 innings allowing only three hits.

Who’s Not
Mike Montgomery is off to a tough start in 2012. He has started two games for Omaha lasting 7.2 innings and allowing 14 hits and seven runs while walking seven and striking out five. At the plate for the Storm Chasers, Cody Clark is hitting .194 (6-for-31) on the young season, but has hit a pair of doubles.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are off to a 4-7 start so far this season. The offense has started to pick things up after a slow start this season boosting the team batting average up to .254 on the season. The pitching staff has been nearly unhittable when they have thrown strikes, but have gotten into trouble when issuing walks.

Who’s Hot
Wil Myers has been on fire to start the year in Northwest Arkansas. He has a hit in all nine games that he has appeared in, and had a career game on Saturday April 14. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and a career best five RBI. He leads the Naturals in home runs and RBI so far in 2012. On the mound for the Naturals, Kendal Volz has been unhittable so far this season. He has appeared in three games out of the bullpen and thrown 7.2 innings allowing just one hit, no walks, and struck out seven. He is the Texas League leader in batting average against a reliever at .042.

Who’s Not
Third baseman Kurt Mertins has made some spectacular defensive plays this season, but has struggled at the plate. He is hitting .097 (3-for-31) on the season with a pair of sacrifice flies. A couple of members of the bullpen have been roughed up to start the season. Elisaul Pimentel has surrendered 13 runs, 12 of which have been earned in just 3.2 innings out of the pen this season. Bryan Paukovits, in his first season at Double-A has allowed nine earned runs in 5.2 innings of work, but did have a scoreless outing in the second game of a double-header against San Antonio on Monday April 16.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) have started the season 4-6 and are tied with the Potomac Nationals for third placed in the North Division. Wilmington has pitched well on the young season, and the bats are starting to heat up. Brett Eibner rejoined the team this past week and has already made an impact on the lineup offensively.

Who’s Hot
Starting pitcher Jason Adam, who spent last season with Kane County is off to a great start this season. He has yet to record a win or loss in his first two starts, but has gone 10 innings allowing eight hits and just one earned run, walking two and striking out 11. Catcher Kevin David has been getting it done at the plate going 4-for-4 on April 16 against Carolina. David’s big night included two doubles and a season high four RBI. He is hitting .304 so far in 2012.

Who’s Not
Outfielders Brian Fletcher and Roman Hernandez have struggled at the plate on the young season. Fletcher, who had a torrid spring, is hitting .184 this season as he continues to make the transition to first base. He has seen plenty of time in the outfield this season as well, but many believe his future is at first base. Hernandez has gone 4-for-33 (.121) as he continues to make his transition to playing baseball in the states. He defected from Cuba and was signed by the Royals on February 1 of this year.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars have won three straight and are 6-4 on the young season. That mark puts them just a half game behind Quad Cities in the Western division of the Midwest League. The Cougars had their most recent contest on April 16 in Beloit postponed due to weather, but will play a double header on April 17.

Who’s Hot
Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio is arguably of to the best start of any player in the Royals entire organization. He is hitting a robust .410 (16-for-39) over the first 10 games of the season. He has five extra base hits including one home run and seven RBI. He has also walked seven times while striking out just six. He also has recorded seven multi-hit games in 10 games so far this season. Jonathan Dooley has gone 1-0 in relief for the Cougars and has posted a 1.00 ERA out of the pen. He went a season long four innings allowing three hits and no walks, while fanning three at Burlington.

Who’s Not
Infielder Henry Moreno has been struggling at the plate so far this season. He has only hit safely in one of his seven games this season. Moreno did show signs of breaking out of his slump getting three hits on April 14. He is sporting a .115 average and has gone (3-for-26). Eric Cantrell has struggled in relief in four games this season posting and has a 14.54 ERA. He has worked 4.1 innings allowing 10 hits and seven runs on the young season.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot
Several former Naturals now find themselves in Triple-A with the Braves in Gwinnett. Dusty Hughes has transitioned into the bullpen and has a 1.17 ERA in five games for the Braves. He has allowed just one run over 7.2 innings of work. Ernesto Mejia has split time between first base and designated hitter for Gwinnett and is hitting .311 in eleven games with a home run and six RBI. Outfielder Jordan Parraz is not far behind hitting .310 in Gwinnet with a home run and three RBI.

The Washington Nationals have four former Naturals in their system. Josh Johnson, Jeff Howell. Johnson started off the season on fire with Double-A Harrisburg hitting .395 with seven RBI in 11 games. Howell has appeared in just three games, but has been good at the plate hitting .364 (4-for-11) with two RBI.

Jeff Bianchi is off to a hot start for Double-A Huntsville in the Milwaukee Brewers system. He is hitting .326 with five runs scored in the first 11 games of the season. Bianchi has started all 10 of those games at shortstop. Ed Lucas has had a recent streak to lift his average to .278 for Salt Lake, the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.

Who’s Not
Jose Duarte is now in the Miami Marlins organization and is off to a rough start with Double-A Jacksonville. Duarte is batting .176 (3-for-17) in nine games thus far for the Suns. He has appeared in four of those games as a pinch-hitter, and did hit a two run home run on April eighth off the bench against Huntsville. Juan Abreu is 2-for-3 in save chances for Triple-A Oklahoma City (Astros), but has an ERA north of 15.00 and has allowed three homers. Slick-fielding infielder Chris McConnell was recently re-assigned from Triple-A Syracuse to Double-A Harrisburg in the Nationals system.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.