Springfield, MO – The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that Cardinals 1B Matt Adams will join the Springfield Cardinals on a rehab assignment this Friday through Sunday.

Springfield hosts the Tulsa Drillers at Hammons Field on Saturday and Sunday, both starting at 6:09 p.m. Click below to get your tickets right now.

Adams, 24, started the 2013 season in St. Louis and is hitting .542 (13-for-24) with three home runs and eight RBIs through eight games with the Cardinals. The Philipsburg, PA native made his Major League debut on May 20, 2012 and appeared in 27 games with the Cardinals last year.

Adams spent the entire 2011 season with the Springfield Cardinals, compiling a .300 batting average with 32 home runs and 101 RBIs through 115 games en route to being named the 2011 Texas League Player of the Year. He was originally selected by St. Louis in the 23rd round of the 2009 June Draft out of Slippery Rock University (PA).

SPRINGDALE, AR— The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are teaming up with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for a post game screening and celebration of The 20th Anniversary Sandlot Tour at Arvest Ballpark Park on April 21st. David Mickey Evans, the writer, director, and narrator of the film The Sandlot will be hosting the event immediately following the Naturals game against the Tulsa Drillers.

“We are ecstatic to host the third stop in the 20th Anniversary Sandlot Tour here at Arvest Ballpark,” said General Manager, Eric Edelstein. “It’s a movie that many baseball fans and players grew up watching and to help celebrate the movie’s 20th anniversary will be an honor.”

A film that still captures the hearts of baseball fans young and old, THE SANDLOT debuts on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack March 26 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment in celebration of the beloved film’s 20th anniversary.  “A charming and whimsical comedy about boys and baseball and a GREAT BIGDOG” (“Siskel & Ebert”), THE SANDLOT ranked in the Top 40 as one of the best sports movies ever.

Evans will introduce his film, to be shown on the video board in the outfield, recount for the audience where the idea for the story came from, and directly following the screening engage with the audience for signings, photographs and Q&A.

To wrap up the evening, there will be Sandlot merchandise for sale such as the 20th Anniversary Blu-ray+DVD Combo, pictures, scripts, baseballs and more.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the “Sandlot Baseball Field Program”, a program which is coordinating baseball field renovations across the United States.

Arvest Ballpark will be the third stop for the year long Sandlot Tour which will be visiting various major and minor league ballparks across the country.

For information on how to attend The 20th Anniversary Sandlot Tour or any other event at Arvest Ballpark, please call the Naturals Front Office at (479) 927-4900 or visit www.nwanaturals.com.

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

November 30^th, 2012

Springfield, MO – The Springfield Cardinals have been named by Baseball America as the Minor League Team of the Year in 2012.

Springfield captured their first Texas League Crown by defeating the Tulsa Drillers in the North Division Finals in five games before besting the Frisco RoughRiders in four games.

The St. Louis Cardinals Double-A Affiliate was littered with talent including seven of the Top 30 prospects according Baseball America and Texas League Player of the Year, Oscar Taveras. The 20-year-old outfielder was the first Springfield player to lead the league in batting average (.321), doubles (37), extra-base hits (67) and total bases (273) while finishing in the top five in home runs (23), RBI (93), runs scored (83), triples (7) and slugging percentage (.572).

The Cardinals boasted five Post-Season All-Stars including Taveras, second baseman Kolten Wong, and pitchers Trevor Rosenthal, Keith Butler and Seth Maness.

“We are honored to be named the 2012 Team of the Year by Baseball America,” Vice President and General Manager Matt Gifford said. “This is a tremendous honor for arguably one of the best teams in Springfield Cardinals history. It’s a tribute to player development and the coaching staff for putting together a great club and to the players for their hard work throughout a long season.”

First year Double-A Manager Mike Shildt guided the Cardinals to a 35-35 record in the first half before the team hit their stride in the second half, winning the North Division Second Half crown with a 42-26 record. Overall, Springfield finished a franchise best 77-61, the best record in the North and third best record in the league. For Shildt, the 2012 title was his third straight after capturing back to back Appalachian League titles in 2010 and 2011 with Johnson City.

Springfield will open up the 2013 season on the road in Corpus Christi April 4^th before returning home to Hammons Field April 11^th for a six-game homestand against the Hooks and San Antonio Missions.  Season Ticket Packages are on sale now. Please call (417) 863-0395 or visit www.springfieldcardinals.com for more details on how you can become a season ticket holder.

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.

SPRINGDALE, AR – Naturals’ right-hander Jake Odorizzi has been selected as the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for the period of April 30^th-May 6^th, Texas League President Tom Kayser announced Monday.

The Highland, Illinois resident has both set and tied the Naturals franchise record for strikeouts in a game with 11 on two different occasions.  The first 11 strikeout performance came on April 23 against Springfield.  In his most recent start against the North Division leading Tulsa Drillers on May 5, he again fanned 11.  Odorizzi threw seven and a third innings allowing just two hits and one earned run.

Odorizzi is 3-2 on the season and is leading the starting staff in ERA (3.48), innings pitched (31.0), and strikeouts (40).  His 40 strikeouts are ranked third in the Texas League.

Cody Decker of the San Antonio Missions was named as the Player of the Week for the Texas League.

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.

Naturals’ outfielder Wil Myers has been selected as the Texas League Player of the Week for the period of April 23^rd-29^th, Texas League President Tom Kayser announced Monday.

The 21-year old Thomasville, NC resident hit safely in all six games he played in the past week, and hit .556 (10-for-18) with two home runs, six RBI’s, three walks, and two stolen bases.  A Texas League All-Star last season, Myers is batting .354 with six home runs and 14 RBI’s in his second season with Northwest Arkansas.

The Kansas City Royals’ third-best prospect overall according to Baseball America, Myers is taking home a player of the week award in the Texas League for the first time.

Tulsa Drillers starting pitcher Dan Houston was named as the league’s pitcher of the week.

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 Farm Report: August 25th
Naturals, Storm Chasers, Cougars solidify playoff chances

Triple-A

The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) had a night to remember on Wednesday, as their win over Round Rock combined with Memphis’ loss allowed the Storm Chasers to clinch the American Northern Division title. This marks the first time since 1999 that the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate has made the postseason.

Who’s Hot

As he has all season, Luis Mendoza delivered for Omaha this week. He went six innings in each of his two starts since last week’s report, allowing a total of three runs. The 2011 PCL Pitcher of the Year has now won his last four starts, lowering his league-leading ERA to 2.18 in the process. Outfielder Lorenzo Cain had a big week at the plate. Though his 13-game hitting streak was snapped on Tuesday, Cain responded with a 5-for-5 performance in Wednesday’s crucial contest.

Who’s Not

Former Natural Cody Clark has slumped in recent days, as the catcher is just 1-for-23 in his last six games. Clark has not driven in a run since Aug. 18 and did not homer at all in the last month. Fellow backstop Manny Pina has just three hits in five games since rejoining Omaha following a stint in the big leagues.

Double-A

Seven days ago, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) had a commanding six-game lead in the circuit’s North Division. At the time, the club’s magic number stood at seven. Since then, however, the Naturals have lost six of their last seven games and have fallen into a first-place tie with the red-hot Tulsa Drillers, winners of nine straight. The division’s second playoff spot will be decided from Sep. 3-5, when the teams meet in Tulsa on the final three days of the regular season.

Who’s Hot

The Naturals’ recent struggles are no fault of Tim Smith and Ben Theriot, as the two left-hand batters have hit well in recent days. Smith is 6-for-10 with a homer in his last three games, while Theriot is 8-for-11 in his last four. Third baseman Mario Lisson hit his 30^th home run as a Natural on Wednesday, establishing a new franchise record. On the mound, southpaw Will Smith showed why he was selected as the Naturals’ Pitcher of the Year in his last start, allowing just an unearned run while racking up 10 strikeouts in a game for the first time this season.

Who’s Not

Promoted from Wilmington early this week, Elisaul Pimentel made his Double-A debut on Wednesday and got a rude welcome to the level. Pimentel allowed five runs in three innings, including back-to-back homers in a four-run first inning. Reliever Edgar Garcia allowed four home runs in the course of one outing on Monday, including two in the decisive tenth inning as the Drillers finished a sweep of the Naturals.

Class-A Advanced

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) have been eliminated from playoff contention but did not go away quietly, posting a 4-3 record over the last seven days. The Blue Rocks have four more games in their 2011 campaign, which concludes at home on Labor Day against the Frederick Keys.

Who’s Hot

Allen Caldwell has pitched well since joining the Wilmington rotation about a week ago. In his most recent start, Caldwell allowed just one hit in 5 2/3 scoreless frames, striking out six in a win over Myrtle Beach. AZL Royals Pitcher of the Year Andrew Stueve made the jump to Wilmington last week and has not allowed a run through three innings with the Blue Rocks. Though he is hitless in his last two games, Yem Prades racked up a pair of multi-hit games within the last week and leads the team with a .297 batting average.

Who’s Not

In what has been another up-and-down season for the right-hander Tim Melville had a rough start on Tuesday, as he was tagged for four runs on six hits in just 4 2/3 against the Pelicans. Melville also issued five walks in the contest. Offensively, outfielder Whit Merrifield went just 3-for-20 in six games since last week’s report.

Class-A

Like Triple-A Omaha, the Kane County Cougars (Midwest League) wrapped up a playoff spot on Wednesday, in their case with a win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Former Natural and Northwest Arkansas resident Vance Wilson has a chance to get his club a Midwest League title in his first year as a minor-league manager.

Who’s Hot

Though he endured an 0-for-12 stretch earlier in the week, former Arkansas Razorback Brett Eibner helped Kane County secure their postseason future with a pair of multi-hit games in the last two days. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Eibner went 4-for-8 with a double, a triple and three walks. On the mound, right-handerJason Adam has excelled of late, allowing just one run over five innings in each of his last two starts.

Who’s Not

Though his league-leading ERA remains below 2.00, Greg Billo has now been roughed up in three consecutive starts. On Aug. 27 against Peoria, Billo yielded four runs on a season-high 11 hits. The right-hander is expected to have one more start to right the ship before postseason play begins. 18-year-old Cheslor Cuthbertis experiencing the grind of a full professional season for the first time, and the lengthy schedule may be taking its toll. Cuthbert hit just .124 with four extra-base hits in the month of August, but his season stat line still shows a player who is holding his own as one of the youngest bats in the league.

Short Season/Rookie

The Idaho Falls Chukars (Pioneer League) are the team in the organization that will play the deepest into September during the regular season. While all the full-season teams will wrap up by Labor Day, the Chukars’ 2011 campaign does not conclude until Sep. 8. Still technically alive for postseason play, the Chukars must make up a six-game deficit in a little over a week.

Who’s Hot

Right-hander Edwin Carl put the finishing touches on a ridiculous Pioneer League campaign with three strikeouts in two innings on Aug. 26 before a promotion to Kane County. Carl departs the Chukars with an absurd total of 71 strikeouts – against three walks – in 33 innings out of the Idaho Falls ‘pen. Named Idaho Falls Player of the Year, Runey Davis notched a hit in all but one of his games last week to keep his batting average level at .331 with an impressive .437 on-base percentage. Challenged by a promotion to this level, 2011 draftee Cameron Gallagher is 2-for-7 with a homer early into his stint with the Chukars.

Who’s Not

Reliever Jose Sanchez was tagged for a pair of losses in his last two appearances, allowing a total of nine earned runs in five innings of work. Even though nine of the runs he has allowed have been unearned, Sanchez still has a bloated 9.19 ERA. At the plate, catcher Tyler Smith has one hit in his last nine at bats and is hitting just .188 with a lone double in his time in the Pioneer League.

One of two affiliates to conclude their respective seasons this week are the Burlington Royals (Appalachian League), who dropped their final three contests to finish the year at 24-44, tied with the Bristol White Sox for the worst record in their league.

Who’s Hot

Selected as Burlington’s Player of the Year, outfielder Jorge Bonifacio finished the season with hits in nine of his last 10 games. Bonifacio led the club with 20 doubles and finished tied for second with seven home runs. On the mound, Nick Graffeo ended his run with the B-Royals with a win over Greeneville in his final start. Posting a 2.04 ERA while splitting time between the ‘pen and the rotation, Graffeo was deservedly honored as the club’s Pitcher of the Year.

Who’s Not

Though he homered in the season finale, Murray Watts finished the season with just two hits in his final eight games. After struggling at Kane County earlier in the year, Watts hit just .222 with Burlington and will work through the offseason to realize the power potential residing in his 6’7” frame. Reliever Andrea Pizziconiended the season by allowing six runs between his last two appearances, taking the loss against Johnson City on Aug. 28.

The AZL Royals (Arizona League) also concluded their season this past week, finishing the complex league season in last place at 22-34. Still, the true purpose of the circuit should not be forgotten, as the past two and a half months have given recent draftees and international signees valuable reps in their first taste of professional baseball.

Who’s Hot

Terrance Gore put the finishing touches on a solid run with the AZL Royals with a three-hit game on Aug. 28 against the Padres’ affiliate. In 35 games in Arizona, Gore hit .340 with a .447 on-base percentage and was not caught in 17 stolen base attempts. D’Andre Toney matched Gore with a .340 average and finished the season even better. Toney had three hits in each of the last two games and totaled two triples, a homer and six RBI in those contests.

Who’s Not

Collectively, the club’s pitching staff had trouble finding consistent success, thanks in part to the notably hitter-friendly weather down in Arizona. The team’s pitchers combined for a 6.11 ERA. Cesar Ogando finished the season by allowing three runs in four innings, wrapping his stint in Arizona with a 10.52 ERA. With that said, at just 19 years old, Ogando’s best days of baseball are undoubtedly still in front of him.

Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization

Last week brought one of the proudest moments in the baseball career of Juan Abreu, who made his Major League debut with the Astros on 8/29. Abreu became the 23^rd player to reach the big leagues after playing for the Naturals. Though he allowed a run in two-thirds of an inning, Abreu fanned a pair and will have a chance to establish himself in the season’s final month.

In departing for Houston, Abreu left the Pacific Coast League, the circuit in which Blake Johnson is currently plying his trade. Johnson currently has a 6.17 ERA for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, allowing a run in each of his last four appearances. Over in the International League, Jordan Parraz has continued his solid season for the Yankees’ Triple-A club. Parraz has hit safely in four of his last five games and carries a solid .361 on-base percentage with Scranton/Wilkes Barre. In the same league as Parraz is Ben Swaggerty, who so far has an 8.02 ERA in 14 games with Gwinnett.

At the Double-A level, Jeff Howell is hitting at a .370 clip with five extra-base hits through his first seven games with the Portland Sea Dogs, Boston’s Eastern League club. He now plays in the same league as Chris McConnell, who is now hitting just .213 for Harrisburg.

Down in the Southern League, Ernesto Mejia continues to lead the group of former Naturals now playing for the Mississippi Braves. Mejia knocked in three runs within the last week, giving him 89 RBI to go along with his 35 doubles and 22 homers. Among Mejia’s teammates with the M-Braves are Ed Lucas (.263 AVG, .335 OBP) and Rowdy Hardy (3.14 ERA).

At the Advanced-A level, Harold Mozingo has a solid 3.26 ERA for the Dunedin Blue Jays. Finally, a pair of former Naturals remains among the walking wounded, asDan Cortes (Seattle Mariners) and Jose Duarte (Jupiter Hammerheads) both reside on the disabled list.

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 Northwest Arkansas Naturals are pleased to announce the release of their 2012 Texas League Schedule.

The Naturals will open the 2012 season with a six-game road trip to Corpus Christi and San Antonio before their home opener at Arvest Ballpark on Thursday, April 12^th vs. the Corpus Christi Hooks. It will be the first time since the 2009 season that the Naturals have opened the season with a road trip and the first time ever that the home opener has been against a team other than San Antonio. The final home game will be on of the regular season will be on Labor Day, Monday, September 3^rd against the Tulsa Drillers.

The 2012, 70-home game schedule is highlighted by 31 games falling on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday dates. The schedule will see the Naturals face off 16 times against their two biggest rivals: the in-state Arkansas Travelers from North Little Rock (Los Angeles Angels), and the Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis). Each will visit Arvest Ballpark four times in 2012, and at least two series against each team will be played on weekends. The Naturals are also home for the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays.

2012 will feature three School Kids Day Games (April 25^th, April 30^th, and May 8^th). Special group rates are available for those days. In addition, our group areas such as the Bud Light Bullpen Café and Wendy’s Home Plate Party Deck as well as luxury suite rentals are also available on all day games for companies looking to do a daytime corporate outing.

Next season’s Texas League All-Star game will be Wednesday, June 27^th at ONEOK Field, home of the Tulsa Drillers.

Pocket schedules with these home dates will be passed out to fans during the Naturals’ upcoming homestand beginning on Saturday night and can also be obtained by visiting the box office at Arvest Ballpark. A printable PDF copy of the schedule will also be made available in the coming days on the Naturals’ official website, www.nwanaturals.com.

Season tickets for the 2012 season are now on sale. Information on ticket plans and group information will be available in the coming weeks. Details regarding weekday promotions, giveaway nights, and the 2012 promotional calendar will be available in late February 2012.

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.