Greetings from Lansing

Good morning from Lansing, Michigan.

The team had a 9 AM bus, but it only took us about 2 hours and 20 minutes to get here, so we're already checked in to our hotel.  The hotel in Lansing is great, but there's not a lot of food options around so the bus will drive the players to the mall at noon to grab a bite to eat.  Bus to the ballpark is at 3 PM.

The playoff hopes for South Bend are very slim.  In fact, the "elimination number" is 2, meaning that any combination of Bowling Green wins or South Bend losses that adds up to 2 would eliminate the Silver Hawks.  Even still, until that number is 0, the team still has a chance.  It's winning time!

Monday's Roster Move

INF/C Ramon Castillo promoted to AAA Reno.
INF Gerson Montilla joins team from extended spring training.

Analysis:  When a player jumps from South Bend to Reno, it's because they need someone to fill in for a few days (or a week, or two weeks).  Castillo was most likely selected because he can play multiple positions (first, third, catcher) and also serve as the bullpen catcher.  At the same time, he has an opportunity to showcase his skills for higher-ups in the organization.

Montilla played in double-A and high-A Visalia last season, but struggled in the advanced levels.  You can read the full press release here.

Playoff Race - Six to Play

A bad road trip has left the Silver Hawks barely hanging on with six to play.  It's going to take a remarkable run and a lot of help for South Bend to make the playoffs in the first half.
Here is your standings update with six to go.  There are still some doubleheaders for a few teams, but this is accurate as of Monday's off day.  Remember, cancelled games are not made up, and that impacts the playoff race as well.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	35	26	--
Bowling Green	36	28	-0.5
Great Lakes	34	29	-2.0
South Bend	31	32	-5.0
Dayton	31	32	-5.0
West Michigan	30	33	-6.0

Mathematically Eliminated: Fort Wayne, Lake County

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	41	23	--
Quad Cities	35	28	-5.5
Wisconsin	33	30	-7.5
Peoria	33	30	-7.5
Beloit	33	30	-7.5
Cedar Rapids	29	34	-11.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Kane County, Clinton.

Today's Lineup - June 12th at Peoria

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - SS
Zach Walters - 2B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Ramon Castillo - DH
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF

Patrick Schuster - SP

No pregame interview due to the early start.  Pregame show at 1:40 Eastern Time. First pitch at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.

From the Notes - June 12th

South Bend Silver Hawks (31-31 Overall)
@ Peoria Chiefs (32-30 Overall)

O’Brien Field, Peoria, Illinois – 2:00 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   

Season Series: 2-0 Chiefs
@ Coveleski Stadium: 0-0 Tie
@ O’Brien Field: 2-0 Chiefs

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .256 – 3rd                  

Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.79 ERA – 9th

Chiefs Team Hitting: .276 – 1st                           
Chiefs Team Pitching: 3.43 ERA – 4th

LAST GAME:  The South Bend Silver Hawks blew a 5-0 lead on Saturday night, eventually falling 11-6 to the Peoria Chiefs.  The Hawks got up 5-0 in the top of the second, but Peoria scored four in the bottom of the inning and then seven in the fourth to take the big lead.  Tyler Green (LP, 2-1) suffered the loss, allowing nine runs (eight earned) in 3.0 innings.  Robinson Lopez (WP, 4-3) got the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief for Peoria.  Matt Szczur and Richard Jones had two run homers for the Chiefs.  Zach Walters led the Silver Hawks with a two run triple. 

TEAM NOTES:

·         Playoff Chase:  The Hawks are 4.0 games out of first and 3.5 out of the wild card with seven to play in the first half.

·         The Silver Hawks allowed 11 runs on 16 hits yesterday – both season highs.

·         The pitching staff has thrown five shutouts since May 20^th and having none before that point.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·         Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 16 home runs, 51 RBIs, .604 Slugging PCT, 36 XBH, and 128 Total Bases. 

·         Mike Freeman has a team high 14 game hit streak.  He’s hit in 25 of his last 27 games to raise his average from .209 to .276. 

·         David Holmberg has not allowed a run in his last 21.0 innings pitched – dating back to May 22^nd at Great Lakes.

·         Jeremy Erben threw 2.0 scoreless innings on Saturday and is up to 9.2 consecutive scoreless innings currently.

Playoff Race - Seven to Play

Bad night for the Silver Hawks on Saturday with South Bend losing and everyone else in the hunt winning.

Here is your standings update with seven to go.  There are still some doubleheaders for a few teams, but this is as accurate as of late Saturday night.  Remember, cancelled games are not made up, and that impacts the playoff race (see Lake County note below).

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	34	26	--
Bowling Green	35	28	-0.5
Great Lakes	34	28	-1.0
South Bend	31	31	-4.0
Dayton	31	31	-4.0
West Michigan	29	33	-6.0
Fort Wayne	28	33	-6.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Lake County (despite being just 7 back in the loss column, the Captains are 8 back in the wins column of Bowling Green -- so they could only get within a half game.  The Captains had a game cancelled while Bowling Green is scheduled to play 70 still). 

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	41	22	--
Quad Cities	34	28	-6.5
Wisconsin	32	30	-8.5
Peoria	32	30	-8.5
Beloit	32	30	-8.5
Cedar Rapids	29	33	-11.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Kane County, Clinton.

Tonight's Lineup - June 11th at Peoria

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - DH
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Chris Jarrett - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Raul Navarro - SS

Tyler Green - SP

I have not recorded a pregame interview yet, but I'm going to try to grab Keith Cantwell after BP to talk about his great outing last night.

Pregame show at 7:10 Eastern Time.  First pitch at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - 8 To Play

Below is a look at the standings entering play tonight with eight to go in the first half.  (Note: Due to rainouts, not every team will play 70 games and some teams have doubleheaders still.  As we get closer to the finish of the first half, the picture will become a bit clearer, but for now, I will only mark a team as mathematically eliminated if they have no hope of catching the wild card).

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	33	26	--
Bowling Green	34	28	-0.5
Great Lakes	33	28	-1.0
South Bend	31	30	-3.0
Dayton	30	31	-4.0
West Michigan	28	33	-6.0
Fort Wayne	27	33	-6.5
Lake County	27	34	-7.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	41	21	--
Quad Cities	34	27	-6.5
Wisconsin	32	29	-8.5
Peoria	31	30	-9.5
Beloit	31	30	-9.5
Cedar Rapids	29	32	-11.5
Kane County	26	35	-14.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Clinton.

Good News/Bad News

Bad News:  Silver Hawks lost.

Good News:  So did Lansing and Great Lakes (Loons lost 20-2 to Quad Cities!)

Bad News:  Bowling Green is winning in the 9th, so the Silver Hawks will likely drop to 2.5 games out of the wild card.

Full standings update in the morning.  Silver Hawks are in desperate need of a win tomorrow.

Tonight's Lineup - June 10th at Peoria

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Ramon Castillo - DH
Chris Jarrett - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF

Jeff Shields - P

Pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley.  First pitch at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.  Pregame coverage at 7:40 PM Eastern Time.

Bryan Shaw to the Big Leagues

Below you will find the text of a press release from the Arizona Diamondbacks announcing that former Silver Hawks pitcher Bryan Shaw has been called up to the Major Leagues.  When he appears in a game, he will become the 123^rd former South Bend White Sox/Silver Hawks player to make the Majors.  He joins Josh Collmenter and Evan Scribner as former Hawks to debut this year in the Majors.

Shaw was with South Bend for 11 games in 2008, going 0-1 with a 4.03 ERA.  He struck out 16 batters in 22.1 innings for South Bend.

D-BACKS SELECT SHAW FROM RENO, OPTION KROENKE TO RENO

(PHOENIX) — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have selected right-handed pitcher Bryan Shaw from Triple-A Reno and optioned left-handed pitcher Zach Kroenke to Reno, according to D-backs’ Executive Vice President and General Manager Kevin Towers.

Shaw, 23, was a combined 4-1 with 10 saves, a 2.37 ERA (8 ER in 30.1 IP) and .207 opponents average (23-for-111) with 11 walks and 24 strikeouts in 23 games at Reno and Double-A Mobile. In 8 games for Reno, he went 1-0 with 3 saves, a 5.59 ERA (6 ER in 9.2 IP) and a .222 opponents average (8-for-36) with 3 walks and 9 strikeouts. In 15 games at Mobile, he went 3-1 with 7 saves, a 0.87 ERA (2 ER in 20.2 IP) and a .200 opponents average (15-for-75) with 8 walks and 15 strikeouts. He most recently pitched on June 7 vs. Salt Lake, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings with a hit and walk in picking up his first Triple-A win, 8-7, in 10 innings. In 4 minor league seasons, he is 11-19 with 14 saves and a 4.36 ERA (135 ER in 278.2 IP) in 107 games (32 starts). This will be Shaw’s first stint in the Majors. He will wear No. 37.

Kroenke, 27, is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA (4 ER in 4.0 IP) and .333 opponents average (6-for-18) with a walk and 3 strikeouts in 4 games for the D-backs.

Greetings From Peoria and Playoff Race

An oddity in that we stayed in Burlington last night, then drove into Peoria this morning.  From what I understand, there were not enough hotel rooms at the team hotel last night, so we had to stay one extra night in Burlington.  Whatever...it all works out.

Below is a look at the standings entering play tonight with nine to go in the first half.  (Note: Due to rainouts, not every team will play 70 games and some teams have doubleheaders still.  As we get closer to the finish of the first half, the picture will become a bit clearer, but for now, I will only mark a team as mathematically eliminated if they have no hope of catching the wild card).

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	33	25	--
Great Lakes	33	27	-1.0
Bowling Green	33	28	-1.5
South Bend	31	29	-3.0
Dayton	29	31	-5.0
Lake County	27	33	-7.0
West Michigan	27	33	-7.0
Fort Wayne	26	33	-7.5

Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	41	20	--
Quad Cities	33	27	-7.5
Wisconsin	32	28	-8.5
Peoria	30	30	-10.5
Beloit	30	30	-10.5
Cedar Rapids	28	32	-12.5
Kane County	26	34	-14.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Clinton.

Tonight's Lineup - June 9th at Burlington

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Raywilly Gomez - DH
Ramon Castillo - C
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Raul Navarro - SS
David Holmberg - SP

Pregame interview is with Mike Bolsinger.  Pregame show starts at 7:10 PM Eastern Time.  First pitch at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. 

Draft Thoughts

I'm not qualified to analyze the Diamondbacks draft over the past few days, simply because I don't follow amateur baseball that closely at all.  However, there are a few places that can do a better job grading the draft than I can, so I have linked them below.

How does this relate to South Bend?  Well obviously, with 50 new players drafted into the organization (not all will sign), we are talking about many future Silver Hawks.  Some may appear this season, while others will be here over the next couple of years.

Anyhow, here's a few links for you if you want to read about the draft:

-The list of players the Diamondbacks drafted with some scouting reports can be found here.

-Here's a column by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com that says the Diamondbacks had the best draft.

-Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has been blogging non-stop about the draft.  Read his work here.

-Another MLB column about the Diamondbacks sticking to their draft strategy.

-Finally, you can't call it draft coverage unless you check in with Baseball America.  Multiple links on their site will evaluate the draft and all the picks.  Some areas are pay, but you can get a lot of good info for free.

From the Notes - June 9th

South Bend Silver Hawks (30-29 Overall)
@ Burlington Bees (41-19 Overall)

Community Field, Burlington, Iowa – 7:30 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   

Season Series: 2-0 Bees
@ Coveleski Stadium: 0-0 Tie
@ Community Field: 2-0 Bees

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .258 – T-2nd               
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.69 ERA – 6th

Bees Team Hitting: .237 – 13th                           
Bees Team Pitching: 2.70 ERA – 1st

LAST GAME:  A slugfest on Wednesday night saw the Burlington Bees out-homer and outlast the South Bend Silver Hawks 9-7 at Community Field.  Douglas Landaeta, Josh Whitaker, and A.J. Kirby-Jones all homered for Burlington, with Kirby-Jones picking up a two run single later in the game to finish with four RBIs in the offensive explosion.  The Hawks had homers from Yazy Arbelo and Zach Walters, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bees offense.  J.R. Bradley (LP, 2-8) suffered the loss, allowing six runs over 3.1 innings.  Tyler Vail (WP, 1-2) earned the win despite allowing five runs over 5.0 innings.  Daniel Tenholder (SV, 8) pitched a perfect 9th for the save.

TEAM NOTES:

·          Playoff Chase:  The Hawks are 3.0 games out of first and 2.0 out of the wild card with 10 to play in the first half.

·          By losing the first two games to Burlington, the Hawks streak of six straight series wins has come to a close.

·          South Bend has committed the second fewest errors in the league and turned the third most double plays.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, .619 Slugging PCT, 35 XBH, and 125 Total Bases. 

·          Ender Inciarte and Mike Freeman are currently on 11 game hitting streaks.  Inciarte’s streak is his career high.

·          Freeman has hits in 22 of his last 24 games to raise his average from .209 to .277. 

·          Dan Taylor has the lowest batting average against for all MWL relievers with a .106 mark.  He tossed a 1-2-3 inning on Tuesday.

Playoff Race - 10 To Play

An updated look after Wednesday's games.  (Note: Due to rainouts, not every team will play 70 games and some teams have doubleheaders still.  As we get closer to the finish of the first half, the picture will become a bit clearer, but for now, I will only mark a team as mathematically eliminated if they have no hope of catching the wild card).

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	32	25	--
Great Lakes	32	27	-1.0
Bowling Green	32	28	-1.5
South Bend	30	29	-3.0
Dayton	29	30	-4.0
Lake County	27	32	-6.0
Fort Wayne	26	31	-6.0
West Michigan	26	33	-7.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	41	19	--
Quad Cities	33	26	-7.5
Wisconsin	31	28	-9.5
Peoria	30	29	-10.5
Beloit	28	30	-12.0
Cedar Rapids	28	31	-12.5
Kane County	26	33	-14.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Clinton.

Tonight's Lineup - June 8th at Burlington

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Chris Jarrett - LF
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Jhoan Pimentel - C

J.R. Bradley - SP

Pregame interview is with Chris Jarrett.  Pregame show starts at 7:10 PM Eastern Time.  First pitch at 7:30 PM.

All-Star Thoughts

I'm sure by now you've heard the announcement or seen it on www.silverhawks.com that the Silver Hawks will be sending six players to the Midwest League All-Star Game. 

The players that made the team are listed below with a few of my comments:

Yazy Arbelo - Not a surprise that Arbelo got the starting nod at first base.  He leads the league in homers, RBIs, extra base hits, slugging percentage, and total bases.  He has been an absolute beast at the plate and deserves the starting honors.

Matt Helm - Some might be a bit surprised by this, but he has just been the model of consistency at the plate.  The average has hovered in the .270 - .300 range all season long, and he has been a RBI machine, particularly with two outs 

Ender Inciarte - Again, perhaps a slight surprise given that he didn't start the year with South Bend, but with an average over .300, solid defense, and good speed, Inciarte was a logical candidate for a reserve outfielder.

Zach Walters - Speaking of consistent players, how about Walters?  Just plugging away with a .300+ average, six homers, and 36 RBIs to rank first or second on the team in most offensive categories.  Not only that, he can play second, third, short, and DH, shining at all positions.

David Holmberg - You might not have guessed it when Holmberg was 0-3, but he is certainly deserving of an all-star nomination now that he is 5-3 with a 3.14 ERA.  A bulldog on the mound, Holmberg gives the Silver Hawks a strong chance of winning every time to the hill.

Tyler Green - Another player who has had a great start to the season, despite missing some time on the DL.  Even more impressive is when you factor in that this is his first season in professional baseball.

And a few notes on some guys that could have made it, but didn't for various reasons:

Mike Freeman - Started his hot streak way too late to make the All-Star team, but if they were voting again now, he'd had a good chance of being elected.

Raywilly Gomez - Catchers don't get a lot of publicity, especially those without a lot of power.  However, Gomez has a great approach at the plate and routinely puts the bat on the ball.

Patrick Schuster - Same numbers of wins and the same ERA as David Holmberg, yet Schuster gets left behind.  Arguably one of the bigger snubs on the team.

Dan Taylor - If he didn't have the one start where he allowed four earned runs in 4.0 innings, Taylor would be 2-1 with a 0.71 ERA while holding opponents to a .106 batting average.  Translation:  ALL STAR.

Blake Cooper/Jeremy Erben/Mike Bolsinger/Eury De La Rosa - Four members of the bullpen from the start of the season with phenomenal numbers, but unfortunately just not enough room on the team to include them.

Playoff Race - 11 To Play

An updated look as of Wednesday morning...

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	32	24	--
Great Lakes	32	26	-1.0
Bowling Green	31	28	-2.5
South Bend	30	28	-3.0
Dayton	28	30	-5.0
Lake County	27	31	-6.0
Fort Wayne	26	31	-6.5
West Michigan	25	33	-8.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	40	19	--
Quad Cities	32	26	-7.5
Peoria	30	28	-9.5
Wisconsin	30	28	-9.5
Beloit	28	30	-11.5
Cedar Rapids	27	31	-12.5
Kane County	26	32	-13.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Clinton, (Kane County, Cedar Rapids, and Beloit have been eliminated from the division title but can still track down the wild card)

Gotta Move On Quickly

Tonight stunk.  That was a game that the Silver Hawks were in good position to win, and couldn't hold on.  Obviously, anyone that listened to me knows that I'm surprised they stuck with Bradin Hagens as long as they did, but you know, that's baseball.  There's certainly not one person to blame.  Hagens pitched well but ran out of steam, the coaches wanted to get a longer outing from him, the offense went quiet after the second inning.  A loss is a loss, let's move on.

Good News:  Lansing and Bowling Green both lost
Bad News:  Great Lakes rallied and won

The Silver Hawks remain 3.0 out of first, but are now 2.0 out of the wild card with 11 to play.  Full standings update tomorrow on the blog plus a few more thoughts as I try to catch up from my weekend away.

Tonight's Lineup - June 7th at Burlington

This is the fourth post today, so scroll down to see all.  Tomorrow I hope to get draft and All-Star thoughts up as well. 

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - DH
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Raul Navarro - SS

Bradin Hagens - SP

Pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley.  First pitch at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.  Pregame show starts at 6:10 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - 12 To Play

Here we go...It's crunch time now.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	32	23	--
Great Lakes	31	26	-2.0
Bowling Green	31	27	-2.5
South Bend	30	27	-3.0
Dayton	28	29	-5.0
Lake County	26	31	-7.0
Fort Wayne	25	31	-7.5
West Michigan	24	33	-9.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	39	19	--
Quad Cities	31	26	-7.5
Peoria	30	27	-8.5
Wisconsin	30	27	-8.5
Beloit	28	29	-10.5
Cedar Rapids	27	30	-11.5
Kane County	25	32	-13.5

Mathematically Eliminated: Clinton

From the Notes - June 7th

South Bend Silver Hawks (30-27 Overall)
@ Burlington Bees (39-19 Overall)

Community Field, Burlington, Iowa – 7:30 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   

Season Series: 0-0 Tie
@ Coveleski Stadium: 0-0 Tie
@ Community Field: 0-0 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .258 – 3rd                   
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.53 ERA – 4th

Bees Team Hitting: .245 – T-12th                        
Bees Team Pitching: 2.65 ERA – 1st

LAST GAME:  The Silver Hawks used a pair of four-run innings to dismantle the Quad Cities River Bandits 9-1 on Sunday afternoon.  Yazy Arbelo had two hits and three RBIs, including his league leading 15th home run, to pace the offensive attack.  Raul Navarro added two RBIs for the Hawks who wrapped up the homestand with a 9-3 record.  Patrick Schuster (WP, 5-2) dominated over 7.0 innings, allowing just four hits and one run.  Anthony Ferrara (LP, 4-3) was tagged with the loss for the Bandits, giving up five runs over 6.0 innings on the hill. 

TEAM NOTES:

·          Playoff Chase:  The Hawks are 3.0 games out of first and 1.0 out of the wild card with 12 to play in the first half.

·          South Bend went 9-3 with one rainout on the just completed 13 game home stand.

·          The Silver Hawks have won 14 of their last 19 games and have won six straight series.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 15 home runs, 47 RBIs, .605 Slugging PCT, 33 XBH, and 118 Total Bases. 

·          Ender Inciarte and Mike Freeman are currently on nine game hitting streaks. 

·          Freeman has hits in 20 of his last 22 games to raise his average from .209 to .277. 

·          David Holmberg’s nine inning complete game shutout on Friday was the team’s first since Cesar Valdez on 7/27/07.

Greetings from Burlington, Iowa

I know it's been a while without regular blog updates, and I have a ton to catch up on (all-star rosters, draft, etc.). 

I'm back with the team now after a weekend away, and I promise to update this blog often over the next few days to catch back up.

However, for now, I need to get my media notes done for tonight.  Expect more posts once we get to the stadium and I get my equipment set up.

Checking In from Nashville

Owen here...just wanted to pop on the blog and give you a quick standings update while I'm away.  Let me just say that it is scorching hot in Nashville, Tennessee this weekend with temperatures at 95+.  It's going to be a little warm in a coat and tie for the wedding I'm attending.

I was able to listen to just a little bit of last night's game, and it seemed as if David Holmberg was in complete control.  Always nice to see (or hear) a pitcher who is just dominating.

Anyhow, here's an update on the playoff race entering today's games with 14 remaining in the first half:

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	31	22	--
Great Lakes	30	25	-2.0
Bowling Green	30	26	-2.5
South Bend	29	26	-3.0
Dayton	28	27	-4.0
Lake County	26	29	-6.0
Fort Wayne	24	30	-7.5
West Michigan	22	33	-10.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	38	18	--
Quad Cities	30	25	-7.5
Peoria	29	26	-8.5
Wisconsin	28	27	-9.5
Beloit	27	28	-10.5
Cedar Rapids	27	28	-10.5
Kane County	24	31	-13.5
Clinton	17	39	-21.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None, although Clinton has been eliminated from the top spot, they still have not been mathematically eliminated from the wild card yet.

Tonight's Lineup - June 4th vs. Quad Cities

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - DH
Chris Jarrett - LF
Jhoan Pimentel - C
Roberto Rodriguez - RF

Tyler Green - SP

Pregame show at 5:10 P.M. First Pitch at 5:30 P.M.

Tonight's Lineup - June 3rd vs. Quad Cities

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - SS
Zach Walters - 2B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Matt Helm - 3B
Chris Jarrett - LF
Ramon Castillo - DH
Roberto Rodriguez - RF

David Holmberg - SP

Pregame show at 6:40 P.M.  First pitch at 7:00 P.M.

Today's Lineup - June 2nd vs. Cedar Rapids

Good Morning!

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - DH
Ramon Castillo - C
Chris Jarrett - RF
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Raul Navarro - SS

J.R. Bradley - P

No pregame interview due to the early start.  First pitch at 10:35 AM.  Pregame show at 10:15 AM.

From the Notes - June 1st

South Bend Silver Hawks (27-25 Overall)
vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels (26-26 Overall)

Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 1-0 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 1-0 Silver Hawks
@ Veterans Memorial Stadium: 0-0 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .254 – 5th                  
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.61 ERA – 7th

Kernels Team Hitting: .227 – 15th                        
Kernels Team Pitching: 3.49 ERA – 5th

LAST GAME:  Three pitchers combined to pitch an 8-0 shutout victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Tuesday night at Coveleski Stadium.  Patrick Schuster (WP, 4-2) started it out with six scoreless innings, and was followed by Eury De La Rosa (two innings) and Mike Bolsinger (one inning) for the team’s third shutout in 11 days.  Offensively, Zach Walters had two hits and three RBIs while Ramon Castillo launched a two run homer as the Hawks built a big lead early.  The loss was pinned on Suammy Baez (LP, 1-6), who allowed seven runs over 3.0 innings. 

TEAM NOTES:

·         Playoff Chase:  The Hawks are 4.0 games out of first and 1.5 out of the wild card with 17 to play in the first half.

·         South Bend is in the third series of a scheduled 13 game home stand.  Currently 6-1 in the stretch with one rainout.

·         With 59 stolen bases already this season, the Silver Hawks have surpassed their total from last season (58) in just 52 games.

·         The Silver Hawks went 20-11 in May and have won 11 of their last 14 games.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·         Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 13 home runs, 40 RBIs, .601 Slugging PCT, 30 XBH, and 107 Total Bases. 

·         Zach Walters has back-to-back three RBI games to up his total to 31 on the season

·         Ramon Castillo homered yesterday and is on a four game hitting streak – tying his longest of the season.

Playoff Race - 17 To Play

With 17 games to play in the first half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included).

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Lansing	30	20	--
Bowling Green	29	24	-2.5
Great Lakes	27	25	-4.0
South Bend	27	25	-4.0
Dayton	26	26	-5.0
Lake County	24	28	-7.0
Fort Wayne	23	28	-7.5
West Michigan	21	31	-10.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Burlington	37	16	--
Peoria	28	24	-8.5
Quad Cities	28	24	-8.5
Wisconsin	27	25	-9.5
Cedar Rapids	26	26	-10.5
Beloit	25	27	-11.5
Kane County	23	29	-13.5
Clinton	15	38	-22.0

Mathematically Eliminated: None, although Clinton has been eliminated from the top spot, they still have not been mathematically eliminated from the wild card yet.