Remembering Willie Mays in Game 06

OAKLAND BALLERS (16-13) vs HIGH WHEELERS (14-12)

Listen to the Yolo High Wheeler Commentary here

Watch the Game Broadcast on FloSports here

Pitching Matchup:
Oakland–RHP–Aaron Eden (2-2, 6.00) @ Yolo–RHP–Ben Ferrer (2-1, 5.16)
Probables for Idaho Falls (all games are 6:05 p.m. PST)
6/25–Yolo–RHP–Cameron Repetti (2-1, 3.25) @ Idaho Falls
6/26–Yolo–LHP–Dawson Lane (0-2, 7.56) @ Idaho Falls
6/27–Yolo–RHP–Brandon McPherson (1-0, 4.29) @ Idaho Falls
6/28–Yolo–RHP–Shaun Gamelin (1-1, 6.63) @ Idaho Falls
6/29–Yolo–LHP–Brandon Mitchell (1-1, 8.02) @ Idaho Falls
6/30–Yolo–RHP-Ben Ferrer (2-1, 5.16) @ Idaho Falls

TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER–15–RHP–BEN FERRER (2-1, 5.16)

-makes second start/second appearance of series/tenth outing overall
-hopped into rotation after JC Ariza was placed on the injured list on 6/11
-lone start: 6/16 @ Northern Colorado (6 1⁄3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 7 K, ND) 14-3 Yolo win
-the 6 1⁄3 innings are the most by a Yolo pitcher
-last appearance: earned win on 6/20 vs. Oakland (1 IP, K, W), scoreless fifth inning
-fourth appearance against Oakland, is 1-0, 6.75 ERA vs. Ballers
-string of eight shutout IP over three games snapped 6/9 at Oakland, gave up five runs (all earned)
-long relief on 6/1 vs. GJ with four shutout frames, six strikeouts; six K's most for a Yolo reliever
-earned his first win of the season on 5/29 vs. Grand Junction with two shutout frames
-returns to the Pioneer League for his second season, was with Glacier last year (1-1, 14 games)
-played three seasons at South Carolina Upstate (Spartanburg, SC; NCAA D-I)
-finished college career with two seasons at Oregon State ; overall college totals; 14-5, 3.43

HIGH WHEELERS POSITION PLAYERS
2 KIRKLAND BANKS Last Game: 2-4 Hitting Streak: One Game (2-4)
-snapped an 0-8 slump yesterday with two singles
-first four-hit game of season on 6/12 @ NOCO.; HR back-to-back games at OAK 6/7-8
-Lamar University alum, originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana; loves eating alligator
-with Frederick (MLB Draft League) last year, (.387, 7, 29, 6 SB)
-was multi-offensive threat in five seasons of football at Lamar, primarily played wide receiver
-graduate of Barbe High School; helped lead the Buccaneers to three state titles in baseball

4 BRAYLIN MARINE Last Game: 2-5; R; RBI Hitting Streak: 13 Games (28-61)
-season-long 13-game hitting streak, 28-61 (.459); has reached base safely in his last 14 games
-five hits 6/18 vs. OAK;, first five-hit game in team history; five runs also tops on Yolo in one game
-pro career best six RBI's on 6/16 at NOCO; went 3-6; three-double in 9th
-reached base safely 15X in series at Northern Colorado
-last season at Mahoning Valley (MLB Draft League) (.318, 0, 17, 13 SB)
-five seasons at NCAA—Division II-- Newberry (SC) College; all-time SB leader with 100
-Wolves won two South Atlantic Conference Championships during his time

5 BRAYLAND SKINNER Last Game: 1-4; BB; R; SB Hitting Streak: Seven Games (11-30)
-hits in 15–of-his-last-17 games (26-68, .382); three homers in series at OAK from 6/4-9
-first two homers of season on 6/8 @ OAK & seven RBI's in game, most by a High Wheeler
-played two seasons at Mississippi State and one year at University of Memphis
-member of the 2021 NCAA College World Series Champion Mississippi State Bulldogs
-finished second steals in the American Athletic Conference for Memphis last year with 22
-last season was in the MLB Draft League with Williamsport (.333, 1, 19, 12 SB)

7 BRAEDON BLACKFORD Last Game: 0-4; BB Hit Streak: No Games
-first pro Grand Slam the other day; eight RBI's over his last five games
-three hits and four RBI's are most for him in one game this season in the game this past Friday
-homered in three straight games @ OAK; 6/5-7, all solo, first High Wheeler with HR's in three consecutive games
-picked up the first hit in Yolo history with a first inning single on May 21
-played two years at Purdue Fort Wayne (NCAA-D-I, Horizon League)
-All-Horizon League First Team senior year at PFW, had 14 homers; prior to PFW played at Illinois State
-spent 2023 with State College (MLB Draft League), in 46 games, .270, 5, 34, 3 SB

9 MASON MINZEY Last Game: 2-4 Hitting Streak: Three Games (4-10)
-three hits (all singles) in season opener on May 21; two hits in six AB's in this series
-three seasons of college ball was at Ohio University after beginning varsity career at Texas Tech
-played 32 games last year w/Williamsport (MLB Draft League) (.268, 0, 6)

11 BOBBY LADA (LUH-DAY) Last Game: DNP Hit Streak: No Games
-eight-game hitting streak (20-35, .571) ended 6/19; one hit in last 11 AB's (.091)
-reached base safely a team record six times on 6/18 vs. OAK along with four steals–also team-high in a game
-with four hits on 6/18 it was his third four-hit game of the season
-finished 15-29 (.517, 2 HR, 7 RBI) in series at NOCO; 3 XBH on 6/16; three-run HR, 4 RBI's
-completed Grand Junction series with two homers (Grand Slam) and 12 RBI's; was 10-21 (.476)
-had four hits (triple shy of the cycle) on 5/28 along with six RBI's vs. Grand Junction
-Grand Slam on 5/28 vs. GJ was first homer in Yolo history
-West Virginia in 2023 (MLB Draft League), .336, 3, 29, 21 SB
-two seasons for the University of Louisiana, and finished college career at NAIA William Carey

14 JUSTIN KIRBY Last Game: 3-4; HR; 2 R; 2 RBI's Hitting Streak: One Game (3-4)
-third homer of season yesterday (first at home); second three-hit game
-extended his runs scored streak to nine games scoring twice yesterday (11 runs scored in stretch)
-first pro homer was 6/11 @ Northern Colorado; two total in series
-outfielder signed on May 28th for his first pro contract; two hits on 5/28 in pro debut vs. GJ
-lead off pinch hit double on 6/8 @ Oakland sparking three-run ninth; first PH in team history
-went to spring training with Fargo (American Association) and Missoula (Pioneer League)
-played four seasons at Kent State University (Kent, Ohio) & last year at Auburn
-amassed 29 homers with Kent State and eight at Auburn; originally from Alpharetta, Ga.
-was Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year at Kent State in 2019 (.313, 9, 30)

23 JOSE GONZALEZ Last Game: 2-4; HR; 2 RBI's; R Hitting Streak: Three Games (4-11)
-team-high seventh homer of the season yesterday (first at home); 14 RBI's over his last nine games
-hit safely in all five games he played at NOCO (10-23, .435); six homers on last trip
- three homers in series @OAK early June
-two homers 6/4 @ Oakland; first two homers of season; first Yolo player with two HR in a game
-amassed 33 homers in his Texas State University Bobcats career with a .290 average
-played in the 2022 NCAA Division I Baseball Team; Stanford All-Region Team (homered in set)
-originally from Spring, Texas (near Houston) and is an alum of Klein High School

31 TANNER SMITH Last Game: 0-1 as PH Hitting Streak: No Games
-streak of reaching base in 16 straight games ended yesterday going 0-1 as PH
-nine-game hit streak (11-34, .324) snapped 6/18; hitless in first 15 AB's this year
-second professional season; last year with Tri-City (Frontier League) .289, 3, 23
-homered in back-to-back games at Oakland 6/7-8; first two homers of the season
-ALL-TIME Oregon leader in homers with 31, RBI's with 58, games started 246, doubles with 69
-Honorable Mention, All Pac-12 Conference in 2023 (.327, 11, 45)
-four-year letter winner at Servite High School in Anaheim ; grew up a Los Angeles Dodgers fan in Newport Beach

35 ANGEL MENDOZA Last Game: DNP Hitting Streak: No Games
-three hits in last 21 AB's (.143); first pro HR was 6/4 @ Oakland
-last year was with Trenton (MLB Draft League), .185, 0, 8 , hit homer against the Savannah Bananas
-Appalachian Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2023 at Union College (KY)
-established single season school record with 25 homers, and 27 hit by pitches (.404, 25, 53)
-was third in the league in batting average at .404
-won the Gold Glove as catcher for the conference; helped lead Bulldogs to the NAIA Playoffs
-originally from Corona, California, played one year of NCAA Division I baseball at CSUN

37 KYLE GUERRA Last Game: 0-2; BB Hitting Streak: No Games
-hitless in last seven AB's
-became first position player to pitch for Yolo; scoreless ninth inning on 6/19 vs. Oakland
-second professional season; signed by the High Wheelers out of a tryout camp
-last season in Pecos League with the San Rafael Pacifics (42 games, .365, 4, 44, 32 SB)
-at Cal State Monterey Bay (NCAA-Division II); played four seasons with Otters (.296 lifetime)

44 ALEJANDRO FIGUEREDO Last Game: 1-5; R Hitting Streak: One Game (1-5)
-first baseman joined High Wheelers 6/19 from Billings (Pioneer League) .329, 3, 23, 21 games (Billings totals)
-hit first homer in a Yolo uniform 6/20; has four overall this year between Yolo & Billings
-hitting streaks of five & six games this season, has two four-RBI games this year with Billings
-played at Billings last season (.287, 9, 38) for now Yolo manager Billy Horton
-originally from Sucre, Venezuela; three seasons at Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers, Florida
-overall had 41 homers in college, Florida Gulf Coast University is NCAA-DI (Atlantic Sun Conference)
-Third Team All-America & First Team All Conference in 2023 at FGCU–.361, 23, 71

HIGH WHEELERS BULLPEN (CURRENT SERIES): (1-0, 21 2/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 10 BB, 17 K, 1.66 ERA)
10 NOAH ESTRELLA Last Appearance: 6/22 vs. Oakland (1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB)
-signed from Pioneer League tryout camp in Arizona
-pitched two seasons at New Mexico State (39 games overall with Aggies, was 5-3); appeared in 2022 NCAA
-last two summers with Pulaski in the Appalachian League (MLB Draft), combined 2-1 in 15 games
-father Erick was his high school coach at Flowing Hills in Tucson

17 JACK ZALASKY Last Appearance: 6/22 vs. Oakland (2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB, 2 K)
-suffered first loss of season squandering ninth inning lead allowing two runs on 6/13 @ NOCO
-picked up second win of season with perfect sixth inning on 6/12 @ NOCO
-earned his first win of season on 5/28 vs. GJ; recorded final out & picked up first SV in team history on May 21
-last year at Mahoning Valley (MLBDL) 1-0, 7.88, 12 games; native of Sacramento, alum of Elk Grove HS
-five seasons at Sac State was 16-9, 3.23 with 26 saves; ; led Western Athletic Conference in saves in 2023 with 11
-father Pat pitched at Sacramento State; grandfather played football at Sac State

21 JC ARIZA Last Appearance: 6/21 vs. Oakland (1 IP, 2 K)
-activated from the injured the other day (placed on IL 6/10 with bicep issues)
-suffered injury in last outing 6/9 @ Oakland after being hit with a line drive
-makes move to the bullpen after three starts; pitched perfect sixth inning in bullpen debut the other day
-alum of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 3-9 over three seasons for Vaqueros
-grew up in Belleville, New Jersey and went to Seton Hall Prep; is of Cuban descent

22 NOAH LEWIS Last Appearance: 6/21 vs. Oakland (2 IP, BB)
-finished Friday's game with two shutout innings; with Yolo four games totalling six scoreless frames
-signed 6/11 by Yolo, took place on roster when JC Ariza was placed on the IL
-first year pro began this season with the Marysville Drakes (1-1, 3.30) of the Pecos League where he was a starter
-went to spring training with the High Wheelers after being let go before the season
-right-hander is originally from Pleasanton, Ca. (Foothill HS) where he also played basketball and football
-pitched and played right field at Contra Costa Community College

25 TY BUCKNER Last Appearance: 6/22 vs. Oakland (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, K)
-allowed first earned run in a home game yesterday, home totals 6 2⁄3 IP, 1 ER, 1.42 ERA
-picked up two saves in last series at Northern Colorado; leads the team with three saves
-spent three years pitching for Missouri State and one with Gonzaga (college career 8-9, 5.32)
-State College last year (MLB Draft) was 1-2 in 26 games with six saves, 1.74
-originally from St. Louis; missed two years in college with Achillies injury & Tommy John Surgery

30 TURNER THOMPSON Last Appearance: 6/21 vs. Oakland (1 IP, H)
-made pro debut Friday with shutout seventh inning; played two seasons each at Tulane & Samford University
-signed 6/18 by Yolo; grew up in Tampa where he still lives; father Mark was college teammate of Billy Horton
-this season at Samford (Birmingham, AL) was 0-0; 18 games, 8.55 ERA, 3-3 lifetime at Samford
-alum of Tampa Jesuit High School where the school won a state title when he was there

34 CONNOR LANGRELL Last Appearance: 6/20 vs. Oakland (2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K, HP)
-earned first win of the season on last road trip on 6/16 @ Northern Colorado with 1 2⁄3 shutout effort
-last season with Williamsport (MLB Draft) (0-0, 2.52, 23 games (all relief) ; three seasons DII Newman University in Wichita
-spent last college year (2023) as graduate player at Bradley University (2-1, 11 saves); originally from Tampa area

47 JACOB STOBART Last Appearance: 6/20 vs. Oakland (3 2⁄3 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K)--most IP/K for him
-team-high fourth-win on 6/14; now 4-0, tied for second most wins by a pitcher in the Pioneer League
-first win in team history pitching two innings in resumption of game from May 21st vs. Rocky Mountain
-second year in Pioneer League, played for manager Billy Horton last year with Billings (2-1, 2.38, six games)
-pitched much of last year with Aigles de Trois-Rivieres in Frontier League (0-0, 6.26, 22 games)
-attended Stephen F. Austin University; six wins in three seasons with Lumberjacks; originally from Phoenix

TEAM GAME HIGHS
Runs: 19 5/28 vs. Grand Junction
Runs Allowed 12 6/7 @ Oakland
Hits: 21 5/28 vs. Grand Junction
Hits Allowed: 15 6/7 @ Oakland
Home Runs 5 6/8 @ Oakland
Errors: 3 Accomplished Twice, last: 6/7 @ Oakland
Runs in inning: 9 5/28 vs. Grand Junction (Eighth Inning)
Strikeouts for Pitchers: 14 6/4 @ Oakland

INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE SINGLE GAME HIGHS
Hits 5 Braylin Marine 6/18 vs. Oakland
RBI's 7 Brayland Skinner 6/8 @ Oakland
Walks 3 Multiple Times last: Braedon Blackford 6/4 @ Oakland
Runs 5 Braylin Marine/Bobby Lada 6/18 vs. Oakland
Reaching Safely 6X Bobby Lada 6/18 vs. Oakland
Home Runs 2 Accomplished Twice last: Brayland Skinner 6/8 @ Oakland
Stolen Bases 4 Bobby Lada 6/18 vs. Oakland

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING SINGLE GAME HIGHS
Innings 6 1⁄3 Ben Ferrer 6/16 @ Northern Colorado
Hits 10 Shaun Gamelin 6/7 @ Oakland
Strikeouts 9 Multiple Times last: Cameron Repetti 6/18 vs. Oakland
Walks 6 Brandon McPherson 6/20 vs. Oakland
Earned Runs 7 Dawson Lane 6/19 vs. Oakland

STARTING GAMES BY POSITION
C Mendoza (17), Minzey (9)
1B Gonzalez (13), Kuchinski (6), Figueredo (3), Minzy (3), Blackford (1)
2B Lada (16), Banks (8), Marine (2)
3B Blackford (14), Banks (8), Kuchinski (2), Leslie (2)
SS Marine (20), Lada (6)
LF Smith (9), Gonzalez (7), Kirby (6), Banks (4)
CF Skinner (22), Guerra (4)
RF Smith (11), Kirby (9), Guerra (6)
DH Kuchinski (9), Gonzalez (3), Banks (2), Blackford (2), Lada (2), Marine (2), Skinner (2), Smith (2),
Figueredo (1) Minzey (1)

STARTING BATTING ORDER
1—Skinner (21), Marine (5)
2—Marine (17), Lada (6), Smith (3)
3–Lada (13), Blackford (4), Gonzalez (2), Minzy (2), Smith (2), Banks (1), Kuchinski (1), Marine (1)
4-Gonzalez (15), Kuchinksi (10), Blackford (1)
5-Banks (5), Blackford (5), Gonzalez (4), Figueredo (4), Kuchinski (4), Smith (2), Lada (1), Minzey (1)
6---Blackford (5), Kirby (5), Smith (4), Banks (3),Kuchinski (2), Marine (2), Minzey (2), Gonzalez (1), Lada (1), Skinner (1)
7—Kirby (7), Smith (7), Banks (5), Lada (3), Blackford (1), Mendoza (1), Minzy (1), Skinner (1)
8—Banks (6), Guerra (4), Minzey (4), Smith (4), Kirby (3), Leslie (2), Blackford (1), Mendoza (1), Skinner (1)
9–Mendoza (15), Guerra (6), Minzey (3), Banks (1), Gonzalez (1)