Fort Wayne TinCaps (15-13) @ Kane County Cougars (16-11)
RHP Brett Kennedy (1-1, 2.82) vs. RHP Joel Payamps (0-2, 4.11)
Friday, May 6, 2016 — Fifth Third Bank Ballpark (Geneva, IL) — First Pitch 7:30 p.m. — Game 29
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Fort Wayne dropped the series opener at Kane County, 6-2.
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Minor League Baseball announced TinCaps catcher Austin Allen as the Midwest League Player of the Month for April on Thursday. In the season’s opening month, Allen led the league in batting average (.460), slugging (.603), and OPS (1.143). He walked more times than he struck out (10:8) and started the year on an 11-game hitting streak, with multiple hits in 8 of those games. Allen still leads the Minors in AVG and OBP (see below).
INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE LEADERS: TinCaps lead the MWL in…
· Batting Average: Austin Allen (.427) — 1st in MiLB
· On-Base Percentage: Austin Allen (.516) — 1st in MiLB
· Slugging Percentage: Austin Allen (.547)
· On-Base Plus Slugging: Austin Allen (1.063)
· RBIs: Ty France (21)
· Walks: Ty France (20*) — Tied for 8th in MiLB
· Stolen Bases: Michael Gettys (13) — Tied for 7th in MiLB
· Games: Michael Gettys, Ty France (27*) – Tied for 3rd in MiLB
* Tied for league lead
ALUMNI REPORT: Colin Rea, who pitched for the TinCaps in 2012 and ’13, threw a gem for the Padres last night against the Mets. The right-hander no-hit New York for 6 2/3 innings. Rea finished with 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks.
SPONSORED: If the name of this ballpark sounds familiar, here’s why: Fifth Third has the naming rights to 4 ballparks, plus an arena and a football stadium. In addition to this venue, there’s Fifth Third Field (Toledo Mud Hens), another Fifth Third Field (Dayton Dragons), Fifth Third Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps), Fifth Third Arena (University of Cincinnati), and Fifth Third Bank Stadium (Kennesaw State University). In 2013, Fifth Third even had the naming rights to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando during Orlando City Soccer Club matches.
HOMECOMING: The TinCaps have 3 players who spent at least part of their childhoods in Illinois. Reliever Will Headean was born in West Lafayette, Ind., but moved to Morton, Ill. (about 2 hours and 20 minutes southwest of here), as a kid. Headean attended Morton High School and then Illinois State in Normal (about 2 hours away). First baseman Brad Zunica was born in Harvey, Ill. (about 1 hour southeast). Although he moved to Florida when he was 8, he still has relatives in the area. Reliever Phil Maton, who’s on the disabled list with an oblique injury, was born in Paducah, Ky., but moved to Chatham, Ill. (about 3 hours southwest) and went to Glenwood High School in Chatham.
