Hiura walks off first Double-A homer
Keston Hiura made his first Southern League homer one for the ages.Milwaukee's top prospect belted a walk-off solo shot in the ninth inning to cap off a three-hit day and lead Biloxi to a 6-5 win over Mississippi at MGM Park on Wednesday night.
Keston Hiura made his first Southern League homer one for the ages.
Milwaukee's top prospect belted a walk-off solo shot in the ninth inning to cap off a three-hit day and lead Biloxi to a 6-5 win over Mississippi at MGM Park on Wednesday night.
"It was just the same great feeling as my one earlier in the season [for Carolina on May 25]," Hiura said. "Just to see the whole team there surrounding home plate, especially with us in the playoff race right now, it was definitely a great feeling."
Promoted from Class A Advanced Carolina two weeks ago, the ninth overall pick in last year's Draft had been crushing Southern League pitching in all categories except homers going into his 12th game at the Double-A level. Heading into his team's opener with Mississippi, Hiura had batted .341/.400/.463 with five doubles and hits in nine of his first 11 games.
"Everything's more crisp and played at a little bit faster pace and played a little bit more cleanly," he said. "A lot of people know what they're doing, and they're pretty good at commanding their pitches, getting the spot they want. For the most part, pitchers are around the zone. They're more careful with what they're throwing you, but in the end, it's the same game. I'm just going with my same approach that I've always had."
Gameday box score
Hiura's hot offensive beat continued in the third inning with his second at-bat of the night. The second baseman laced a double to center field, driving home the Shuckers' first run. Baseball's No. 48 overall prospect followed with a leadoff single to center in the sixth, scoring on Trent Grisham's single to right.
After Hiura worked a walk in the seventh, Mississippi put three runs on the board in the top of the eighth and Biloxi responded in kind. Hiura led off in the bottom of the ninth.
"The eighth inning was huge for us," he said. "Clint Coulter came up and had a bases-clearing triple to tie the game, and that was great for us. I was just hoping to keep the momentum going into the ninth. [Shuckers reliever Nate Griep] threw a great top of the ninth inning. I knew I was leading off, so I was just looking for a fastball and trying to drive it, hit it hard, get on second base or in scoring position and give a chance for the team to win."
The UC Irvine product worked the count to 2-1 against Mississippi reliever Chad Sobotka before depositing his offering beyond the left-field wall. The blast was Hiura's first since a two-homer performance in his final game in Class A Advanced on May 31.
"He threw all fastballs the whole at-bat," he said. "The first two pitches were balls, and the 2-0 pitch, I took a pretty healthy hack at it and ended up swinging and missing. The inning before when he was pitching, he didn't throw too many offspeed pitches, so I was thinking he was going to work off of his fastball. He just happened to throw one not necessarily in my zone, but I was just ready for it and put good wood on it."

The win, coupled with a Mobile loss that Hiura and his teammates watched in the clubhouse postgame, dropped Biloxi's magic number to two to clinch the Southern League South first-half title with four games left to play.
"I think we're one of the scariest lineups in Minor League Baseball right now," Hiura said. "I mean 1-9, there are hitters that always can hit the ball hard and all have power potential. I think it's definitely intimidating for the other team to see. We're all confident that if one guy can't get the job done, then the next guy is just as capable of doing it.
"It's been really cool. We have a great group of players here, really talented -- as you can see -- with the amount of top prospects on this team and all that. It's definitely cool to be a part of it and contribute any way possible to help win games."
Tyler Maun is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @TylerMaun.
Royals' Zobac talks spring, two-way past on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Space Potatoes? Hooch Pooches? Check out these new alternate identities
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Paying homage to Negro Leagues, this team is MiLB's "hoppinest"
Nicknamed “baseball’s most hoppinest team” by the local newspaper coverage at the time, the Fredericksburg Frogs were one of the Chesapeake Bay area’s more successful Negro League teams in the 1920s, standing out amid a long lineage of segregated Black teams that played in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia, between the 1880s
The year after Jackie, Ritchey integrated PCL
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2018. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Each team's top power hitting prospect for '25
The home run is the most efficient event in sports. It’s the maximum outcome a single batter can achieve, and all it takes is one swing. One very powerful, well-timed, well-coordinated swing. It’s why power is such an important tool in prospect development and evaluation. You can put the ball
Here are the 10 best potential prospect matchups at Spring Breakout
Spring Breakout will soon offer the opportunity for the majority of baseball's top prospects to face off against each other for the second straight year. Fearsome sluggers against hard-throwing pitchers. Speedy baserunners against cannon-armed catchers. Well-rounded shortstops battling to prove who should be ranked higher. Full rosters for all 30
10 prospects at Spring Training who are lighting up Statcast
One of the best parts of Spring Training every year is getting to see the top prospects in baseball. A lot of the time, it's the first look fans get at MLB's future stars. But we also know a lot more about those prospects going into Spring Training than we
Questions plague Peeples' trailblazing story
A version of this story previously appeared on MiLB.com in 2007. We present it again as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Prospects to watch this spring -- one for each team
Spring may not have arrived quite yet, but Spring Training has! Players have reported to camp and exhibition games kick off Thursday with the Cubs visiting the Dodgers in Glendale, Ariz.
8 of the best team matchups in Spring Breakout
After Spring Breakout's dynamic debut last year, the prospect showcase event returns in full force for 2025. All 30 Major League teams will field squads of top prospects to face off in 16 games from March 13-16 -- the Cubs and Nationals will play twice since there's an odd number
Fowler: A 19th-century baseball pioneer
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Everything you need to know about prospects and Spring Training
This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter. Subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Arkansas-based Mariners affiliate to honor legacy of the Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine sounds like it could be the name of a baseball team playing in Arkansas' capital city, and for three nights during the 2025 season, it will be. The story behind the name transcends baseball, however. From Aug. 21-23, the Arkansas Travelers -- Seattle's Double-A affiliate --
MiLB podcast breaks down Spring Training storylines
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Leaf Peepers? Thunder Chickens?! Coming to the Minors this year
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.
Check out the newest Minor League team logos for 2025
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
The two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond. No, there aren't any
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season. The 1977 Triple-A New Orleans Pelicans
How a Black pitcher's brief PCL stint in 1916 generated a historic card
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2010. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
The Show Before the Show: Episode 489
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors legend Jones still holds batting record
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2008. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers. Grover "Deacon" Jones spent more than a half-century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in
Hooks have a new look -- and more -- on the line for 20th season
In advance of a milestone season at Whataburger Field, the Corpus Christi Hooks are making a change. The Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate unveiled new logos and uniforms on Friday evening, marking the first time they have significantly altered their look since debuting in 2005. According to Hooks general manager Brady