Captains and Kernels to Meet in Final 2024 Regular-Season Home Series

EASTLAKE, OH – The Lake County Captains (28-24, 69-49) will host the Cedar Rapids Kernels (25-29, 62-56), the High-A Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, for six games at Classic Auto Group Park starting Tuesday. This week marks Lake County’s last games at home until Game 2 of the Midwest League East Division Championship Series on Thursday, September 12.

LAST TIMES OUT

• The Captains won their final four games at West Michigan (High-A, Detroit) after losing the first two. Lake County finished 15-6 against the Whitecaps this regular season.
• The Kernels lost five out of six games at Dayton (High-A, Cincinnati), winning 7-4 on Saturday. Cedar Rapids has lost seven of its last 10 contests.

A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS

• Lake County is tied with Great Lakes (High-A, Los Angeles – NL) for third in the Midwest League East Second Half standings. The Captains, MWL East First Half Division Champions, are tied with Dayton for first in the MWL East overall standings.
• Cedar Rapids is tied with Beloit (High-A, Miami) for fourth in the MWL West Second Half standings, sitting 6.5 games out of first. The Kernels are second in the MWL West overall standings, trailing Wisconsin (High-A, Milwaukee) by 10.5 games.

2024 VS. CEDAR RAPIDS

• The Captains won four of six games against the Kernels at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa from May 28 to June 2. Lake County won the first two games and last two games, while Cedar Rapids won the middle two contests in the series.
• In the Captains’ 6-4 win on May 29, then-Captains RHP Austin Peterson struck out 13 Kernels batters, tying RHP Adam Plutko (2014) for the single-game franchise record.
• INF Jose Devers is batting .381 (8-for-21) with a 1.077 OPS against Cedar Rapids in 2024. He is tied with current Double-A Akron C Cooper Ingle, MLB Pipeline’s No. 15 Cleveland prospect, for the team-highs in hits (eight) and RBI (six) against the Kernels this year.

5 PLAYERS TO KNOW – LAKE COUNTY

• 2B Travis Bazzana, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Cleveland and No. 13 overall prospect, hit his second professional home run in Sunday’s 5-3 win at West Michigan. Over his last eight games, he is batting .321 (9-for-28) with one home run, four doubles, and five RBI.
• 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 Cleveland and No. 76 overall prospect, hit his first High-A home run in Sunday’s 5-3 win at West Michigan. His 34 extra-base hits are tied with teammate Alex Mooney for ninth in the Cleveland Player Development system.
• RHP Yorman Gómez earned his first High-A win in Thursday’s 7-1 victory at West Michigan, pitching a career-high seven innings, allowing one run on three hits, while striking out five and walking two. Gómez ranks seventh in the Cleveland Player Development system in strikeouts (108) and 11^th in ERA (3.72).
• RHP Zach Jacobs is holding opponents to a .160 batting average, the fourth-lowest average in MiLB among pitchers with 75-plus innings pitched. His 0.83 WHIP leads Minor League Baseball among pitchers with 50-plus innings of relief.
• INF Angel Genao, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Cleveland and No. 93 overall prospect, leads the Cleveland Player Development system and is tied for fifth in Minor League Baseball with 135 hits. Genao leads the Midwest League in hits (74) and doubles (19) since being promoted to the Captains on June 3.

5 PLAYERS TO KNOW – CEDAR RAPIDS

• OF Walker Jenkins, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Minnesota and No. 4 overall prospect, is batting .270 (24-for-89) with one home run and 10 RBI in 22 games since his promotion from Single-A Fort Myers on July 29. Jenkins is MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 outfield prospect behind only current Washington Nationals OF Dylan Crews.
• INF Kaelen Culpepper, MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 Minnesota prospect, is 5-for-21 in six games since his promotion from Single-A Fort Myers on Aug. 19. Culpepper was drafted 21^st overall by Minnesota in 2024 out of Kansas State, where he batted .474 in the NCAA Tournament to help the Wildcats to the Super Regionals.
• INF Rubel Cespedes, MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 Minnesota prospect, ranks second in the Midwest League in batting average (.291), tied for second in RBI (70), and ninth in slugging percentage (.442). He has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games, batting .323 (20-for-62) during this span.
• LHP Gabriel Yanez ranks tied for fourth in the Midwest League with 10 saves. His 2.06 ERA leads the Midwest League among pitchers with 50-plus innings pitched.
• LHP Connor Prielipp, MLB Pipeline’s No. 23 Minnesota prospect, is 0-1 with a 4.73 ERA across five starts and 13.1 innings with Cedar Rapids. In Saturday’s 7-4 win at Dayton, Prielipp pitched three shutout innings, fanning four and walking none.

SCHEDULE

• Tuesday, August 27: 6:35 p.m.
  • “Rescue: HI-Surf” Night
    • The first 400 fans through the gates will receive a FOX First Aid Suncare Kit.
    • Lifeguards get in free (must wear uniform and show CPR certification).
    • In-game promotions, including:
      • A buoy toss
      • Lifeguard boot camp
      • Hula dancing
      • An in-game grounds crew performance
    • Postgame jersey auction.
    • An exclusive sneak peek of Fox’s new show, “Rescue: HI-Surf,” which is scheduled to premiere on Sunday, September 22.
    • Proceeds from Tuesday’s “Rescue: HI-Surf” Night are set to go towards The Dick Goddard APL Telethon, supporting the Cleveland Animal Protective League.
• Wednesday, August 28: 12:05 p.m.
  • Spectacular Senior Day (presented by Medical Mutual)
  • Malmö Oat Milkers Day
    • The Captains will suit up as the Malmö Oat Milkers, Minor League Baseball’s 121^st
    • Postgame jersey auction (in-house only).
    • In-game promotions, including:
      • Oat milk blind taste test
      • Oat milk chug off
      • Oatly swag bags
  • Free mini-golf
• Thursday, August 29: 7 p.m.
  • Dawg Day (dogs get in free)
    • Paying special tribute to Mutts
  • Jewish Heritage Night
    • TikTok star Eitan Levine is set to break a Guinness World Record for most first pitches thrown in a year.
• Friday, August 30: 7 p.m.
  • The Dude Night
    • Captains-themed rug auction
    • In-game promotions, including:
      • White Russian chug-off
      • Competitive bowling
  • Friday Night Fireworks
• Saturday, August 31: 7 p.m.
  • Fan Appreciation Night
    • In-game giveaways
    • Pregame entertainment from DJ Z13
    • Postgame tribute video and breaking open of Pancho, our 8.5-foot-tall piñata who has been filled with 200 pounds of candy this season.
  • Chase DeLauter Bobblehead Giveaway (courtesy of Ohio Lottery)
    • First 1,000 fans through the gates (gates open at 6 p.m.)
  • Skipper’s Birthday Bash
    • Pregame piñata, cake, and more (courtesy of Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library)
• Sunday, September 1: 1 p.m.
  • Cavs Day
    • In-game promotions, including:
      • Dizzy dunk
      • Basketball skills challenge
      • Cavs trivia
  • Family Fun Sunday (presented by Classic Auto Group)
    • Pregame autographs (12-12:20 p.m.)
    • Pregame catch on the field (12:10-12:30 p.m.)
    • Postgame kids run the bases