Ruoff Mortgage Homestand Preview April 19-24

Beloit Sky Carp (2-7)

Miles from South Bend: 154

Affiliation: Marlins

2021 Record vs. Beloit: 8-10 (4-2 in South Bend)

Tonight the South Bend Cubs open up their first six-game homestand of the season against the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, the Beloit Sky Carp (2-7). The South Bend Cubs (3-6) return home after going 2-4 in Fort Wayne, meanwhile Beloit won their last two games vs. Wisconsin after starting the season 0-7.

Beloit opened up brand new ABC Supply Stadium last August and announced a new moniker for the team moving forward, the Sky Carp. Fans got to vote between five finalists: Sky Carp, Polka Pike, Supper Clubbers, Moo, and Cheeseballs. Sky Carp won the vote with Supper Clubbers placing second.

That means the last game the Cubs ever played against the Snappers will have been September 12 last year in Beloit, when the Cubs clawed back from a 6-3 deficit in the ninth and won by a final of 7-6.

Both teams enter this series with struggling offenses trying to get of the schneid. Beloit is last in the league in batting average (.161), on-base percentage (.243), OPS (.511), walks (28) and runs scored (22). For South Bend it’s been a matter of playing a complete game, seemingly either the offense or pitching shows up but we have yet to really see both thrive in the same game.

Players to watch out for on Beloit…

OF Tanner Allen: Allen should be a familiar name to any college baseball fan in South Bend. Last season he won the SEC batting title (.383 average) and SEC Player of the Year, plus led Mississippi State to their first ever College World Series championship. That championship run included winning a decisive game three in a best-of-three series vs. Notre Dame to get to Omaha. He turned 23 a month before he was drafted but he could rise quickly given his tremendous hitting ability. He enters this series batting .292 with a .500 slugging.

LHP Dax Fulton: The Marlins number nine prospect per MLB Pipeline finished last season with his last five starts in Beloit and returned to the now Sky Carp to start 2022. A second round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Fulton was said to be the best high school left-hander in the draft despite missing his entire senior campaign. Now back for his second minor league season, the 6-foot-7, 20 year old seems primed for a big sophomore season. He made one start against South Bend last season and worked four scoreless frames, allowing one hit and striking out seven.

INF Victor Mesa Jr.: A young stud who won’t turn 20 until September. Mesa Jr. signed for $1 million back in 2018, significantly less than his brother Victor Victor Mesa who also signed with the Marlins, but for $5.25 million. However, Victor Jr. is now the better prospect and comes it at number 14 in the Marlins system. He led the Cuba 18-and-under league in all three slash line categories before leaving Cuba in 2018. This will be his second season stateside.

Players to watch out for on South Bend…

INF Fabian Pertuz: Early on in the season it’s become apparent that Pertuz possesses potent power potential at the plate. He’s the lone South Bend Cub with multiple homers in 2022 and he won’t turn 22 until the final month of the season. The Colombian infielder also leads the Cubs in slugging (.500) and OPS (.887). As we’ve seen in batting practice throughout April, his power goes to all fields.

LHP D.J. Herz: New year, same Herz. Last year’s Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the year is picking up right where he left off last season. In Herz’s first month of 2021 he made four starts, tossed 12 innings, allowed just three hits and one earned run while striking out 20 and walking just six. Through his first two starts this season, the man who works as fast as any pitcher you’ll see, has tossed seven innings and allowed just one run on two hits, while striking out ten and walking two. The kid born in 2001 from Fayetteville, N.C. voiced some of the loftiest goals I’ve ever heard from a player preseason, but zero people would be surprised if he reached them.

RHP Daniel Palencia: The hardest throwing starter in a rotation filled with some real flamethrowers. Palencia has walked eight batters in two starts that have combined lasted 5.2 innings, and still he’s garnered a 1.59 ERA. The right-hander’s stuff is electric when he’s throwing strikes. Against Fort Wayne I think anyone watching could tell you he wasn’t always hitting his spots but was still piling up strikeouts (and hitting 100 mph 50+ pitches in). The potential is crazy here for a kid with pretty raw stuff.

Schedule…

Tuesday, April 19 - 7:05 ET: RHP Chris Clarke vs. RHP M.D. Johnson

Wednesday, April 20 - 7:05 ET: LHP Jordan Wicks vs. LHP Patrick Monteverde

Thursday, April 21 - 7:05 ET: RHP Kohl Franklin vs. RHP Hunter Perdue

Friday, April 22 - 7:05 ET: LHP DJ Herz vs. LHP Dax Fulton

Saturday, April 23 - 4:05 ET: RHP Daniel Palencia vs. RHP Evan Fitterer

Sunday, April 24 - 2:05 ET: RHP Max Bain vs LHP Zach King

Catch the entire six-game series on Sports Radio 960 AM WSBT, online at wsbtradio.com, or at MiLB.com with Brendan King and Max Thoma on the call. Friday's game is also the first home TV broadcast of the season and can be found locally on My Michiana.