Storm Chasers Earn Omaha-Record 87th Win
PAPILLION, NEB. – With a 7-1 win over the Louisville Bats Tuesday at Louisville Slugger Field, the 2024 Storm Chasers earned their 87th win of the season to become the winningest team in Triple-A Omaha franchise history, passing the 1990 Omaha Royals team that won 86 games. The milestone victory
PAPILLION, NEB. – With a 7-1 win over the Louisville Bats Tuesday at Louisville Slugger Field, the 2024 Storm Chasers earned their 87th win of the season to become the winningest team in Triple-A Omaha franchise history, passing the 1990 Omaha Royals team that won 86 games.
The milestone victory comes in the final week of the regular season, as the International League’s first half champions prepare to host the League Championship Series next week at Werner Park.
Led by 16th-year manager Mike Jirschele, the 2024 Storm Chasers won the first half of the split schedule season with a 9-4 victory over the Bats on June 18 at Werner Park, to secure home field advantage for the 18th postseason trip in franchise history, the club’s first since 2014, when the Chasers won the second of back-to-back Triple-A National Championships.
Beginning next week, the 2024 Storm Chasers will try and win the franchise’s eighth league championship in the best-of-three series against the International League’s yet-to-be-determined second half champion. The Triple-A Omaha franchise has won seven league championships: 1969, 1970, 1978 and 1990 while playing in the American Association, as well as 2011, 2013 and 2014 in the Pacific Coast League. The Omaha Royals won the Triple-A Classic in 1990, and the Omaha Storm Chasers won the Triple-A National Championship in 2013 and 2014.
The 2024 Storm Chasers are the eighth team in Triple-A Omaha’s history to win at least 80 games in a season, the first since the 80-win 2015 Storm Chasers. Last Friday’s 4-2 win over the Toledo Mud Hens at Werner Park marked the team’s 84th win of the season to pass the 2012 Storm Chasers as the winningest team in the modern era (2005-present). With five games to play, the 2024 Storm Chasers are assured of having a top 3 winning percentage in franchise history, a record held by the inaugural 1969 Omaha Royals that went 85-55 (.607 winning percentage).
The 1990 Omaha Royals, managed by Sal Rende, went 86-60 (.589 winning percentage) with 33 of 43 players reaching the Major Leagues. Offensively, Chito Martinez led the 1990 Omaha club with 21 home runs, while Russ Morman drove in a team-best 81 runs and Gary Thurman stole 39 bases to pace the club. In his fourth year with Omaha, Luis de los Santos hit .280 and led the Royals in games played (135) and hits (146). Ray Chadwick led the pitching staff with 102 strikeouts, while Pete Filson went 12-2 on the mound with a 2.78 ERA over 17 starts. That season, Gene Walter pitched a no-hitter over the Iowa Cubs July 13, the 5th no-hitter in franchise history. The 1990 O-Royals defeated the Nashville Sounds in the American Association Championship Series 3 games to 2, then beat the International League’s Rochester Red Wings to win the Triple-A Classic Championship 4 games to 1.
87 wins currently ranks as tied for the second-most of any Minor League team in 2024, trailing only the 90-win Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Houston’s Triple-A affiliate. Not only did the Storm Chasers win the first half, but Omaha still holds the best record overall in the International League, 2.5 games ahead of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, with their 84-59 record (.587 winning percentage).
Outfielder John Rave currently leads the Storm Chasers in plate appearances (552), hits (124), doubles (32), home runs (20), extra-base hits (57), total bases (226), runs scored (89) and walks (63), while leading qualified hitters in slugging percentage (.476) and OPS (.825). He is 2nd in the International League in extra-base hits, 3rd in runs scored, tied 3rd in doubles and 5th in extra-base hits. Infielder Cam Devanney leads Omaha in games played (131) and runs batted in (75) while outfielder Drew Waters leads qualified hitters on the team in average (.273) and on-base percentage (.366).
As a team, Omaha leads the Triple-A level in most pitching categories, including ERA (4.09), WHIP (1.35) and opponents average (.239), with the fewest hits (1,117) and runs (626) allowed. Left-handed pitcher Evan Sisk leads the league in appearances (56), while ranking 4th in saves (14). While currently pitching out of Kansas City’s bullpen, left-hander Daniel Lynch IV ranks 2nd among qualified pitchers in ERA (3.54), 3rd in WHIP (1.25) and 6th in opponents’ average (.257). Jonathan Bowlan’s 10 wins and 96 strikeouts both lead the Omaha pitching staff, while Lynch IV’s 119.1 innings are still tops on the team.
In order to set the franchise record for winning percentage in a regular season (passing the 1969 Omaha Royals) the 2024 Storm Chasers need to win at least three of the team’s remaining five games, which move the team to 90 victories this season, a feat that has been accomplished just four times in Minor League Baseball since 2021.
Tickets for the best-of-three International League Championship series are on sale now. Game 1 will take place Tuesday, September 24 with a 6:35 p.m. CT first pitch, while Game 2 will be played Wednesday, September 25 beginning at 6:35 p.m. CT as well. If needed, Game 3 will be on Thursday, September 26 at 6:35 p.m. CT. Should the Storm Chasers win the league championship, they will advance to the Triple-A National Championship game in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 28.