Week 14 - Springfield Series #3 Preview

SERIES INFO

For the final series before the All-Star Break, the Wichita Wind Surge (4-8, 35-46) travel to the Ozarks for the second of two times in the regular season to face the Springfield Cardinals (7-5, 44-37) for six straight at Hammons Field. The Wind Surge find themselves vastly behind in the season series at 1-11, with the lone win coming at Riverfront Stadium on May 29.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 9, 2024, Hammons Field, 7:05 PM

RHP Zebby Matthews (2-1, 1.89 ERA) vs. RHP Edwin Nuñez (0-5, 6.90 ERA)

Wichita looks to wipe the slate clean and get their first win at Springfield in the series opener behind Zebby Matthews, who threw his fifth quality start in Double-A the last time out against Tulsa on Monday, July 3.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024, Hammons Field, 7:05 PM

RHP Kyle Jones (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Alex Cornwell (4-2, 6.50 ERA)

The Wind Surge will stand behind Kyle Jones again after he made his Wichita debut over three innings pitched on Independence Day at Tulsa. Jaylen Nowlin will be the primary piggyback to follow out of the bullpen.

Thursday, July 11, 2024, Hammons Field, 7:05 PM

RHP Travis Adams (4-6, 6.05 ERA) vs. RHP Max Rajcic (7-7, 4.89 ERA)

Travis Adams plans to write wrongs from earlier in the season over Springfield, who he is 0-2 against in as many starts as series played between the two teams in 2024.

Friday, July 12, 2024, Hammons Field, 7:05 PM

RHP Marco Raya (0-2, 5.12 ERA) vs. RHP Trent Baker (3-6, 6.02 ERA)

Fridays remain the night when Marco Raya, a man who has struck out a season-high seven batters in back-to-back starts, toes the slab. He’ll start for the stable-leading 15th time this season.

Saturday, July 13, 2024, Hammons Field, 6:35 PM

RHP Cory Lewis (0-1, 1.88 ERA) vs. TBA

After four one-hit innings at Tulsa last Saturday, Cory Lewis maintains his status as the Wichita worker on what many believe is the best day of the week.

Sunday, July 14, 2024, Hammons Field, 1:05 PM

RHP Andrew Morris (4-1, 1.17 ERA) vs. TBA

In the final game ahead of the All-Star Break, Andrew Morris anchors the rotation in the series finale with the Cardinals. June was a fairly productive month for Morris, and that momentum carried into his first start of July against Tulsa on Tuesday, July 2, where he put up nine strikeouts in six and one-third innings of three-hit baseball.

WIND SURGE STORYLINES

THE TALL MAN IS TALLYING A TANTALIZING DISPLAY AT THE PLATE: One man in the Wind Surge lineup who has turned the heat back on at the plate is Carson McCusker. The 6’8” corner outfielder has reached base in 13 consecutive games dating back to Friday, June 21, at Arkansas, the penultimate game in the first half. He’s hitting an astonishing .440 (22-for-50) with three home runs and 15 RBIs in that span, with a round-tripper coming in each of the last three series he’s played. The near .500 clip has raised his batting average by 41 points from .243 to .284, enough for a Top-10 spot in the Texas League.

ANDY M’S TWISTING ‘EM UP: Wind Surge pitcher Andrew Morris earned Minnesota Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors for June over the weekend. In five appearances (four starts) with Wichita, Morris went 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. After his last start at home against Tulsa on Tuesday, July 2, where he amounted to six and one-third innings of three-hit baseball with nine strikeouts in his seventh Double-A game, his Wind Surge ERA is 1.17, almost an entire point down from his Cedar Rapids average (2.15) in just as many appearances to begin the 2024 season. The combined ERA for Morris between Cedar Rapids and Wichita is 1.66, third in Minor League Baseball across the four Full-Season levels.

IS THIS OUR LAST TIME HERE?: The upcoming series at Springfield marks the final six times in the regular season that the Wind Surge will play in the Ozarks at Hammons Field. If Wichita, who got swept by the Cardinals as visitors on Opening Weekend, makes a run in the final few months of the second half to take the crown (currently last place in the Texas League North), they would be up against this same Springfield bunch in the Texas League North Division Finals. Game 1 on September 17 would have the Wind Surge as the hosts at Riverfront Stadium, with Game 2, and if necessary, Game 3, happening at Springfield on September 19-20.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

UP AND DOWN WHEN HOME AT HAMMONS: Opening Week against Wichita played a massive part in the start of the season for the Springfield Cardinals, who improved to 9-0 following a six-game sweep of the Wind Surge. Besides that sweep, Springfield is a collective 11-23 at home. The series for the Cardinals at home since then comes out to 1-0-5, with the lone win coming over the weekend in a three-game set over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The home winning percentage for the Cardinals of .425 is the lowest in the Texas League North and third lowest in the Texas League behind the Amarillo Sod Poodles (.417) and Corpus Christi Hooks (.357).

A BENCHMARK CASE (OF MAKING CONTACT): A number that gets thrown out quite a bit when looking at statistics, and batting average in particular is 300. To summarize a sizeable conversation topic, if a hitter is batting at or above that number, they’re having a pretty good year. In the case of the Springfield Cardinals, they have three players doing just that. Jimmy Crooks, Jeremy Rivas, and Bryan Torres exceed that number, with Crooks and Torres both at .312 and Rivas not too far behind at .304. The trio takes up the first, second, and fourth spots in the Texas League in the batting average category, with #3 held by Wind Surge utility man Jeferson Morales (.310).

OVERWHELMINGLY UP, IN THIS INSTANCE: The Cardinals have an interesting story regarding their run differential this season. After 81 games played in 2024, they’re at -7; they’re the only team in the Texas League North with a negative number in that category, yet already qualify for the postseason after winning the first-half title. One season series that keeps that number nearer to an even zero and positive count is this one with Wichita, as the Cardinals have outscored the Wind Surge 67-36 (a +31 run differential) over 12 games. If you take out the +31 against Wichita, Springfield’s combined run differential against divisional opponents is -8.

BROADCAST

You can listen to Wind Surge games with Tim Grubbs on the call on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and windsurge.com, or watch them online at MiLB.TV and Bally Live.