Month: April 2019

Texas Rangers prospect and Nashville Sounds infielder Andy Ibanez

Nashfield Sounds third baseman Andy Ibanez playing against the Missions on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Nashfield Sounds third baseman Andy Ibanez playing against the Missions on Friday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Andy Ibanez went into Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Missions hitting .500.

Even though it’s very early in the season, that gives you an idea why Ibanez is one of the Texas Rangers’ top prospects on the Nashville Sounds’ roster.

The Sounds third baseman had one hit, one RBI and one run scored in a 7-3 victory over the Missions at Wolff Stadium.

Ibanez is listed as infielder on the roster and has seen action as a second baseman in the minors. Prospects 1500 lists the 26-year-old from Cuba as the second highest prospect among position players on the Sounds’ roster and in the top 50 in the Rangers’ minor-league organization.

Missions fans got a chance to see Ibanez last season in the Texas League. He hit .283 with 12 home runs with Round Rock in 2018.

The Missions and Sounds continue their four-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Wolff Stadium with fireworks after the game. The teams meet again Sunday at 2:05 p.m. and Monday at 11:05 a.m.

  • Texas Rangers prospects on prospects1500.com
  • Andy Ibanez bio on milb.com
  • Rangers prospect Andy Ibanez on FoxSports.com


    • Missions fall to Sounds despite three home runs; Tyler Saladino hits inside-the-parker

    The Missions' Tyler Saladino hit an inside-the-park home run against the Sounds on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    The Missions’ Tyler Saladino hit an inside-the-park home run against the Sounds on Friday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

    The San Antonio Missions got home runs Keston Hiura, Tyler Saladino and Tyrone Taylor but lost to the Memphis Sounds 7-3 Friday at Wolff Stadium.

    Saladino hit an inside-the-park homer in the seventh inning, beating a tag in a close play at the plate, to give the Missions a 2-0 lead.

    Hiura homered in the fourth for the first run of the game.

    Taylor added his third home run of the season in the ninth.

    The Sounds scored all seven of their runs in the eighth inning off Missions relief pitchers.

    Missions starting pitcher Aaron Wilkerson threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

    Flying Chanclas make season debut at Wolff Stadium

    The Missions in their Flying Chanclas de San Antonio uniforms on Thursday against the Memphis Redbirds. - photo by Joe Alexander
    The Missions in their Flying Chanclas de San Antonio uniforms on Thursday against the Memphis Redbirds. – photo by Joe Alexander
    The San Antonio Missions donned their Flying Chanclas de San Antonio uniforms for the first time this season on Thursday night at Wolff Stadium.

    The Missions created the Flying Chanclas uniforms as an alternative last season.

    Flying Chanclas fall to Redbirds

    Lucas Erceg dives into home in the second inning with the Flying Chanclas' first run of the game. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Lucas Erceg dives into home in the second inning with the Flying Chanclas’ first run of the game. – photo by Joe Alexander
    The San Antonio Missions, playing as the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio, fell to the Memphis Redbirds 6-3 Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

    The Missions won the previous two games in the series with ninth-inning rallies.

    The Missions briefly led after scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-2 lead. Nate Orf had an RBI double, Cory Spangenberg had an RBI single and Jacob Nottingham had an RBI double.

    The Redbirds tied it 3-3 with a run in the top of the third and took the lead with three runs in the top of the seventh.

    St. Louis Cardinals prospect Lane Thomas

    St. Louis Cardinals prospect and Memphis Redbirds outfielder Lane Thomas playing against the San Antonio Missions in April. - photo by Joe Alexander
    St. Louis Cardinals prospect and Memphis Redbirds outfielder Lane Thomas playing against the San Antonio Missions in April. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Lane Thomas might look familiar to fans who followed the San Antonio Missions last year in the Texas League.

    Thomas hit 21 home runs in 100 games for Double-A Springfield in 2018. He also spent 32 games with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds and hit seven more homers. He also finished the summer with 17 stolen bases.

    Baseball America lists Thomas as the No. 7 prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor-league organization. He is a member of the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. Thomas was originally drafted out of high school (Knoxville, Tenn.) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014.

    Thomas and the Redbirds are currently in San Antonio and conclude a three-games series with the Missions tonight at 7:05 at Wolff Stadium.

  • Lane Thomas bio at milb.com
  • Lane Thomas bio on baseball-reference.com
  • Why Cardinals’ Lane Thomas is an intriguing outfield prospect: stltoday.com


    • Mauricio Dubon does it again as Missions edge Redbirds

    Mauricio Dubon celebrates on his way to first base as Cory Spangenberg (background) comes home with the winning run in the Missions' 6-5 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Mauricio Dubon celebrates on his way to first base as Cory Spangenberg (background right) comes home with the winning run in the Missions’ 6-5 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    For the second night in a row, Mauricio Dubon went to the plate with the game on the line.

    For the second straight night, Dubon came through with a walk-off hit.

    Dubon’s single to left with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth gave the San Antonio Missions a 6-5 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.

    The night before, the Missions won on his two-run hit in the bottom of the ninth.

    This time the Missions went into the ninth inning tied 5-5. Cory Spangenberg led off the bottom of the inning with a double. Jacob Nottingham followed with a walk. Corey Ray walked with one out.

    That brought Dubon to the plate. His hit to left field drove in Spangenberg with the game-ending run.

    With Wednesday’s clutch hit, Dubon is 2-for-2 with 3 RBIs in the the ninth inning of the Missions’ two home games.

    Roster update: The Missions added pitcher Taylor Williams, No. 21, right-hander, 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Vancouver, WA, spent last season in Milwaukee (MLB) and Colorado Springs (AAA).

    St. Louis Cardinals prospect Andrew Knizner

    St. Louis Cardinals prospect and Memphis Redbirds catcher Andrew Knizner playing against the Missions at Wolff Stadium on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. - photo by Joe Alexander
    St. Louis Cardinals prospect and Memphis Redbirds catcher Andrew Knizner playing against the Missions at Wolff Stadium on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Memphis Redbirds catcher Andrew Knizner is the No. 3 prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league organization, according to a recent story on mlb.com.

    The Redbirds are currently playing a three-game series with the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium. The series continues tonight and Thursday with games scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (Central) both days.

    Last season, Kninzer batted a combined .313 with seven home runs at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis.

    Knizner played in college at North Carolina State. He was part of a Virginia high school state championship team at Hanover High School in Mechanicsville, Va.

  • Knizner profile on milb.com
  • Knizner profile on baseball-reference.com
  • Knizner profile on wikipedia.org
  • Cardinals’ top prospects on mlb.com


    • Missions win home opener with 9th-inning rally

    Mauricio Dubon hits a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the ninth in the Missions' 6-5 victory over the Redbirds on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Mauricio Dubon hits a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the ninth in the Missions’ 6-5 victory over the Redbirds on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    The San Antonio Missions scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Memphis Redbirds 6-5 on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.

    The game was the 2019 home opener for the Missions and their first game in San Antonio as a Triple-A team.

    Missions shortstop Mauricio Dubon had the winning hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

    Missions third baseman Lucas Erceg, who had two home runs and drive in three runs earlier in the game, scored the tieing run and Jake Hager scored the winning run.

    The Redbirds took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

    Erceg walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Jake Hager produced a one-out single. Erceg and Hager advanced to third and second on a wild pitch.

    Dubon came up with two outs and lashed a hit to center to drive in Erceg and Hager and end the game.

    Zack Brown to start tonight for Missions

    Missions pitcher Zack Brown talks to members of the media on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Missions pitcher Zack Brown talks to members of the media on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Right-handed pitcher Zack Brown is slated to start on the mound tonight for the San Antonio Missions in their road game against the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

    Brown pitched in 22 games, 21 starts, last season at Double-A Biloxi. He had a 9-1 record with a 2.44 ERA.

    Tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. – weather permitting. The Missions and Dodgers split their first two games of the season. The Dodgers won 4-3 on Friday night.

  • Missions fall to OKC despite strong start by Bubba Derby
    story by Jerry Briggs on milb.com