Wingnuts

The Wichita Wingnuts announced Tuesday that they have re-signed right-handed pitcher Nick Singleton. Singleton returns to the Wingnuts after a stint in the Mexican League with the Acereros de Monclova (Monclova Steelers). Singleton was 1-1 with a 7.11 ERA in three starts for the Steelers, striking out 16 batters in 12.2 innings pitched. The 28-year old right-hander is 8-0 this season for the Wingnuts with a 2.11 ERA in seven starts and two relief appearances. The Montgomery, AL native has struck out 47 and walked only 13 in 47.0 innings.

The Wichita Wingnuts announced their 2011 regular season schedule on Monday. A copy of the schedule with all home start times is attached. The American Association now features a 100-game continuous schedule and a total of 14 teams with the recent addition of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Gary SouthShore RailCats, Kansas City T-Bones, and Winnipeg Goldeyes.  Last week, the league also announced Pensacola will transfer operations to Amarillo, TX in time for 2011. Nine different teams make the trip to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium this summer, including four that Wingnuts' fans have never seen.

The Wichita Wingnuts signed right-handed pitcher Jonathan Ellis on Tuesday. Ellis is in his eighth season of professional baseball and owns a lifetime record of 31-26 with a 3.90 ERA in 395.0 innings of work.  Ellis pitched in the Atlantic League last season, splitting time with Somerset and Camden.  The 28-year old righty was a combined 4-3 with a 5.05 ERA in 24 games, 10 as a starter, and struck out 51 in 62.1 IP. ...

The Wichita Wingnuts lost 8-0 to the Shreveport-Bossier Captains at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Wednesday night. Captains' starter Ryan DiPietro worked eight scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, and was supported by a pair of early rallies against Wingnuts' starter Jonathan Ellis. Mike Provencher opened the game with a line drive single to center.  Robert Perry was next and tripled to right field to give the Captains a 1-0 lead.  Brian Sabatella followed Perry with an RBI double down the right field line that made it 2-0. In the top of the second, Joe Urtuzuastegui and Brian Peterson worked out back-to-back walks to start the inning.  Both scored when Alex Cowart tripled to right-center.  Provencher made it 6-0 Captains with a sacrifice fly to left that plated Cowart.

The Wichita Wingnuts re-signed former Major League outfielder Brent Clevlen on Sunday. Clevlen (pronounced KLEEVE-lehn) opened spring training on the Wingnuts' roster before signing with the Cincinnati Reds' organization.  In 29 games for the Triple-A Louisville Bats, Clevlen hit .247 with three home runs and 10 RBI. Since 2006, Clevlen has spent parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues, including three with the...

The Wichita Wingnuts defeated the St. Paul Saints 6-4 at Midway Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Trailing 3-2, the Wingnuts took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Jose Duran led off and homered to deep left field against Saints' starter Jacob Schmidt. It was Duran's second home run in as many games. After Mike Conroy grounded out to third, Ryan Patterson walked, stole second base, and eventually scored on Juan Richardson's long two-out, two-run homer to left.

The Wichita Wingnuts posted their third consecutive shutout, and fourth in the last five games, beating the Grand Prairie AirHogs 5-0 at QuikTrip Park on Friday night. Ryan Hinson continued the Wingnuts' recent trend of outstanding starting pitching, limiting the AirHogs to just four hits over seven full innings. Hinson walked three and struck out six while earning his seventh win of the season. It is the first time the Wingnuts have ever pitched three consecutive shutouts.

The Wichita Wingnuts (27-9) lost 5-0 to the Sioux City Explorers (17-20) at Lewis and Clark Park on Sunday evening. Explorers' starter Jason Jarvis threw a complete game, seven-hit shutout to earn the win.  It was Jarvis' second consecutive shutout, and marked the second time this season he has thrown a complete game to end a Wingnuts' winning streak of eight or more games. Sioux City broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth against reliever Nick Schreiber.  Ryan Priddy was hit by a pitch leading off and advanced to second when Wally Backman Jr. drew a walk.  A wild pitch advanced runners to second and third.  Schreiber struck out Mike Bisenius, but a wild pitch on the third strike allowed Priddy to score from third base.  Backman scored from third on a wild pitch with Mike Murphy at the plate.  After Murphy laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Bisenius to third, Brandon Newton made it 3-0 with an infield single.

The Wichita Wingnuts added three players to their roster on Friday, signing right-handed pitcher Kendy Batista, second baseman Jose Duran, and catcher Matthew Powell. Batista is 16-9 in his career with a 3.56 ERA, and has pitched as high as the Triple-A level.  A native of Santa Barbara, Venezuela, Batista has averaged 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings over the course of 92 career appearances.  The 6-foot-2, 198-pound Batista last pitched in the US in 2009 for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts in the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization.

The Wichita Wingnuts lost 10-7 to the Sioux City Explorers at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Sunday evening. After facing deficits of five and six runs, the Wingnuts twice rallied to pull within two, but Explorers' reliever Eddie De La Cruz worked two scoreless innings over the seventh and the eighth to prevent Wichita from coming all the way back. Down 9-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Edwin Bellorin and Mike Conroy hit back-to-back opposite field doubles to cut the X's' lead to five runs.  Jose Duran beat out a groundball to third for an infield single, and then Josh Horn reached on a throwing error by pitcher Matt Gibbs that scored Conroy from third base.  After Thomas Fitzgerald worked out a walk to load the bases, Gibbs was relieved by De La Cruz.

The Wichita Wingnuts (3-3) lost 2-1 to the Gary SouthShore RailCats (4-2) at U.S. Steel Yard on Tuesday afternoon. The RailCats scored what proved to be the decisive runs on a controversial play in the bottom of the fourth inning.  With runners on first and second and two outs, Drew Martinez hit a soft flyball to left field.  Wingunts' left fielder Colt Loehrs appeared to make a diving catch as he slid across the outfield grass,...

The Wichita Wingnuts (3-2) lost 5-1 to the Gary SouthShore RailCats (3-2) at U.S. Steel Yard on Monday night. Mike Massaro singled with one out in the bottom of the first and scored on Cristian Guerrero's double down the left field line to give the RailCats an early 1-0 lead. With runners on first and second and one out in the bottom of the third, Steve Liddle hit into a force play started by second baseman Jake Kahaulelio.  Ryan Khoury's relay throw to first base on the same play went into the Wingnuts' dugout, and allowed Guerrero to score the RailCats' second run. The RailCats manufactured a third run in the bottom of the fourth on a 'butcher boy' groundball double from Chase Tucker.  With first and second and no outs, Tucker pulled back a bunt attempt and slapped the ball through a vacated hole on the left side of the infield.

KANSAS CITY, KS- The Wichita Wingnuts (3-1) defeated the Kansas City T-Bones (1-3) 3-2 in a rain-shortened affair on Sunday evening at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The game was called after six complete innings due to a heavy thunderstorm that swept through the area. With one out in the top of the fourth inning, Cole Armstrong hit a ground-rule double down the right field line.  After Abel Nieves fouled out, Derek Perren singled on a line drive to right that scored Armstrong with the game's first run.  Armstrong used a head-first slide to evade Matt Padgett's relay throw to home plate.

KANSAS CITY, KS- The Wichita Wingnuts (2-1) defeated the Kansas City T-Bones (1-2) 4-3 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday night. After falling behind 3-0 in the bottom of the first, Wingnuts' pitchers combined for eight shutout innings to finish the game, setting up a come-from-behind win. C.J. Ziegler sliced Kansas City's lead to 3-1 with a solo home run to left field in the top of the second inning.  Ziegler has homered in three...

The Wichita Wingnuts (1-1) lost 5-4 to the Kansas City T-Bones (1-1) at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Friday night. The T-Bones took the lead for good when they scratched out a run in the top of the seventh inning.  Tied at 3-3, Brandon Pearl chopped a single just passed a drawn-in Ryan Khoury at shortstop to drive in Felix Molina from third base with the go-ahead run. In the top of the ninth, Kansas City manufactured an insurance run. ...

The Wichita Wingnuts (1-0) beat the Kansas City T-Bones (0-1) 8-0 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Thursday night. Prior to the game, the Wingnuts retired the number "3" in honor of their late bench coach Brian Rose who passed away on January 31st of this year.  A video celebrating Rose's life was shown, while Rose's wife Lupe threw out the ceremonial first pitch and was presented with Brian's game-worn jerseys. Starting pitcher Jon Link fired seven shutout innings to earn the win, allowing just three hits and never letting a runner past second base.  Link struck out four, did not issue a walk, and retired the final nine batters to face him. Offensively, the Wingnuts were led by two returning players.  C.J. Ziegler slugged a three-run home run down the left field line in the bottom of the third inning that gave Wichita a 4-0 lead.  Ziegler also accounted for an unearned run in the bottom of the first when T-Bones' second baseman Devin Goodwin made an errant throw to first on a fielder's choice.

The Wichita Wingnuts announced their 2013 promotional schedule on Wednesday. The season kicks off Thursday night with a tribute to late Wingnuts' bench coach Brian Rose.  Prior to the game, a video celebrating Rose's life will be displayed while his jersey number "3" will become the first retired number in the team's six-year history.  Several members of Rose's family will be on hand, including his wife Lupe who will throw out the first pitch.  The...

The Wichita Wingnuts have added another pitcher to their 2013 pre-season roster.  Lefty Joe Testa is slated to join the bullpen for the 'Nuts.  Testa was a part of the Washington Nationals minor-leagues last season. Here is the official release from the Wichita Wingnuts: The Wichita Wingnuts signed pitcher Joe Testa on Monday. Testa struck out 37 batters in 42.2 innings pitched last season while splitting time with the Washington Nationals' High-A (Potomac)

He was their M.V.P in 2012 and now he's back for 2013.  On Tuesday the Wichita Wingnuts accounced that they have re-signed designated hitter John Rodriguez.  Rodriguez hit .332 last year with 16 home runs and 81 RBI in 94 games played.  Coach Kevin Hooper released a statement in the official team press release saying, "I have known John Rodriguez for a long time, and I can't say enough about what he means to our team. " Hooper continued, "J-Rod had a tremendous year for us, and having him is like having another coach.  He is our leader and our go-to guy. " The team released more stats from Rodriguez and also an updated roster for 2013 spring training.  Here is the release from the Wingnuts' organization: The veteran hitter ranked prominently on the American Association leaderboards, and finished tied for sixth in batting average, tied for ninth in home runs, tied for fourth in RBI, 12th in on-base percentage (.400)

The Wichita Wingnuts announced on Wednesday that they have added a third baseman to their growing roster.  Here is the official release from the organization:   The Wichita Wingnuts signed third baseman Abel Nieves on Wednesday. Nieves (full name pronounced ah-BELL nee-AY-vis) was a Frontier League all-star for the Joliet Slammers last season.  The Maracay, Venezuela native ranked second in the Frontier League with a .320 batting average while adding 56 runs scored, 19 doubles, eight home runs, and 44 RBI in 89 games played.  Nieves also participated in the Frontier League All-Star Game's home run derby.  The 27-year-old third baseman walked 56 times versus only 40 strikeouts, and finished sixth in his league with a .421 on-base percentage.  Nieves played six different positions last season, and was scheduled to play all nine of them during the Slammers' final regular season home game.  The game was ultimately cancelled due to inclement weather.  Nieves had an 11-game hitting streak (19 for 41, .463)