American Association Baseball Insider: Opening Night Takeaways

 After an extra inning win in Cleburne for the Fargo Moorhead RedHawks opened the AAPB season on Thursday night, the rest of the league got their seasons started on Friday night. A combo of watching the Sioux Falls Stampede Clark Cup Final Game 1 and issues with AA Baseball TV made it tough to focus on the night's action. But I'll give it my best shot, excuse any scorecard regurgitations.

Lake Country 12 Gary Southshore 4

Don't ever change, Kamp Oconomowoc. The DockHounds cracked six home runs, two of them by Joshua Mears on a four RBI night. Surprisingly none of the home runs came from Ryan Hernandez. 

Chicago 4 Sioux City 3

The Dogs rallied from a run down in the eighth to take their season and home opener at Impact Field. Ryan Beaird, a rookie reliever who found success late in 2026 took the loss giving up a pair of runs. In my limited studying for the season, it sounded like the bullpen for the Explorers, a strength of last year's club, could be a question mark.

Milwaukee 6 Winnipeg 1

Solomon Bates made his return to AAPB but this time as a Milkmen. Bates showed he still has his dominant stuff throwing five shutout innings to pick up the win. Along with the returning Christian Young, the Milkmen have two shutdown like starters, something it was lacking in 2025.

Kane County 3 Kansas City 2

For two teams in opposite divisions, it seems like they play each other a lot. Or is it just me? Old friends Joe Calfapietra and George Tsamis match wits once again. Tsamis having the bragging rights for the newest championship ring. In a tight game the Cougars come out on top 3-2. Konnor Ash returns for another season, picking up the win going into the sixth. Five relievers took it home from there. Logan Nissen and Jake Gozzo pitching the last two, both returning from last season.

Sioux Falls 6 Lincoln 5 (10 innings)

Thomas Dorminy looked great for the Canaries until the fifth inning where with the bases loaded and two outs, Cam Phelts emptied them with a grand slam to make it 4-1. The Canaries refused to die, tying the game as Scotty Combs does know, grounding a three run double to tie the game at five. After the Canaries plated their courtesy runner in the top of the 10th, Charlie Hasty added to his Canaries all time saves lead shutting down the Saltdogs. Personal opinion here, the Canaries swung and missed with the new Birds jerseys. Powder blue on yellow doesn't work for me. 

Fargo-Moorhead 12 Cleburne 5

I took in some of this game. The top six of the RedHawks order, if they can all stay healthy are going to be a pitcher's nightmare as witnessed in the seventh inning as the RedHawks with the top of the order leading off the inning scored eight runs and broke open a tie game. Jairus Richards with protection behind him in the order should rack up some numbers at the plate and on the base paths this season.

So there it is folks. This is what you'll get this season. IScore looks like a much cleaner system than Pointstreak was. That should make it easier for you fans to go online and find out what went on in the league every night. Hopefully I can add some color. I may not have Takeaways tomorrow as I may be watching my 75th and final hockey game of the season at the NAHL Robertson Cup. 















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

American Association SUNDAY Insider: The All Star Edition

Image
 We've got through May, cruised through June and are now into July, so of course that means All Star Game picks. The American Association version of the Mid Summer Classic will be in Fargo two weeks from Monday. A skills competition (haven't seen one of those in a long time) and the Home Run Derby will be on Monday July 21, with the All Star Game on Tuesday night. Players stats were as of July 4th. Click here for your All Star Game Tickets West Division Catcher: Juan Fernandez, Fargo-Moorhead. Fernandez after an injury plagued 2024, has stayed healthy and has been a mainstay of the RedHawks lineup thus far in 2025. Fernandez has 23 RBI and is batting .313 First Base: Matthew Warkentin, Winnipeg. Warkentin has come on strong in the last few weeks to become part of the conversation. I could see the votes putting Josh Rehwaldt at first base but he has been in the outfield more times than not lately. Warkentin going into Friday has nine home runs and 32 runs batted in with a .292 a...
Read more

American Associaition Insider: August 23, 2025 plus Power Rankings.

Image
All six games on the penultimate Saturday of the American Association season. The rich got richer today as Chicago dealt Brantley Bell to Kansas City and Jairus Richards gets dealt from Gary SouthShore to manager Jeff Isom's buddy Chris Coste and Fargo-Moorhead. Milwaukee 6 Gary SouthShore 5 Chase Estep drove in three runs and Kaden Hollow had a home run and three runs driven in to lead the Milkmen to a come from behind win over Gary SouthShore at U.S. Steel Yard. Cooper Weiss and L.J. Castillo both homered for the RailCats. Kane County 6 Lake Country 3 The Cougars jumped out to a 6-0 and held off the first place DockHounds, handing them their eighth straight loss. Marcus Chiu had three hits including a solo home run, and Oscar Santos homered for the Cougars. Jake Stevenson picked up the win with 5.2 innings of one hit, no run ball. Ray Zuberer III and Chavez Young homered late in the game for the DockHounds. Sioux Falls 5 Sioux City 3 Tanner Brown held the Explorers to two runs in...
Read more

American Association Insider: July 13, 2025

Image
 Seven games on tap for a Sunday afternoon in the American Association. If you weren't at a ballpark, I hope you all enjoyed your Sunday, whatever you did.  Milwaukee 12 Kane County 3 The Milkmen building on the momentum of last night's walk off win defeated the Cougars at Franklin Field. The Milkmen put this one away with a five run third inning, highlighted by a three run home run by Scott Ota. It was a part of a three RBI day for Ota. Last night's hero Chase Estep went 4-6 and Delvin Perez went 4-5 to lead the Milkmen attack. Chase Gearing won his second start in a row with a six inning, one earned run effort.  Kansas City 5 Winnipeg 4 A Ross Adolph sacrifice fly in the sixth inning put the Monarchs ahead for good as they defeated the Goldeyes for the ninth time in ten games at Blue Cross Park. Jailyn Williams went 3-5 for the Goldeyes to lead a 11 hit attack. Andy Armstrong had three hits out of the nine hole for the Goldeyes. Daniel Martinez made it through five inni...
Read more