Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic
     League

Lexington Legends vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

When: Wednesday through Saturday (7:05 each night)

Where: Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (Kannapolis, N.C.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Chicago White Sox

Zach Grimmett

Juan Minaya

Tanner Bushue

Luis Cruz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Zach Grimmett (5-2, 3.86) vs. RH Cameron Bayne (11-9, 3.90); Thursday, LH Luis Cruz (7-3, 3.14) vs. RH Justin Collop (8-10, 4.62); Friday, RH Tanner Bushue (7-8, 4.07) RH Andre Rienzo (7-4, 3.90); Saturday, RH Juan Minaya (4-10, 5.02) RH Ryan Buch (4-2, 3.19).

Ian Gac

Intimidator to watch: SAL all-star 1B Ian Gac (6-foot-3, 245 pounds, from Seattle) is hitting .286 and leads Kannapolis in hits (132), doubles (32), homers (20), RBI (86), runs (61), walks (42) and a league-leading 224 total bases. Signed by the White Sox last December as a free agent, Gac was selected out of Edmons-Woodway (Wash.) High School by the Texas Rangers in the 26th round of the 2003 draft. Baseball America wrote that Gac had the “best raw power” among that Texas draft class. However, his highest batting average over his first five seasons of pro ball came in his first year, .242. In 2008, he blossomed and earned Midwest League all-star honors with the Clinton LumberKings. In 67 games with the Kings, he hit .310 with 19 homers and 60 RBI. That earned him a promotion to Bakersfield of the California League, where he batted .257 with 13 homers and 49 RBI over 63 games. In 2009, his last season in the Rangers organization, Gac hit .238 with 22 homers and 55 RBI over 104 games with Bakersfield. This season, he’s batting .298 against right-handed pitchers, .259 versus lefties. Since the all-star break, he’s batting .296 overall.

Brenden Stines

Legend to watch: RHP Brenden Stines (6-2, 190, from Mishawaka, Ind.,) has made 11 appearances in relief since joining the Legends in July, compiling a 2-0 record and 4.05 ERA over 20 innings. Selected by the Astros in the 33rd round of last year’s draft, out of Ball State University, Stines began this season with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. There, in five outings spanning 7 1/3 innings, Stines was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. He also spent 2009 with Tri-City, going 3-0 with a 4.93 ERA over 24 games and 38 1/3 innings. Control has been his bugaboo, as he has had identical totals for strikeouts and walks this season both at Tri-City (7) and Lexington (13). He has performed best at home (1-0, 2.89, 6 games) for the Legends. Overall with Lexington, he is holding opponents to a .247 batting average.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Coming up

South Atlantic League baseball

Kannapolis Intimidators at Lexington Legends

What: Four-game series

When: Monday through Thursday (7:05 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights; 10:05 Wednesday morning)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call    (859) 422-7867   

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends); Chicago White Sox

Brandt Walker

Jose Cisnero

Robby Donovan

Tanner Bushue

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Brandt Walker (1-1, 8.27) vs. RH Cameron Bayne (1-3, 4.15) Tuesday, RH Jose Cisnero (1-0, 4.82) vs. RH Matt Hopps (0-1, 5.12); Wednesday, RH Tanner Bushue (1-1, 2.81) vs. RH Justin Collop (0-2, 6.75); Thursday, RH Robby Donovan (1-3, 3.91) vs. LH Joe Serafin (3-2, 2.64).

Trayce Thompson

Intimidator to watch: CF Trayce Thompson (6-foot-3, 195 pounds, from Ladera Ranch, Calif.) is hitting .278 with three homers, seven RBI and eight runs over 14 games with the Intimidators. A second-round draft pick of the White Sox last year, Thompson said no to UCLA and signed out of Santa Margarita High School for $625,000. He played seven games with Great Falls of the Pioneer League and 25 with Bristol of the Appalachian League last season, hitting a combined .198 with 10 RBI. Baseball America rates Thompson as the sixth-best prospect in the White Sox system. He is the son of Mychal Thompson, the No. 1 pick in the 1978 NBA draft.

Jake Goebbert

Legend to watch: LF Jake Goebbert (6-0, 200, from Hampshire, Ill.) leads the Legends with 12 doubles and ranks third or better in several other offensive categories, including: 29 hits, 16 RBI, 19 runs, 46 total bases, .465 slugging percentage and .804 OPS. The left-hander (batting and throwing) has yet to commit an error and has hits in each of his last three games and five of six contests. Drafted by the Astros in the 13th round (401st overall) of last year’s draft, out of Northwestern University, Goebbert broke a 31-year-old school record for the Wildcats when he belted a Big Ten-leading 22 doubles in 2008, his sophomore season. He also led the team homers (10), RBI (48), walks (28), slugging (.665) and on-base percentage (.458) that season, batting .353 over 49 games. As a junior, Goebbert hit .280 with four homers and 23 RBI over 30 games, while earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Upon being signed by the Astros, Goebbert played 59 games with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. With Tri-City, he hit .238 with 18 RBI.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Promotions, etc.: Monday is “Kids Eat Free Night” at Applebee’s Park. … Tuesday is Quarter Hot Dog Night and Kraft Singles Night. … Wednesday is Education Day, Ladies Day and Mascot Olympics Day. … The Kannapolis series concludes with Thirsty Thursday. … The eight-game homestand continues with four games against the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Friday through next Monday (May 10).

Coming up

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends at Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

Where: Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (Kannapolis, N.C.)

When: Monday through Thursday (7:05 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights; 10:05 a.m. Wednesday)

Probable starters (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Brandt Walker (season debut) vs. RH Justin Collop (season debut); Tuesday, RH Tanner Bushue (0-0, 0.00) vs. RH Matt Hopps (0-0, 0.00); Wednesday, RH Juan Minaya (0.0, 2.70) vs. RH Joe Serafin (0-1, 6.00); Thursday, RH Robert Donovan (0-0, 1.80) vs. RH Terry Doyle (0-1, 1.50).

Intimidator to watch: 2B Daniel Wagner (6-feet, 185 pounds, from Kannapolis) is off to a solid start with his hometown team. A 16th-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in last June’s draft, Wagner is a left-handed hitter out of Belmont University. Through four games, he is 6-for-15 (.400), with two RBI and a stolen base. All of his hits have come in a pair of three-hit games. Last season, Wagner hit .258 over 56 games for Bristol of the Appalachian League, with a homer, 26 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He also hit .293 and homered over 11 games with Kannapolis.

Kirk Clark

Legend to watch: RHP Kirk Clark (6-2, 202, from Moline, Ill.) has come out of the bullpen in two of the team’s first four games. Over 2 2/3 innings he has given up three hits and two walks, but no runs. He has struck out four and was the winner in Saturday’s win over Charleston. Signed by the Houston Astros as a non-drafted free agent last August, Clark played for Creighton University. He made 10 relief appearances for Tri-City of the New York-Penn League last season, going 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA. Over 19 innings, he struck out 24 and walked three

Wander Alvino

Roster move: RHP Wander Alvino was added to the Legends roster Sunday, called up from extended spring training. He takes the place of LHP David Duncan, who moves to the disabled list, retroactive to Thursday, due to a sore arm. Alvino surrendered three runs over three innings in relief Sunday. Last season with Tri-City, Alvino was 4-7 with a 5.17 ERA over 13 starts.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300