RiverDogs RunDown for August 17-22

LEADING OFF

4 6 17

SERIES PREVIEW

LONG AND SIDE (WINDING) ROAD

BY THE NUMBERS

The RiverDogs host the Columbia Fireflies for one final series at The Joe in 2021. The series will consist of seven games in six days with a doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday. The RiverDogs lead the season-series 14-9 with a 7-4 record at The Joe. The Fireflies are in their first season as an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals after spending several years with the New York Mets.

Columbia opens the week in third place in the South Division with a record of 42-47. That mark puts them 21.0 games behind the first-place RiverDogs. Columbia is currently eighth among the 12 teams in the league with a team batting average of .231. They sit in the middle of the pack in both home runs and runs scored. One area in which they have thrived offensively is stealing bases with 163 as a team. Juan Carlos Negret, a Cuba native, leads the league with 19 home runs and is third in runs batted in. On the mound, the Fireflies are second in the league behind the RiverDogs with a 3.93 earned run average. Reliever Emilio Marquez has been impressive, posting a 1.53 ERA in 19 appearances.

The RiverDogs enter this match-up with the best record in Minor League Baseball and tied for the most wins with the Rays High-A affiliate in Bowling Green. The RiverDogs pitching staff has posted a league-low 3.48 ERA and leads the circuit in shutouts. The squad’s 13 shutouts are the second-most in Minor League Baseball behind Somerset. The offense paces the league with a solid .264 batting average and 94 home runs. Outfielder Diego Infante has hit 11 home runs and his 65 runs batted in lead the Low-A East. The team is on pace to finish with the best winning percentage in Charleston baseball history.

Tuesday, August 17, 7:05 PM: Dog Day: There are only two more chances to enjoy a ballgame with man’s best friend this season. Bring the pup along to the ballpark for each and every Island Coastal Lager Dog Day, when we encourage you to #TakeItEasy. This week’s featured breed will be the French Bulldog! Fans can also enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 beers. Tuesday games are presented by 96.9 the Wolf.

Wednesday, August 18, 5:05 PM (Doubleheader): Pride Night/Wicked Wednesday: Enjoy two games for the price of one! We’ll throw it back to a previous era in Charleston baseball history and play as the Charleston Rainbows. The entire night will also be a celebration of inclusiveness with our friends from Charleston Pride and MUSC Health. The Rainbows jerseys will be part of a jersey auction throughout the night. You will have a chance to leave with a game-worn uniform from one of our players! As is the case for every Wednesday at the ballpark, we will celebrate craft beer and throw in some wicked good fun thanks to Wicked Weed.

Thursday, August 19, 7:05 PM: Thirsty Thursday: Dust off the bell bottoms and join us for a funky ‘70s-themed night at The Joe. $1 beers are available throughout the park on each Budweiser Thirsty Thursday this season! That’s right, you can grab a $1 beer (or two) no matter where you are in the ballpark. Don’t forget, DJ Natty Heavy will be dropping beats on the Ashley View Pub. He may have even add some disco hits to the mix! Thursday games are presented by 95SX. Friday, August 20, 7:05 PM: Military Appreciation Night/Opera Night/Red Shirt Friday/Post-Game Fireworks: On this night, we will celebrate the Western classical music tradition of opera with themed games, trivia and a t-shirt toss. The RiverDogs will also open the weekend with a gigantic tribute to military members on Boeing Red Shirt Friday. Members of the military can receive a free ticket to the game by calling the RiverDogs box office. The team will make their new inductions into the Hall of Honor prior to the game. Once again, on the final day of the work week, the RiverDogs and Boeing invite you to wear red in support of those who serve our country. On the field, the team will participate as well, wearing special red jerseys. The night will be capped with another fireworks spectacular presented by REV Federal Credit Union. Friday games are presented by 103.5 WEZL. Saturday, August 21, 6:05 PM: Perros Santos Weekend/LED Light Show: The RiverDogs will spend the weekend suiting up as Los Perros Santos de Charleston as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative. Along with MUSC Health and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, we’ll celebrate the local Latin American culture with special uniforms, music courtesy of DJ Luigi and Spanish public address announcements. Our opponents, the Columbia Fireflies, will join in on the fun, playing as Chicharrones de Columbia. Following the game, stick around for a post-game light show featuring our LED lights at The Joe. Saturdays are presented by ABCNews4 and MyTV Charleston.

Sunday, August 22, 5:05 PM: Perros Santos Weekend/Family Sunday/Jewish Heritage Night/Strike Out Stigma Night: The RiverDogs will spend the weekend suiting up as Los Perros Santos de Charleston as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative. Along with MUSC Health and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, we’ll celebrate the local Latin American culture with special uniforms, music courtesy of DJ Luigi and Spanish public address announcements. Our opponents, the Columbia Fireflies, will join in on the fun, playing as Chicharrones de Columbia.

In addition, we are partnering with the Charleston Jewish Federation for Jewish Heritage Night.

It’s also Strike Out Stigma Night with information and resources available on mental illness and substance abuse. Parking is free and kids will be invited to run the bases following the game! This Sunday’s game is presented by Star 99.7.

Charleston RiverDogs reliever Andrew Gross has enjoyed one of the most impressive seasons for any pitcher in Minor League Baseball in 2021. The sidearm tossing right-hander begins this series with a 4-1 record and 2.00 earned run average. He has recorded 44 strikeouts and walked just five batters in 45.0 innings. He also worked 31.0 consecutive scoreless innings from May-July, the longest such stretch for an MiLB pitcher this year.

However, it hasn’t always been easy for Gross. He was cut from his high school junior varsity team as a sophomore and didn’t begin throwing sidearm until he reached the college ranks.

At Chandler High School in Arizona, Gross was a pitcher who threw from a “normal” arm slot.

He bounced back from being cut as an underclassman to play junior varsity as a junior and varsity as a senior, but received no interest from college coaches.

Despite those circumstances, he was determined to play at the next level and decided to try to make the team at JUCO power Yavapai College. Gross was a long shot to make the team as it was, so with a recommendation from current Philadelphia Phillies pitcher JoJo Romero, he began throwing sidearm.

That decision allowed him to not only make the team, but become the program’s closer.

Yavapai was not a prohibitive favorite to make a deep run when the 2016 JUCO tournament began. However, when the dust settled they were one of ten teams headed to Grand Junction, Colorado for the NJCAA Division 1 JUCO World Series. That squad ended up winning the championship game with Gross recording seven saves along the way.

Following one more season at Yavapai in which he pitched well, Gross received the opportunity to play Division I baseball at UT-Arlington. He jumped on the opportunity, but his time at another program got off to a similarly slow start. He did not appear in the first several weeks of games and the staff wasn’t sold on his ability to stay confident in a high-pressure situation. Gross received his first opportunity to prove his ability on the biggest stage possible. In a nationally televised game against sixth-ranked Texas A&M, Gross entered his first game as Maverick with the score tied 0-0 in the 10th inning. In front of 5,553 fans in College Station, Gross proceeded to toss 6.2 scoreless innings and earn the win in a game that took 18 innings to complete.

That performance earned him a consistent role in the bullpen and by the end of his stay in Arlington, Gross had turned into one of the best relievers in school history and

in college baseball nationwide. In 2018, he posted a 3.98 ERA and in in his final college season collected 17 saves. He was named to the Midseason NWBCA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List and finished second in the country in saves. Gross also became UTA’s single-season saves leader.

Gross’s sights were always set on turning baseball into a career, but his parents made him promise that he would finish college and maintain a back-up plan in case his plans didn’t work out. Instead of taking the simple approach to said back-up plan, Gross decided he would like to keep open the possibility of becoming an FBI agent. At that time, he was able to visit the FBI Field Office and meet with several agents who explained that the best way to pursue a career as an agent was to gain military experience as an Officer in the Marine Corps. For four years, Gross spent weekends running and training with other candidates for the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course. During his senior year in Arlington, he was selected for Officer Training with a date set for approximately one week after the 2019 MLB Draft.

The Gross family wasn’t sure what to expect from the draft process. They had spoken with several scouts over the previous months, but had no indication of where in the draft he might end up and who would take a chance him. In the end, it was the Rays who called during the 39th round. Tampa Bay selected him with pick 1,178 of the draft, a number that is now etched in ink on the arm of the pitcher to remind him how this journey began.

70

The RiverDogs and Bowling Green Hot Rods, the teams tied for the most wins in Minor League Baseball, have a bet regarding which squad can reach 70 wins first. A member of the losing team’s front office staff will get a tattoo of the winning team’s logo live on social media during a game.

19

The RiverDogs magic number for clinching a spot in the Low-A East Championship Series. This means that any combination of RiverDogs wins and losses by the team in third place equaling 19 will guarantee the team a chance to play for the title.

109

The current franchise record for single-season home runs by the RiverDogs set in 2004 and 2008. The 2021 team has hit 94 with 30 games remaining and is on pace to set a new standard for power.