South Bend Cubs Gameday Program - July 2022

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PROSPECT PETE

HEALTHY AND STRONGER, PETE CROWARMSTRONG IS SHINING IN SEASON ONE IN CUBS SYSTEM

By Max Thoma

Harvard-Westlake is a grade seven through grade 12 school in Los Angeles, Calif. The list of notable alumni from this institution, which enrolls about 1,600 students is rather remarkable; actors, producers, directors, NBA players, NFL players, governors, Olympians, chiefs of staff, and more. Lately the school has developed a habit of producing firstrounders in the MLB Draft.

In 2012 this prodigious powerhouse rostered a promising young sophomore named Jack Flaherty, a right-handed pitcher drafted by the Saint Louis Cardinals in the supplemental first round of the 2014 draft. Four years later Flaherty finished top five in Rookie of the Year voting and the year after he finished fourth in the Cy Young race in the National League. He was the third highest drafted Harvard-Westlake Wolverine from that 2012 team. That’s because that team carried two seniors in Lucas Giolito and Max Fried. Giolito went 16th overall in 2012 to the Nationals and in the past three seasons with the White Sox he has finished no worse than 11th in Cy Young voting. Fried too has a top five Cy Young finish under his belt, but the lefty who played just

one season at Harvard-Westlake is most remembered for getting the win in the deciding game of the 2021 World Series.

On the road in Houston, Fried delivered a masterclass, tossing six shutout innings, not issuing a walk, striking out six, and getting the win.

South Bend Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong returns to the dugout after an at-bat and is greeted by teammate Jonathan Sierra.

Credit: Langston Johnson

As a kid Pete Crow-Armstrong grew up with these stars to look up to.

“I grew up watching all of them. Jack played at the same little league I did and I played with his younger brother for a number of years in little league and high school,” Pete said. “But I think for a lot of Harvard-Westlake guys it’s cool to be able to have something to shoot for… in the smaller scale just seeing those three guys and being like I want to be like them or I want to be better than them. I’m excited to get up to the big leagues and play against those three, it’ll be cool.”

Crow-Armstrong played a handful of years for Team USA, beginning with the 12U National Team in 2014 as a

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two-way player. That’s the age and year in which the now 20-year-old realized he had special talent on the diamond. In 10 games with Team USA he batted .440 with 11 RBIs and eight runs scored, and oh by the way went 2-0 with 10.2 innings pitched, 16 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.00.

“Those USA Baseball days opened my eyes to a different world of baseball,” said Crow-Armstrong. “It was very cool playing against a bunch of different countries with a lot of very good players.”

Pete was at one point roommates with Bobby Witt Jr., who would become the second overall pick in the 2019 draft and climb the list to the number one prospect in baseball. He also played with the likes of many future top picks and propects like C.J. Abrams, Riley Greene, Anthony Volpe, and Jack Leiter just to name a few.

But the kid from Sherman Oaks, Calif. got his own moment in 2020. Surrounded by friends, family, all of his high school teammates, and the people he cared most about, CrowArmstrong was selected 19th overall to the New York Mets.

red-hot start too, going 10-for-24 (.417) at the plate with seven walks (.563 OBP). The injury was significant and ended his rookie season.

But even on the Injured List and done for the season, he wasn’t done grabbing headlines. On July 30 every thing changed. While rehabbing down in Florida and on his way to go meet his parents for lunch, Pete was informed he’d been traded.

Let’s rewind for a second.

Pete was raised by his father, Matthew John Armstrong, and his mother, Ashley Crow in Los Angeles. His parents were both actors (his dad is now an English teacher and his mom an acting coach) and his father

is from Naperville, Ill., just west of Chicago and less than an hour from Wrigley Field. So his dad grew up a Cubs fan and raised his son to cheer for the Cubbies as well.

Crow-Armstrong shags fly balls in the outfield at the Cubs Complex during 2022 Spring Training in Mesa, Arizona.

Credit: Rich Biesterfeld

Additionally, from the time he debuted in 2014, Javier Báez had been Pete’s favorite player. Even now as a member of the Tigers, Báez is one of his favorite players and when I chatted with him about the former Cub he described him to me as “defensive Jesus”.

He started his pro career playing for the Saint Lucie Mets, their low-A affiliate in Florida. His time there was cut short however, really on two separate occa sions. Just six games into his Mets farm system career PCA injured his shoulder on a headfirst slide. He’d been off to a

Anyways, on that sultry afternoon in late July PCA was informed that he was no longer a part of the Mets organization. The team that drafted him had shipped him to the Cubs. In return the Mets got right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams and an electric shortstop with two All-Star

ESCAPE

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appearances: Javier Báez.

“It was a little surreal, it was tough to swallow in a way, not in any bad way, but that guy to me was defensive Jesus (told you he said it). I love watching Javi Baez play, still to this day. Getting traded for him doesn’t change my fandom but it was tough to swallow for sure... I felt very blessed to have my name mentioned with his.”

career. That’s how highly the Cubs think of PCA, and frankly, that’s just how good he is now and how extraordinary they envision him becoming.

Jed Hoyer referred to him as an “exceptional defender”. Just about any outlet that has written about PCA has referred to him as a potential future gold glover. When you see it up close and in-person though, wow, he’s as rangy, smooth, reactive and electric as they come in the outfield. He hunts baseballs.

“I mean my mentality is to catch everything, I own that grass out there,” he said. “I like to go into it with a different kind of mindset, maybe even a more offensive mindset where you have to call me off or you have to hit it over the fence or else I think I’m going to catch anything.”

Crow-Armstrong plays catch with fellow outfielder and now South Bend Cubs teammate Owen Caissie on St. Patrick's Day at Sloan Park in Mesa.

Credit: Rich Biesterfeld

One of the biggest trades of the season in all of baseball, at first at least, didn’t effect the new Cubs prospect too much. He continued doing the same rehab for his shoulder, just instead of in Florida he now stepped outside in Mesa, Ariz.

The Cubs shipped a staple of the fran chise for most of the last decade to get a 19-year-old wiith just six games under his belt in his Minor League Baseball

At the Cubs Complex minor league back fields, Crow-Armstrong steps up to the plate to take a Spring Training at-bat while sporting the Cubs blue alternate uniforms.

Credit: Rich Biesterfeld

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There’s boundless talent in this young man and you know exactly what you’re going to get from him on defense. What will decide the way we talk about PCA’s greatness down the line will be his bat.

Having been traded for at the end of July, Crow-Armstrong didn’t get a chance to play in a minor league game for the Cubs until this April.

“Once the season started I felt like I absolutely had stuff to prove, I missed out on a lot of baseball last year obvi ously which was a bummer but there’s a lot more baseball left to be played,” CrowArmstrong said. “Especially when you look at it in the bigger picture.”

With plenty of eyes on his new stance and swing, now standing quite straight up at the plate with his right foot staggered in front of his left, Pete came out on fire. In his sixth game of the season he launched his first home run, his second came the next day, and two weeks into the season he was batting .362 with a .483 on-base percentage.

Across 38 games he batted .354 with an OPS of 1.000, belting seven homers and driving in 27, and on top of that walking 22 times, stealing 13 bases and scoring 39 runs. In 38 games he reached base 82 times.

His promotion to South Bend came on May 31.

Crow-Armstrong waits on the next offering during an at-bat on June 26 at Four Winds Field.

Credit: Casey McDonald

It was only a matter of time before he was promoted from Myrtle Beach. In the low-A Carolina League pitchers were no match the for this California kid.

Crow-Armstrong returns to the South Bend lineup on June 25 after missing time due to a minor injury.

Credit: Langston Johnson

In his first series with the Cubs he managed to tally four extra-base hits in five games, capped off by a Sunday home run that traveled 439 feet to dead center and ricocheted off the top of the batter’s eye.

The power, needless to say, is showing. At 20 years old Pete CrowArmstrong is only getting stronger. His rehab is long behind him and now he’s getting a chance to play the most base ball in a season that he ever has. MLB Pipeline lists PCA as the Cubs number three prospect and Baseball America puts him among the top 100 prospects in baseball. He’s still logged just 55 games overall as of me writing this on June 27.

In the minors there are always guys coming through this level that you know will be productive in the MLB. But every now and then you get a chance to watch someone who is truly special and a potential All-Star. Pete Crow-Armstrong is a potential All-Star, no doubt.

THE FRIENDLY GIANT

JONATHAN SIERRA IS RED HOT AT THE PLATE AND FEELING RIGHT AT HOME IN SOUTH BEND

By: Brendan King

Throughout the last few months for South Bend Cubs right fielder and first baseman Jonathan Sierra, it has been a challenging learning experience. That’s not just from an on the field perspective either.

The now 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic is playing in his second season at Four Winds Field. The last came in 2019 when South Bend was the Low-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

In his first season with South Bend in 2019, Sierra unloads a swing as the Cubs clash with the Bowling Green Hot Rods on June 23, 2019.

Credit: Casey McDonald

One major difference in Sierra’s return in 2022? He’s a dad. Sierra’s daughter, Jaleem, was born just over two months ago. That means that while Sierra was away in Arizona for Spring Training, he had to focus on baseball and the process of his little girl being brought into the world. For Sierra, it was an experience that he could barely describe the emotions of.

Sierra poses for a photo in the outfield with his 1-month old daughter, Jaleem, as she attends her first baseball game on June 23. (@stiwar17 - instagram)

“Oh my gosh everything changed in me (after she was born),” Sierra said. “If you see me with too much energy, I have more energy now because I have some thing to show and prove for my daughter. I feel really excited and I don’t know how to explain that. Everything that I do is for her right now.”

Sierra, who was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, spent most of his time growing up and falling in love with the game of baseball in New York City. That is where his family currently lives. Coincidentally, South Bend Cubs Bench Coach D’Angelo Jimenez was also born in Santo Domingo, but the former infielder for the New York Yankees now spends his off-season’s in The Big Apple. Sierra has had the chance to learn from him as this season has gone on, especially becoming a consis tent playing first baseman for the first time.

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Jimenez may have been a Yankee, but Sierra was always a New York Mets fan. His family moved in closer to Queens, where at the time the Mets were still playing in Shea Stadium.

The last time that we saw Sierra in South Bend before this season, he was a full time right fielder for Buddy Bailey in 2019. Unfortunately for him, he was not a part of the Midwest League Championship winning squad after suffering an injury very late in the year. Still, he played in 101 games before getting hurt. And it was his goal to get back to Downtown South Bend as he continues to progress in his career.

When he got off the plane in preparation of the 2022 season, his right field spot was already occupied here in South Bend. Alexander Canario and Bradlee Beesley were on the top of the depth chart at that position, so Sierra had to start the year on the Development List. Now that both Canario and Beesley are at Double-A Tennessee, Sierra has gotten his opportunity, and he’s certainly made the most of it.

“As a first baseman, you have to be ready for every pitch,” Sierra said. “When the pitcher is ready, we have to be prepared for every play. I feel really comfortable and excited about first base too, because if I can play two different positions I will have more (future) opportunities.”

What some may not know about one of the kindest and most sincere South Bend Cubs ever, is that he was one of the richest Chicago Cubs interna tional free agent sign ings in the franchise’s history.

Sierra gets ready to take the diamond as the Cubs don the 'Los Cabritos Maldichos' jerseys at Four Winds Field. Credit: Langston Johnson

Sierra inked the dotted line on August 23, 2015 for a signing bonus of 2.5 million dollars. Additionally, that 2015 International Draft Class featured not only the likes of former South Bend players Eddy Julio Martinez and Aramis Ademan, but also the new budding star in the city of Chicago, Christopher Morel.

But just when he thought right field was in his future, former South Bend first baseman Matt Mervis got the call to the Double-A Smokies. Thus leaving an open spot at first base. Before this year, Sierra had only 24 games of experience at first base. But when opportunity knocked, he was ready.

Morel, who was a member of the Midwest League Championship team during the regular season in 2019 with Sierra, is now the morale leader of the North Side of Chicago. After he was called up from Double-A Tennessee, Morel set a Major League record by getting on base in 21 consecutive games to begin his career. Sierra and Morel are good friends. They are so close in fact, that they talk every night after each game that they respectively play. The lone difference in the last couple

BEER•WINE SANGRIA

Sierra along with (L-R) Fabian Pertuz, Pablo Aliendo, and Yeison Santana visit with patients at Beacon Children's Hospital. Photo Credit: South Bend Cubs

months? Morel is making those phone calls from Downtown Chicago.

“We have so many stories together because we signed in the same year,” Sierra said. “We have the same energy and we smile through every situation. We are best friends. I know how hard he worked, and I’m so proud of him. The best part is he hasn’t changed, he’s the same person. He doesn’t care what the situation is either, he always smiles.”

Plenty of tales have been told about Morel being the same exact guy in the Major Leagues as he was at Four Winds Field. As Sierra continues to climb the ladder, he will one day be looked at in the same way. That comes from what he says is a mixture of enjoying life, working hard, and being kind.

“I want to finish this year in Double-A of course just like every player but my

goal is to simply get stronger and stay healthy,” Sierra added. “I feel really comfortable here and the people in South Bend feel like my family because I was here in 2019. This feels like my city.”

His rise to the summer of 2022 began with work all the way back from 2019 and beyond. After missing the 2020 season like all Minor Leaguers due to COVID-19, Sierra was sent back to Low-A again in 2021; This time with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, again with Buddy Bailey as his manager. Although he had to play another season at the same level, he described the positives of the situation.

“Being in Myrtle Beach helped me because I think baseball is really the same no matter where you are,” Sierra said. You have to show what you got. If you can do that at no matter what level, that helps you and that’s what you need. As long as you stay in the lineup it gives you a chance to get better.”

Showing what you got. Sierra has gotten plenty of opportunities to do that both on a local and national stage in South Bend. While some are still waiting on the pure, raw power to show up in his swing on a consistent basis, the big drives that Sierra has hit in his South Bend Cubs career have been quite memorable. Plus, that defined strength in his swing is what at first had writers and analysts comparing him to the likes of Darryl Strawberry when he signed.

Sierra’s first career South Bend home run is a fantastic story. On a warm and

... continued from previous page. sunny day in May as the Cubs were on the road against the Bowling Green Hot Rods down in Kentucky, the Bowling Green organization had just installed a new video board less than a month prior. In Buddy Bailey’s lineup on May 13, Sierra was batting clean-up. The likes of Morel, Nelson Velazquez, and Ethan Roberts all saw action for South Bend that day.

On the first pitch that Sierra saw from Cristopher Sanchez, who is now a big league lefty with the Philadelphia Phillies, he hammered a ball towards deep right center and nailed the video board. It was the first scoreboard shot that big screen had ever taken.

In South Bend, Sierra participated in

forget.

“I’m going to remember the Home Run Derby forever because it was a great experience and I was comfortable since it was right here in South Bend,” Sierra said. “What I remember most is every fan in the ballpark supported me and cheered for me.”

That fanfare that Sierra received that day set him on a path of always wanting to make people feel special. Every single day, he’ll come up to you with a smile. That’s not only what being a dad has done for him, but as he gets older, he never forgets the little things on the path forward.

Which is why South Bend, Indiana holds such a special place in his heart.

the Midwest League Home Run Derby on June 17, 2019. When talking with Sierra in the Cubs dugout in June, he said that event is something that he’ll never

Along with his South Bend supporters on hand, Sierra poses for a photo with Clark the Cub, who spent the day at Fan Fest and the Home Run Derby.

Photo Credit: Casey McDonald

Competing in the 2019 Midwest League Home Run Derby on June 17, 2019, Sierra was the South Bend Cubs representative in the event, hitting 3 homers. Photo Credit: Casey McDonald

2022 SOUTH BEND CUBS COACHING STAFF

Lance Rymel - Manager

Rymel is in his first season as manager for South Bend Cubs after guiding the Rookie League Mesa Cubs in 2021. Rymel also managed the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League in 2021 and won the league title. This will be his seventh season as a coach or manager in the Cubs organization, where he also managed Single-A Eugene in 2019 following two seasons at the helm of the Cubs Dominican Summer League squad in 2017-18. He began his coaching career in 2016 following a three-year minor league playing career as a catcher.

Tony Cougoule - Pitching Coach

Cougoule is back for year two as the team’s pitching coach. Cougoule enters his third year with the Chicago Cubs altogether. Previously, he coached in the same role at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA from 2010-2019, South eastern Community College from 2008-2009, and Azusa Pacific University from 2006-2007. Cougoule played collegiate baseball at Mount Mercy in Cedar Rap ids, IA, earning team MVP and all-conference honors in 2003 & completed his master’s degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific University in 2007.

Dan Puente - Hitting Coach

Puente is in his first season as the South Bend hitting coach. This marks Puente’s third season in the Cubs farm system; he was the hitting coach for low-A Myrtle Beach in 2021. Puente has been a hitting and catching instructor at Elite Baseball Training since 2012, a technology-infused baseball and softball instructional company created by the Cubs Director of Hitting Justin Stone. Pu ente also served as an associate scout for the Houston Astros and from 200812 was the Manager of Youth Baseball Initiatives for the Chicago White Sox.

D’Angelo Jiménez - Bench Coach

Jiménez is on the South Bend Cubs staff for the first time in his career and handles the bench coach duties. Lance Rymel coaches third base and Jiménez coaches first. He held the role of hitting coach for the DSL Cubs in 2021 and this will be his fifth season overall in the organization. Jiménez rose through the New York Yankees minor league system and spent eight years playing in the MLB from 1999 to 2007 with the Yankees, Padres, White Sox, Reds, Rangers, Athletics, and Nationals. He hit 36 Big League home runs and totaled 228 RBI.

Seth Clapp Athletic Trainer

Dominick

Patry-Tremblay

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Field Box

Box

Home Run Porch

Deck

Monday - Friday (non game days)

Saturday - Sunday (non game days)

Monday - Friday (game days)

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of 7th Inning

Saturday (game days)

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of

Sunday (game days)

MAC IS BACK

MICHAEL MCAVENE RETURNS HEALTHY AND PRIMED FOR A COMEBACK SEASON

By Max Thoma

After an arduous road back from injury, on June 17 at a sun-soaked Modern Woodmen Park on the banks of the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, Michael McAvene was back. Everyone in the clubhouse knew he was going to come in that day in relief. He tried his best to just act like it was another day at the ball park.

“You just have to get that realization that you’ve been doing this your whole life,” he said. “This is what you’re paid to do, this is your job. It definitely was a big hurdle to get over but I was definitely so glad to get that first one out of the way, it definitely paves the way for the rest of the outings.”

Michael McAvene was born in Indianapolis. As a senior at Roncalli he helped lead his school to their first-ever Indiana State Baseball Championship, he finished the season with eight wins, a 1.54 ERA and 131 strikeouts. He took the ball against the number one seed Zionsville, in front of a high school record 6,799 fans, and went seven innings allowing just two runs. His side won 3-2 in walk-off fashion in the ninth. Prep Baseball Report rated him the number six player in the state.

He continued his career at the University of Louisville, where as a freshman he made seven appearances but his season was cut short when his right elbow required Tommy

Right-hander Michael McAvene made his Four Winds Field debut with the Cubs on June 21 against the Peoria Chiefs. Credit: Kayleigh Sedlacek

John surgery. Amazingly, within a year of going under the knife McAvene was back on the mound throwing in a game again. But his injury changed the way the Cardinals went about using the hard throwing righty. Across his sophomore and junior seasons

McAvene would make 34 appearances and all of them would come out of the bullpen. His mentality had changed because now he was the man called upon to get the final outs of the game. He developed a knack for closing games and come junior year he was climbing up the draft board.

Perhaps no appearance better encap sulates his junior year than the outing he had in a NCAA Regional game against UIC. Two runners had reached base and with the game hanging in the balance in the ninth, the call came out to the bullpen to get McAvene throwing. He only had time to throw eight pitches before getting called upon.

He entered with a two run lead in the ninth but with two runners in scoring posi tion and nobody out. The Louisville third baseman looked at his pitcher after his final warmup toss and yelled “let’s go!” as he pointed to the videoboard.

The radar gun read 96.

That tied the highest velocity fastball he had ever thrown. But that was about to change. The Indiana kid was absolutely on one that day, dotting up his spots and unleashing a high-90s fastball and a slider that simply put were unfair. He struck out the first two batters and had a two-strike count

on the next hitter. Amped and filled with adrenalin from the radar gun readings, he reared back and hurled one more heater. Strike three.

His teammates celebrated and McAvene exploded with energy off the mound. His catcher pointed back to the board. “100”.

“That’s the only time I’ve ever thrown 100 in my life,” he said.

Going into the draft that year in 2019 McAvene was an expected fourth or fifth rounder and MLB teams were split with some seeing him as a starter and others as a reliever.

While in the middle of a lift he found out the Cubs took him the third round, higher than he expected. Naturally, his strength coach let him go home a couple sets early. It was a pleasant surprise and he knew that with Chicago drafting him he was to become a starting pitcher again.

That summer the Cubs couldn’t have asked for more from the man they drafted with the 103rd pick in the draft. In six starts in short-season Eugene, McAvene shined to the tune of a 1.42 ERA, an opponent’s batting average of .119, a five-to-one strikeout to walk ratio, and a strikeout rate of 14.2 per nine innings.

“Going from the back of the bullpen back to starting you know you got to tone it down a bit, change it out, think about flipping lineups and seeing guys multiple times,” McAvene stated. “You really got to think about pitching as opposed to just having your best stuff for about six outs. I just feel like everything was

clicking on all cylinders, it’s a shame that 2020 had to get taken away from us.”

McAvene enters a game vs. Peoria on June 25 as the Cubs are donning their Los Cabritos Maldichos jerseys.

Credit: Casey McDonald

McAvene returned healthy and primed for another great season in 2020. The world had other ideas. With the COVID Pandemic cancel ling the 2020 season, it was a lost year for so many up-andcoming prospects when it comes to getting game action, Michael included.

The following season he dealt with an elbow injury that sidelined him nearly the entire season. He made one start on September 16 in the Arizona Complex League and went just two-thirds of an inning.

Then his 2022 debut got delayed by a forearm strain and he was right back rehab bing again in Arizona.

“It’s been a long journey that’s for sure. 2020 you get taken away from you, then 2021 comes back around and you’re full ready and excited to get going and to have my season cut short there in spring training was really tough to swallow,” McAvene said. “Between all the rehab and spending all your time in Arizona away from the field and the guys, being able to watch everyone else playing is a struggle mentally. So you also have to learn mentally how to get back going, and I think

that was the main part. Because once it’s time to go now you’re back out here there’s no slowing down, its 0-to-100 real quick.”

McAvene echoed what I’d also heard Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kohl Franklin say about rehab in Arizona. It’s a collective family. Everyone is pulling for everyone. If someone is hitting live or throwing live, everyone is out there watching, pulling for their teammates. No one wants to be there, but they don’t have a choice and it’s a full group effort to get back on the diamond in a minor league game.

All three of those guys are now back and stronger than ever.

On that toasty clear night in Davenport, McAvene was finally back and for the first time in his career pitching for a full-season affiliate. While he didn’t possess his best command that night, the righty was stellar back at home the next week with two shutout relief appearances.

“Overwhelming, amazing, long awaited, are how I would describe it getting back for that first outing,” McAvene said. “You get out there and you have to take in the moment, you have to look at all the fans. Whether there’s zero fans in the stands that night or 10,000… you just have to be able to take it all in and take it one pitch, one breath at a time because it’s really easy to let the game speed up on you being excited and back out there.”

McAvene is a relentless competitor, he pitches with a fierce energy and vigor. The player he says he mirrors when it comes to his mentality and demeanor on the mound is Max Scherzer. He goes out and believes that his stuff on any given day is going to be better

than anyone will he face.

Now he’s getting a chance once again to unleash his lethal fastball-slider combo and fans are getting to witness a bulldog on the hill. The next step is consistency, which stems from staying healthy.

It’s about getting back to what he was in 2019 and McAvene knows that’s going to take time. He’s got to add strength back to his arm, lengthen his outings and work to get back to a point where once again he knows exactly what he can rely on every outing.

The most important lesson the 24-year-old has learned the past couple years will continue to play a major factor in his progression in the years to come.

“The biggest thing is patience,” he said. “You’re injured and then you start to feel healthy early on way before you’re ready to get going, just being able to be patient and trust the process is so monumental. Patience is the biggest thing that you learn, patience and appreciation. Just being able to appreciate each day being able to go out and stretch, throw, and if that’s all I do I’m just as happy as if I go out there and throw nine perfect. That’s the one thing about injuries, they treat you how to truly appreciate what you’re doing.”

With a newfound appreciation of the game, a killer work ethic, and a healthy right arm, there’s still no saying exactly what lies ahead for McAvene, but if he stays healthy and continues to gain confidence and consis tency, it’s awfully appealing to imagine what he could turn into. It’s just a matter of being patient.

Celebrate Summer

JUNE

June 2: Nitro Circus at Four Winds Field*

June 2: Riverdance (Morris Performing Arts Center)*

June 3: First Fridays: Kids’ Night Out

June 3: SJCPL Summer Reading Club Kicko Event

June 3: Meet Me on the Island with Motown Machine*

June 3-5: An O cer and a Gentleman National Broadway Tour (Morris Performing Arts Center)*

June 4: Sunburst Races*

June 5: U93’s Operation Duck Drop (East Race)

June 10: Pulse FM presents: For King and Country with special guest CeCe Winans*

June 10-19: August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone (South Bend Civic Theatre)*

June 11: Outdoor Film Series: The Sandlot

June 11: Bike to Work South Bend Brew Werks Bike Ride

June 14: Bike to Work Pancake Breakfast

June 16: Bert Kreischer at Four Winds Field*

June 17: Leanne Morgan “Big Panty Tour” (Morris Performing Arts Center)*

June 17: Symphony Under the Stars (Four Wind Field)*

June 18-19: Leeper Park Art Fair

June 18: Keith Sweat “Juneteenth Concert” (Morris Performing Arts Center)*

June 18: Father’s Day/Juneteenth Comedy Explosion (Century Center)*

June 18: Lauber 3rd Anniversary & Pride Night, plus Rhinegeist Summer Concert Series Kick-o

June 19: The Garden Tea Party: A Juneteenth Celebration (Howard Park)

June 22: Pride Night w/South Bend Cubs (Four Winds Field)*

June 23-26: South Bend Fringe Festival (South Bend Civic Theatre)*

June 24-26: Anastasia National Broadway Tour (Morris Performing Arts Center)*

JULY

July 1: First Fridays: Star-Spangled Downtown

July 1: Meet Me on the Island: Blue Lunch Band w/fireworks*

July 6-10: Mural Mania

July 8 & 9: Vibes Music Festival (Island Park & Howard Park)

July 9: Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm*

July 9: Outdoor Film Series: The Mitchells vs. the Machines

July 14: Big Growl at Four Winds Field*

July 15-31: Something Rotten (South Bend Civic Theatre)*

July 29: Music in the Gardens*

July 30: Urban Adventure Games*

AUGUST

August 5: First Fridays: Totally 80s

August 5: Meet Me on the Island: Darryl Buchanan*

August 12-28: Classics in the Courtyard (Pfeil Family Courtyard, SJC Public Library)

August 13: Outdoor Film Series: Encanto

August 13: U93 Party in the Park*

August 20: Art Beat

August 20: U93’s In the River

August 25: Moonlight & Merlot at the Mansion*

August 27: Studebaker Brewing Co. Summer Brewfest

SEPTEMBER

Sept 2: First Fridays: Dog Days of the Summer

Sept 22: Meet Me on the Island*

Sept 24-Oct 1: Best. Week. Ever.

Sept 25: Recover Michiana Fest

Sept 30-Oct 1: Morris 100 Fest

EVENT SERIES

Yoga for EveryBODY: May 9 – September 28 (Mon - Wed)

Barnes & Thornburg Food Truck Philanthropy: May 19, June 9, June 23, July 14, July 21, Aug 5, Aug 18, Sept 15

Tap into the Flow: a yoga + beer summer series with Bend Yoga & South Bend Brew Werks*: May 20, June 17, July 15, Aug 19, Sept 16 (third Fridays)

Downtown South Bend Architecture Walking Tours*: May 6 – Oct 7 (First Fridays)

Wednesday Wine Walks*: June 8, July 13, August 10, Sept 14 (second Wednesdays)

Red Table Plaza Concert Series: May 31 - Sept 1 (Mon -Thurs)

Purple Porch Co-op Market: June 1 – Sept 28 (Wednesdays)

Howard Park Summer Concert Series: June 2 - Sept 29 (Thursdays)

Latin Dance Fridays at Howard Park*: June 3 - Sept 30 (Fridays)

Fridays by the Fountain: June 3 - Aug 26 (Fridays)

Summer Fitness Series: June 4- Aug 27 (Saturdays, excluding Aug 20 for Art Beat)

Arts on the Race: June 11, July 9, Aug 13

East Race Rafting*: June 5 - Sept 25 (Saturdays and Sundays)

South Bend Cubs Fireworks Series*: June 8, June 10, June 24, July 4, July 8, July 22, July 29, Aug 19, Sept 3, Sept 4

Summer Restaurant Week: July 25 - August 7

*These events may require tickets or advance registration.

SOUTH BEND CUBS SEASON SEAT HOLDER OF THE MONTH Dave Goebel - Tepe Sanitary Supply

Tell us about your company. What does your company do? We are a locally owned and oper ated distributor of janitorial and packaging supplies. Located in Elkhart, we have been serving the Michiana area for 50 years.

What is your favorite thing about Four Winds Field? The friendly and fun experience of watch ing high level baseball.

Who would win in a hot dog eating competition? Stu, Swoop, or Mark McGill? Definitely Mark How does your company use their tickets? We pass them on to our customers to show our appreciation.

How long have you been a season seat holder and what brings you back to Four Wind Field each year? Since the Cubs became the farm system. Smart move to bring the Cubs to SB.

What is your favorite food item at Four Winds Field? Hot dogs

How has your company benefited from working with the South Bend Cubs? South Bend Cubs have used our products to maintain the facility and our customers love to go to the games. Who would run the bases faster Stu or Swoop? It would be a tie. Neither are very fleet of foot.

SOUTH BEND CUBS GROUP OUTING OF THE MONTH Interra Credit Union

What does your company do? Founded in 1932, Interra Credit Union is a member-owned, notfor-profit financial cooperative that serves northeast Indiana. We are invested in the people who live and work in our communities, as well as our local businesses and farming operations. As part of the credit union philosophy of “people helping people” you will find Interra is invested in giving back to various nonprofits in the community. What is your favorite thing about Four Winds Field? The ease and flow of the field! The indoor and outdoor capabilities are also a great addition. How long have you been in business in the area? 90 years What is the purpose of your group outing? It’s the perfect space to bring members and net work over a fun game of baseball! It’s also versatile in the variety of suite options to accommo date to smaller and larger group sizes, depending on the need. Who would run the bases faster Stu or Swoop? Our bet is on Swoop! Stu would be too busy at the concession stand loading up on nachos! How has your organization benefited from working with the South Bend Cubs? Building a partnership with South Bend Cubs over the years has been great to our organization in a variety of ways. It offered social distancing measures for a group outing when restrictions were lifting, it’s provided opportunities for various departments to bring groups out to network and every thing in between.

AUTOGRAPHS

Caleb Knight slides in past the Chiefs tag to score. (Photo Credit: Langston Johnson)

JOIN THE CLUB!

Become a member of the Cubs 1st Club from the South Bend Cubs and 1st Source Bank and get more of what you love.

Catch the game for less. Membership gets you 10% off game tickets, food, merchandise, special event tickets and more!

Access to exclusive members-only events and special experiences.

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