South Bend Cubs Digital Game Program - July 2026 by SBCubs

BIG DEAL

.

Deal yourself a winning hand by becoming a card-carrying member of the Cubs 1st Club! The Cubs 1st Club debit card gives you 10% off South Bend Cubs game tickets, concessions, gear from the Cubs Den, special event tickets and more!

In addition to those great wins, the Cubs 1st Club from 1st Source Bank and the South Bend Cubs gets you an even bigger deal: the best banking service from the area’s toprated bank. The Cubs 1st Club is a full-featured checking account that gives you the convenience of mobile banking, plus a secure contactless debit card you can use everywhere you shop. Scan the QR code to learn more.

Check it out!

TEENAGE DREAM

At 19 years old, top-100 MLB prospect

Josiah Hartshorn is making waves

By: Tyler Reidy

He ’s only 19 years old, he’s one of the hottest prospects in all of Minor League Baseball, and he plays right here in South Bend. Josiah Hartshorn has become quite the story in the Chicago Cubs organization, and he’s got quite the future in front of him. Drafted out of high school in the sixth round last year, Hartshorn arrived in South Bend on Memorial Day as the final piece to an already dominant first-half team. The switch-hitting stud had already posted big numbers in his first taste of professional baseball at Single-A Myrtle Beach, slashing .273/.424/.460 in 39 Carolina League games. However, his first three weeks in High-A catapulted him into a whole new stratosphere.

In his first 18 games as a South Bend Cub, Hartshorn totaled 8 home runs and 28 RBI, also rising from the No. 7 Cubs prospect to No. 3 and becoming one of Baseball America’s top 30 nationwide prospects. Oh, and he just returned from his invitation to the MLB All-Star Futures Game in

Philadelphia.

That may sound like a lot for a teenager to handle, but it’s just the manifestation of all Hartshorn ever wanted to do from a young age.

“When I was a little kid, I would walk around with a soda bottle, and I would hit the cap around,” Hartshorn recalled. “... My dad had a lot of friends who played baseball. He never played personally, but he knew a lot about baseball from his buddies, and so from when I was 3 years old, I started just playing baseball in the backyard.”

Hartshorn’s early childhood took him all over the country, beginning with his birthplace of New York City. Additional stops in Kansas and San Diego preceded his final destination of Orange County, where his family still

Hartshorn celebrates with his teammates after hammering a home run against Peoria on June 14.

... continued from previous page.

resides. Through all of the moves, baseball remained Hartshorn’s constant. And just like Pete CrowArmstrong, another superstar high school draft pick out of Southern California, Hartshorn made a name for himself at the high school level.

Now, here’s the kicker. Hartshorn’s hitting status was anything but stable throughout those high school years. He was a switch-hitter, like he is now, throughout his upbringing. But an injury to his throwing arm at age 13 forced him to stop batting lefthanded. Hartshorn tried to bring

it back for his freshman year of high school, but the results weren’t good, so he continued to exclusively hit from the right side. Not until his senior summer in 2024 did he become a full-time switch-hitter once again.

Only a few weeks into that summer, the Major League spotlight found Hartshorn for the first time. In front of a packed house at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, he took part in the All-Star High School Home Run Derby on the same night as the MLB Home Run Derby. Though he had been invited as a righty, Hartshorn wanted to hit left-handed in the event, but he felt anxious about participating given he had just recently returned to the left side. A conversation with his father eased his nerves.

“We were like, ‘Let’s just go have a good time, at least be in the environment, cherish the moment,’” Hartshorn said.

With roughly 40,000 people in attendance, Hartshorn still says he has never felt more nervous than he did that Monday night. But he put on a show, blasting five home runs in a minute to tie Jacob Parker for the title. Plus, he rubbed elbows with MLB icons like Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Bobby Witt Jr., proving to himself that he truly belonged.

“It was kind of the first moment where I realized, ‘Wow, I think I could do this,’” Hartshorn recalled. “I'm hitting in the same stadium as those guys, getting in the cage right after them… It was an awesome experience.”

Playing first base, Hartshorn prepares to make a toss to the bag against Quad Cities on June 24.

CARE THAT CONNECTS

JOBS REWARDS SUPPORT

... continued from previous page.

Harper and Witt were 19 and 21, respectively, when they debuted in The Show, and Hartshorn at his current pace has a great chance to reach Wrigley in that same age range. Yet it’s not as if he was a face-of-the-franchise, first-round pick like those guys were. And for as pleasantly surprising his breakout has been to Cub fans, Hartshorn himself might have been even more blindsided on draft day.

Committed to Texas A&M at the time, Hartshorn expected to play college baseball after not hearing his name called on day one of last year’s draft, which covered the first three rounds. As a result, he wasn’t exactly glued to the television for day two. Instead, as Hartshorn will tell you, he was in the middle of a bathroom break when the Cubs selected him.

“My dad came running down the hallway and said, ‘Your agent worked out a deal for you,’” Hartshorn remembers. “It was a dream come true – a little different than I expected –but God's great, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.”

Hartshorn didn’t play at an affiliate after being drafted last

year, taking time to challenge himself with machine work and, as he puts it, make practice harder than the game. The process has more than paid off with his elite performance and subsequently massive rise in 2026.

What’s equally impressive is that Hartshorn has been close to an RBI-per-game switch-hitter while often playing a premium position in the field. When not in right field or at first base, Hartshorn mans center field, his most natural position in the outfield. At the end of his first home series as a South Bend Cub, Hartshorn displayed his ability to thrive in center, recording an outfield assist in back-to-back at-bats against Fort Wayne.

“I think center field is the easiest outfield position, just because you have the best angle,” Hartshorn said. “The ball moves the least. Obviously, you have the most ground to cover, but when the ball's hit, you know it's yours until you can't get to it.”

Hartshorn’s center-field background became critical for the Cubs as they chased down their Midwest League postseason berth. When he arrived in South

ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY!

Four Winds South Bend has just what you’re looking for and more. Try your hand on 1,900 slots, 12 live poker tables, and 27 table games. You can also place your bets on your favorite sporting events at our Sportsbook. Enjoy entertainment on weekends or take in a show at Ribbon Town Conference and Event Center featuring headliner entertainment. Then, tempt your tastebuds at the best restaurants in Indiana including Copper Rock Steakhouse, Kankakee Grille, and Edgewater Café.

Looking for a relaxing retreat? Make plans at the Four Winds Hotel and recharge at Cedar Spa. We have everything you need for a perfect getaway.

Need a place to hold your event? Ribbon Town Conference and Event Center has the perfect space for any occasion, large or small. Contact our sales team at southbendsales@fourwindscasino.com for more information.

Hartshorn jogs around the bases after hitting a first-inning home run against Peoria on June 13.

Bend, everyday center fielder

Kane Kepley was in a stretch of hitting only, leaving a three-week vacancy in center. Hartshorn instantly became the South Bend center fielder on a nightly ... continued from previous page.

basis, keeping the outfield in a good spot until Kepley’s eventual return to the field.

“Positioning is the biggest thing,” Hartshorn said. “In pro ball, every field's a little different and these outfields are huge, so getting in the best position possible before the pitch is thrown is probably the most helpful thing that you can do.”

While Hartshorn has every reason to stick out his chest and revel in all that he’s accomplished before turning 20 in February, that’s not at all the way he goes about his business. He fishes or plays golf with his teammates on off days, cracks jokes with them on the bus, and focuses on winning baseball. And when asked about the South Bend offense he has already added so much strength to, he’s quick to point out that said offense doesn’t need his help.

“It's incredible to watch and be a part of. This is by far the best offense I've ever been a part of,” Hartshorn declared. “One through nine, these guys get on base, they steal, they run, they run everything out, they don't strike out, they hit the ball hard. I'm blessed to be here and contribute.”

THE BROCKETT EXPRESS

South Bend Cubs left-hander Jackson Brockett living pro baseball dream after making history with Nebraska Cornhuskers

By: Brendan King

South Bend Cubs left-hander

Jackson Brockett never has to buy a meal ever again when he is around Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball fans. When you’re the only guy to throw a nine-inning no-hitter since 1954 at your school, those free meals may come in bunches. The former Husker was not only a four-year member of the Nebraska baseball team, but also is an Omaha native. Although he played his high school baseball in Georgia, the love for his home state was never extinguished. After his return during his freshman and sophomore seasons, Brockett pitched in a combined 28 games, giving a feeling of momentum heading into his time as an upperclassman. However, at the start of his junior season, it was anything but that.

Brockett pitched in six games to start his junior year in 2024. After a struggle-filled outing at Kansas on April 9 that year, Brockett was taken off Nebraska’s travel roster

for road games.

Telling his comeback story in the third-base dugout at Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, it was easy to sense Brockett’s emotions of the difficulty of hearing that news.

“I wasn’t throwing very well,” Brockett said. “It wasn’t characteristic of me, and not playing in any Big Ten games was really hard. It was the first time in my life that I hit rock bottom in terms of baseball. But I can’t thank my pitching coach Rob Childress enough. He was a guy that fought for me, and I still talk to him weekly. He really helped me through that time. He said there are two ways you can go through a situation like that. You can either be a victim or you can be victor. Ultimately it’s up to you.”

A mid-week non-conference game on May 1, 2024

Brockett prepares to make a pitch during the Cubs' playoff-clinching win against Peoria on June 13.

against Kansas State awaited the Cornhuskers. Having not pitched since April 9, Brockett was approached by Nebraska’s coaching staff to start the game versus the Wildcats.

“After getting done with the morning lift, I found out I was only supposed to go one inning that night. Some teammates and I were sitting at breakfast, and I was just like whatever, cool. Then I was just messing around and ended up turning to my buddy and said, ‘I’m going to throw a no-hitter tonight.’”

After preparing the rest of his day and heading to the ballpark for the game, Brockett thought about what his pitching coach Childress had told him, and approached this outing with a new mantra.

“My mindset was that I had already pitched really bad that year, so what did I have to lose at that point,” Brockett questioned. “So essentially I went into the game saying, ‘Screw it.’ I know I can pitch. I can’t do any worse, so let’s go.”

Only supposed to have pitched the first inning of the game against Kansas State, Brockett’s first inning went down as a

scoreless frame. Heading back to the dugout, the complexion of his game action would begin to change.

“Our pitching coach came up to me in between innings and said, ‘Give me one more,’” Brockett said. “From there, each inning on, he kept saying that again. Then after five innings, sitting in the dugout I heard my head coach and pitching coach talking about that six innings being my limit. I ended up going out in the sixth and striking out the side. Then I came back in, and they looked at me and said, ‘Finish it.’”

The old superstition goes that you can’t say the phrase ‘no-hitter’ while you are watching one potentially being thrown. As for the speculation on whether a pitcher throwing a no-no realizes that they have one going?

“I knew I had a no-hitter,” Brockett said while laughing. “People are like, ‘Don’t think about it or talk about it,’ but I was fully aware.”

After scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, the buzz of the stadium grew with each shutout inning being tossed. It was up to Brockett to make history.

... continued from previous page.

107 pitches later. It was a no-hitter.

“Nebraska gets really good fans in any sport you go to,” Brockett said. “I remember walking to the mound in the ninth and the entire stadium standing and clapping. And by the grace of God I did it. My parents were at the game. And just having everyone there was such a great feeling. After the game, I was the last one to go up the tunnel to the locker room, and my head coach stopped me and told me I was back on the travel roster.”

Brockett’s left arm was as sore as he had ever felt the next day. Later to finish that season, Brockett earned his usual spot

Cities on June 26.

back with the Cornhuskers, pitching in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Fast-forward two years later, Brockett is now a key piece of the South Bend Cubs pitching staff. After inking an undrafted free agent deal with the Chicago Cubs organization this past offseason, Brockett dominated at Single-A with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, not allowing a single run in his time in the Carolina League.

Brockett earned the call-up to South Bend on April 28 and pitched the final four innings of the South Bend Cubs' first-half playoff clinching game on June 13. The southpaw struck out the final batter he faced in the ninth inning that night, starting the celebration at Four Winds Field.

With the lessons learned of his college baseball resurgence, Brockett takes that confidence into where he is as a pitcher today, hoping to pitch more big moments come the 2026 Midwest League Postseason with the Cubs.

“Looking back at everything, I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Brockett said. “Everything that happened helped me grow not only as a baseball player, but also as a person.”

Brockett delivers a pitch during his performance of 5.1 shutout innings against Quad

Social Media Clubhouse

Follow current and former South Bend Cubs players on Instagram as they make their way to the big leagues! Don't forget to follow @SBCubs on X and Instagram!

PITCHERS

ETHAN BELL

JERZEMBECK

KENTEN EGBERT ETHAN FLANAGAN

JOHNSON

ALFREDO ROMERO BRAYDEN SPEARS

WILLIAMS

OUTFIELDERS JACKSON BROCKETT

GRAYSON MOORE NAZIER MULE

INFIELDERS

PBS KIDS is brought to you by PBS Michiana - WNIT! Watch on channels 34.1 and on 34.3. You can also stream live on our website or through the PBS KIDS app. Learn more about us at wnit.org or by scanning the QR code on the left.

2026 SOUTH BEND CUBS COACHING STAFF

Anastasio Development Coach

Daniel Wasinger - Manager

Daniel Wasinger enters his first season as manager of the South Bend Cubs, after serving as South Bend’s bench coach in 2025. With South Bend last season, Wasinger also served as the first base coach. He began his coaching career in 2024, joining the Cubs organization as a Development Coach with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He played two seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks system in 2018 and 2019. After his time with Arizona, Wasinger continued playing professionally in Independent Baseball and the Mexican Leagues. He was selected by Arizona in the 31st round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University.

Nate Spears - Hitting Coach

Nate Spears returns for his third season with the South Bend Cubs as the hitting coach. Spears began his playing career with the Baltimore Orioles, after being selected in the fifth-round of the 2003 MLB Draft. The Fort Myers, Florida native was traded by the Orioles to the Chicago Cubs in the Corey Patterson deal in 2006. Spears played for former South Bend manager Buddy Bailey in 2008 with Double-A Tennessee, and made it to Triple-A Iowa. His career then took him to the Boston Red Sox, where he made his MLB debut. Spears played for Boston in 2011 and 2012.

JC Bonilla - Pitching Coach

Jeancarlos Bonilla joins South Bend after serving as the assistant pitching coach with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in 2025. Bonilla began working for the Cubs as the assistant pitching coach for their Dominican Summer League team in 2023. He held the same role in the 2024 season. A Bronx, NY native, Bonilla played college baseball at both Lackawanna College and Grambling State University. Bonilla graduated from Grambling State with both a Bachelor’s of General Studies with a minor in History in 2020 and a Master’s degree in Sports Administration in 2022.

Henry Haack - Pitching Coach

Henry Haack played college baseball at Denison University from 2019-2022, where he was a data analytics major. The Evanston, Illinois native put up a 3.34 ERA in 51 total collegiate appearances. Last year, Haack spent the season in the Dominican Republic with the DSL Cubs Academy.

Max

Chris Pieters

Hitting Coach

Maggie Lowenhar Athletic Trainer

Grant Vera Strength and Conditioning

MAGGIE'S SWEET SUCCESS

South Bend Cubs Athletic Trainer

Maggie Lowenhar combines sports medicine and baking passions while working in hometown

By: Brendan King

South Bend Cubs Athletic Trainer Maggie Lowenhar spends her weekly Monday off day being nearly just as busy as any other day of the week, where she spends 12 to 14 hours working at the field.

The South Bend native is in her first season as the head South Bend AT. Lowenhar’s job requires some of the longest hours required for any gig in baseball, and she is beloved by the team for her generosity and willingness to do whatever it takes to help each player succeed. Somehow, with all those grueling hours worked, she finds a way to work on another passion, baking.

When you step inside the training room adjacent to the South Bend Cubs clubhouse on Tuesdays, there is likely to be a large container sitting on Lowenhar’s desk, filled with sweet treats. Inside, you’ll find that week’s delectable treats, that Lowenhar spends hours making from scratch on that Monday. She has spent

years doing this, but this season in particular, the cookie passion is taking off from a business perspective. Her top customers? The players and staff at Four Winds Field.

“It is turning into something that people pay real money for,” Lowenhar laughed. “I spend 24 hours a day on my off days baking cookies. Mostly it’s just to make other people happy. You want to see the joy on people’s faces, and that is the goal. I’ve been baking cookies my whole life, and when I was young, I really picked it up from my Grandma.”

The cookie business is so official that it has its own Instagram. Give Maggie’s cookies a follow on Instagram at @CookiesByMagLow. There, Lowenhar will post her new creations. As for the hottest selling items lately?

Lowenhar takes the field for the first time as South Bend's Head AT during introductions on April 3.

... continued from previous page.

“Anything chocolate is popular, but recently I’ve been making these pop-tart cookies,” Lowenhar explained. “I’ve been a brown sugar cinnamon pop-tart, strawberry flavored with homemade filling, and over the All-Star Break my creation was the blueberry pop-tart. I don’t really have a menu on my Instagram, but I can bake to order.”

With the cookie passion kicking off and getting really popular this summer, it also comes with Lowenhar being comfortable in her hometown. Even though this is her first official year back, the road back to the ‘574’ started eight years ago.

In 2018, Lowenhar was brought on by South Bend Cubs Athletic Trainer James Edwards to be the team’s Athletic Training Intern. Edwards, who now runs the entirety of AT operations in the Cubs Minor League system, is still Lowenhar’s boss to this day, but with Lowenhar serving in his old position.

“I did my undergrad degree at Indiana University, then went to do my masters degree at North Carolina and was always interested in working in baseball,” Lowenhar said. “So I saw the internship

opening online and realized it was my hometown. I jumped on it and got to work that season before going to North Carolina."

As things often do in the sports world, and especially baseball, one door opening can open another one down the road. After Lowenhar wrapped up her time in Chapel Hill, the Chicago Cubs organization had an opening for a fullseason Athletic Trainer with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Lowenhar was once again hired by Edwards to serve in that position. After a couple seasons in the Carolina

Lowenhar in her championship shirt after the Cubs clinched a postseason berth on June 13.

A glimpse into some of the delicious cookies featured on Lowenhar's baking Instagram page.

League, Lowenhar worked with the Knoxville Smokies at Double-A last season, before once again finding herself back home.

“I was born at Memorial Hospital literally three minutes from the stadium,” Lowenhar said. “My family still lives here and I get to see my parents and everyone a ton which is amazing because it’s a nostalgic feeling being home.”

Like many jobs in sports, the arduous hours are mostly done behind the scenes and sometimes without a lot of glamour. But when it comes to Lowenhar’s job, she is responsible everyday for getting the South Bend Cubs players the treatment and care they need to take the field nightly. Without her work, there would be no healthy baseball players. With this big responsibility, Lowenhar appreciates getting to work with the people she does. ...

“It’s all about the people,” Lowenhar said. “I don’t think I could show up to a job seven days a week if I didn’t love the people I was working with. The staff and players make it all worth it. From the Big Leagues down, everyone is amazing, and I learn a lot from them.”

Just like the players, every staff member with the South Bend Cubs is hopeful to someday work in Major League Baseball. Lowenhar’s predecessors like Edwards, Seth Clapp, and Nick Roberts are all still with the Cubs organization, and all have advanced further levels.

For Lowenhar, she says that although she is goal-oriented, she would love to be in a position like Edwards is in, running the entirety of the Minor League training operations. And where she is right now, she is trying to enjoy the ride of working in her hometown for a great team while she can, all while pairing that with the new thriving cookie business.

“This has been the most fun,” Lowenhar said. “The best part of everyday is watching the game after working the long hours and getting to really enjoy watching all the guys thrive. But the best part of the season is watching everything paying off for the players and the rest of the staff when we are winning. That is without a doubt my favorite part of the job.”

If you plan own taking a trip to Chicago Cubs Spring Training next year in Arizona, keep an eye out at the local Mesa farmers’ market, you may just see a “Cookies by Mag Low” stand.

STRANSKY AT YOUR SERVICE

Everyday Cubs catcher Justin Stransky breaks down his duties behind the dish.

By: Tyler Reidy

At any level of baseball, the catcher’s position requires an immense amount of preparation, awareness, and toughness. Long days preparing for both the opposing pitcher’s stuff and your starting pitcher’s gameplan turn into nights of involvement on every single pitch your team delivers. Throw in the ever-changing nature of pitching staffs and in-game situations – as well as the occasional foul tip or backswing off the mask – and you’ve got a job description as loaded as any in sports.

For the postseason-bound 2026 South Bend Cubs, Justin Stransky has been up to the task. Since going deep and collecting 5 RBI in his High-A debut on April 8, the 2025 draft pick has backstopped South Bend nearly everyday, leading the Midwest League in runners caught stealing. Just as importantly, he’s played a key role in shaping an environment of winning around Four Winds Field.

“We have a great culture here in South Bend,” Stransky said. “There are a lot of fans that love to show

a lot of support, and along with that, we have a great group of guys that are really committed to one another, committed to winning, and committed to getting better.”

Stransky’s love for the game developed a long way from Northern Indiana. He’s from the Washington city of Puyallup, which sits just southeast of Tacoma and roughly 35 miles away from Seattle. Justin’s father, Dave, is a big Seattle Mariners fan and often took him to see both the M’s and their Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, as a youngster.

“Getting there right as the gates open, trying to get autographs, and just seeing and talking with the big league guys, it was always so much fun for me,” Stransky recalled. “And now, being able to be a Minor League player myself right now and give that same experience back to kids like me, it's fun.”

Justin also took after his father by making a name for himself on

Stransky (right) salutes the Four Winds Field crowd after the playoff-clinching win on June 13.

... continued from previous page.

the gridiron. Dave Stransky played at wide receiver for the University of Washington in the early ‘80s, and Justin had the potential to play at the Division I level locally. But once Justin realized the intense, two-a-day practice sessions weren’t for him, baseball became the focus.

Four years before the Cubs selected him in the 10th round, Stransky began to hone is catching craft at the junior college level. Kurt Lupinski, a first-year head coach at Lower Columbia College in Washington at the time, believed in Stransky from day one, and that belief paid off in the form of Stransky’s two First Team All-Region selections. Justin moved on to Fresno State for 2024 and 2025, becoming an everyday Division I catcher and a First Team All-Mountain West player in his final collegiate season.

Now handling the grind of the Minor League season, Stransky prioritizes one thing above all of his skills behind the plate.

“The most important thing is staying healthy… If your body's like, ‘You know, I'm lagging a little bit today,’ maybe step off the intensity for pregame and then pick it back up once the game starts,” Stransky described. “It’s a lot of work to stay

healthy, and it's a long season, so you’ve gotta be in for the long haul.”

With the long haul comes transformation – more specifically, roster transformation. When dealing with professional hitters, the comfort a pitcher has in his catcher means everything. But that comfort isn’t easily achieved when transactions roll as frequently as they do in the MiLB world.

For that reason and others, Stransky and the Cubs have gone the extra mile to build relationships outside the foul lines. Once the summer months arrived in South Bend, player fishing days on the St. Joseph River became common. And while bringing in a 2-pound largemouth bass earlier this year was nice, Stransky knows that simply sharing time away from the ballpark is paramount.

“You get to really learn your teammates off the field, and it’s a direct correlation to when they step on the mound, and they see you're behind the plate, that brings a smile to their face,” Stransky said. “It's like, ‘Yeah, I know today's gonna be a good day because I got my guy behind the plate.’”

“You can always look at the demeanor,” he added. “… When you see that out of a pitcher — some-

times they'll crack a smile, sometimes they'll laugh — it means they’re having fun up there. And that's always a good sign.”

From Brooks Caple’s award-winning April to Jackson Brockett’s jaw-dropping June, Stransky has seen plenty of elite demeanor, command, and stuff in 2026. However, nothing compares to what he worked with on June 20 in Fort Wayne. The night before that game, South Bend manager Daniel Wasinger pulled Stransky into the office.

“How’s your body feeling? You feel good enough to catch tomorrow?” Stransky recalled Wasinger asking. Even though he had just caught an 11-inning game, Stransky answered with confidence that he’d be ready to go.

The skipper’s response?

“That’s great to hear. You’ve got Matthew Boyd tomorrow.”

Now, Stransky has worked with Major League arms before, dating back to Spring Training in Mesa. But here was an opportunity not only to do it in a competitive game, but with a 12-year MLB veteran and a 2025 All-Star in Boyd. Stransky was over the moon, and understandably soon.

The next day, Stransky and Boyd prepared for the latter’s rehab start, dissecting the TinCap lineup and forming a plan of attack for each hitter. Boyd stuck to that plan, and the results speak for themselves. Four innings, two hits, no runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts.

“It was seriously incredible,” Stransky said. “His demeanor on the mound was something that I've never seen before… You can tell by the way that he stands up on the

mound, the way he catches the ball when I throw it back to him… it's a level of confidence and a level of intelligence that’s just off the charts.”

For Stransky, it meant even more to catch Boyd because of the batterymates’ shared roots. The longtime Major League left-hander also hails from The Evergreen State, whose history of producing legendary Chicago Cubs is well-documented. Stransky made sure to soak in every moment of his night on Boyd’s receiving end.

“It was fun to just get to catch someone that I've heard about and I've looked up to,” Stransky recalled. “And, gosh, he's an incredible human being, an incredible person, and obviously an incredible pitcher, so everything about it was just super fun.”

With lessons from that night and the entire first half in mind, Stransky and the Cubs aim to keep their intensity up as the final two months of the season arrive. The team occupies the coveted but strange position of a first-half division champion. The Cubs have clinched a postseason berth, but they can’t improve their standing until the postseason begins in September. It might feel natural to play complacent baseball because of that.

The Cubs have had their conversations about that, though, and they view the second half the same way they did the first.

“Nothing changes for us. We still want to continue winning, and we want to win all the way up into the playoffs,” Stransky described. “I know it's not possible for us to take two playoff spots, but that's kind of our goal. We just want to keep winning.”