Smokies at Barons, Game 4 Preview

June 28, 2024 – Southern League (SL)
Birmingham Barons News Release

TENNESSEE SMOKIES 1-2 (41-30) AT BIRMINGHAM BARONS 2-1 (43-29)

RHP Matthew Thompson (1-3, 4.56) | RHP Mason Adams (5-3, 2.15)

Game #73 | Friday – June 28, 2024 | 7:00 pm | Regions Field | Birmingham, ALMILB.tv | Bally Live | WJQX 100.5 – JOX 2

Upcoming Starters in Series

DATE TIME OPPONENT BARONS STARTERS OPPONENT STARTER

Sat, June 29 6:30 pm vs Tennessee LHP Noah Schultz (0-1, 1.83) RHP Connor Noland (4-3, 2.98)

Sun, June 30 4:00 pm vs Tennessee LHP Ky Bush (5-2, 2.14) RHP Chris Kachmar (2-1, 3.99)

Mon, July 1 7:00 pm vs Rocket City RHP Jairo Iriarte (3-5, 4.32) TBA

Tue, July 2 7:00 pm vs Rocket City LHP Tyler Schweitzer (2-0, 3.00) TBA

Wed, July 3 6:00 pm vs Rocket City LHP Jake Eder (2-4, 4.75) TBA

LAST TIME OUT: The Birmingham Barons lost to the Tennessee Smokies 4-1 on Thursday night at Regions Field. The Barons could only get two hits in the game, Wilfred Veras double and Brooks Baldwin single were the only two hits for the Barons. Starting pitcher Jake Eder was cruising the first two innings of the game but then gave up a 3-run home run that broke the game open for the Smokies.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH: First baseman Tim Elko batted .337/.382/.535 and led the league in average (.337), hits (34) and total bases (54), while finishing second in RBI (19), slugging percentage (.535) and OPS (.917). He was tied for third in triples (one) and was fourth in home runs (four) and fifth in runs (16). He recorded 11 multi-hit games and hit safely in 22 of 25 games. He began the month with a six-game hitting streak before going on a 14-game streak from May 11-28. Elko, 25, was selected by Chicago (AL) in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Mississippi.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK: LHP Ky Bush (5-2, 1.78) pitched 7.0 innings giving up only two hits, no earned runs, and no walks with three strikeouts in the Week of June 10-16. For June, Bush is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA with 13 strikeouts in three starts.

BARONS STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Mason Adams (5-3, 2.15) was drafted in the 13th round of the 2022 draft. After leading the Atlantic Sun Conference with 108 strikeouts in 90 innings in 2022, the White Sox signed him for $75,000.

LEAGUE LEADERS: Brooks Baldwin leads the Southern League with a .343 average and is second in OBP with a .409 mark. Also, he is first in hits with 91. Edgar Quero is tied for second with 12 home runs and first in RBIs with 50. Tim Elko…