October 1, 2024 – Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release
The fourth season of baseball in Rocket City was one to remember, so let’s break it down by the numbers.
1 FUTURES GAME SELECTION
On July 13th, Caden Dana represented the Trash Pandas at the 2024 All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, TX. Following a stellar season in Rocket City, he went on to make his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Angels on September 1st.
2 100-HIT SEASONS
For the fourth consecutive season, the Trash Pandas lineup boasted a pair of players with 100 hits or more. Tucker Flint led the way with 104 knocks, and 19-year-old Nelson Rada reached 100 on the dot.
3 CAREER COMPLETE GAMES FOR JACK KOCHANOWICZ
The big right-hander tossed a pair of complete games in a span of just 10 days this summer. On June 26th in Chattanooga, Kochanowicz went the distance against the Lookouts and follow it up against the Barons two starts later at Toyota Field. After making his MLB debut on July 11th, Jack went on to register nine quality starts with the Halos.
4 WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Four different players racked up Southern League honors during the 2024 campaign: Gustavo Campero on July 15th, Christian Moore on August 11th, Tucker Flint on August 19th, and George Klassen on September 16th. In addition, Campero, Caden Dana, and Eric Wagaman were also named Southern League All-Stars.
5 CHRISTIAN MOORE HOME RUNS
Drafted eighth overall out of the University of Tennessee, Moore lit the baseball world on fire with the start to his professional career. After racking up 6 hits and 6 RBI over his first two games with Single-A Inland Empire, “CMO” was assigned to the Trash Pandas on August 3rd. He then proceeded to blast five longballs in a span of six games, including a pair of multi-homer performances.
6 WALK-OFF WINS
The Trash Pandas certainly had a flair for the dramatic in 2024. Rocket City played a whopping 92 games this season decided by three runs or less, which mean they nearly always had a shot to win. Those shots amplified playing at home in front of raucous, raccoon-clad fans, which led to five home walk-offs…and weirdly one on the road.
Gustavo Campero slid home on a wild pitch on May 23rd, Denzer Guzman obliterated a grand slam two nights later on May 25th, Nelson Rada slapped a successful single on July 15th, Christian Moore ripped an opposite-field home run on August 8th, Campero delivered a strange 7th inning victory in a makeup game at Chattanooga on August 15th, and Tyler Payne…
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