April 7 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Omaha Storm Chasers

IOWA CUBS (6-3) vs. OMAHA STORM CHASERS (4-5)

April 7 • 6:38 PM CT • Principal Park • Des Moines, IA

RHP Connor Noland (0-0, 8.31) vs. RHP Ryan Bergert (0-1, 2.45)

TODAY’S GAME: The Iowa Cubs and the Omaha Storm Chasers are set to play the first of a six-game series at Principal Park tonight...right-hander Connor Noland is slated to make his second start of the season for Iowa...right-hander Ryan Bergert is scheduled to pitch for Omaha.

TAKE FIVE: The Iowa Cubs won their fifth consecutive game on Sunday at Louisville by a 6-2 score...Kevin Alcántara and Chas McCormick each homered for Iowa...James Triantos, Jonathon Long, BJ Murray Jr. and Christian Bethancourt each had two hits for the I-Cubs with Triantos tallying two RBI...Vince Velasquez made the start and earned the win as he worked 5.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits with seven strikeouts...Tyler Santana pitched 3.0 scoreless frames in relief.

FIVE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER: After dropping the first game of the series in Louisville, the I-Cubs won the next five...marked their longest winning streak since the club won 10 straight from Aug. 29-Sept. 9, 2025.

BIG WILLIE STYLE: Friday night’s starter Will Sanders earned his first win as he pitched 6.0 innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts...he is the first I-Cubs pitcher this year to toss at least 6.0 innings and first since Walker Powell on Sept. 19, 2025 vs. Toledo...also marked the first seven strikeout game by a starter since Austin Gomber on Sept. 12, 2025 at Indianapolis.

CAN’T STOP SCORING: Christian Bethancourt scored a run Sunday to give him six straight games in which he has scored a run...the streak is tied for the longest in the International League this season and is the longest by an I-Cub since Christian Franklin scored in six consecutive games from July 11-20, 2025.

ISN’T IT GRAND?: Along with Jonathon Long’s grand slam in the second inning on Wednesday, Louisville’s Rece Hinds hit one in the first inning...it marked the first time each team had hit a grand slam in an I-Cubs game since Aug. 10, 2009 vs. Las Vegas in which Matt Craig (I-Cubs) and Angel Sanchez each did so.

HOMER HAPPY: The I-Cubs have homered in eight straight games, tied for the longest such streak in the International League this season, along with Louisville...marks the club’s longest such streak since they also homered in eight straight on July 12-24, 2025...Iowa leads all of Triple-A with 20 home runs, ahead of next closest Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (17).

TRI: Cubs No. 10 prospect James Triantos went 2-for-4 on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to eight, which is his longest such streak since Aug. 23-Sept. 3, 2025...during this span, James is batting .412 (14-for-34) with nine runs scored, two home runs, eight RBI and two walks...Triantos ranks among International League leaders in hits (1st, 14), runs scored (T-3rd, 9), total bases (T-6th, 21) and batting average (9th, .412)...he tallied his first four-hit game as an I-Cub Thursday night...it marked his first four-hit game since June 8, 2024 vs. Birmingham and the first four-hit game by an I-Cub since Forrest Wall on Aug. 31, 2025.

CHAS: Outfielder Chas McCormick homered on Sunday for the third consecutive game...he is the lone player in the International League to have a homer in three straight games and the first I-Cub to do so since Owen Caissie from June 8-12, 2025...Chas is batting .375 (6-for-16) with three runs, three home runs, seven RBI in four games this season.

THE JAGUAR: Cubs No. 4 prospect (MLB.com) Kevin Alcántara has homered in back-to-back games and his four home runs this season rank tied for second-best in the International League...marked the first time he has homered in back-to-back games since July 2-3, 2025.

CONGRATS, RILEY: Cubs left-handed Riley Martin made his Major League debut yesterday at Tampa Bay, throwing a scoreless frame...Riley made 105 appearances with Iowa over the course of four seasons...he was added to the 40-man roster this offseason after he went 6-2 with a 2.69 ERA (19 ER in 63.2 IP) and 80 strikeouts.