Hillcats extend Player Development Contract with Indians

Lynchburg, Va. - The Lynchburg Hillcats are thrilled to announce a two-year extension of the club's Player Development Contract (PDC) with the Cleveland Indians. The agreement will keep the Hillcats an Indians affiliate in the Carolina League through the 2020 season.

"Since our partnership with Cleveland began, we have had nothing but positive interaction with our parent club," said Hillcats President, Chris Jones. "We are proud to continue this relationship, and play a role in helping these young players reach the Major Leagues with the Indians. We always anticipated a PDC extension, and the news already heightens our excitement for the 2019 season."
The Hillcats are currently in their final season of a four-year PDC with the Indians that was signed prior to the 2015 season. Since that time, seven players have come through Lynchburg to reach the big leagues with Cleveland, including Eric Haase (2018), Shane Bieber (2018), Perci Garner (2016), Adam Plutko (2016), Bradley Zimmer (2017), Greg Allen (2017), andFrancisco Mejia (2017).
"We are pleased to announce our continued partnership with the Lynchburg Hillcats," said Cleveland Indians Director of Player Development, James Harris. "The Lynchburg community is a great fit for developing our players both on and off the field. Our players and staff have enjoyed working in Lynchburg, and we want to thank the ownership, Elmore Sports Group, for their contributions in making the Hillcats a first-class operation." 
Lynchburg has qualified for the playoffs in each year of their first four years of the Indians affiliation, as well as seven straight seasons. The Hillcats won the Mills Cup Carolina League Championship in 2017 as a Cleveland affiliate, and have won eight overall for the second-most in Carolina League history. 
Lynchburg's 140-game 2019 schedule begins on Thursday, April 5, and 2019 season tickets are on sale now.
For tickets and more information, visit lynchburg-hillcats.com, the City Stadium box office, or call 434-528-1144.
The Lynchburg Hillcats are the Advanced-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Hillcats are eight-time Carolina League Champions, having most recently won the Mills Cup Championship in 2017. The Hillcats play their home games at City Stadium, which has been home to Minor League Baseball in Lynchburg since 1963. For more information about the Lynchburg Hillcats, please contact Max Gun at [email protected].