Wada Named Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Month

Des Moines, IA - The Chicago Cubs named LHP Tsuyoshi Wada their Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April on Wednesday. He's the first Iowa pitcher to win the award since LHP Chris Rusin last June.

Wada, 33, went 3-1 in five starts, leading the Pacific Coast League with a 0.57 ERA (2ER/31.1IP), a 0.65 WHIP and a .150 opponents' batting average. The southpaw also ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (10.63) and fewest walks per nine innings (1.15).

Wada earned the league's Pitcher of the Week honors for the period April 3-13 to open the season. He surrendered just one earned run in 13.1 innings against Nashville and Memphis.

The left-hander is in his first year in the Cubs organization after signing in January. Wada pitched nine seasons for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Japan Pacific League from 2003-11, going 107-61 with a 3.13 ERA in 210 games, making four All-Star teams and winning the NPB Most Valuable Player award in 2010 after posting a career-high 17 victories. He signed with Baltimore as a free agent prior to the 2012 season, but underwent Tommy John surgery that May.

The Cubs named Kane County C Will Remillard their Player of the Month. Remillard, 21, hit .373 (19-for-51) with six doubles, one home run and 15 RBI in April, his first month in professional baseball since he was selected by the Cubs in the 19th round of the 2013 draft.

The I-Cubs beat the New Orleans Zephyrs 3-0 Wednesday afternoon as Rusin tossed the first nine-inning no-hitter for Iowa since Reggie Patterson vs. Omaha on August 21, 1984.