Ruoff Home Mortgage Homestand Preview May 25-30

Fort Wayne TinCaps (7-10)

Miles from South Bend: 90

Affiliation: Padres

Stadium: Parkview Field

South Bend vs Fort Wayne…

Since becoming a Cubs affiliate: 39-44

Since 2005: 133-125

The South Bend Cubs welcomes the Fort Wayne TinCaps for a six-game series this week, starting on Tuesday, May 25 and concluding this Sunday on May 26. Sunday is a special start time with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The San Diego Padres High-A Affiliate currently sits in last place in the High-A Central East Division with a record of 7-10 and are coming off a 3-3 series split at home vs Lansing. Fort Wayne has the lowest batting average in the league (.217) and the fewest hits in the league (118). Fort Wayne has three top 30 Padres prospects and plenty of other young talent looking to climb their way through the San Diego farm system.

Players to watch on the TinCaps…

Anderson Espinoza, RHP: Espinoza ranks as the Padres number 11 overall prospect and was an international signing by the Red Sox for $1.8 million in 2014. He was acquired by the Padres at the 2016 All-Star break in a trade that sent Drew Pomeranz to Boston. The right-hander missed 2017 after needing Tommy John surgery, and in 2019 he had Tommy John for the second time. The once highly praised prospect has a mid-to-high 90s fastball and a big curveball but until this season started he hadn’t thrown a competitive pitch since 2016. Espinoza has struggled in a small sample size so far this year in two starts but no one has ever questioned the quality of his arsenal, just his durability.

Tirso Ornelas, OF: Signed by the Padres as an international free agent in 2016, the 21-year-old struggled at this level in 2019 and is off to a slow start in 2021 slashing just .222/.288/.352 in 14 games. Ornelas has been playing both corner outfield spots and seeing time as the designated hitter in the clean-up spot in the TinCaps lineup. He is currently tied for the league lead with seven doubles. Above-average power, a keen eye at the plate and a solid arm in the outfield are what combined to maintain his status as a high-ceiling prospect.

Ethan Elliott, LHP: Elliott is a prime example at the moment of why win-loss records as a pitcher just aren’t valued the same way they used to be. There have been few better so far on the mound in the High-A Central this year than the southpaw from Knoxville, Tenn. He currently ranks first in strikeouts (32), second in BAA (.134), third in WHIP (0.66) and fifth in ERA (1.83). Despite the tremendous early success, he has no wins and one loss so far in the 2021 season.

Players to watch on South Bend…

Brennen Davis, OF: After spending the first few weeks of the season in Arizona, Davis has been assigned to South Bend to start off a highly anticipated season. The Cubs number two prospect, and top 50 prospect in all of baseball, is loaded with raw athleticism and power. The Cubs second round pick from 2018 is a right-handed bat with power to all fields, who spent the 2020 season at the Chicago Cubs alternate site here in South Bend and is poised for another big season in the Cubs farm system.

Max Bain, RHP: Bain is one of the best stories in all of the minor leagues. A former DII pitcher who went undrafted two years ago has shed 60 pounds and gained upwards of 10 miles per hour on his fastball. A video he posted of himself throwing to live hitters in January of 2020 drew responses from 18 major league clubs. He received three contract offers and signed with the Cubs, now he's just starting his first season of professional baseball. The right-hander has put in tons of work reshaping his body and approach and is coming off his best outing of the season in which he picked up his first win in five shutout innings vs. Dayton. He will bookend the series as the South Bend starter on Tuesday and Sunday.

Brandon Hughes, LHP: Let’s show some love to this bullpen. The South Bend bullpen saw their scoreless streak end at 12.2 innings on Sunday, and Hughes has been a large part of their success. Hughes is another great story, drafted as an outfielder he’s made the transition to a pitcher over the last few years. In 2019 he split time between Arizona, Eugene and South Bend and in 21 bullpen appearances had an ERA of 3.31. This year he’s off to a stellar start with a 2-1 record and an ERA of just 1.86 across his first six appearances. The hard-throwing lefty has proven reliable in the mid-to-late innings.

Schedule and probables...

Tuesday, May 25 - 7:05 ET: Max Bain (1-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. Gabe Mosser (1-0, 2.92 ERA)

Wednesday, May 26 - 7:05 ET: Derek Casey (1-2, 5.68 ERA) vs. Moises Lugo (0-1, 4.15 ERA)

Thursday, May 27- 7:05 ET: Ryan Jensen (1-1, 3.75 ERA) vs. Anderson Espinoza (0-1, 16.88 ERA)

Friday, May 28 - 7:05 ET: Peyton Remy (1-1, 3.48 ERA) vs. Ethan Elliott (0-1, 1.83 ERA)

Saturday, May 29 - 7:05 ET: Chris Kachmar (0-1, 5.00 ERA) vs. Matt Waldron (1-1, 3.20 ERA)

*Sunday, May 30 - 7:05 ET: *Max Bain (1-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. Gabe Mosser (1-0, 2.92 ERA)

The Voice of the South Bend Cubs, Darin Pritchett, joined by Max Thoma will have the call of every game on Sports Radio 96.1 FM WSBT, online at wsbtradio.com, or atMiLB.com.