Chiefs Return to Dozer Park for First Home Series of 2021

PEORIA, Ill. -- After losing five out of six to Cedar Rapids, the Peoria Chiefs head home to Dozer Park for the first time in a year and a half to kick-off a 12 game home stand. First up is a series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Per MLB Pipeline, Wisconsin features six of the top 30 prospects in the Brewers farm system.

Last 10 games:

Peoria has lost 7 out of their last 10 games against Wisconsin dating back to the 2019 season. Conversely, Peoria has failed to win a series against Wisconsin since May 30-June 2 of 2019.

Who to watch for: Wisconsin

Garrett Mitchell:

The 2020 first-round selection of the Brewers, Mitchell is the marquee name for the Timber Rattlers to begin the season. He is the best prospect in the team’s system, per MLB Pipeline. His status for this series is unclear as he left last Wednesday’s game against Beloit with a leg injury and sat out the last few games of the series. Mitchell impressed prior to his removal, going 2-for-2 with a walk, two stolen bases, and two runs.

Carlos Rodriguez:

Rodriguez is the 14th best prospect in the Brewers system according to MLB Pipeline. He has started out hot to begin the season, slashing .400/.440/.350 with four runs batted in.

Hayden Cantrelle: A fifth round selection of the Brewers in 2020, Cantrelle has started the season strong, slashing .273/.385/.545 with three doubles, two runs batted in, and a .930 OPS. According to MLB Pipeline, he is the organization’s 16th best prospect.

Team Notes: Wisconsin

The Timber Rattlers are tied for fourth in the High-A Central division in home runs with five. They are aggressive on the basepaths with a total of 14 successful steals in 16 attempts, tied for third in the division. Wisconsin also strikes out in 27.9 percent of all plate appearances.

Chiefs Previous Series:

Peoria got off to a rocky start against Cedar Rapids, losing five of six games to start the season. Their lone win came in an 11-2 victory last Thursday. Alec Burleson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. On the mound, Mac Lardner went four innings, giving up one hit and no runs. The Chiefs lost two out of six games by one run in the series.

*Players to Watch: Peoria: *

Alec Burleson, OF

Burleson has gotten off to a hot start to the season. The Cardinals’ 2020 second round selection is hitting .350/.480/.650 with an OPS of 1.130 along with two home runs and five runs batted in. He also leads the team with five walks. If Burleson continues his fast start to the season, Peoria has a player to watch moving forward.

Brendan Donovan, 2B:

Donovan was promoted to the Cardinals’ Top 30 prospects list this week after the graduation of Seth Elledge. In his second stint in Peoria, he has posted a .211/.286/.211 slash line with a run batted in and a stolen base. Additionally, Donovan has put up a 1.000 fielding percentage with six putouts and 10 assists at second base.

Jhon Torres, OF:

Torres, the seventh best prospect in the Cardinals’ organization, has started off slow to begin the season. So far, Torres is slashing .173/.273/.167 with no home runs in five games. A big question heading into this series will be if Torres can snap out of some early season woes.

Chandler Redmond, OF:

Along with Burleson, Redmond has been a top performer on the Chiefs roster so far. Through four games, he has posted a .333 batting average, 1.044 OPS, one home run and four runs batted in. Look for Redmond to try and continue his hot start to the season.

Team Stats:

The Chiefs offense has accumulated 47 hits in the first six games, good enough for third in High-A Central. Peoria also ranks third in the league with a .244 batting average. The Chiefs defense has stood out this season as they lead the league in fielding percentage at .989. They also have committed two errors, the fewest in the league after West Michigan.

Single Game Ticket Information

May and June single game tickets are now on sale! Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and on Friday’s from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The box office will be closed for lunch daily between 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tickets for July, August and September will be available at a later time.

The Peoria Chiefs are locally owned and operated and play their games at Dozer Park. The Chiefs are a committed community asset and premier entertainment venue for families and individuals in Central Illinois.