Blue Rocks Prepare To Host Hot Rods For Six Game Series

Currently ranked eighth in the South Atlantic League, The Wilmington Blue Rocks (10-11) are set to take on the second-ranked Bowling Green Hot Rods (14-7) in their fifth series of the season.

This will be the Blue Rocks’ opportunity to bounce back from their 4-2 series loss against the fifth-ranked Hudson Valley Renegades (12-9) and prove that they can handle higher-ranking opponents overall.

Bowling Green recently finished their series against the Brooklyn Cyclones (11-10) winning four games over the week. The Blue Rocks performed against the Cyclones similarly in their first series of the season, going 2-1 for opening weekend.

However, there are some differences between the two teams in their batting average and on-base percentage (OBP). Bowling Green ranks seventh in batting average with .250, compared to Wilmington’s .243. This is similar to the two teams’ OBP with Bowling Green at .337 and Wilmington at .327.

The two teams do rank closely for strike-outs, with Bowling Green having just one more than Wilmington at 210. There are still stark differences when it comes to runs, RBI, and stolen bases. Bowling Green has recorded 117 runs, 99 RBI and 34 stolen bases. The Blue Rocks fall behind with 96 runs, 89 RBI and 25 stolen bases.

Overall, the Wilmington Blue Rocks will need to put up an aggressive front against Bowling Green if they plan to hold their own throughout this upcoming series. This means more heavy-hitting from players like Omar Meregildo, Darren Baker and Drew Mendoza. As well as strong pitching from players who can keep their ERA down, such as Mitchell Parker and Michael Cuevas.

The first game between the two teams will commence this Tuesday, May 3, at Daniel S Frawley Stadium with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m.