Tanner Tully – Rising Up the Ranks

Tanner Tully is a 6’0”, 200 lb. left-handed starter out of Elkhart, Indiana, selected by Cleveland Indians in the 26th round. He was the last of six Ohio State Buckeyes taken in 2016.

Growing up in Indiana, he developed an appreciation for hunting, fishing, and sports. These made up a rotation across the seasons that kept him engaged. Read More

Hartson Takes Home Carolina League Pitcher of the Week Honor

The starting rotation for the Hillcats took home yet another victory on Monday afternoon, this one off of the field, when right-hander Brock Hartson was awarded the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week honor for a solid start for Lynchburg on Thursday, August 10.

Making his second start after missing a week on the 7-day disabled list, Hartson took home his second win of the month of August with six shutout innings at Zebulon against the Carolina Mudcats as the Hillcats would go on to win 5-0 in the contest. Pitching one day after his 24th birthday, he allowed just three hits in his quality start, walking three and striking out five to earn his sixth win of the season for Lynchburg. Read More

Kieran Lovegrove – Building Success in the Bullpen

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kieran Lovegrove moved to California when he was five years old. Growing up throwing a ball around, and hitting golf balls, he readily became enamored of baseball.

“When I came to the states, I picked up baseball very quickly,” said Lovegrove. “It became this infatuation I had with the sport. One of my earliest memories is going to a Dodger game and getting to meet Paul Lo Duca. Then I got to see Eric Gagne’s 55th consecutive save. I started following the game and never looked back from there.” Read More

Lynchburg’s Gavin Collins – Making the Most of His Opportunities

A 13th round pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2016, Gavin Collins is holding down the hot corner for the High-A Lynchburg Hillcats. Promoted to the Hillcats from Low-A Lake County on July 5, Collins has fit right into the … Read More

Chiang’s No-Hitter Nets Him Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week Nod

It has been a long time since the Cleveland Indians have thrown a no-hitter, but the same cannot be said for their High-A Lynchburg Hillcats affiliate. Over the weekend. right-hander Shao-Ching Chiang fired a complete game nine-inning no-hitter in a 3-0 victory by the Hillcats over the Winston-Salem Dash.

The no-hit effort also earned him the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week honor on Monday. Read More

Aaron Civale – Engineering Success on the Mound for Lynchburg

High-A Lynchburg Hillcats starting pitcher Aaron Civale got started in baseball by following his older brother.

“I wanted to do everything he did, compete at what he did,” he said. “He played baseball, basketball, and soccer. I did the same.” Read More

Getting to Know Lynchburg’s Jodd Carter

At the age of 17, Jodd Carter joined the rookie level Arizona Indians for his first taste of professional baseball. Selected in the 24th round of the 2014 first year player draft, Carter was following in the footsteps of other recent Hawaiians who have entered professional baseball. This includes friends he grew up playing ball with in the Hilo area, most notably Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals, Kean Wong (Kolten’s younger brother), and Kodi Medeiros (who is currently pitching for the Carolina Mudcats, also in the High-A Carolina League).

Now 20 years old, Carter reflected back on his start in professional baseball.

“It was a big step for me,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting all the international players when I first got there [to Arizona], but they all welcomed me.” Read More

Hillcats’ Carter Claims Carolina League’s Player of the Week

It has been a season of streaks at the plate for Lynchburg outfielder Jodd Carter. His most recent one, now a season-high nine games and counting, helped earned him the recognition of the Carolina League on Monday when he was named the league’s Player of the Week.

Carter becomes the second position player to earn a Player of the Week nod this season for the Hillcats, joining teammate and All-Star Sam Haggerty. Lynchburg pitchers Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber have also brought home the hardware on the pitching side of the award this season. Read More

Argenis Angulo – Building Consistency

The top reliever on this season’s High-A Lynchburg Hillcats has been Argenis Angulo. The 6’3” closer hails from Araure, Venezuela. He made his way to the Cleveland system through Ranger College, a junior college in Texas. A 19th round selection in the 2014 First Year Player Draft, this season marks the first one begun in full season ball. Of his previous three seasons, he spent two in the Arizona League, and his third started in short-season ball at rookie level Mahoning Valley.

For as long as he can remember, Angulo has been playing baseball.

“My dad always liked baseball. He introduced me to it when I was two years old. He started tossing balls to me. I started playing Little League when I was about four years old.” Read More

Lynchburg’s McKenzie Named Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week Again

Triston McKenzie is still technically a teenager, but his list of professional accomplishments is growing at a rapid pace.

After pitching briefly in the ninth inning of the SIriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Miami, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, McKenzie was named the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

It marks the second time this season that McKenzie has received the honor, following his award on May 14. Read More

Future is Now as McKenzie, Mejia Appear in All-Star Futures Game

The future was now on Sunday, even if most people missed it.

Major League Baseball has done an effective job of hiding the All-Star Futures Game, a collection of some of the best and brightest upcoming stars on the minor league stage. With a great opportunity to get the names of these young budding prospects out on a national level, the game was stashed away in the middle of the day Sunday while the big boys in the Majors wrapped up the first half of the 2017 playing schedule. Read More

Willi Castro – Following in His Father’s Footsteps

Willi Castro is no longer the youngest player on his team for the first time in his career. That honor goes to Triston McKenzie. Castro, now 20 years old, earned a preseason prospect ranking of 15 in the Cleveland Indians farm system, according to Baseball America. He started the season slow, hitting just .250 in April. Since then, he has turned up his performance and been a key hitter in the Hillcats lineup.

From the Dominican Republic, he has lived in Florida and Puerto Rico. The Indians signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2013 when he was only 16 years old. After two seasons playing in the Arizona League, first as a second baseman and then as a shortstop, he finally moved up to affiliated ball in 2015. Read More