Jim Goulart

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Nic Ungs and LHP Lindsay Gulin in a double-dip at home vs. Iowa (Cubs), 5:40 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime -- each game will be seven innings Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: TBD at West Tenn (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link via WUMP (game will also archive at this link): http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559 Brevard County: RHP Alex Periard at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 5:05 PM gametime Audio link via Palm Beach broadcast (game will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?cid=503&sid=t503 West Virginia: RHP Nick Tyson and TBD in a doubleheader at home vs. Greenville (Red Sox), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime -- each game will be seven innings Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

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Final: Brevard County 7, Palm Beach (Cardinals) 6 Brevard County Box Score Three players in the lower half of the order (Charlie Fermaint, Matt Cline, and Andy Bouchie) with two hits apiece -- Charlie homered and doubled, Matt doubled; are the FSL official scorers especially tough on catchers? Sixth passed ball for Bouchie; Mike Jones struggled in his two innings, but John Axford was effective if not efficient following up; closer Omar Aguilar allowed one inherited runner to score in the 8th, but was otherwise fine for the save... Brevard County Game Log Axford stranded the bases loaded in the 5th, and Casey Baron earns unsung hero status for coming in and snuffing a one-out rally with men on 2nd and 3rd in the 7th; everything about that log and box score indicates that it was a very entertaining game...

From the Power: Friday night's game at Appalachian Power Park between the West Virginia Power and Greenville Drive has been postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a double header on Saturday night. The first pitch for game one will be delivered at 6:05 PM. In game one, right hander Nick Tyson (0-1, 3.86) will get the start for the Power and the Drive will counter with left hander Felix Doubront (1-0, 0.00).

Link while active, text follows: Sounds cover all the bases to ready ballpark for opener Aged stadium needed major upgrade to be playable By RACHEL STULTS Tennessean Staff Writer The paint was still drying in the stands. And the sound of hammers and saws echoed through the ballpark Thursday as workers scrambled to get ready for the Sounds' home opener against the Iowa Cubs. Groundskeepers put the finishing touches on the pitcher's mound in preparation for tonight's game. And in the stands, a painter methodically stenciled row numbers on the concrete. It's show time for the aging Greer Stadium. The Nashville Sounds have spent more than $1 million during the off-season upgrading the stadium. Those fixes - a new clubhouse for players, better lights in the field, improvements to restrooms, walkways and seats - will keep it going for another three to five years. By then, the Sounds will need to make major renovations, build a new ballpark or consider moving out of Nashville. "If we had not spent the money we did over the last year it's safe to say baseball would not be played," said Sounds General Manager Glenn Yaeger. "We continue to express our need for a new ballpark, and how important that is for the future of baseball here in Nashville. We're hopeful we can identify a solution." The 31-year-old stadium was not meant to last beyond 30 years, Yaeger said. It seats 10,000 fans, typically draws 400,000 fans per season and is one of the oldest Triple A stadiums in the nation. "It was built as a Double A facility in 1977, and facility standards back then were much different," he said. "It was built on the cheap, and never would have been a facility that would have been approved today." This year marks the beginning of the Sounds' 11th season as a member of the Pacific Coast League and its fourth year as a Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Nashville bucks trend Branch B. Rickey, league president, said Nashville's continued use of Greer Stadium bucks the national trend of building new minor-league stadiums. "There really has been a renaissance in minor-league facilities over the past 15 years," Rickey said. "Many municipalities have recognized (building new stadiums) is an opportunity to help local fans have access to outdoor recreation, access to live professional sports during the spring and summer." Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling said that while city leaders are glad to see the upgrades, a deal to build a new one must be struck under the right conditions, in which the burden is not on taxpayers. "You can't neglect what you have," Riebeling said. "These were necessary improvements, and realistically speaking, we're more than a couple of years away from a (new) stadium under the best of scenarios, even if you started today." The Sounds have campaigned for more than five years to build a baseball stadium south of Broadway, on the west bank of the Cumberland River. A deal for the riverfront ballpark fell through last year, leaving fans wondering about the future of baseball in Nashville. But there are no immediate plans for relocating the stadium, and league officials say they must focus on working with what they have. Rickey said investing the money for improvements wasn't the best option, but one that was needed. "In order to be fair with home team players, visiting team players and with the umpires, something had to be done," he said. Clubhouse was too small Most of the upgrade dollars have gone toward building a new $750,000 clubhouse after Sounds management learned their facility was "unacceptable" by league standards. The old clubhouse, located under the stands, was too small for the players and in constant need of maintenance, especially when it rained and the roof leaked. The stadium's new 48,000-square-foot clubhouse is located behind the outfield and will be used by the home team, visitors and umpires. That clubhouse is still under construction and is expected to be ready by the April 28 home game. In the meantime, the Sounds will use the player facilities at LP Field while visiting teams will continue to use the clubhouse at Greer Stadium. Meanwhile, there are some improvements for the fans as well. Aged walkways and broken seats have been replaced. Lights in the infield and outfield have been upgraded. The scoreboard is fully functioning, and the restrooms have been improved with new fixtures and partitions. But there's still a lot more to be done. "It's a constant uphill battle," said Joe Hart, assistant general manager of operations. "We've been going at it hard since the first of January, but every time you walk through you see something else that needs to get fixed. We've got a things-to-do list about five pages long. But we're trying to be proactive."

Written pre-rainout: Link while active, text follows: Sounds anxious to get home after bad start By MAURICE PATTON The Tennesseean NASHVILLE - For all the talk that Greer Stadium is past its prime, the 31-year-old facility will likely be a welcome sight for the Nashville Sounds as they open the home portion of their Pacific Coast League schedule tonight against visiting Iowa. The Sounds, who have won the last three PCL American Conference Northern Division titles, lost six of their first seven outings in an eight-game road swing through New Orleans and Oklahoma to open the season. But while Manager Frank Kremblas admitted the team hasn't quite clicked on all cylinders in the first week, slumps are part of the game. "You're going to run into these kind of stretches during the year, no matter what," said Kremblas, now in his fourth season at the Nashville helm. "Everybody's going to go through what we're going through right now." Recent history has shown the Sounds to be slow starters. Both last year and in 2006, the team won just one of its first five games and was 3-4 through its first two series of the season - but won six of its next eight games. And while it's easier to recover from an early skid than a late one, Nashville has been able to overcome both under Kremblas. In 2005, the team lost 16-of-19 during an August stretch en route to the PCL championship, and put together a 3-8 slump the following August. Kremblas thinks he knows the reason behind his team's less-than-stellar break from the gate. "We're not pitching well and we're not playing defense well," he said. "We need to pitch better and play defense better." Through seven games, Nashville ranked in the middle of the 16-team PCL in earned run average (4.31, ninth) and runs allowed (29, eighth). The Sounds have also committed six errors - nearly one a game. Pitching and defense largely go hand-in-hand. Starter Lindsey Gulin left Monday's game at Oklahoma after allowing just one earned run in 3 1/3 innings, but three errors keyed an eventual 6-1 loss. The following night, Zach Jackson was victimized by a five-run first inning that included a throwing error by shortstop Ozzie Chavez in a 7-5 defeat. "We didn't help Gulin," Kremblas said. "We didn't make a play for him. Some balls were ruled hits that were errors. Jackson had one bad inning; other than that, he did fine. And all the games in New Orleans were close. "The pitching hasn't been bad, per se." And while hitting .259, with ranks the Sounds eighth in the league, Nashville scored a league-worst 18 runs. On the basis of that output, the Sounds are 0-4 in games decided by two runs or less. "We're hitting OK, average-wise," Kremblas said. "We're not driving runs in. We need to do better with two outs. We're not getting the hits with guys in scoring position in two outs - and then we're giving up runs with two outs." Coming home for the next eight games could be the lift the Sounds need. "It'll be nice to hit last (as the home team) and see what happens," Kremblas said. On the move: Hernan Iribarren, who made his Class AAA debut in the Nashville Sounds' season opener April 3 at New Orleans, is set to make his major league debut after the Milwaukee Brewers called up the 23-year-old outfielder late Wednesday night. Iribarren, who hit .348 through the Sounds' first seven games and reached base in six of those contests, will fill the roster opening that was created when Tony Gwynn Jr. was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Pitcher Richie Gardner, who was claimed off waivers from Cincinnati late in spring training and assigned to the Sounds, will be activated off the disabled list and take Iribarren's place on the Nashville roster. Iribarren has hit .300 or better in five of his six professional seasons - finishing at .290 for Class A West Virginia in 2005. He came through the system as a second baseman, but moved to the outfield during instructional league play last fall after hitting .307 at Double-A Huntsville.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omaha 5 2 .714 - 5-2 0-0 W4 Memphis 4 4 .500 1.5 0-0 4-4 L1 Iowa 2 4 .333 2.5 2-4 0-0 L1 Nashville 1 7 .125 4.5 0-0 1-7 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 5 2 .714 - 5-0 0-2 L2 Carolina 4 3 .571 1.0 1-1 3-2 L1 Tennessee 4 3 .571 1.0 1-1 3-2 W1 West Tenn 4 3 .571 1.0 2-0 2-3 W3 Chattanooga 4 4 .500 1.5 1-2 3-2 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 6 2 .750 - 6-0 0-2 W6 Palm Beach 6 2 .750 - 2-0 4-2 W1 Brevard County 4 4 .500 2.0 1-2 3-2 W1 Daytona 4 4 .500 2.0 2-3 2-1 L1 Vero Beach 3 5 .375 3.0 2-2 1-3 L5 St. Lucie 1 7 .125 5.0 1-3 0-4 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 5 2 .714 - 2-1 3-1 W1 Greensboro 5 3 .625 0.5 2-2 3-1 L1 Hickory 5 3 .625 0.5 3-1 2-2 W1 Hagerstown 3 3 .500 1.5 0-0 3-3 L2 Lakewood 3 4 .429 2.0 3-4 0-0 W2 West Virginia 3 5 .375 2.5 2-2 1-3 W1 Delmarva 2 4 .333 2.5 1-2 1-2 L1 Lexington 2 6 .250 3.5 1-3 1-3 L2

Follow Friday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Choose "Log" or "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_11_hunaax_wtdaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_11_breafa_pbcafa_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_11_capafx_wvaafx_1

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!! All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville Site: Tonight's game between the Nashville Sounds and Iowa Cubs, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Greer Stadium, has been postponed due to heavy rainfall in the Middle Tennessee area that resulted in unplayable field conditions. The game will be made up as part of a 6 p.m. CT doubleheader on Saturday evening. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. Both contests will be seven-inning affairs. Right-hander Nic Ungs (1-0, 0.00) will start the newly-scheduled Sounds home opener and face Iowa righty Sean Gallagher (1-0, 1.80). Left-hander Lindsay Gulin (0-1, 2.45) will man the bump for Nashville in the evening's second contest, facing Cubs southpaw J.R. Mathes (0-0, 4.50). Huntsville: LHP David Welch at West Tenn (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link via WUMP (game will also archive at this link): http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559 Brevard County: RHP Mike Jones at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 6:05 PM gametime Audio link via Palm Beach broadcast (game will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?cid=503&sid=t503 West Virginia: RHP Nick Tyson at home vs. Greenville (Red Sox), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

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Actually, colbyjack, the Power was home last evening... Link while active, text follows: Power catcher takes on leadership role by Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Baseball experts rave about the leadership of West Virginia Power catcher Jonathan Lucroy, whose teammates voted him captain before the season. Some say it is his most valuable asset, even more valuable than his arm or his bat. That is notable considering he hit .342 and threw out 43 percent of base stealers in his rookie season last year. "I take it very seriously," Lucroy said of his role. "I try to be as much of a leader as I can." Lucroy led with his actions Thursday, when he went 4-for-4 in West Virginia's 10-3 win over Augusta (Ga.) on Buck Night at Appalachian Power Park. "I was just seeing the ball well," said Lucroy, 21, a right-handed hitter and thrower who is the 16th-ranked overall prospect and second-ranked catcher in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system, according to the 2008 Baseball America Prospect Handbook. "I was lucky to get some good pitches to hit up in the zone, and I took advantage of them. I had a lot of opportunities, and I was lucky to get the barrel on the ball." Lucroy's teammates followed his example, adding eight hits of their own to give the Power a season-high 12 hits against the GreenJackets. "Hitting is contagious," Lucroy said. With his parents among the season-high crowd of 4,746, the 6-foot, 195-pound Lucroy collected three singles and one doubles against the GreenJackets. He knocked in one run and scored two more. "I have been away from Florida for a long time," said Lucroy, who is from Umatilla, Fla. Lucroy attended the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, where he played three seasons. Milwaukee selected him in the third round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft and shipped him to Montana to play in the rookie Pioneer League. "I went to school in Louisiana and I went to pro ball after that," Lucroy said. "They obviously haven't seen me play as much as they want to. I was lucky enough to have a good night the first night they were here." Lucroy said he thinks about his parents when he steps to the plate and they are in the crowd. "It's in the back of my mind," he said. "But I know no matter how I do -- bad or good -- my parents will always be there for me. I don't really worry about it too much. But it's nice to do good in front of them." Lucroy said he thinks about his parents when he steps to the plate and they are in the crowd. "It's in the back of my mind," he said. "But I know no matter how I do -- bad or good -- my parents will always be there for me. I don't really worry about it too much. But it's nice to do good in front of them." Augusta and West Virginia split their four-game South Atlantic League series and now are 3-5. The Power scored one run in the first inning, two in the second, two in the third, one in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh. "We have been scoring early and then relying on our pitching to hold the lead," West Virginia Manager Jeff Isom said. "The hitting came around and scored some runs late. It gave our pitching staff a little bit of ease there." The Power pitchers really didn't need it. The GreenJackets touched starter Evan Anundsen for two runs in the first and reliever Jose Garcia for one run in the ninth. Other than that, it was goose eggs across the scoreboard. Anundsen (1-0), Garcia and Pedro Lambertus held the GreenJackets to three runs on five hits. "It was an excellent job by our pitchers," Isom said. "Evan gave up a couple of runs, but he didn't look back after that. He threw strikes and got a lot of ground ball outs. "I thought Jose was the key there, though. When we brought him in, it was 6-2. It was a big situation where we needed to keep putting up zeros there, and he did it." Center fielder Lee Haydel, second baseman Zelous Wheeler and third baseman Steffan Wilson added two runs apiece for West Virginia, which tagged Augusta starter Oliver Odle (0-1) for five runs on eight hits in four innings. Wilson also had four RBI. He hit a three-run shot in the seventh for his first home run this season. First baseman Curt Rindal (2-for-4) was the only Power player besides Lucroy with multiple hits. West Virginia will begin a four-game series versus Greenville (N.C.) at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) at Appalachian Power Park. Right-hander Nick Tyson (0-1, 3.86) will take the mound for the Power, while left-hander Felix Doubront (1-0, 0.00) will toe the rubber for the Drive. POWER POINTS: Former West Virginia second baseman Hernan Iribarren became the third Power alumnus to make it to the Major Leagues with Milwaukee when the Brewers promoted him from Class AAA Nashville (Tenn.) on Wednesday. Iribarren joins Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo in that category.

Nice slideshow featuring Gindl, Anundsen, Brewer

Will Inman a man on a mission so far (you see, he plays for the San Antonio Missions, ah well, check his line...)

Final: West Virginia 10, Augusta (Giants) 3 West Virginia Press Release: POWER OFFENSE EXPLODES After being held to just three runs on five hits in Wednesday morning's loss to Augusta, the Power offense pounded out 12 hits and scored 10 times on Thursday night to defeat the GreenJackets 10-3 at Appalachian Power Park and split the four game series. Augusta scored first on Garrett Baker's two-run double in the first inning, and didn't record a hit again until the ninth. Jonathan Lucroy's first of four hits was an RBI single in the first inning to score Lee Haydel. The Power plated a pair of runs in the second inning to take the lead for good on back-to-back run scoring singles from Curt Rindal and Scott Houin. John Alonso's base-hit scored Brent Brewer in the third inning before Lucroy crossed the plate on Caleb Gindl's groundout. Lucroy's began the fifth inning with a base hit and scored when Steffan Wilson reached on a fielder's choice. Haydel was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning before stealing second and third and scored on Nestor Rojas's throwing error. In the bottom of the seventh, Wilson connected on his first home run of the season that brought in West Virginia's final three runs of the contest. Jose Garcia had retired 11 of 12 batters he faced over three and two thirds, before running out of gas and allowing an RBI single to Andrew Davis in the top of the ninth inning. Garcia, Evan Anundsen and Pedro Lambertus held the GreenJackets to three runs on five hits. Anundsen (1-0) allowed just two runs on three hits and struck out five to get the win. He retired ten in a row and 12 of the last 14 batters he faced. Oliver Odle (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs on eight hits through four innings. The Power are 3-5 after the victory and Augusta fell to 3-5 with the loss. Jonathan Lucroy paced the Power with an incredible 4-for-4 performance with three base-knocks, a double and a pair of runs. Eight out of the starting nine for the Power hit safely. The Power will begin a four game series with the Greenville Drive at Appalachian Power Park on Friday night. Right hander Nick Tyson (0-1, 3.86) will get the start for the Power and the Drive will counter with left hander Felix Doubront (1-0, 0.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score More ground ball magic from Evan Anundsen, who has yet to walk a batter this season -- the 2006 4th rounder is setting a blueprint on how a high school pitcher draftee is supposed to progress -- we're big fans; Brent Brewer with five errors through eight games -- otherwise, the Power box score is a pretty one... West Virginia Game Log Power hit into three double plays, otherwise the rout could have been more extreme...

Final: Brevard County 7, St. Lucie (Mets) 0 Finally, some good news! Brevard County Box Score Donovan Hand now has a 51-to-7 K-to-BB ratio in 69.2 pro innings; Manatees turn three double plays; Darren Ford on base four times; all ten Brevard hits singles, but we'll take it -- nice effort all around, it appears... Brevard County Game Log Brevard County Top 4th (six runs) - Charlie Fermaint singles on a ground ball to shortstop Ruben Tejada. - Kenny Holmberg walks. Charlie Fermaint to 2nd. - Matt Cline hits a sacrifice bunt. Throwing error by pitcher Dillon Gee. Charlie Fermaint scores. Kenny Holmberg to 3rd. Matt Cline to 2nd. - Martin Maldonado singles on a ground ball to right fielder Michael Hernandez. Kenny Holmberg scores. Matt Cline scores. - Darren Ford singles on a ground ball to right fielder Michael Hernandez. Martin Maldonado to 2nd. - Lorenzo Cain walks. Martin Maldonado to 3rd. Darren Ford to 2nd. - Pitcher Change: Kevin Tomasiewicz replaces Dillon Gee. - Taylor Green singles on a fly ball to left fielder Brahiam Maldonado. Martin Maldonado scores. Darren Ford to 3rd. Lorenzo Cain to 2nd. - Chuckie Caufield singles on a ground ball to right fielder Michael Hernandez. Darren Ford scores. Lorenzo Cain scores. Taylor Green to 3rd. Chuckie Caufield out at 2nd, right fielder Michael Hernandez to shortstop Ruben Tejada. - Stephen Chapman pops out to first baseman Lucas Duda in foul territory. - Charlie Fermaint strikes out swinging.

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio with Pitching Coach Chris Hook Be sure you're on the April 10th archive, right off the top... http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/multimedia/audio.jsp

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Mother Nature's Son The 2nd game of this series started with the threat of some very turbulent weather west of Jackson. The weather system, which caused a lot of damage in Texas when it passed through, made it to Pringles Park shortly after 8:30........ The rain started in the 4th inning with the Stars in front, 2-1...... The game became official shortly before the rain and the wind changed direction. The water works, blown horizontally by the winds, forced a rain delay, but not before Marshall Hubbard lined a two-run homer over the head of Cole Gillespie in left, putting the D'Jaxx in front, 3-2..... The teams were taken off the field with two out and nobody on in the bottom of the 5th with Michael Saunders (.190) at the dish.. The Stars took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 2nd thanks to a pair of leadoff walks to Chris Errecart and Cole Gillespie. Angel Salome's grounder moved the runners into scoring position. Starter Rich Dorman, who pitched briefly for the Mudcats last year, then walked Michael Bell to load the bases....... Dorman threw five innings for the Mudcats last year, including a scoreless inning in a 9-6 Stars victory, August 23. In his only previous start this year, he held Jacksonville to just one hit over six innings to take a victory...... Freddy Parejo then lined a double to right, scoring Errecart and Gillespie....... Parejo, the Stars' 5th outfielder who hit just .194 with runners in scoring position last year, and just .219 overall, is 5-for-10 with three RBI this young season...... Alcides Escobar had a chance to make a difference in this game with runners on 1st and 2nd in the top of the 5th and one out, but he hit into a 6-4-3 double play. The tarp was finally taken off at about 9:10 CT. With Patrick Ryan warming up in the bullpen, the game was called at a quarter to 10 because the umpires said the infield was simply unplayable....... So, Mother Nature and the Mother Hubbard handed the Stars a 3-2 loss -- the Stars' 2nd straight in the shortest game in time since April 8, 2005 when the Stars lost at Five County Stadium to the Mudcats 5-0, in a record one hour and ten minutes. That game ended with one out in the bottom of the 5th....... The Stars also missed tying the record for fewest at-bats in a ballgame by one......... The weather is not going to get any better, and rain is a certainty for Friday -- then the cold comes behind it, with highs barely reaching 50° by gametime for the weekend....... Don't expect a warmup until Tuesday, a day after the Stars arrive home to host Chattanooga. In the meantime, some news -- old and new....... Catcher J.R. Hopf, who was at the Booster Club's welcome banquet last Sunday, has been assigned to Nashville, where he was placed on the disabled list retroactively to April 6. This move was expected. The Stars were carrying three catchers only because they were waiting for Angel Salome to come off the suspended list........ Nashville is expected to see some player movement with the promotion of Hernan Iribarren to Milwaukee. Iribarren hit safely in six of Nashville's first seven games, hitting .348....... He did not appear in Thursday's game against Cincinnati. Iribarren is the 2nd Huntsville Star to make his major league debut, after Callix Crabbe, since the season began........ Will Inman, who flopped with Huntsville after an amazing season at Brevard County, is in the rotation for the San Antonio Missions, the Padres' AA farm club in the Texas League. He has won both of his starts against Northwest Arkansas, going a total of 10 innings and allowing no runs on just four hits....... Three former Stars were released -- pitcher Alec Zumwalt by the Colorado Rockies, pitcher Chris Michalak by the Reds and outfielder Jim Rushford by the White Sox, and if you hadn't already known......Ben Hendrickson, 7-6 with a 3.45 ERA for the Stars in 2003 and the International League MVP in 2004, was released by the Kansas City Royals, but has since been picked up by the Tampa Bay Rays and assigned to Class AAA-Durham, where he's been battered in his first appearance (in relief). Tonight in his first start, he was beaten by the Columbus Clippers, 1-0. Hendrickson gave up just two hits in five innings........ The Cubs released former Diamond Jaxx pitcher Ryan O'Malley. O'Malley was 2-0 with a 4.79 ERA for the Smokies last year. He also pitched for the Diamond Jaxx in 2004 & 2005........ In a waiver deal, the Reds sent former Chattanooga Lookout Jon Coutlangus to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a minor league outfielder. He was assigned to Class AAA-Tucson (PCL)...... The Florida Marlins signed Selmer, Tennessee native Chad Harville, who had a 2.45 ERA in 12 games for the 1998 Stars, the last Stars team under the Oakland banner....... Goodbye, it's me. They also released former Mudcats shortstop Rex Rundgren, but he has since signed on with the Dodgers organization.

Final: West Tenn (Mariners) 3, Huntsville 2, completed early, five innings, rain Huntsville Press Release: HUBBARD HOME RUN THE DIFFERENCE Marshall Hubbard's two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth proved to be the game-winning blow in West Tenn's rain shortened 3-2 victory over Huntsville Thursday night in the second of a five-game set at Pringles Park. The Stars suffered their second straight loss after opening the season with five wins, while the Diamond Jaxx improved to 4-3 with their third consecutive victory. The Stars have now lost four games in a row at West Tenn dating back to August 17 of last season. Derek Miller retired the first two hitters in the home fifth before the teams were taken off the field with torrential rain falling during a Mike Saunders at-bat. The tarp was removed from the field after about 45 minutes and the players started to loosen and warm up in anticipation of play resuming before the managers and umpires decided the field was unplayable and that the game would come to an end. Rich Dorman walked Chris Errecart and Cole Gillespie to begin the second inning but seemed to work his way out of trouble when Angel Salome grounded into a force out at third base and Gillespie was thrown out by Hubbard trying to advance to third base after an errant pickoff throw to first base. Mike Bell walked to keep the inning going and Freddy Parejo doubled down the right field line to drive in both runners to give the Stars a 2-0 lead. Shawn Garrett led off the home second with a double, advanced to third on a ground ball out and scored on a Hubbard sacrifice fly. Adam Moore led off the West Tenn fourth with a single and scored in front of Hubbard, who hit his second two out, opposite field long ball in as many nights and did so behind in the count no balls and two strikes. Huntsville had a chance to tie the game in the fifth but Alcides Escobar grounded into a double play with runners at the corners and one out. The series against West Tenn continues Friday night with left-hander David Welch taking the mound against Diamond Jaxx southpaw Justin Thomas. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score Huntsville Game Log

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas Final: Oklahoma (Rangers) 11, Nashville 4 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- RedHawks Complete Series Sweep Of Sounds OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma RedHawks completed a four-game sweep of the Nashville Sounds with an 11-4 victory on Thursday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Oklahoma staked starter Doug Mathis to a two-run lead in the first when Nelson Cruz and Nate Gold scored on a single by Jared Saltalamacchia. The Sounds scored their first run in the third to halve the deficit, but the RedHawks tagged Nashville starter Chris Narveson for three more runs in the fifth inning. Gold doubled in Jason Ellison and Cruz, and then scored on an errant throw from the pitcher to first on a ground ball by Kevin Mench. A pair of solo home runs by Brad Nelson and Russell Branyan in the top of the sixth brought Nashville within two at 5-3. The longballs, which both came against Mathis, were each player's first of the young season. AUDIO: Brad Nelson Home Run Oklahoma responded with six runs in the home half of the inning against Sounds reliever Luis Pena to extend the lead for good. The RedHawks sent 10 to the plate in the inning, plating six runs on four hits and three walks, keyed by Saltalamacchia's two-run double. Pena faced seven batters and retired only one in the inning. The Sounds scored the game's final run in the top of the seventh when Mel Stocker - who recorded a Nashville season-high four hits in the contest - ripped a two-out double off Oklahoma reliever Steven Rowe and came around to score when Vinny Rottino followed with an RBI single. Mathis (2-0) pitched his second quality start in as many attempts to earn the win, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings of work. Narveson (0-2) was tagged with the loss for Nashville, which has started the season at 1-7, their worst stretch to open a season since joining the Pacific Coast League in 1998. The southpaw allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits while walking four batters and fanning five over his five frames. The Sounds return to Greer Stadium on Friday to host their 2008 home opener, a 7 p.m. contest against the division-rival Iowa Cubs. Right-hander Nic Ungs (1-0, 0.00), who worked five scoreless frames on Sunday at New Orleans to earn Nashville's lone win of the year, will take the hill to face Iowa right-hander Sean Gallagher (1-0, 1.80). Nashville Box Score Mel Stocker 4-for-4 with two doubles and a stolen base; Brad Nelson's OPS over 1.000 after eight games; Branyan being Branyan; Luis Pena -- ouch... Nashville Game Log

LHP Matt Ford signed with Bridgeport (CT) of the independent Atlantic League. INF Wilton Veras signed with a Mexican League squad.

Nashville Media Notes: IRIBARREN CALLED UP BY BREWERS; GARDNER ACTIVATED: Outfielder Hernan Iribarren was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers following their game last night. The 23-year-old opened the year by reaching base safely in six of Nashville's seven contests, batting .348 (8-for-23) over that stretch. Iribarren will make his Major League debut upon his first appearance with the Brew Crew. He takes the place of former Sounds OF Tony Gwynn, Jr., who was placed on the Brewers' 15-day D.L. with a strained left hamstring. To fill Iribarren's roster spot, pitcher Richie Gardner has been activated from the disabled list. The 26-year-old right-hander was acquired by Milwaukee late in spring training off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. Last season, he pitched at three levels in Cincy's system -- Class A Sarasota (5-1, 1.65 ERA in 7G), Class AA Chattanooga (2-1, 1.82 in 6G) and Class AAA Louisville (4-5, 5.71 in 13G). GALLARDO ALSO DEPARTS: In another Brewers transaction last night, right-hander Yovani Gallardo was recalled from his rehab assignment with the Sounds but was not activated from the disabled list, leaving open the possibility of re-joining Nashville for an additional rehabilitation start during the club's upcoming homestand. In two starts, Gallardo went 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA (5 ER / 9.1 IP). Here's the thread that is discussing the Iribarren / Gwynn / Gallardo aspect of this on the Major League Forum. August 22, 2004 -- the day Hernan took his .439 Arizona League average to Beloit; man, it was fun following his Maryvale numbers that summer.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omaha 5 2 .714 - 5-2 0-0 W4 Memphis 4 3 .571 1.0 0-0 4-3 W1 Iowa 2 4 .333 2.5 2-4 0-0 L1 Nashville 1 6 .143 4.0 0-0 1-6 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 5 1 .833 - 5-0 0-1 L1 Carolina 4 2 .667 1.0 1-0 3-2 W1 Tennessee 3 3 .500 2.0 0-1 3-2 L2 West Tenn 3 3 .500 2.0 1-0 2-3 W2 Chattanooga 3 4 .429 2.5 0-2 3-2 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 5 2 .714 - 5-0 0-2 W5 Palm Beach 5 2 .714 - 2-0 3-2 L1 Daytona 4 3 .571 1.0 2-2 2-1 W1 Brevard County 3 4 .429 2.0 1-2 2-2 L1 Vero Beach 3 4 .429 2.0 2-2 1-2 L4 St. Lucie 1 6 .143 4.0 1-2 0-4 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greensboro 5 2 .714 - 2-1 3-1 W2 Lake County 4 2 .667 0.5 1-1 3-1 L1 Hagerstown 3 2 .600 1.0 0-0 3-2 L1 Hickory 4 3 .571 1.0 3-1 1-2 L2 Delmarva 2 3 .400 2.0 1-2 1-1 W1 Lakewood 2 4 .333 2.5 2-4 0-0 W1 Lexington 2 5 .286 3.0 1-2 1-3 L1 West Virginia 2 5 .286 3.0 1-2 1-3 L2

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated several hours prior to gametime. Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Follow Thursday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log" or "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. Nashville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_10_nasaaa_orhaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_10_hunaax_wtdaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_10_breafa_sluafa_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_10_augafx_wvaafx_1

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