BANDITS BASH CUBS EARLY TO EVEN SERIES

Quad Cities cuts its magic number to three to clinch a first-half playoff spot

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (June 7, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu homered among three hits while matching a career high with four RBIs, and four other River Bandits had two-hit games to help the visitors to a road trip-high 13 hits and an 8-3 win over the South Bend Cubs at Four Winds Field Sunday afternoon.

With the win, the River Bandits (39-18) reclaimed the best record in professional baseball. With a loss by Burlington (28-29) and Kane County (29-28) winning Sunday to move into third place, Quad Cities' magic number (combination of Quad Cities wins and losses by the Western Division's third-place team) needed to clinch a playoff spot was reduced to three. Quad Cities holds a head-to-head tiebreaker with Kane County. Second-place Cedar Rapids (35-22) also lost Sunday, so the River Bandits' Western Division lead grew to four games.

After rain delayed the game's first pitch 58 minutes, Quad Cities scored in the first inning for the third time in five games. Left fielder Jason Martin hit a one-out single to right field off Cubs right-hander Erick Leal (4-4), and All-Star catcher Jacob Nottingham (starting as the designated hitter Sunday) hit the first pitch he saw down the left-field line for a double to score Martin.

The lead grew in the third inning, as catcher Jamie Ritchie and Martin drew consecutive walks. Nottingham grounded into a fielder's choice, before Tanielu blasted a 2-0 offering from Leal over the left-field fence for his second Midwest League home run and a 4-0 lead.

A four-double fourth inning gave the River Bandits three more runs off Leal. Second baseman Kristian Trompiz hit a leadoff double but was thrown out at third base when he tried to advance on first baseman Ryan Bottger's flyout to right field. Center fielder Ramon Laureano hit a two-out double down the left-field line, before Ritchie hit an RBI double off the right-center field wall, and Martin grounded an RBI double down the first-base line. Nottingham added an RBI single to left field, scoring Martin for a 7-0 lead. Leal was charged with all seven earned runs on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts in four innings.

The Cubs (26-30) never had the tying run on base and never brought the tying run to the plate after falling behind, 4-0, in the third inning. River Bandits right-hander Brandon McNitt retired the first nine batters of the game, before All-Star center fielder Charcer Burks singled to left field leading off the fourth inning. All-Star shortstop Gleyber Torres walked, and Burks went to third base when second baseman Andrew Ely flied out to right field. All-Star catcher Cael Brockmeyer (starting at first base Sunday) hit an RBI single to right-center field, sending Torres to third base to be able to score on third baseman Jason Vosler's sacrifice fly that made it 7-2. After a single by catcher Gioskar Amaya and walk to left fielder Kevin Encarnacion loaded the bases, McNitt got designated hitter David Bote to ground out.

After allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts in four innings, McNitt was relieved by left-hander Jordan Mills starting the fifth inning. Mills allowed a leadoff infield single by right fielder Jeffrey Baez and two-out single by Ely before finishing a scoreless inning. Right-hander Akeem Bostick (3-1) began the sixth inning and yielded a leadoff double to Vosler, who later scored on Bote's two-out single to left field. Bostick then retired 10 of the next 12 batters to finish the final four innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

From the South Bend bullpen, right-hander Ryan McNeil pitched three shutout innings and allowed one hits and one walk, and right-hander David Garner pitched a perfect eighth inning. Laureano broke a stretch of 13 hitless River Bandits batters with a leadoff single in the ninth inning. Ritchie singled, Nottingham walked with one out to load the bases, and Tanielu hit an RBI single to center field for an 8-3 lead.

The River Bandits conclude their season-long 10-game road stretch and their series in South Bend at 6:05 p.m. Central on Monday. River Bandits right-hander Austin Chrismon (4-1) is scheduled to face Cubs left-hander Tommy Thorpe (1-3) in the series rubber match.

UP NEXT: Modern Woodmen Park is hosting a Father's Day Cookout for the 1:15 p.m. game Sunday, June 21. Call 563-324-3000 to order a package that includes a game ticket and access to the all-you-can-eat buffet in the Budweiser Champions Club. The day includes a Mega Mini-Fridge Giveaway presented by Budweiser and 7G Distributing and is a Family Sunday presented by B100 and ESPN 93.5. Individual tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office and online at riverbandits.com. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling 563-324-3000.

NULL PITCHES CUBS TO 2-1 WIN OVER BANDITS

With Burlington's loss Saturday, Quad Cities' magic number drops to five to clinch a playoff spot

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (June 6, 2015) - South Bend Cubs right-hander Jeremy Null allowed one run in six innings, while Cubs catcher Cael Brockmeyer hit a game-tying solo home run in the fourth inning, and second baseman Andrew Ely hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the fifth inning of a 2-1 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits at Four Winds Field Saturday night.

Despite losing a series-opening game for the second time in 10 road series this season, the River Bandits (38-18) moved closer to a first-half playoff spot. Third-place Burlington (28-28) lost on Saturday at Great Lakes, which lowered Quad Cities' magic number (combination of Quad Cities wins and losses by the Western Division's third-place team) needed to clinch a first-half playoff spot to five. Second-place Cedar Rapids (35-21) also lost at West Michigan to remain three games behind Quad Cities in the Western Division first-half race.

Making his first start since being named to the Eastern Division All-Star team, Null (6-1) retired the first five batters of the game. River Bandits second baseman Kristian Trompiz extended his hitting streak to nine games with a two-out double to left field in the second inning but was stranded at second base when Null struck out first baseman Ryan Bottger. Right fielder Ramon Laureano led off the third inning with a single and went as far as third base with two outs but Null retired three in a row to end the inning.

In a scoreless game in the top of the fourth inning, River Bandits All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu doubled to left field and went to third base when All-Star second baseman Mott Hyde (starting at shortstop Saturday) singled to left field. Trompiz hit a sacrifice fly to center field for the game's first run, and Bottger singled to move Hyde to second base, but Laureano grounded into an inning-ending fielder's choice. Null retired seven River Bandits in a row to finish his outing, allowing five hits and no walks with four strikeouts in six innings.

Before Brockmeyer's home run, River Bandits right-hander Francis Martes (0-1) did not allow a hit for his first 3 2/3 innings, extending the longest hitless streak by a Quad Cities pitcher this season to 8 1/3 innings. After Cubs All-Star center fielder Charcer Burks began the game reaching on an error by Trompiz, Martes got All-Star shortstop Gleyber Torres to ground to Trompiz for a double play. In the third inning, Martes walked two batters with one out but retired the next two Cubs, stranding runners at second and third bases in a scoreless game.

With two outs in the fourth inning, Brockmeyer - an All-Star catcher for the Eastern Division - sent a 2-1 pitch from Martes over the left-center field wall to tie the game, 1-1. Third baseman Jason Vosler doubled but was stranded at second base. In the fifth inning, right fielder Jeffrey Baez had a one-out bunt single, and Burks singled to right field to put runners at first and third bases. Torres then grounded back to Martes who threw to All-Star catcher Jacob Nottingham to tag out Baez at home plate. With runners at first and second bases in a 1-1 tie, Ely lined a single to left-center field, scoring Burks for a 2-1 Cubs lead. Martes was charged with two earned runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in five innings.

River Bandits right-hander Christian Powell followed Martes with three shutout innings. He worked around a hit batter in the sixth inning and after walking two batters around a single by Vosler in the eighth inning, he struck out Hodges with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Against the Cubs bullpen, Quad Cities put a runner on base in each inning but could not score. Trompiz led off the seventh inning with a single against right-hander Francisco Carrillo, who retired the next three batters and stranded Trompiz at third base. Designated hitter Jamie Ritchie walked to chase Carrillo in the eighth inning and stole second base, but right-hander James Farris retired Nottingham and Tanielu on flyouts. Hyde's leadoff single in the ninth inning was erased on a double play as Farris went on to record five outs for his eighth save.

BANDITS TURN TIDE LATE TO TIP WHITECAPS

Quad Cities remains unbeaten in road series and reduces magic number to six to clinch a playoff spot

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. (June 5, 2015) - With the Quad Cities River Bandits facing a 3-1 deficit in the eighth inning, right fielder Ryan Bottger hit a game-tying two-run single, and designated hitter Sean McMullen hit a ninth-inning, go-ahead RBI double to lead the visitors to a 4-3 win and series victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps at Fifth Third Ballpark Friday night.

Quad Cities (38-17) kept the best record in professional baseball and increased its lead to three game lead in the Midwest League Western Division over second-place Cedar Rapids (35-20), which lost in South Bend Friday night. The River Bandits' magic number (combination of Quad Cities wins and losses by the Western Division's third-place team) to clinch a first-half playoff spot is six.

The River Bandits scored first for the third straight game against West Michigan (27-28). Left fielder Jason Martin led off the game with a double to right-center field off Whitecaps right-hander Spenser Watkins. Catcher Jamie Ritchie's flyout to right field sent Martin to third base, and designated hitter Jacob Nottingham singled to left field to score Martin for a 1-0 lead. First baseman Nick Tanielu singled to center field to put runners at first and third bases, but Bottger grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Watkins settled in to retire 13 of 15 batters and finish five innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Following Watkins, left-hander Tyler Ford worked around a hit in both the sixth and seventh innings to strike out four batters in two scoreless innings. Quad Cities advanced two runners to second base - and none further - in the second through seventh innings.

River Bandits right-hander Joshua James held the 1-0 lead through the first five innings, stranding six Whitecaps base runners. He allowed his first hit with one out in the third inning, when shortstop Garrett Mattlage singled following a one-out walk to left fielder Austin Schotts. Center fielder Derek Hill singled to center field to load the bases with one out. But James struck out right fielder Ross Kivett and got  designated hitter Mike Gerber to ground back to the pitcher's mound to end the inning. In the fourth inning, James allowed a leadoff walk to second baseman Joey Pankake and single to center field by first baseman Will Kengor. A sacrifice by third baseman Zach Shepherd advanced both runners, but James struck out catcher Shane Zeile and got Schotts to ground out to preserve a 1-0 River Bandits lead.

James began the sixth inning by walking Pankake again, and Kengor singled to left field, sending Pankake to third base. James then walked Shepherd on four pitches, with the final one wild past catcher Jamie Ritchie to bring Pankake to the plate for the tying run. Right-hander Aaron Greenwood relieved James, and Zeile put down a sacrifice to advance Kengor and Shepherd, before Schotts grounded a two-run single into center field for a 3-1 West Michigan lead. All three earned runs were charged to James, who allowed five hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Greenwood finished one full inning, allowing one hit.

Quad Cities' game-tying rally began in the eighth inning against left-hander Gabe Speier, with Ritchie drawing a one-out walk, and Nottingham reaching when Shepherd dropped a ground ball. McMullen pinch ran for Nottingham, as right-hander Johan Belisario (1-2) entered to walk first baseman Nick Tanielu. Bottger then lined a single to right-center field, with Ritchie and McMullen scoring to tie the game. In the ninth, Belisario walked Martin and Ritchie with one out, and McMullen hit an inside pitch one foot inside the right-field line to score Martin for a 4-3 lead. Belisario was charged with one earned run on two hits and four walks with one strikeout in one inning.

River Bandits right-hander Angel Heredia (2-0) struck out three batters in three hitless relief innings to finish the win. The Whitecaps only managed consecutive walks to start the eighth inning, but Heredia caught a bunt popup by Zeile before striking out Schotts and Mattlage.

Quad Cities leads all Western Division teams with three starters for June 23 game at Dozer Park in Peoria

DAVENPORT, Iowa (June 5, 2015) - Three Quad Cities River Bandits were selected to start the 2015 Midwest League All-Star Game, and one was named as a reserve for the Western Division in the June 23 game at Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill., the Midwest League announced on Thursday. Quad Cities was the only Western Division with multiple players named as starters.

River Bandits catcher Jacob Nottingham, second baseman Mott Hyde and third baseman Nick Tanielu were selected by Western Divison field managers to start the 51^st Midwest League All-Star Game. River Bandits right-hander Austin Chrismon was named as a pitcher. The four All-Stars are the most to represent Quad Cities since 2012. The last time Quad Cities had three players start an All-Star Game was 2006, when Bryan Anderson, Colby Rasmus, and Randy Roth all represented the club in the Western Division starting lineup.

Nottingham, 20, was the youngest starter named to the Western Division roster. A sixth-round pick by the Houston Astros in the 2013 First-Year Players Draft out of Redlands (Calif.) High School, Nottingham leads the Midwest League with a .590 slugging percentage and .988 on-base-plus-slugging (OPS), and leads all Astros minor leaguers with a .342 batting average. He is tied for the league lead in extra-base hits (23), tied for second in total bases (95), is third in batting average, and is tied for fourth in home runs (eight). Through Wednesday, he led all Midwest League catchers with a .996 fielding percentage and a 59.1 percent rate (13-for-22) in catching attempted base stealers. Nottingham is currently ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Astros organization by MLB.com. He leads the River Bandits with 33 RBIs and was named the Quad Cities Player of the Month for May, when he led the team with a .355 batting average, four home runs, 13 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs, a .591 slugging percentage and .997 OPS.

Hyde, 23, was the Astros' 26th round pick in the 2014 draft out of Georgia Tech University. The Resaca, Ga., native is tied for second in the Midwest League with 16 doubles and leads all Western Division second baseman with 31 runs, 27 bases on balls, a .387 on-base percentage and .801 OPS. He is the only River Bandit this season to win Midwest League Player of the Week, which he won for April 27-May 3, when he was 11-for-22 with four doubles, one triple, three RBIs, five runs scored, four walks and no strikeouts in six games. Hyde has played a team-high 47 games through Thursday, starting 28 games at second base, 10 at shortstop and eight as the designated hitter for Quad Cities this season.

Tanielu, 22, was the Astros' 14th round pick in the 2014 draft out of Washington State University. The Huntsville, Ala., native is 14th in the Midwest League and ninth among Astros minor leaguers with a .307 batting average. He leads Quad Cities in batting average on the road (.333), with runners on base (.419) and with runners in scoring position (.457). Tanielu is second to Nottingham on the River Bandits team in batting average, RBIs (25) and hits (50) this season. Tanielu has started 40 games at third base, one at first base and two as a designated hitter for Quad Cities. He was the MVP of the New York-Penn League All-Star Game in 2014, when he started as a designated hitter and went 3-for-3, including a hit to drive in the only run for the North All-Stars in what ended as a 1-1, nine-inning tie.

Chrismon, 22, became the first player ever drafted out of Christopher Newport (Va.) University when he was taken by Houston in the 26th round of the June 2013 draft. The Newport News, Va., native is 4-1 with two saves in 10 games (six starts) this season and ranks third among qualifying Astros minor leaguers and ninth in the Midwest League with 1.07 walks-plus-hits per inning pitched (WHIP). He is also fifth among Astros minor leaguers in ERA (2.93) and opponents' average (.251). He also leads Quad Cities in innings pitched (46) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.00) this season.

The Western Division will be led in the All-Star Game by the Peoria Chiefs field staff, including Chiefs manager Joe Kruzel, who was the River Bandits hitting coach from 2008 to 2012.

Through Thursday, Quad Cities was 37-17, a mark that gave the club the best record in all of professional baseball.

UP NEXT: Modern Woodmen Park is hosting a Father's Day Cookout for the 1:15 p.m. game Sunday, June 21. Call 563-324-3000 to order a package that includes a game ticket and access to the all-you-can-eat buffet in the Budweiser Champions Club. The day includes a Mega Mini-Fridge Giveaway presented by Budweiser and 7G Distributing and is a Family Sunday presented by B100 and ESPN 93.5. Individual tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office and online at riverbandits.com. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling 563-324-3000.

PUEBLO, CO - The Professional Bull Riders Blue DEF Velocity Tour debuts at iWireless Center in Moline, IL with athletes from around the world that will be competing June 13 for one night of exciting bull riding action.

Headlining the competition is Matt Triplett, who is currently ranked second in the PBR World Standings. Also competing are Built Ford Tough Series veterans Valdiron de Oliveira, Cody Nance, Reese Cates, and Robson Palermo. Quad Cities fans will also get to see upcoming PBR stars Luis Blanco, Jordan Hupp, and Bonner Bolton compete.

The event starts at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $15, and are available at the iWireless Center box office, by phone at 800-745-3000, and www.ticketmaster.com.

The BlueDEF Velocity Tour provides an opportunity for riders to compete in PBR-sanctioned events to earn points towards qualifying for the nationally-televised Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS), which is comprised of the Top 35 bull riders in the world. The Velocity Tour is part of the PBR's international tour schedule and there's nothing minor-league about it. These are young men dreaming of the big time. To make it, they have to get past some of the most famous bucking bulls in the sport and superstar veterans looking to stand in their way.

Winners of each BDVT event in 2015 also will be guaranteed a minimum of one opportunity to compete at a BFTS regular season event in an attempt to win enough points to rank among the Top 35 bull riders in the world and earn a spot on the elite tour.

Moline will be the 18th stop of 24 on the 2015 PBR BlueDEF Velocity Tour. The tour kicked off in Clovis, New Mexico at the L.J. Jenkins Invitational on Oct. 31, 2014. As the last event of the BDVT season, the BDVT Finals will take place two weeks prior to the PBR World Finals each year and offer a total purse of $100,000.

The overall winner of the BDVT season will be the rider who earns the most world points at the BDVT level. He will receive $50,000 and qualify to compete at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.

Visit PBR LIVE for details about watching online streams of the 2015 BlueDEF Velocity Tour season.

The premier bull riding organization in the world began as a dream of 20 bull riders 23 years ago and is now a global sports phenomenon. PBR broadcasts reach more than half a billion households in 50 nations and territories around the world, and more than 2.5 million fans attend live events each year. The PBR features the Top 35 bull riders in the world and the top bulls in the business. Three circuits, the televised Built Ford Tough Series, the BlueDEF Velocity Tour and the Touring Pro Division, have paid more than $140 million in earnings to its athletes. Twenty-seven men have earned more than $1 million, including three-time World Champion Silvano Alves who, in just 54 months, won more than $5.2 million to become the richest bull rider in history. 2013 World Champion J.B. Mauney and two-time World Champion Justin McBride have also surpassed $5.1 million in earnings. For more information on the PBR, go to PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.

About AEG

AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world.  AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with more than 100 of the industry's preeminent venues worldwide across 5 continents. Other AEG-affiliated entities, include live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships, AEG Development, and AEG Sports. For more information, please visit aegworldwide.com.

Quad Cities hits three home runs to lead the entire game and lower its magic number to eight

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. (June 3, 2015) - Shortly after the earliest scheduled game time for the River Bandits this season, Quad Cities catcher Jacob Nottingham drove in the first run with the first of his three doubles Wednesday, and three of his teammates homered, helping right-hander Jorge Perez win his first career start in an 8-1 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Designated hitter Alex Hernandez, center fielder Ramon Laureano and left fielder Jason Martin each hit home runs to help Quad Cities (37-16) match season highs of five doubles, three home runs and eight extra-base hits. The team kept the best record in professional baseball and at least a two-game lead in the Midwest League Western Division over second-place Cedar Rapids. The River Bandits' magic number (combination of Quad Cities wins and losses by the Western Division's third-place team) to clinch a first-half playoff spot is eight.

Whitecaps left-hander Trent Szkutnik (3-1) retired the first two batters of the game before walking shortstop Mott Hyde. Nottingham then hit the first pitch he saw to the left-center field gap, scoring Hyde for a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second inning, River Bandits third baseman Kristian Trompiz hit a leadoff single to right field, and Hernandez smacked his first Midwest League home run over the left-field wall for a 3-0 lead. The next batter, Laureano, launched his second home run in three games to the left-field corner, just inside the foul pole for Quad Cities' first back-to-back home runs of the season and a 4-0 lead.

Perez (1-0) got help from double plays his teammates turned to end the first and second innings. In the first inning, after right fielder Ross Kivett hit a one-out single and designated hitter Mike Gerber drew a walk, Perez got second baseman Joey Pankake to ground to Trompiz to begin a double play. In the second inning, first baseman Will Kengor hit a leadoff single to right field, but two batters later, catcher Shane Zeile grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Whitecaps (26-27) had their best scoring chance against Perez in the fifth inning. Zeile drew a leadoff walk, and with one out, shortstop Garrett Mattlage and center fielder Derek Hill hit consecutive singles. With the bases loaded, Perez caught a comeback line drive by Kivett and struck out Gerber - the league's leading hitter with a .370 batting average entering Wednesday - to end the inning. In a career-high five innings, Perez allowed six hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

Szkutnik retired 10 River Bandits in a row before Nottingham led off the sixth inning with his second double. Right fielder Sean McMullen advanced Nottingham with a groundout to first base, and Trompiz hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Nottingham for a 5-0 lead. Szkutnik was charged with a season-high five earned runs on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts in six innings.

River Bandits right-hander Austin Chrismon began the sixth inning and retired the first three Whitecaps. In the seventh inning, Zeile hit a leadoff triple and later scored on Hill's two-out single. Chrismon then retired seven of the final eight batters - allowing only a two-out walk in the eighth inning - to pitch four scoreless innings for his second save of the season.

Whitecaps right-hander Josh Heddinger pitched the final three innings for the home team. His high school teammate, River Bandits first baseman Jamie Ritchie, led off the eighth inning with a double and scored on Nottingham's one-out, ground-ball double down the first-base line. Trompiz then doubled off the left-center field wall to score Nottingham for a 7-1 River Bandits advantage. In the top of the ninth inning, Martin took Heddinger deep to right field for his second Midwest League home run and an 8-1 Quad Cities lead.

Quad Cities continues its series in West Michigan at 6 p.m. Central Thursday, when River Bandits right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn (3-3) is scheduled to face Whitecaps right-hander Fernando Perez (0-5).

UP NEXT: Modern Woodmen Park is hosting a Father's Day Cookout for the 1:15 p.m. game Sunday, June 21. Call 563-324-3000 to order a package that includes a game ticket and access to the all-you-can-eat buffet in the Budweiser Champions Club. The day includes a Mega Mini-Fridge Giveaway presented by Budweiser and 7G Distributing and is a Family Sunday presented by B100 and ESPN 93.5. Individual tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office and online at riverbandits.com. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling 563-324-3000.