River Bandits field staff will lead Western Division All-Stars in West Michigan June 17

DAVENPORT, Iowa. (June 4, 2014) - Quad Cities River Bandits outfielder Brett Phillips has selected to start the 2014 Midwest League All-Star Game, and infielder Chan-Jong Moon and right-hander Tyler Brunnemann were named reserves for the Western Division in the June 17 game hosted by the West Michigan Whitecaps in Comstock Park, Mich. The entire River Bandits field staff will lead the Western Division team, which was announced Wednesday by the Midwest League.

Phillips, 20, was the youngest position player selected for the Western Division roster. A sixth-round pick by the Houston Astros in the 2012 First-Year Players Draft out of Seminole (Fla.) High School, Phillips is third in the Astros organization and 10th in the Midwest League with a .308 batting average. He is tied for second in the league with seven triples and leads the River Bandits in runs (37), hits (60), and total bases (93). Since April 18, he has hit his first three career home runs. Phillips has 17 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games, including a career-high four on May 23 against Cedar Rapids. Phillips was ranked as the Astros' No. 30 prospect before the season by Baseball America, has put together a .372 on-base percentage (OBP) and .477 slugging percentage for a .849 on-base-plus-slugging (OPS).

Moon, 23, was signed by the Houston Astros on Aug. 9, 2009, becoming the second player from the Pacific Rim to ever sign with the club. He was selected to the New York-Penn League All-Star Game in 2013. In a team-high 54 games this season, the Seoul, South Korea, native is 10th in the Astros minor league system with a .297 batting average. He is tied for second in the Midwest League with seven triples and tied for third with 23 stolen bases. Moon also has six doubles, a home run and 19 RBIs. His 24 walks are the second-highest of any current Bandit, helping him to a .376 OBP. He is also slugging .422 for a .798 OPS.

Brunnemann, 22, became just the second player ever drafted from Hardin-Simmons University (Texas) when he was taken by Houston in the 40th round of the June 2013 draft. The Garden Ridge, Texas, native is 0-1 with a 1.73 ERA, the best of anyone that has pitched at least 25 innings for Quad Cities. He had a team-best 17 1/3-inning scoreless streak from April 3 to May 9. In 26 innings over 14 relief appearances, Brunnemann has allowed just 7.27 baserunners per nine innings, good for second among Midwest League relievers. He has held opponents to a .163 batting average, the fifth-lowest of any relief pitcher in the Midwest League.

The trio will be joined at the All-Star Game by Quad Cities manager Omar Lopez, pitching coach Dave Borkowski, hitting coach Joel Chimelis, athletic trainer Michael Rendon and strength coach James McNichol who comprise the Western Division All-Star field staff. Lopez, Borkowski and Chimelis were on the staff that guided the River Bandits to the 2013 Midwest League Championship.

The West Michigan Whitecaps are hosting the 2014 Midwest League All-Star Game Tuesday, June 17, at Fifth Third Ballpark.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park at 6 p.m. Saturday with a Craig Biggio Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Prairie Farms and FOX18 for the first 1,500 fans. Tickets are available at riverbandits.com. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 110 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, followed by a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 300-foot long zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (June 2, 2014) - Quad Cities catcher Brett Booth hit a ninth-inning, go-ahead home run to help his team to a 7-4 win to complete a suspended game Monday afternoon, and the River Bandits hit three more home runs in the game that followed, but Wisconsin Timber Rattlers second baseman Francisco Castillo hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in his team's 4-3, seven-inning victory in front of 4,071 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Holding a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when play resumed from Sunday's suspended game, Quad Cities (30-27) added a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by third baseman Tyler White. Right-hander Adrian Houser (4-1) held the 4-2 lead until the bottom of the eighth, when he hit designated hitter Clint Coulter with a pitch and allowed a one-out double to first baseman Taylor Brennan. Castillo then grounded a single between first baseman Jon Kemmer and second baseman Chan-Jong Moon to score both runs and tie the game, 4-4.

In the ninth inning against right-hander Harvey Martin (2-4), Booth led off by driving a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for his first Midwest League home run and the third of the game that spanned two days. With one out, right fielder Ronnie Mitchell reached on an infield single and went to second base when left fielder Tanner Mathis singled to center field. But center fielder Johnny Davis' throw to the infield got away, allowing Mitchell to reach third base, and Brennan's throw toward third base was also wild, allowing Mitchell to score and Mathis to reach third base. Designated hitter Chase McDonald then celebrated his 22^nd birthday by singling home Mathis for a 7-4 lead.

After Houser allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, right-hander Andrew Walter came in to strike out the next three batters for his fifth save. It gave Quad Cities a six-game winning streak to match its season high and move a season-best four games above .500.

In a seven-inning series finale, River Bandits right-hander Andrew Thurman struck out five of the first seven batters of the game, and he got support in the second inning from Mitchell's leadoff home run - his seventh in the last 13 games - off right-hander Preston Gainey.

Wisconsin (26-31) tied the game in the third inning. Left fielder Omar Garcia hit a leadoff double, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on a passed ball by catcher Jake Rodriguez. It was the only run against Thurman, who allowed four hits and struck out four in four innings.

In the top of the fourth inning, White smashed a 3-1 pitch from Gainey over the left-field fence for a 2-1 Quad Cities lead. Gainey's next pitch struck Mitchell squarely in the back, and home plate umpire Mike Savakinas ejected Gainey, who had allowed five hits and no walks with two strikeouts in three-plus innings. Left-hander Trevor Seidenberger took over, and he pitched the final four innings, yielding a sixth-inning home run by White, who joined Thomas Lindauer as the only River Bandits with a two-homer game this season.

River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee (2-3) began the fifth inning with a 2-1 lead but allowed three straight one-out singles and a gamke-tying, bases-loaded walk. Coulter grounded into a fielder's choice to give his team a 3-2 lead that lasted until White's game-tying home run. In a 3-3, seventh-inning tie, Lee allowed a one-out walk to Coulter and single by Brennan. With runners at first and third bases, Castillo flied to center fielder Brett Phillips, who spun and threw high to home, as Coulter scored for Quad Cities' fourth walk-off loss this season.

Following its final first-half off day Tuesday, Quad Cities opens a three-game series in Burlington at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, when River Bandits right-hander Jandel Gustave (5-2) is scheduled to start against Bees right-hander Victor Alcantara (2-3).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park at 6 p.m. Saturday with a Craig Biggio Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Prairie Farms and FOX18 for the first 1,500 fans. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 110 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, followed by a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 300-foot long zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

*****

DAVENPORT, Iowa (June 2, 2014) - Quad Cities River Bandits outfielder Ronnie Mitchell has been named the Midwest League Player of the Week for his performance during the week of May 26-June 1, which included him being the first Quad Cities player since at least 1998 to homer in four straight games.

Mitchell, 22, is the second River Bandit to win Midwest League Player of the Week honors this season, joining shortstop Thomas Lindauer, who won the award for April 21-27 to become the first River Bandit named Player of the Week since Anthony Garcia won the honor for June 18-24, 2012.

In six completed games, Mitchell went a combined 9-for-22 with a double, four home runs, 12 RBIs, five runs scored, and two stolen bases. He began the week with five straight games with multiple RBIs, and matched a career high with four RBIs Friday against Beloit.

Mitchell began his home run streak with a two-run, go-ahead home run in the seventh inning Tuesday at Burlington. It put the River Bandits ahead 10-9, the score by which they won to begin a current five-game winning streak. On Wednesday, Mitchell added a solo home run in the seventh inning of a 9-5 win over Beloit. The Snappers held a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning Thursday, until Mitchell launched his third straight seventh-inning home run for a 2-1 lead and eventual win. On Friday, Mitchell hit his first career grand slam in the first inning to push the River Bandits' lead to 5-0 in what became a 7-3 win.

Mitchell, a native of Port Arthur, Texas, was selected by the Houston Astros out of Dallas Baptist University in the 38th round of the 2013 draft. In his first professional season, he hit .256 with two home runs and 30 RBIs in 59 games with short-season Class-A Tri-City.

This season, Mitchell joined the River Bandits from extended spring training May 1 and has played in 28 games as a left fielder and right fielder. His seven home runs lead the team this season, and his 22 RBIs were the most by a River Bandit in May. He initially set his career high with four RBIs May 22 against Cedar Rapids, before matching it Friday against Beloit. Since May 21, Mitchell has batted .361 (13-for-36) with six home runs, 18 RBIs and an .888 slugging percentage. Quad Cities has gone 8-3 in that 11-game stretch.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park at 6 p.m. Saturday with a Craig Biggio Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Prairie Farms and FOX18 for the first 1,500 fans. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 110 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, followed by a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 300-foot long zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

*****