Falcons Hit The Road
- Updated: June 7, 2018
The Kelowna Falcons take to the road for the first time this summer as they make their way to Longview, Washington for a weekend three-game series against the Cowlitz Black Bears beginning on Friday night at David Story Field.
2018 Season Series
Friday, June 8th @ David Story Field (6:35 PM)
Saturday, June 9th @ David Story Field (6:35 PM)
Sunday, June 10th @ David Story Field (5:05 PM)
Monday, July 9th @ Elks Stadium (6:35 PM)
Tuesday, July 10th @ Elks Stadium (6:35 PM)
Wednesday, July 11th @ Elks Stadium (6:35 PM
2017 Season Wrap
The Falcons come into the 2018 season after making the playoffs for the second time in three seasons in 2017 where Kelowna finished atop of the North Division during the first half of the season with a 17-10 record before wrapping up the year with a 28-26 record and were one of four teams to qualify for the postseason. The Falcons met with the Victoria HarbourCats before bowing out of the playoffs in two games to their Canadian foes.
The Black Bears aim to make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2012 as they were on the outside looking in during the 2017 season, finishing with an even 27-27 record. Cowlitz wrapped up the first half of the season with an 11-16 record before having a strong second half, recording a 16-11 record and falling just one game out of first place behind the Corvallis Knights.
2017 Season Series
The out-of-division foes played their first series of the 2017 season in mid-June with the Black Bears winning the first two games of the three-game set by 6-4 and 2-0 scores before Kelowna came back with four straight wins to take the season series. The Falcons rattled off a 5-0 victory and went back to Elks Stadium for a three-game sweep of the Black Bears, outscoring them by a 22-13 margin.
A Series Ago
The Falcons had just a single game in a bit of a scheduling oddity as they took on the Corvallis Knights on Wednesday night at Elks Stadium. Trent Tinglestad hit the first Falcons home run of the summer but Kelowna surrendered 11 runs in the 7th inning of the game and eventually fell by a 16-7 score to the defending WCL Champions and went to 1-2 on the season.
After opening the season with a win over the Bend Elks, the Black Bears suffered four straight losses with two coming against Bend and a pair to the Portland Pickles. Cowlitz ended their four-game losing skid with a 3-1 victory over Portland on Wednesday night. The Black Bears look for their first series win of the summer after back-to-back series losses to Bend and Portland.
Returnees
Kelowna:
P Cal Hehnke (Junior, University of Nebraska-Omaha)
INF Taylor Wright (Freshman, University of Maryland)
INF Matt Voelzke (Sophomore, George Fox University)
OF Lucas Soper (Junior, University of British Columbia)
OF Davis Todosichuk (Junior, Okanagan College)
OF Trent Tinglestad (Sophomore, Everett Community College)
Cowlitz:
P Joey Morris (Sophomore, University of Portland)
OF Ryan Kim (Sophomore, University of Portland)
Who’s Hot
Kelowna:
OF Cody Crowder (6’2”, 185 lbs/Shepard, Texas, USA)
The Centenary School sophomore has found a hot start at the plate to begin the summer, leading the Falcons with six hits in the first three games of the season. Crowder picked up his second RBI of the season on Wednesday and has hit safely in each of those three contests. The outfielder sits 1st on the team (with at least 10 at-bats) with a .462 AVG.
OF Trent Tinglestad (5’11, 200 lbs/Marysville, Washington, USA)
The second-year Falcon has been the most productive heading into the first road series of the year as he has collected three runs batted in in 12 at-bats. Tinglestad hammered the first Falcons home run of the season on Wednesday night with a towering fly ball over the right field fence.
P Dru Fitz (5’10, 180 lbs/Gresham, Oregon, USA)
A newcomer to the Falcons pitching rotation is expected to make his West Coast League debut on Friday night in Cowlitz as Dru Fitz will head to the mound. Hailing from Manager Bryan Donohue’s school of Mount Hood, the sophomore pitched to a 1-1 record with a 1.42 ERA in 6 games, two of them being starts. Fitz threw 25.1 innings while striking out 40 batters and walking just 9.
Cowlitz:
OF Ryan Kim (5’11, 170 lbs/Boise, Idaho, USA)
One of the two returnees to the Black Bears this summer just joined the team for their three-game series against the Portland Pickles and collected a hit in each of those three contests, including a 3-for-4 performance in the 3-1 win on Wednesday. Kim is 5/11 this season along with 3 walks and a run scored, having reached base safely in 8 of his 11 plate appearances.
INF Liam Ballance (6’5, 195 lbs/Parksville, BC, Canada)
Canadian Liam Ballance has compiled the most hits of any other Black Bear in the early part of the summer. The Vancouver Island Mariner is 7-for-23 to start the season and tied for the team lead with 4 RBI’s and 3 runs scored in 23 at-bats. These strong numbers are coming off of a strong spring on Vancouver Island for Ballance, who hit .362 with the Mariners with a home run and 17 RBI’s in 27 games.
P Marty Maves (5’11, 175 lbs/Oswego, Illinois, USA)
It’s been a strong beginning to the West Coast League career of Marty Maves as the right-hander has compiled 5 scoreless innings of relief out of the Black Bears bullpen. Maves earned the win on Wednesday night after pitching scoreless 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings, allowing just one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. On the season, Maves has pitched five scoreless innings allowing just one hit, three walks and six strikeouts.
The Falcons and Black Bears kick off their three-game weekend series from Longview, Washington on Friday night with first pitch coming at 6:35 PM. All 54 Falcons game can be caught live HERE with play-by-play broadcaster Trevor Miller. Kelowna is back at home for an all-Canadian clash and playoff rematch against the Victoria HarbourCats at Elks Stadium with the three-game series starting on Tuesday, June 12th.
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