Mission Notes vs. Dunedin (June 29-July 1)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... All three games will be played in Dunedin with 7:00 p.m. start times.

THE FLYING TIGERS (38-36, 2-2, T-2nd, 1.0 GB) ... Lakeland took two of three from Clearwater in its most recent series including a 7-1 victory in Tuesday’s game behind eight strikeouts by Drew Smyly and four hits by Avisail Garcia. Lakeland is batting .263 as a team and has a 3.78 staff earned run average. The Flying Tigers have stolen the fewest bases as a team (32) of any team in the FSL.

THE BLUE JAYS (42-34, 3-3, T-2nd, 1.0 GB) ... Dunedin is coming off a 3-0 shutout at Daytona on Tuesday and is 4-3 in the its last seven games, alternating wins and losses. A.J. Jimenez leads the Blue Jays with a .313 average in 55 games while three hitters have double digit home runs in Brad Glenn (16, tied for the league lead), Jon Talley (10) and Sean Ochinko (10). Dunedin’s closer, Wes Etheridge leads the FSL with 28 saves in 28 save opportunities and has a 1.40 earned run average. Dunedin bats .256 as a team and has a 3.88 staff ERA. The Blue Jays lead the league with 159 doubles and are second with 61 home runs.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Wednesday (6/29) - Luke Putkonen (0-2, 7.11 ERA) will be looking for his first victory since joining the club on June 9. He has dropped his last two decisions, allowing six runs in each game, and also pitched six innings in each game while allowing 18 hits in the two games.
• Thursday (6/30) - Trevor Feeney (5-7, 4.52 ERA) took the loss in his last start, allowing four runs on a pair of homers in five innings against Brevard County. Giving up the long ball is something Feeney has had problems with this year, surrendering 11 dingers on the season. After tossing seven shutout innings against Daytona on June 10, he has allowed seven runs over his last two starts.
• Friday (7/01) - Cole Nelson (4-9, 5.01 ERA) picked up the win in his last start on June 26 against Clearwater with five strikeouts. He held the Threshers to two runs on four hits over 6.0 innings pitched. It was his second consecutive game working 6.0 innings and holding opponents to two earned runs. Nelson has struck out 20 batters over his last four starts.

THIS SEASON ... The Blue Jays have won four of the six previous meetings, but Lakeland took the last series two games to three back on April 17-19. Gustavo Nunez had batted .565 in the six games while Wade Gaynor was 7-of-23 for a .304 average and two home runs. Gaynor drove in seven of Lakeland’s 25 runs in the series.

BIG LEAGUE VISITOR ... Detroit Tiger Carlos Guillen is with the Lakeland team on a rehab assignment, recovering from microfracture knee surgery. He has been on the disabled list since last August.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER ... The Flying Tigers’ bullpen has not allowed a run in their last 14.2 innings and just one run over the last 21.1 innings dating back to June 16 and has combined for 17 strikeouts and two walks.

HITS ARE GOOD ... Lakeland is 25-9 when outhitting their opponents and 9-24 when being outhit. In seven games in which the two teams have had the same number of hits, Lakeland has won four times.

HAIL, HAIL, AVISAIL ... Avisail Garcia collected four hits in Tuesday’s game and has six hits in his last eight at bats. The Flying Tiger right fielder is 8-for-16 (.500) with four runs scored, two runs batted in and a double over four games. The four hits marked the third time Garcia has had four hits in a game and the 18th time this year he has had two or more hits in a game - the second most on the team.

JONES IN THE ZONE ... Corey Jones carried a 17-game hit streak from May 29 to June 22 and now has hits in 19 of his 21 games. The Flying Tigers’ second baseman is 30-for-80 (.375) since May 29 with 11 runs scored, six doubles and 12 runs driven in.

ONE LEFT ... Prior to Tuesday’s game, Tony Plagman and Jordan Lennerton had played in every one of their team’s game this season–the only two players in the league to do so. However, Lennerton was given a day off on Tuesday as Carlos Guillen started as the DH, leaving Plagman tied for the league lead in games played with 74.

WOO-HO JULIO ... Julio Rodriguez has three hits in two of his last three games and is 7-for-11 (.636) during those three games. The two three-hit games gives him three on the season and now has 12 multi-hit games.

BERGOLLA, BERGOLLA ... William Bergolla has had two hits in each of his last two games and is 4-for-9 in those two games.

INSIDE THE LONG BALL ... Here is a breakdown of Lakeland’s record when various batters have hit a home run: Daniel Fields (4-0); Avisail Garcia (4-1); Wade Gaynor (4-2); Corey Jones (1-0); Jordan Lennerton (2-2); Tony Plagman (5-5); Julio Rodriguez (1-0); Brent Wyatt (0-2).

LAKELAND IN THE FSL ... Brent Wyatt leads with a .431 on-base percentage (ranks seventh among all Class A players) ... Kenny Faulk is second with 19 saves; third among relievers with 11.78 strikeouts, fifth with 1.44 walks and 8.90 baserunners allowed per nine innings ... Trevor Feeney is second with 91.2 innings pitched and third among starters with 1.57 walks issued per nine innings ... Jordan Lennerton is third with 53 walks ... Tony Plagman is fourth with 52 runs batted in ... Lakeland is tied for the league lead with a .982 fielding percentage ... Wade Gaynor leads all third baseman with a .960 fielding percentage while Daniel Fields leads all outfielders with a .994 fielding mark ... Julio Rodriguez has thrown out 39.0 percent of opposing would-be base stealers which ranks second.

LEAGUE TOTALS ... As a league, the FSL teams are batting a combined .262 with a 3.87 league earned run average.

A LOOK AT THE DETROIT ORGANIZATION ... Detroit leads the American League Central Division with a 43-37 record and has a 1.0 game lead over Cleveland ... Toledo is in last place in the International League’s West Division with a 32-48 record, 21.5 games out of first place ... Erie is fourth in the Eastern League Western Division with a 38-39 record and is 6.0 games out of first place ... Lakeland is 38-36 overall and is 2-2 in the second half in the Florida State League North Division, 1.0 games out of first place ... West Michigan is 34-40 overall and 2-3 in the second half of the Midwest League Eastern Division, 2.0 games back ... Connecticut is off to a 5-5 start and is in third place in the New York-Penn League Stedler Division, 1.0 game out of first place ... the GCL Tigers are 3-5 and are tied for third in the Gulf Coast League’s North Division, 3.0 games back.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS ... Tony Plagman leads with 52 RBI and is second with 10 homers ... Jared Wesson leads with eight wins ... Kenny Faulk leads with 19 saves ... Lakeland’s .263 team batting average is second highest in the organza ti on while the staff ERA of 3.78 is fourth best ... former Flying Tigers Rawley Bishop, Brandon Douglas, Gustavo Nunez and Justin Henry, all playing at Erie, are all tied for the organizational lead with 14 stolen bases.

Mission Notes vs. Clearwater (June 26-28)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... Break out the sunglasses and sunscreen as two games in this series are day games. Game one is Sunday afternoon at 1:00 while game three is the Flying Tigers’ annual Parks & Recreation Department Day with a 10:30 a.m. start on Tuesday. Sandwiched in between is a normal 7:00 p.m. start time on Monday.

THE FLYING TIGERS (36-35, 0-1, 6th, 1.0 GB) ... Lakeland finished in fifth place in the first half with a 36-34 record, trailing Daytona by 11.0 games. The Flying Tigers second-half opening series at Brevard County was cut short by rain as the clubs played just one game with the Manatees, coming out on top by a 4-2 score on Thursday. Friday and Saturday’s games were rained out and will be made up at a later date (see below). Lakeland is hitting .263 as a team, good for sixth highest in the league while the staff ERA of 3.84 ranks fifth.

THE THRESHERS (40-32, 1-2, T-4th, 1.0 GB) ... Clearwater finished in second place with a 39-30 record but was outdistanced by the Cubs by 7.5 games. The Threshers are 3-11 since June 7 and have won just once in their last seven contests. Clearwater is fourth in the league with a .270 team batting average while the Threshers’ staff ERA of 3.26 is lowest in the league. The staff has mowed down 595 batters, second highest strikeout total in the league. Sebastian Valle leads the Threshers with a .350 average in his 44 games played while Jeremy Barnes is next at .268, also in 44 games played. Darin Ruf (.282) has the highest mark among those batter with 60 or more games played.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Sunday (6/26) - Drew Smyly (3-2, 2.92 ERA) struck out eight and walked none while holding Daytona to two unearned runs on just three hits, but did not factor into the decision on June 21. Smyly, who had won his three previous starts, has a 2.03 earned run average in his last four starts with 23 strikeouts and seven walks.
• Monday (6/27) - Luke Putkonen (0-2, 7.11 ERA) will be looking for his first victory since joining the club on June 9. He has dropped his last two decisions, allowing six runs in each game, and also pitched six innings in each game while allowing 18 hits in the two games.
• Tuesday (6/28) - Trevor Feeney (5-7, 4.52 ERA) took the loss in his last start, allowing four runs on a pair of homers in five innings against Brevard County. Giving up the long ball is something Feeney has had problems with this year, surrendering 11 dingers on the season. After tossing seven shutout innings against Daytona on June 10, he has allowed seven runs over his last two starts.

THIS SEASON ... Clearwater has won five of the six meetings this season and swept the three-game series on May 3-5. The middle game of that set was a 14-inning affair, won by the Threshers 3-2 in Lakeland. Julio Rodriguez is 7-for-17 in five games in the series for a .412 mark while Brent Wyatt is 6-for-19 for a .316 average in five games.

RARE RAIN OUTS ... Friday’s rain out at Brevard County was the first of the year for Lakeland who had played all 71 contests this season on the date the game was originally scheduled. Saturday’s game was also a washout. Both games will be made up as part of doubleheaders on Sunday, August 7 at 4:05 p.m. and Monday, August 8 at 5:05 p.m.

JONES' STREAK SNAPPED AT 17 ... During the 17-game streak, Jones was 27-for-70 (.386) with 10 runs scored. The 17-game streak was the longest in the Florida State League this season.

LOTSA WINS ... Lakeland’s Jared Wesson is tied for the Florida State League lead with eight wins along with Clearwater’s Julio Rodriguez and two other starters. The Thresher’s Jonathan Pettibone is rightbehind with seven victories.

LAKELAND HAS HIS NUMBER ... Jonathan Peittibone has faced Lakeland twice this season with one loss and a no-decision. He is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA against Lakeland and is 7-3 with a 2.51 ERA against the rest of the league.

MOTHER MAY I ... Clearwater’s Trevor May leads the league with 102 strikeouts and 11.77 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

LESS IS MORRISON ... Michael Morrison has surrendered just one run in his last 14 outings dating back to May 4 and just three earned runs since April 11.

TOP DEFENSIVE SQUADS ... Lakeland and Clearwater sit atop the league’s defensive standings with identical .982 fielding percentages. The Threshers have committed a league-low 48 errors while the Flying Tigers are right behind with 50. Both teams are in the middle of the league in double plays turned (66 for Clearwater and 64 for Lakeland). Wade Gaynor continues to lead FSL third baseman with a .958 fielding percentage while Daniel Fields leads league outfielders with a .993 mark.

GUNS BEHIND THE PLATE ... Lakeland’s Julio Rodriguez has thrown out 38.6 percent of would be base stealers this season which is second best in the league while Clearwater’s Sebastian Valle is third with a 37.1 efficiency mark.

FLYING HIGH ... Brent Wyatt is 0-for-6 his last two games, but 19-for-48 (.396) since June 8 ... William Bergolla is 10-for-27 (.320) with two doubles and homer in his last seven games ... Daniel Fields is 4-for-13 (.308) his last four games ... Avisail Garcia is 14-for-49 (.286) since June 10 ... Julio Rodriguez had three hits in his last game on June 23 and has 12 hits, including three doubles and a homer since June 9.

GROUNDED ... Wade Gaynor is 1-for-14 (.071) his last four games ... Jordan Lennerton is 1-for-12 (.083) his last four starts ... Eric Roof is 4-for-29 (.138) his last eight games ... Tony Plagman is 4-for-14 (.222) his last five games.

RE-ENTRY ... Michael Rockett has rejoined the Flying Tigers from AA Erie where he was batting .309 in 23 games. To make room on the roster, Alexander Moreno was sent to the Gulf Coast League team. Moreno had been with Lakeland since June 10, but didn’t see any game action. In addition, Matt Little has been activated from the disabled list where he had been since June 2.

NUNEZ MAKES AN IMPACT ... Recently promoted shortstop Gustavo Nunez hit an inside-the-park home run in his fourth game as a member of the Erie SeaWolves.

LAKELAND ALUM NAMED TO FUTURES SQUAD ... Former Flying Tiger Francisco Martinez has been named to the World roster for the 2011 XM All-Star Futures Game to be played at Chase Field in Phoenix on July 10 as part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star week festivities.

LAKELAND IN THE FSL ... Kenny Faulk is third with 18 saves and also third among relievers with 11.57 strikeouts per nine innings pitched and second with 1.19 walks per nine innings ... Brent Wyatt continues to lead with a .438 on-base percentage ... Tony Plagman is tied for third with 52 runs batted in ... Jordan Lennerton is third with 50 walks ... Tyler Stohr is tied for second with seven holds.

Mission Notes vs Brevard County (June 23-25)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... All three games are 7:05 p.m. starts at Spacecoast Stadium in Viera. Thursday’s game will be broadcast live on cable’s Bright House Sports Network (BHSN). Check your local listings for the availability of BHSN. In Lakeland, the game can be seen on Bright House Networks, Channel 47. Thursday’s and Friday’s games can also be heard via the internet at gofnlr.com or 1300wmel.com. Saturday’s game will not be broadcast.

THE FLYING TIGERS (36-34, 5th 1st Half, 10.0 GB) ... Lakeland closed out the first half with a 6-3 loss at Daytona, spoiling a shot at a third series sweep of the Cubs this season. The Flying Tigers finish in fifth place in the first half standings in the North Division, 10.0 games out of first place behind the first-half champion Daytona Cubs. Lakeland is sixth in the FSL with a .263 team batting average and fifth with a 3.83 staff earned run average. Flying Tiger pitchers have walked the second fewest batters in the league and also hit the second fewest batters in the FSL. Lakeland is tied with Clearwater with a .962 fielding percentage – best in the league.

THE MANATEES (27-42, 6th 1st Half, 19.0 GB) ... Brevard County also closed out the first half with a loss, falling 6-5 to Dunedin. Brock Kjeldgaard sits atop the Florida State League with 18 homers a .590 slugging percentage while Khris Davis is seventh with a .320 average and fourth with a .416 on-base percentage. The Manatees are eighth in the FSL with a .263 team batting average while the pitching staff has the highest ERA in the league with a 4.68 mark. Brevard County has the second worst fielding percentage at .968 committing the second most errors in the league with 82.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Thursday (6/23) - Trevor Feeney (5-6, 4.36 ERA) worked 6.0 innings in a non-decision on June 15 against Tampa holding the Yankees to three runs on six hits. On June 10, he tossed seven scoreless innings against Daytona and has a 2-1 record and a 2.57 ERA over his last four starts with 15 strikeouts and five walks. Opponents are batting .291 against Feeney.
• Friday (6/24) - Cole Nelson (3-9, 5.17 ERA) has dropped his last three starts with a 6.32 earned run average in those outings. He has struck out 15 and walked six while surrendering 21 hits. In his last start, Nelson held Tampa to three runs, two earned, on five hits in 6.0 innings pitched. Lefties are batting .322 against Nelson while righties are hitting .303 against the lefty.
• Saturday (6/25) - Jared Wesson (0-1, 6.23 ERA) worked 6.1 innings in his last start on June 20 against Daytona and got the win, holding the Cubs to one run, despite walking six batters. He is 5-1 in his last seven starts with a 2.57 ERA. Wesson began the season allowing 17 earned runs in four starts and has allowedonly 20 earned runs in his last 10 starts. Righthanded batters are hitting .291 against Wesson, but he is holding lefties to a .193 mark.

THIS SEASON ... The Manatees hold a slim 5-4 margin in the series this season and took two out of three in the last meetings on June 11-13. The Flying Tigers won their last contest by a 13-6 tally. Lakeland is hitting .292 in the series with Wade Gaynor and Avisail Garcia leading the way. Gaynor carries a .382 average with six doubles in the nine games while Garcia is batting .351 with six runs batted in. Brock Kjeldgaard has the hot bat for the Manatees with a .447 average, two homers and 12 RBI while Khris Davis has a .367 mark with two homers and 11 RBI.

JONES EXTENDS HIT STREAK TO 17 ... Corey Jones singled in his first at bat on Wednesday to extend his hit streak to 17 games – the longest streak in the Florida State League this season. During the streak, Jones is 27-for-70 (.386) with 10 runs scored. The streak is Lakeland’s longest since Kody Kaiser collected hits in 21 consecutive games from May 15-June, 2010.

NUNEZ FINALLY GETS HIS SHOT ... Gustavo Nunez has finally earned a promotion to AA Erie and was sent north on June 20. Nunez led the 2010 squad with 116 hits and was named to the Florida State League Midseason All-Star Team. This season, he was again leading the team with 79 hits and was a repeat selection to the FSL All-Star squad.

NEWEST CREW MEMBER ... Taking Nunez’s spot on the roster is infielder C.J. Retherford who comes to Lakeland from AA Erie where was hitting .176 in six games this season. Originally signed as a free agent by the Chicago White Sox in 2007, Retherford advanced to AAA, but was released just prior to the start of the 2011 season. He signed with the Atlanta Braves’ organization and played in 41 games at AA Mississippi before joining the Tiger’s system on June 14.

BERGOLLA MOVES IN ... Taking Nunez’s defensive spot at shortstop is William Bergolla, a veteran of 10 previous seasons in the minors and one season in the majors. Bergolla made it to the big leagues in 2005, playing in 17 games for the Cincinnati Reds. Orginally signing with the Reds as a free agent in 1999, Bergolla was released in 2008 and remained out of baseball until joining the Tigers’ system this season.

BERGOLLA’S BAT ... William Bergolla maybe taking Nunez’s bat as well as his position with 12 hits in his last 24 at bats for a .500 clip over six straight games. He has driven in five runs while collecting two doubles and a homer.

WYATT EARPED ... Brent Wyatt was held in check in two at bats on Wednesday to see his 11-game hit streak snapped. During the steak, Wyatt was 14-for-42 for a .452 average with 14 runs scored.

SITUATIONAL FLYING TIGERS ... Lakeland’s top hitter with runners on base is Brent Wyatt who has a .317 average in that situation. Tony Plagman has a team-best .321 batting average with runners in scoring position while Wyatt climbs back atop the situational ladder carrying a .412 mark with two outs and runners in scoring position.

LAKELAND IN THE FSL ... Jared Wesson continues to remain in a three-way tie for the league lead with eight wins while Kenny Faulk is third with 18 saves in 19 situations. Brent Wyatt maintains his lead with a .443 on-base percentage while Tony Plagman remains third with 52 runs batted in. Jordan Lennerton and Brent Wyatt are third and fifth with 50 and 43 walks, respectively. Tyler Stohr is tied for second with seven holds.

TEAM LEADERS ... Brent Wyatt leads with a .308 batting average, 37 runs scored, and 11 times hit by a pitch. Jordan Lennerton has a team-leading eight doubles. Tony Plagman leads with 52 runs batted in and 10 home runs in the first half of the season (in comparsion, Jordan Lennerton and Billy Nowlin each hit nine homers for the entire 2010 campaign to lead the team). Cole Nelson has struck out a team-high 60 batters while Trevor Feeney has worked a team-high 86.2 innings. Feeney, Nelson and Jared Wesson have each started a team-high 14 games.

A LOOK AHEAD ... Break out the sunglasses and sunscreen as the Flying Tigers’ next home series features two day games. Game one of a three-game series against Clearwater is on a Sunday afternoon at 1:00 while game three is the Flying Tigers’ annual Parks & Recreation Department Day with a 10:30 a.m. start on Tuesday. Sandwiched in between is a normal 7:00 p.m. start time on Monday.

Mission Notes vs Daytona (June 20-22)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... Game one of this three game series is at Joker Marchant Stadium at 7:00 p.m. with games one and two at Jackie Robinson Park in Daytona on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

THE FLYING TIGERS (34-33, 5th, 12.0 GB) ... Lakeland went into the All-Star break losing three straight to Tampa and has now lost five of the last six games. The skid has dropped the team into fifth place in the North Division.

THE CUBS (46-21, 1st, 0.0 GB) ... Daytona lost their final two games before the All-Star break, snapping a four-game win streak. Heading into the break, four Cubs batters were hitting .300 or better – Evan Crawford (.333), Justin Bour (.308). David Macias (.303) and Jae-Hoon Ha (.303). Bour is second in the FSL with 16 homers and 53 RBI while Crawford has swiped 15 bases.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ... (The following is based on the rotation prior to the All-Star break. With three days off, the rotation may change.)

• Tuesday (6/14) - Jared Wesson (7-4, 4.58 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits over 5.0 innings in a no-decision in his last start on June 12 against Brevard. He has allowed no more than three runs in any of his last six starts and only once in his last eight outings. Through his first five starts, Wesson was 1-2 with a 9.98 ERA. In his last eight starts dating back to May 1, he is 6-2 with a 2.60 mark.
• Wednesday (6/15) - Drew Smyly (3-2, 3.40 ERA) was named the FSL Pitcher of the Week for June 6-12, but was roughed up for six runs – four earned – on six hits in 6.2 innings in his last start on June 13. He still emerged with the win thanks to a late rally. After dropping his first start on May 28 coming off the disabled list, Smyly is 3-0 over his last three starts with a 2.75 ERA.
• Thursday (6/16) - Luke Putkonen (0-1, 6.23 ERA) has started two games since joining Lakeland on June 5. In his first start on June 9, he struck out five and walked one while allowing three runs on eight hits in 7.0 innings but did not factor into the decision. In his last start on June 14, he struck out six and allowed 11 hits, including three homers, for six runs in 6.0 innings and the loss.

EARLIER THIS SEASON ... Lakeland has won six of the nine games played in the series so far this season including the last three. In their last meeting, Lakeland blasted the Cubs, 12-1. The Flying Tigers also won the first three games of the series while the Cubs captured the middle three games. Lakeland has a .282 average in the nine games while the Cubs carry a .269 mark.

FLYING TIGERS AT THE ALL-STAR GAME ... The North Division emerged triumphant with a 5-3 victory over the South in the 50th Florida State League All-Star Game played in front of 5,134 fans Saturday in Clearwater. Here’s a look at how the four Flying Tigers fared.

• Kyle Faulk ... Faulk struck out the side in the eighth inning, getting the first batter on a called strike three and the next two out on a swinging third strike.
• Gustavo Nunez ... Nunez started the game at shortstop and played five innings. Batting lead-off for the North, he flew out in the first inning, grounded out in the third frame and walked in the fifth. Nunez stole second after that walk and later scored. Defensively, he had two assists at short.
• Tony Plagman ... Plagman started the game at first base and played six innings. He was hit in the back with a pitch in his first plate appearance, doubled in his second at bat, and flew out in his final trip to the plate. Plagman handled six putouts at first base.
• Julio Rodriguez ... Voted to the All-Star game as a catcher, Rodriguez came into the game in the seventh inning at first base, replacing fellow Flying Tiger, Tony Plagman. In his only at bat, Rodriguez singled in a run for the North. He had one putout at first base.

JONES AT 14 ... Corey Jones doubled in his first at bat against Tampa on June 16 and added a second double later in the game. The two doubles extended Jones’ streak to 14 games (tied for the longest active streak in the FSL) in which he is 22-for-54 for a .407 average. The .407 mark is the fourth best average since May 29 in High-A ball. During the streak, the second baseman has had five doubles and driven in six runs.

DIEZ FOR NUNEZ ... Gustavo Nunez singled against Tampa on June 16 to extend his hit streak to an even 10 games. The shortstop is 16-for-47 since June 6 for a .340 average with eight runs scored.

WYATT AT NINE ... Brent Wyatt carries a nine-game streak into this series in which he is 15-for-34 (.441) with 12 runs scored. The third baseman has hit three doubles, a triple and a home run in the last six games.

GALLOPING GAYNOR ... Wade Gaynor has hits in six straight games and has gone 10-for-25 for a .400 average. The third sacker has scored four runs and driven in five in those six games with three doubles and a home run.

LEAPING LENNERTON ... Jordan Lennerton has hits in 19 of his last 20 games for a .351 average (26-for-74) with nine doubles, two homers and 16 runs batted in. He posted a 16-game hit streak (tied for longest in the FSL this season) from May 26-June 12 in which he hit .390 with 14 runs batted in.

ANOTHER STREAKER ... Tony Plagman was held in check in the Flying Tigers’ last game to see his hit streak snapped at 11 games. During the streak, Plagman was 17-for-48 (.354) with 10 runs scored and 10 more driven in. He had eight extra base his during the streak, including five doubles, a triple and two home runs.

DOUBLE DIGITS ... Lakeland has had 10 or more hits in eight of its last 10 games for 114 hits and a .310 average since June 6.

BACK-TO-BACK JACKS ... In their last home game on June 14 against Tampa, Brent Wyatt and Tony Plagman homered in consecutive at bats to give Lakeland its first back-to-back homers of the season. As a team, the Flying Tigers have homered in six of their last eight games for a total of nine homers in that span.

LAKELAND IN THE FSL ... Jordan Lennerton and Tony Plagman are the only players in the league to have played in every game ... Brent Wyatt leads with a .440 on-base percentage ... Gustavo Nunez is second with 79 hits (three behind the leader, Robert Lyerly of Tampa) and tied for second seven triples ... Tony Plagman is third with 51 RBI ... Jordan Lennerton is third with 46 walks while Brent Wyatt is fourth with 42 ... Jared Wesson is tied for second with seven wins ... Kenny Faulk is third with 16 saves, second with 1.26 walks per nine innings and third with 11.62 strikeouts per nine innings ... Trevor Fenney has worked more than any pitcher with 86.2 innings pitched, Cole Nelson is fourth with 76.2 innings ... Tyler Stohr is fourth with six holds (one behind a trio of relievers) ... Defensively, Lakeland is tied with Clearwater for the best defensive team with identical .982 fielding percentages; third baseman Wade Gaynor (.955) and shortstop Gustavo Nunez (.975) have the top fielding marks in the league at their positions with Gaynor also leading third baseman with 49 putouts while Nunez is tops among shortstops with 285 total chances, 102 putouts and 176 assists. Catcher Julio Rodriguez ranks third throwing out 37.7 percent of intended base stealers.

Mission Notes vs. Tampa (May 14-16)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... Game one of this three game series takes place at Joker Marchant Stadium at 7:00 pm with games two and three traveling to Tampa. Both games at George Steinbrenner Field are also at 7:00 pm. This is the last series before the All-Star break.

THE FLYING TIGERS (34-30, 4th, 11.0 GB) ... Lakeland is coming off a 13-6 win over Brevard County on Monday that saw the Flying Tigers overcome deficits of 5-0 and 6-1 to give starting pitcher Drew Smyly a present on his birthday. The club used a six-run third inning, sparked by a two-run double by Wade Gaynor and a three-run homer by Daniel Fields to secure the win, the team’s fourth in the last six games. The Flying Tigers are hitting .261 on the year with 20 triples, second most in the FSL. Lakeland pitchers have a combined 3.75 earned run average and have walked 172 batters on the year, second lowest total in the league.

THE YANKEES (32-32, 5th, 13.0 GB) ... Tampa, two-time defending Florida State League champions, have dropped two in a row and three of their last four. The Yankees are hitting .253 on the year, third lowest average in the league, and a 4.11 staff ERA, third highest in the league. Robert Lyerly leads the Florida State League with 78 hits. Like Lakeland, Tampa pitchers have shown control on the mound walking 176 batters, third fewest in the Florida State League.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Tuesday (6/14) - Luke Putkonen (0-0, 3.86 ERA) worked seven innings and struck out five while allowing three hits in his first start with Lakeland on June 9 against Daytona. In his last outing at AA Erie on June 4, Putkonen tossed seven scoreless innings on four hits while striking out four and walking none.
• Wednesday (6/15) - Trevor Feeney (5-6, 4.35 ERA) has won two of his last three starts with a 2.05 ERA. He tossed seven scoreless innings in his last outing on June 10 against Daytona while striking out four, walking one and allowing six hits. He is 2-1 vs. Tampa.
• Thursday (6/16) - Cole Nelson (3-8, 5.35 ERA) was tagged for six earned runs on nine hits in just 3.2 innings in his last start on June 11, despite striking out six batters. Nelson has dropped two straight and four of his last five outings.

EARLIER THIS SEASON ... The Yankees swept the Flying Tigers in their last series as Lakeland could manage just four runs in the three games. Overall, Tampa leads the season series by a 6-4 mark. Julio Rodriguez has a .417 (10-for-24) average in the series while Tony Plagman has a .385 (15-for-39) average with 11 runs batted in. Jordan Lennerton also has a hot bat against the Yankees with a .371 (13-for-35) average. Trevor Feeney is 2-1 with a 1.80 earned run average in three starts versus the Yankees this season.

FSL HONOR ... Drew Smyly got a second birthday present on Monday, earning Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honors. In his one start last week, Smyly tossed seven no-hit innings with seven strikeouts and three walks. It is the first league honor for a Flying Tiger this season and is the first FSL Pitcher of the Week honor for Lakeland since Charlie Furbush earned the honor for the week of May 24-30, 2010.

EVEN DOZEN ... Corey Jones went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in in Monday’s 13-6 win over Brevard County to extend his hit streak to 12 games. He is 19-for-46 (.413) since May 29.

SNAPPED AT 15 ... Jordan Lennerton was held hitless in five trips to the plate on Monday to see his 15-game hit streak snapped. During the streak, Lennerton was 23-for-64 (.359) with ten doubles and 14 runs batted in. The 15 games was the second longest streak this season in the Florida State League.

ANOTHER STREAKER ... Tony Plagman brings a nine-game hit streak into the Tampa series. He is 15-for-39 (.385) with nine runs scored, eight runs batted in. Since June 1, Plagman has hit seven doubles, a triple and two home runs.

PLAYING WITH GUSTO ... Gustavo Nunez is 12-for-34 (.353) with hits in seven straight games and has scored six runs in his last four games. Nunez has had hits in 16 of his last 18 games and is 27-for-78 (.346) with 17 runs scored since May 24.

BULLISH PEN ... Flying Tiger relievers have allowed just four runs in their last eight games for a 2.16 earned run average. The bullpen has 32 strikeouts and 14 walks since May 31.

MORE MORRISON ... Michael Morrison has allowed just six hits in his last 11 appearances out of the bullpen while surrendering just one run. He has 15 strikeouts and four walks since May 4.

SIX SHOOTER ... Brent Wyatt has hits in his last six games for a 8-for-22 (.364) average with eight runs scored, two RBI and two doubles since June 8.

LAKELAND IN THE FSL ... Jared Wesson is second with seven wins ... Kenny Faulk is third with 16 saves and is second with 1.30 walks per nine innings among relievers and third with 12.04 strikeouts per nine innings ... Tyler Stohr is tied for third with six holds ... Tony Plagman is third with 48 runs batted in ... Gustavo Nunez is tied for second with seven triples, fourth with 75 hits and tied for fourth with 44 runs scored ... Jordan Lennerton is tied for third with 18 doubles and is also third with 43 walks ... Brent Wyatt is second with a .429 on-base percentage and fifth with 40 walks.

THE HITS KEEP A’ COMIN’ ... Lakeland has had ten or more hits in six of their last seven games with 82 hits in those seven games for a .313 average. The squad has knocked out 18 doubles in those seven games with five homers.

FOUR FOR FIELDS ... Daniel Fields clubbed a three-run homer to cap a six-run third inning in last night’s game to spark a 13-6 Lakeland win and also doubled in a run later in the game for four RBI. In his last three games, Fields is 5-for-12 (.417).

WADE ROLLER ... Wade Gaynor is also 5-for-12 (.417) in his last three games with three runs scored, four driven in and two doubles.

TREY TIME ... Avisail Garcia had three hits and scored three runs in last night’s 13-6 win over Brevard County. It was his second three-hit game in the last three starts and his third of the season.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS ... Jared Wesson leads all Detroit minor leaguers with seven wins while Tony Plagman is first with 48 runs batted in and second with nine home runs. Gustavo Nunez has swiped a organizational best 14 stolen bases while Kenny Faulk has six more saves than any other organizational reliever. Lakeland has the best record of the four Detroit affiliates, second best ERA, but third lowest batting average.

FOUR HEADED TO THE CLASSIC ... Four Flying Tigers have earned a trip to the 50th Florida State League All-Star Classic in Clearwater. Shortstop Gustavo Nunez, catcher Julio Rodriguez, designated hitter Tony Plagman and closer Kenny Faulk will head to Clearwater for the June 18 game at Bright House Networks Field.

Mission Notes vs. Brevard County (June 11-13)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... All three games will be played at Joker Marchant Stadium at different times. Saturday’s game is a special 4:00 p.m. start; Sunday is at 1:00 p.m.; and Monday at 7:00 p.m.

THE FLYING TIGERS (33-28, T-3rd, 9.0 GB) ... Lakeland is coming off a second series sweep of the division-leading Daytona Cubs. The Flying Tigers, who swept the Cubs in three games on April 14-16, duplicated the feat with a three-game killing on June 8-10. Game two of the recent series at Daytona was won in the 11th as Julio Rodriguez capped a 4-for-5 night with a lead-off homer in the top of the 11th to lead the Flying Tigers to the 4-3 decision. It was the catcher’s second game this season with a quartet of hits. Lakeland is hitting .258 as a team with a 3.67 ERA (fifth best in the FSL).

THE MANATEES (22-39, 6th, 20.0 GB) ... Brevard County dropped a 10-8 loss to Dunedin on Friday despite having taken an 8-3 lead in the fifth. It was the Manatees’ eighth loss in their last ten games. Brevard County is hitting .255 as a team with a league-high 4.70 staff earned run average. Khristopher Davis leads the Manatees with a .311 average to go with his nine homers.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Wednesday (6/11) - Cole Nelson (3-7, 4.84 ERA) lost his last decision despite holding Tampa to three runs over 6.0 innings. He struck out five and did not issue a walk while scattering seven hits. He has lost three of his last four starts and six of his last eight.
• Thursday (6/12) - Jared Wesson (7-4, 4.52 ERA) lost his last start as well with similar numbers holding Tampa to three hits on five hits and six strikeouts in six innings. The loss snapped a four-game win streak by Wesson. In his last five starts he has a 2.64 ERA.
• Friday (6/13) - Drew Smyly (2-2, 3.3 ERA) tossed seven no-hit innings at Tampa on June 8. Making just his third start since coming off rehab, Smyly struck out seven and walked three in winning his second straight start.

EARLIER THIS SEASON ... Brevard County took two of three from Lakeland on April 23-26. Lakeland’s lone win in the three home contests came in game two as Brent Wyatt scampered home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth. The Flying Tigers returned the favor, taking two of three at Brevard County on April 30-May 2. Game two of that series saw Lakeland explode for 14 runs on a season-high 21 hits. Julio Rodriguez has a .429 average in four games in the series while Wade Gaynor and Avisail Garcia are hitting .364 and .346, respectively. In the six games, Lakeland is batting .281, but has a 4.91 ERA while Brevard County batted .305 with a 3.88 ERA. Khristopher Davis and Brock Kjeldgaard are both hitting .400 in the series.

LUCKY 13 ... It took a seven-run eighth inning to get him an extra at bat, but Jordan Lennerton came through with a line-drive single to left field to extend his hit streak to 13 games on the season. Lennerton’s streak began on May 26 and since then he is 21x52 (.408) with nine doubles and 10 runs batted in. His streak is the longest active streak in the Florida State League for a player still in the league (Daytona’s Junior Lake has a 14-game streak but he has since been promoted to AA Tennessee). His nine doubles gives him 18 for the season, tied for second most in the FSL, while his 41 walks on the season is third most in the league.

LAKELAND IN THE FSL STATS ... Jordan Lennerton and Tony Plagman are the only two players in the league to have played in all 61 games this season ... Jared Wesson is tied for second in the league with seven wins while Kenny Faulk is third with 16 saves in 16 save opportunities. Faulk’s 12.49 strikeouts and 1.01 walks per nine innings each rank third among FSL relievers ... Brent Wyatt still sits atop the FSL with a .437 on-base percentage.

ROSTER SHIFT ... Lakeland infielder James Meador has announced his retirement from baseball. Taking his spot on the roster is Jeff Kunkel who returns to Lakeland for a second stint with the Flying Tigers. Kunkel joined the team from AAA Toledo. The oft-traveled catcher has played for all three levels of the Tigers’ minor league this season catching six games for each club.

DOUBLE DIGIT HITS ... Lakeland has had 10 or more hits in each of the last four games, including 17 hits in last night’s game.

BOMBS AWAY ... The Manatees’ Brock Kjeldgaard leads the Florida State League with 16 home runs.

COREY’S COMING ... Second baseman Corey Jones brings a nine-game hit streak into this series in which he has gone 15-for-34 (.441) with six runs scored and a pair of doubles since May 29.

PLAG THE MAN ... First baseman/DH Tony Plagman has hits in each of his last six games in which he is 9-for-27 (.333) with five runs scored, two runs driven in and three doubles.

GO GUSTAVO ... Shortstop Gustavo Nunez has nine hits in the last four games in which he is 9-for-22 (.409) and is batting 22-for-62 (.355) since May 26. His recent run at the plate has propelled him to a tie for fourth in the Florida State League with 71 hits while his seven triples is second most in the league.

STINGY STARTERS ... Thanks to shutout performances by Drew Smyly and Trevor Feeney, Flying Tiger starters have a 2.00 ERA in the last four games. For the season, the starting pitchers have a 4.21 earned run average with 6.19 strikeouts and 4.20 walks per nine innings.

BULLPEN BRAG ... The Lakeland bullpen has been tough on hitters allowing just one run in its last five outings for a 0.69 ERA. The relievers have a 2.73 overall with 7.95 strikeouts and 2.40 walks per nine innings.

FEWEST ONES ... Gustavo Nunez has stolen 14 bases this season, almost half of Lakeland’s 29 swipes on the season. The 29 is just one more than Fort Myers’ league-low total of 28.

RARE START ... Gustavo Nunez found himself starting at second base on Thursday at Daytona. It was his first start at the second sack since 2008 when he played 13 games there for the Flying Tigers. Of his 424 career games played, 402 have come at shortstop with just 15 starts at second base. The other seven games have come in the outfield and as the designated hitter.

DE-FENSE ... Lakeland’s team fielding percentage of .983 is tied with Clearwater for the league’s best mark. The Flying Tigers have committed just 41 errors on the year compared to the Threshers’ FSL-low total of 40 miscues. Wade Gaynor leads all qualifying third baseman with a .955 mark and 43 putouts while Daniel Fields is tops with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

FOUR HEADED TO THE CLASSIC ... Four Flying Tigers have earned a trip to the 50th Florida State League All-Star Classic. Shortstop Gustavo Nunez, catcher Julio Rodriguez, designated hitter Tony Plagman and closer Kenny Faulk will head to Clearwater for the June 18 game at Bright House Networks Field.

Mission Notes vs Daytona (June 8-10)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... Games one and two are in Daytona at 7:05 p.m. and can be heard on the internet (visit the Cubs website for link) with game three back in Lakeland at 7:00 p.m.

THE FLYING TIGERS (30-28, 4th, 12.0 GB) ... Lakeland swept Fort Myers a series ago in four games and then was swept by Tampa in three games. The Flying Tigers are 13-15 on the road and 17-13 at home. Jared Wesson is tied for the FSL lead with seven wins while Kenny Faulk is third with 15 saves. Gustavo Nunez is tied for second in the league with seven triples while Jordan Lennerton is second with 40 walks. Lakeland is hitting .254 as a team with a 3.81 ERA which is fifth best in the FSL.

THE CUBS (42-16, 1st, 5.0 Game Lead) ... Daytona has won 72 percent of its game so far this season thanks to a 12-game win streak from May 18-29. The Cubs have also had a streak of nine wins as well as two six-game win streaks, including winning six consecutive games to open the season. Evan Crawford leads the club with a .344 average (second in the FSL) while Justin Bour is batting .327 on the season (good for seventh best) to go with his league-leading 15 home runs and 47 runs batted in. Daytona has the highest team batting average in the FSL at .279, scored the most runs in the league (318) and hit the most homers (51). The Cubs’ pitching staff has allowed the third fewest runs in the FSL and thus, has the third best ERA with a 3.36 staff mark.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Wednesday (6/8) - Victor Larez (4-3, 3.77 ERA) tossed seven shutout innings in his last start on June 2, holding Fort Myers to five hits with five strikeouts. It was his first decision in his last five starts. In his last three games (two starts and one relief appearance) Larez has allowed just a pair of runs while striking out 13 and walking four.
• Thursday (6/9) - Drew Smyly (1-2, 3.77 ERA) picked up his first win of the season with six solid innings pitched in his last start on June 3 against Fort Myers. He allowed a pair of runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Smyly pitched in three games this season before heading to the disabled list with a sore left arm and was on the DL from April 23 to May 28.
• Friday (6/10) - Trevor Feeney (4-6, 4.76 ERA) took the loss in his last start on June 4 against Tampa despite holding the Yankees to two runs on four hits over eight innings. It was his second straight quality start having worked seven innings on May 29 in picking up the win over Palm Beach allowing three runs on eight hits and six strikeouts.

EARLIER THIS SEASON ... Lakeland swept three games from the Cubs on April 14-17, taking the first two games by identical 4-3 scores and game three by a 9-6 margin. It is the only time the Cubs have been swept in a series this season. Daytona returned the favor, taking a three-game set on April 22-24 by scores of 5-2, 5-3 and 3-1.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A SERIES MAKES ... Lakeland swept four games from Fort Myers on May 31-June 3 outscoring the South Division leaders by a 31-to-13 margin. Tampa then swept Lakeland in three games June 4-6 in a tighter series, outscoring the Flying Tigers by a combined 11-to-4 score.

DOUBLE-DIGIT STREAK ... With a single in his third at bat on Monday, Jordan Lennerton extended his hit streak to 11 games. During the streak, Lennerton is 17-for-38 with six runs scored, six doubles and five runs batted in. His streak is the second longest active streak in the FSL and matches Gustavo Nunez’s 11-game stretch from April 21 to May 4 for longest on the Flying Tigers this season.

A LITTLE HELP? ... Lakeland’s starters have a 2.86 ERA over the last ten games, but has received just an average of 4.4 runs per game (thanks in large part to a 13-run outburst on May 31) in support. In the Tampa series, Lakeland scored just four runs while the trio of starters held the Yankees to a combined eight runs.

CAGEY COREY ... Second baseman Corey Jones takes a seven-game hit streak into the Daytona series and has gone 11-for-27 in that stretch for a .407 clip.

GUSTY ... Shortstop Gustavo Nunez has hits in 10 of his last 12 games and has gone 17-for-49 (.347) with 11 runs scored and two triples and double.

TONY THE TIGER ... First baseman/DH Tony Plagman is 8-for-23 (.348) over his last six games with four runs scored, four runs driven in, three doubles and a home run.

A WALK FOR FAULK ... The walk issued by Kenny Faulk on Monday was his first in his last 13 appearances. The two innings pitched on Monday against Tampa was his longest outing of the season and also marked the first game he has entered in a non-save situation in his last eight appearances.

STEADY STOHR ... The three runs allowed by reliever Tyler Stohr on June 4 against Tampa was more than he has surrendered in his last 15 appearances combined. The one walk he issued in that game was only his third in his last 15 outings as well.

MOST WINS ... Lakeland’s 30 wins in the most of the four Detroit minor league affiliates at this point in the season.

SOARES GROUNDED ... Former Flying Tiger Ryan Soares, who had been assigned to West Michigan on June 2, fractured his right ulna when hit by a pitch on Saturday, June 4 and has been placed on the Whitecaps’ disabled list. It was only his second game with the club.

FREQUENT FLYER MILES ... Pitcher Zach Samuels might be feeling like a yo-yo as of late. He was added to the Flying Tiger roster from extended spring training on April 16. On May 24 he earned a promotion to AA Erie and appeared in one game, tossing four scoreless innings. Samuels was then sent back to Lakeland on June 3, works one scoreless inning that evening and then sent back to Erie on June 5.

FOUR HEADED TO THE CLASSIC ... Four Flying Tigers have earned a trip to the 50th Florida State League All-Star Classic. Shortstop Gustavo Nunez, catcher Julio Rodriguez, designated hitter Tony Plagman and closer Kenny Faulk will head to Clearwater for the June 18 game at Bright House Networks Field.

ROSTER RUMBLIN’S ... Lakeland welcomed back a pair of familiar faces to the roster on Sunday. Rejoining the team from West Michigan is Dan Gentzler who was 1-3 in 10 games with the Whitecaps. Also returning to Lakeland is Luke Putkonen who earned his first win with seven scoreless innings pitched on Saturday night for Erie. Putkonen, who was 0-7 prior to Saturday’s victory, finished 9-7 with a 3.18 ERA for Lakeland in 2010.

PLAN AHEAD ... Lakeland will play at home next Saturday, June 11, at a special 4:00 start. It’s a Sunset Celebration with post game activities, music, and fireworks presented by the Ledger Media Group.

Mission Notes vs. Tampa (June 4-6)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... Lakeland returns to competition against the North Division after winning 14 of 23 games against South Division teams. This is a home-away-home, three games series with the Tampa Yankees. Game one is Saturday in Lakeland at 6:00 pm; Sunday is in Tampa at 1 pm; and Monday is back in Lakeland at 7 pm. Lakeland then heads to Daytona for two games on June 8-9 before returning home on Friday, June 10 against the Cubs.

THE FLYING TIGERS (30-25, T3rd, 10.0 GB) ... Lakeland is coming off a four-game sweep of Fort Myers, the first sweep of the Miracle by Lakeland since 2005. Friday’s win, an 8-6 affair, was the Flying Tigers’ fifth in a row and 10th in their last 15 games. Lakeland batted a lofty .329 in the series behind eight hits by Avisail Garcia and seven each by Corey Jones and Gustavo Nunez. The Flying Tigers are hitting .255 overall with a 3.81 staff earned run average.

THE YANKEES (26-29, 5th, 14.0 GB) ... Tampa fell 4-2 at Jupiter on Friday, snapping a five-game win streak by the Yankees. Robert Lyerly leads the club with a .327 average to rank eighth in the Florida State League. His 44 runs batted in is tied for second most in the FSL while his 71 hits leads the league. Tampa is hitting .260 as a team and has a 4.45 team ERA - third highest among all FSL staffs.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Saturday (6/4) - Trevor Feeney (4-5, 5.07 ERA) will look to celebrate his 24th birthday in style as he takes the mound in the opening game of the series. To do so, he’ll have to snap out of a funk that has seen him give up 17 runs over his last four starts.
• Sunday (6/5) - Cole Nelson (3-6, 4.87 ERA) scattered five hits over six innings while holding Fort Myers to one run on May 31 in his last start. Nelson was 2-4 with a 4.50 ERA in May after recording a 1-2 mark with a 5.40 ERA in April.
• Monday (6/6) - Jared Wesson (7-3, 4.53 ERA) has shaved a full two runs off his ERA by winning his last four straight starts allowing just five earned runs over 24.2 innings for a 1.82 earned run average.He has also struck out 21 batters in the last four games including a team-high eight K’s on June 1 against Fort Myers.

EARLIER THIS SEASON ... The two clubs split a four-game, opening weekend series, while Lakeland won two of three on May 6-9 to hold a 4-3 margin in the series. The Flying Tigers have a .242 average in the series with Julio Rodriguez leading the way with a .529 average (9-for-17) in five games. Tony Plagman batted .393 with 10 runs batted in over the seven games. Trevor Feeney, who starts on Saturday, goes for his third win over the Yankees this season.

FOUR HEADED TO THE CLASSIC ... Four Flying Tigers have earned a trip to the 50th Florida State League All-Star Classic. Shortstop Gustavo Nunez, catcher Julio Rodriguez, designated hitter Tony Plagman and closer Kenny Faulk will head to Clearwater for the June 18 game at Bright House Networks Field. Gustavo, who was named to the FSL All-Star last season, is the sixth Lakeland player to earn back-to-back FSL midseason All-Star honors joining catcher/DH Mike Williams (1983-C & 1984-DH); second baseman Jim Walewander (1984 & 1985); outfielder Bernie Anderson (1986 & 1987); catcher Mike Rivera (1999 & 2000); and pitcher Tommy Marx (2001 & 2002). Catcher Greg Shippy had the distinction of being named to two FSL All-Star teams with a year off in between being so honored in 1974 and 1976.

MOST WINS ... With his win over Fort Myers on June 1st, Jared Wesson logged his seventh victory of the year, the most for any pitcher in the Florida State League. Wesson is 7-3 on the year.

15-FOR-15 ... Closer Kenny Faulk recorded two more saves in the Miracle series and now has 15 on the season, which ranks second in the FSL, three behind Justin Friend of Clearwater who has 18 saves. Faulk is perfect in his last seven save opportunities and is 15-for-15 on the season. His 12.93 strikeouts per nine innings and 0.76 walks per nine innings both rank second among league relievers. The reliever is 1-1 on the season with a 1.52 ERA with 34 walks and just two walks over 23.2 innings pitched.

GOT TO KNOW WHEN TO HOLD ‘EM ... Reliever Tyler Stohr has recorded five holds on the season which ties him with four others for the league lead. A reliever gets credited with a hold when he enters the game in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game before it has ended with his team still in the lead.

LENNERTON LUMBER ... Jordan Lennerton has carried the hot bat to the plate as of late and has a current eight-game hit streak. The first baseman/DH is 12-for-28 with two hits in four different games. He has five doubles during the streak and has driven in eight runs and scored five times.

DANDY DAN ... Daniel Fields brings a six-game hit streak into this series in which he 8-for-20 with four runs batted in.

JONES’ING - Corey Jones has hits in each of his last five games and is also 8-for-20 including a four-hit night on May 31 against the Miracle.

SPEAKING OF HOT BATS ... Although he had a seven-game hit streak snapped on June 2, Gustavo Nunez came back with a 3-for-5 effort the next night and is now 14-for-36 (.389) since May 24 with 10 runs scored, a double and two triples. Nunez has driven in six runs in the last four games.

TWICE AS NICE ... Lakeland has collected 12 doubles over the last five games and 34 two-baggers since May 16. The Flying Tigers have hit at least one double in 15 of the last 18 games.

FRIENDLY CONFINES ... With the four-game sweep of Fort Myers at home, the Flying Tigers are now 17-11 at Joker Marchant Stadium.

THREE TIMES THE FUN ... Gustavo Nunez hit a triple in each of the first two games of the Fort Myers series and now ranks second in the Florida State League with seven triples on the season, just one behind the leader, Matt Dan Dekker of St. Lucie.

I’M WALKIN’ ... Jordan Lennerton drew five walks in the first three games against Fort Myers and now leads the Florida State League with 38 walks. Teammate Brent Wyatt is fifth with 33 free passes.

ROSTER RUMBLIN’S ... The Flying Tigers welcomed back a pair of players and lost two others. Rejoining the squad are William Bergolla and Zach Samuels while Ryan Soares was sent to West Michigan and Matt Little was placed on the disabled list. Bergolla comes off the DL where he had been since suffering a broken finger on April 16. Samuels returns to Lakeland after a week at AA Erie where he appeared in one game tossing four scoreless innings against Reading on May 30.

PLAN AHEAD ... Lakeland will play at home next Saturday at a special 4:00 start. It’s a Sunset Celebration with post game activities and fireworks presented by the Ledger Media Group.