Bees Ink Two

NEW BRITAIN–The New Britain Bees have announced two key signings—catcher catcher James Skelton and outfielder Ozney Guillen—in preparation for the 2018 Atlantic League season.

This will be Skelton’s third season with the Bees, his sixth in the Atlantic League, and 15^th overall in professional baseball. Last year with New Britain, the backstop appeared in 117 games, hit .255 with 14 HRs, 33 RBIs, 69 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, and a .408 on-base percentage. He also tied an all-time Atlantic League single-season record with 101 walks drawn.

Originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 14^th round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft, Skelton spent five years in the Tigers organization, and continued to play in the organized ball through 2012, reaching the AAA level with Louisville (Reds) in 2011 and Syracuse (Nationals) in 2012. The 32-year-old backstop made his Atlantic League debut in 2013, and has played in the league since with the Somerset Patriots, Lancaster Barnstormers and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in addition to the Bees. Overall, Skelton has, James owns a .258 batting average with 59 home runs, 405 RBIs, 550 runs scored, 145 stolen bases, and a .390 on-base percentage in 1,080 career minor league games.

Guillen joins the Bees for his second season in the Atlantic League and fifth of professional baseball. No stranger to Connecticut sports fans, last season the 25-year-old outfielder played with the Bridgeport Bluefish, where he hit .253 with two homers, 29 ribbies, 30 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 86 games. The son of former MLB star and Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Gullen, Ozney was originally drafted out of high school by the White Sox in the 22^nd round of the 2010 MLB draft. He made his professional debut in 2014 with Normal of the independent Frontier League, spending two seasons with Normal before joining Sioux Falls of the American Association in 2016. Overall, he has hit .241 with 16 dingers and 127 RBIs in 233 career games—all on the independent circuit. He also has crossed the plate 132 times and swiped 32 bases.

The Bees will open their home schedule against The Road Warriors,
the former Bridgeport Bluefish, who will be moving to High Point, NC,
next season. Meanwhile, the team's former home, the Ballpark at Harbor
Yard (pictured), remains vacant while the Warriors play the entire
2018 season on the road. Go figure. (Photo by Bob Phillips)

“Only one week remains until players report for spring training ,and we’re excited how the roster is looking,” says Bees general manager Brad Smith. “James has been one of the better catchers in the Atlantic League the past few years, and will be a very important part of the team in working with our veteran pitching staff. Ozney adds some versatility to the club and has proven he can be an asset in this league.”

The Bees will open the season with a six-game series in Sugar Land, Tex., a suburb of Houston, where they will challenge the Sugar Land Skeeters, beginning on Apr. 27. They will then return home to host the former Bridgeport Bluefish who will be playing this season as The Road Warriors—yes, playing the entire season on the road (even though their former ballpark in Bridgeport remains unoccupied and dormant) while a new state-of-the-art stadium is being built for them in High Point, NC, for the 2019 season. The home opener will be on Fri., May 4, with the first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m. at New Britain Stadium. For more information on the Bees, click HERE.

Join Da Club!

 
The Bees are happy to announce Xfinity Kid’s Club for the 2018 season, open to all kids up to 13-years of age and it is free to join.

Membership includes a ticket to every Bees Sunday home game, an official Kid’s Club membership card, 10 percent off all kid’s apparel in the team store, a 10 percent discount off the price of summer Bees Baseball Camps, and an invitation to Sting’s Birthday Bash and Xfinity Kid’s Club Day on Sat., Aug. 18. In addition, Xfinity Kid’s Club members who book a Birthday Party with the Bees will receive a 10 percent discount, and have the opportunity to toss out the first pitch of the game.

“We are excited to partner with Xfinity and announce the start of the Bees Kid’s Club,” says Bees General Manager Brad Smith. “This will be an exciting program in 2018 and we look forward to giving all the participants a fun-filled experience.” 

To sign up for the Xfinity Kid’s Club online, CLICK HERE. A registration form is also available by CLICKING HERE. For more information on the Xfinity Kid’s Club, please email info@NBBees.com or call (860) 826-2337.

—Staff Reports

Sound Tigers Eliminated From Playoff Hunt

By Bob Phillips

On Sunday, Bridgeport fired 43 shots on goal, but it wasn't enough, as
the playoff-bound Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins topped the Sound
Tigers, 5-2, at the Webster Bank Arena.

 

BRIDGEPORT—There will be no playoff hockey in Connecticut this season. The Hartford Wolf Pack were eliminated from Calder Cup contention, and their in-state archrivals, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, joined the Pack on the outside looking in this weekend. (Indeed, the Wolf Pack suffered a brutal weekend, dropping all three games they played.)

Faced with the improbable task of winning out the remaining six games left in the regular season entering the three-in-three weekend just past for any realistic chance of postseason life, the Tigers got off on strong footing when the topped the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 4-3, before 6,653 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plasa in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pa., on Friday night. Bridgeport opened that game by taking a 2-1 advantage into the locker room at first intermission, and saw that lead hold up as the teams traded goals for the rest of the evening.

That meant the Tigers headed home for the cozy confines of Webster Bank Arena where they would have to win both games. However, they won neither.

On Saturday night, the Providence Bruins came to down and defeated Bridgeport 4-2 before 4,658 fans at the WBA. That loss snuffed out any hope the Sound Tigers may have had of making a miraculous season-ending run into the playoffs. Ryan Hitchcock and Jeff Kubiak each scored for the Sound Tigers, while Jeremy Lauzon, Colton Hargrove, Paul Postma and Austin Czarnik all tallied a goal for the P-Bruins. It was the final game of the season between the two Atlantic Division rivals with Bridgeport winning the season series, 6-5-1-0.

BOX SCORE

On Sunday, it certainly wasn’t a matter of not trying. The Sound Tigers fired 43 shots on net, but Penguins’ netminder Anthony Peters turned aside all but two of them, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which had already clinched a spot in the playoffs, popped in five goals to lead the Pens to a 5-2 victory before 3,732 diehard fans at the Webster Bank Arena.

 

Adam Johnson opened the scoring with two goals in a span of 1:17 to put the Penguins on top 2-0 midway through the first period. The initial tally came on the power play with Josh Ho-Sang in the box for slashing, as Johnson received a pass from Kevin Czuczman on the right side and skated to the circle. He delayed and sent a wrist shot just over Eamon McAdam's glove at 9:17.

Seventy-seven seconds later, Johnson tallied his 11th goal of the year and second of the period. Andrey Pedan caught Ryan Haggerty's pass at the left point and fired a long slap shot that was blocked by McAdam, but the rebound trickled to the right of the crease where Johnson converted on a backhand attempt at the 10:34 mark.

The Penguins kept the pedal to the metal and gained a 3-0 advantage at 12:41 of the opening frame courtesy of Christian Thomas' 18th tally of the year. Tom Kostopoulos generated a 2-on-1 rush into Bridgeport's zone and slowed down on the right wing, where he waited for Thomas. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's captain proceeded to flip a pass to the doorstep and the charging Thomas nudged it home on the backhand.

Patrick McGrath scored his second goal of the season at the 16:03 mark when he deflected Zach Trotman's blast from the top of the right circle. Jarrett Burton swept the puck to Trotman from left-to-right and McGrath finished from the doorstep to cap a four-goal first period for the visitors. McAdam (5-2-0) was lifted after 20 minutes of work and suffered the loss with 10 saves on 14 shots.

The Sound Tigers began to chip away at 11:47 of the middle frame when Stevens collected his seventh goal of the season. Kyle Burroughs lifted the puck to the red line and Bernier angled it off the boards for Stevens, who rushed ahead on a two-on-one. Ryan Bourque was to his left, but the rookie forward took charge and guided a shot past Peters' blocker to make it 4-1.

The Penguins responded at 8:01 of the third period to regain their four-goal advantage. Garrett Wilson shot the puck between the circles that Kristers Gudlevskis answered, but it trickled to his right and Gage Quinney deposited his 13th of the year.

Bernier crossed the 20-goal mark a little more than two minutes later to cap the scoring at 5-2. Tyler Mueller made a great play at the left point to keep the puck from escaping the zone and forced it back towards the net. Bernier was in front and following several unsuccessful attempts to punch it home, he finally beat Peters at the 10:19 mark. Mueller was credited with the only assist - his first professional point.

The Sound Tigers finished the contest 0-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill. Bridgeport outshot Providence 43-27, while Gudlevskis made 12 saves on 13 shots in 39:33 of a no decision. The contest included one tilt when Burroughs and McGrath dropped the gloves in the final seven seconds of the first period.

The Sound Tigers are back in action on Friday when they travel to Allentown, Pa., to take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at 7:05 p.m. at the PPL Center. Fans can follow all of the live action on the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHL Live, beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. The Sound Tigers then head to Hershey, Pa., to take on the Bears on Saturday before returning home to conclude the season on Sunday vs. the Charlotte Checkers. First puck drops at 5 p.m. at the Webster Bank Arena.

—with staff reports

Yard Goats Blanked by Fisher Cats on Opening Day

Yard Goats right-fielder Sam Hillard is introduced to the delight of the
Opening Day sell-out crowd at Dunkin' Donuts Park. Sadly, intros
were the highlight of the evening for the Goats,who were routed by the
New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 6-0.

HARTFORD—On an evening far more suited for the NHL Outdoor Classic than baseball, the New
Hampshire Fisher Cats spoiled the Hartford Yard Goats season opener Thursday night with a 6-0 victory before a sellout crowd of 6,518 at Dunkin' Donuts Park. The Yard Goats played before 41 sellout crowds in 2017, during the Capitol City’s inaugural season in the Eastern League.

(Editor’s note: The Yard Goats came to Connecticut in 2016, but played their home games at Dodd Stadium in Norwich that season due to construction delays at The Dunk.)

New Hampshire scored the only run it needed in the third inning, when high-touted Toronto Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled and came in on an RBI double by Lourdes Gurriel, and the Fisher Cats never looked back.

The Goats’ two best scoring chances came in the second and third innings, but they left runners stranded at the corners in both frames. Yonathan Daza led the Hartford attack with two hits.
Gurriel and Cavan Biggio, son of Houston Astros' legend and Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, each had two hits and two RBIs for New Hampshire.

Game two of the four game series is Friday night at 7:05 p.m. It will be a battle of right handed pitchers, as Ryan Castellani pitches for the Yard Goats and Jordan Romano hurls for the Fisher Cats, The game can be heard on News Radio 1410 AM and on the iHeart Radio app. The game will be televised by Vantage SportsNet and video stream of the game can be viewed on MiLB.tv.
                                                                                                                                          —Staff Reports

Bees, Brakettes Renew Battle of the Sexes

NEW BRITAIN—The New Britain Bees have been busy attempting to gain the loyalty of former Bridgeport Bluefish fans, signing several players who played with the ’Fish last season. And now, the Bees are reviving another tradition formerly associated with the Park City—The Battle of the Sexes, an annual exhibition game with the Stratford Brakettes, the former national champion fast-pitch softball team based in Bridgeport’s neighboring town.

Just as its predecessors with the Bluefish, the Battle of Sexes will be a seven-inning affair, played under fast-pitch softball rules with shortened outfield fences. This year’s exhibition will take place on Sunday, July 15, at New Britain Stadium.

This will be the fifth Battle of the Sexes, and the first with the Bees since the team formerly known as the Bluefish bolted the Park City for parts unknown, and will be playing this year entirely on the road (while the Ballpark at Harbor Yard remains vacant) until a new state-of-the-art minor-league stadium is built for the team in High Point, NC, for the 2019 season.

The history of Brakettes players facing male professional players dates back to August 1961 when Brakettes ace Joan Joyce faced the legendary Red Sox slugger Ted Williams in a charity event in Waterbury… and struck out the Splendid Splinter! And for the record: the Brakettes earned their first victory against the Bluefish last season, 2-0. The Bluefish had previously earned victories in the teams’ first three meetings, 2-1, 7-3 and 3-1 in 2014, ’15 and ’16, respectively.

The Brakettes are the longest continuously running fast-pitch softball team in the United States. They will begin their 72nd consecutive season June 2 at their long-time home, Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford. Winners of 28 Amateur Softball Association (ASA) national championships, the Brakettes have also captured seven Women's Major Softball national championships and have produced 22 A.S.A. Hall of Famers and 13 Olympians. Since 2010, the Brakettes have a 442-22 overall record, including 25 invitational tournament titles and a national record 168 game winning streak. Manager John Stratton's club also had unbeaten seasons in 2011 (63-0) and 2013 (68-0). For additional information on the Brakettes, visit www.brakettes.com.

“This is a fun, exciting and unique opportunity that offers something special for all fans in this region,” said Bees General Manager Brad Smith. “The Bees are pleased to team up with the Brakettes and look forward to the first of hopefully many Battle of the Sexes games at New Britain Stadium.”

First pitch in The Battle of the Sexes will be at 7 p.m. on July 15, with gates opening at New Britain Stadium at 6 p.m. Field Box tickets are $11, Box seats are $10,

and Bleacher tickets will be $8. For more ticket information, or to purchase tickets online, please click HERE. There will also be special group and suite rental rates. For more information, call a Bees representative at 860-626-BEES (2337), or visit www.NBBees.com.

The Bees are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, widely regarded as the top independent (i.e. unaffiliated with any MLB organization) league in the country. Throughout its 20-year history, over 900 Atlantic League players and 50 Atlantic League managers have joined Major League organizations. In addition, over 38 million fans have attended Atlantic League games since its inception in 1998. For more information on the Atlantic League, visit http://www.atlanticleague.com.

—Staff Reports