Rome Braves Program Vol. 5

Rome Braves Program Vol. 5

JUNE 7-12, 2022

Lisandro Santos and company lead all the SALLY League in Ks Featured Story: Landon Stephens takes a unique ap- proach to life on & off the field

Northwest Georgia’s largest health care network

Learn more at AdventHealth.com

FEATURED STORY

Landon Stephens: Running His Own Race

8 Wilmington Roster

9 Rome Braves Roster

10 Rome Braves Photo Roster

12 Group Tickets

13 Tradin’ Post Item of the Homestand

PLAY ALONG DURING THE GAME Answers revealed in the 5th inning

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2022 SCHEDULE

HOME

AWAY

Times, dates, and opponents are subject to change.

2

CHARLIE MORTON BOBBLEHEAD JUNE 24

MAX FRIED BOBBLEHEAD JULY 9

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Landon Stephens: Running His Own Race by Justin Franklin

There is no secret that Rome’s Landon Stephens is a fan favorite. The power hitting left fielder is near the top of several leaderboards within the South Atlantic League, including runs batted in and home runs. The truth is, Landon Stephens is good at baseball. The na- tive Ohioan made his way to Rome, Georgia after spending last season in Augusta as a GreenJacket. Prior to that, Stephens was an undrafted free agent out of Miami University in Ohio. Prior to being a RedHawk, Stephens was a Big Blue Bulldog of Hamilton

High School in Hamilton, Ohio. Sure, he’s been a Brave, a RedHawk, and a Big Blue Bulldog, but Landon Ste- phens is and always has been simply Landon Stephens, and that is what keeps him going. Landon Stephens got is start in base- ball just like any other kid would have, but knew early on that the game had more in store for him. “I started, obvi- ously, in tee ball just like every other dude.” Stephens says. “Little League Baseball is really big back where we’re

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from, and I played at Westside Little League, and I would say that’s really where baseball became serious for me. I think that’s what really excelled my dream.” In 2010, Landon Stephens and his Westside Little League team made it to the Little League World Series and played in front of a sold-out crowd in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. “Going there I think I played in front of eight to twelve thousand people. It was one game on ESPN, of course for a twelve- year-old that was pretty sweet.” From there, Stephens really bought in to developing his craft and betting on himself. Every summer you could find Landon on a baseball diamond either getting reps in at a camp or playing games for a travel ball team. With the dedication to the game he already dis- played, it came as no surprise when Stephens decided he want to take his game to the next level and play in college. However, as dedicated to the game as he was, Landon Stephens says that there was something else that was on the forefront of his mind. “For me, I was always worried about school first. That was something my parents always instilled in me, so all throughout high school I always put grades first.” As is common in the game of baseball and life, there would be a few hurdles that would stand in the way of Landon and the next step of his career. Inju- ries would be the main culprit, caus- ing a lull in the recruiting process. “I was being pretty heavily recruited as a freshman, and then I got hurt. I tore my labrum in my left shoulder my sophomore year of high school and it put me out for a year. So the schools that were kind of looking at me before,

put me on the back burner.” Stephens said. Despite the injury, Landon’s ded- ication to the game never wavered. During his junior year of high school, Landon Stephens committed to play baseball at Miami Ohio. “I was never really heavily recruited.” Stephens says. “It was kind of like, just graduate and get your degree.” Even though he was playing baseball, Landon Stephens shifted a lot of his focus into his school, and into his de- gree in financing. However, he kept getting better. In 2019, Landon played and started all fifty-six games for Mi- ami during his junior season. The then infielder hit for a .310 average and had a team high of nine home runs and for- ty-six runs batted in. The stat line that Landon Stephens produced would be enough to get his name on the Fist Team All-Mid-American Conference. Then in a shortened 2020 season, Ste- phens would play and start all fifteen games for the RedHawks. When the 2020 campaign ended, Landon would have the third highest batting average on the team with .311. In the middle of the Covid-19 pandem- ic, the Atlanta Braves signed Landon Stephens to a minor league contract. For Stephens, that was all he need- ed. To him, it no longer mattered that he went undrafted. He was in. “I just wanted a foot in the door. I just wanted a chance. I see it now as a level playing field. There is no NAIA, no JUCO, no D-1, you’re just here. So, I’m just com- peting every day to be the best that I can.” One could assume that there is a slight chip on Landon’s shoulder after going undrafted, but now that he has made it within an organization, he sees everyone as equal competition.

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Even though he is now playing on one of the highest stages a baseball player can make it to, Landon Stephens has not forgotten what has gotten him here. Stephens credits every ounce of success he has had to his support system. “My mom, dad, little brother, girlfriend, grandparents. I can’t even begin to unwrap that. The things that my parents sacrificed to get me to this position.” Stephens says that his support system back home is as big as ever, and it means the world to him. Noting that even the smallest of affir- mations mean so much. “You’re gone from your family a lot in this game, and it is such a blessing to get just a phone call saying, ‘hey great game last night.’ My girlfriend’s grandpa will write me emails. I think that is so fun- ny and I love it, and then my grandma will write me Facebook messages. It is

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awesome, I love my family.”

own race. It’s funny, because I heard that from one of my favorite preach- ers recently in a sermon, too. He was talking about running your own race. That saying has continued to show up in my life when I need it most.” In the off season, Stephens returns home to give lessons to younger base- ball players. He also makes it a point to recognize the younger fans at games. “That’s the kind of stuff that matters. I think back and remember the people that gave to me even when they didn’t have to. The people who would throw with me when my dad couldn’t. The players at games tossing me a ball. It’s the little stuff that makes an impact, and that’s why I do it. Those are things that that kid might hold on to forever to get him here. I think the game re- spects that.” Stephens believes that what you do off the field will pay div- idends on the field. “If you have that mentality of giving back or serving other people, at the end of the day it will come back to reward you on the field.” So, Landon Stephens is running his own race. A race that has seen him dedicate himself to the game of base- ball and its growth. A race that has seen the game of baseball give back to him what he has given to it. Landon Stephens is truly reaping what he sows.

When it comes to his relationship with his longtime girlfriend, Stephens be- lieves that the grind of minor league baseball has only strengthened their relationship. Landon Stephens and Jillian Spurlock met as students in col- lege at Miami University in Ohio. “We started dating right before Covid, so we spent all of that time together, and then I had to up and leave her for six months last year. She was thrown for a loop. It was odd for sure. But those are the kind of things that make stuff stronger, and I think at the end of the day it’s teaching us good qualities as people. How to communicate, how to be better people, and how to show love in different ways. That stuff is important not just within our relation- ship but for the people around us.” Playing the game of baseball day in and day out is mentally taxing, and with as much time in the spotlight as Landon Stephens gets it can be added pressure. But Landon has remained humble and has continued to dedicate himself to the game and to his own growth. “This game is hard. It is very easy to get caught up in the compar- ison of me versus that guy or what does that guy do better than me… but the best advice I ever received came my junior year after I went undrafted. A buddy of mine told me to run my

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WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS Manager: Mario Lisson Coaches: Mark DiFelice, Tim Doherty, Mark Harris, Don Neidig, Brandon Pentheny

PITCHERS

NO.

B/T R/L L/L L/L L/L

HT

WT 175 235 185 195 165 215 260 185 202 224 180 179 195 250 235 230

DOB

Alston, Garvin

44 43 47

6' 4" 6' 2" 6' 0" 5' 11"

03/12/97 07/19/89 09/30/97 11/19/97 06/29/01 03/03/00 02/01/99 03/14/98 06/11/98 09/27/99 06/24/97 07/15/99 12/01/97 10/31/96 07/25/95 09/16/99 08/21/98 05/28/98

Avilán, Luis

Cate, Tim

Chu, Gilberto

7 11

Cuevas, Michael Ferrer, Jose A. Kirian, Michael Knowles, Lucas

R/R 6' 2"

31

L/L R/L L/L

6' 1" 6' 6" 6' 2"

35 29 30

Merrill, Matt

R/R 6' 4"

Parker, Mitchell

17

L/L

6' 4"

Pena, Malvin

40

R/R 6' 2" R/R 6' 6" R/R 6' 1"

Romero, Carlos Shuman, Seth Stainbrook, Troy

41

25 32

L/L

6' 7"

Taylor, Curtis

10

R/R 6' 6" R/R 6' 5" R/R 6' 4" L/R 6' 6"

Theophile, Rodney Willingham, Amos

24 28

217

Yankosky, Tyler

225

CATCHERS Pineda, Israel

NO.

B/T

HT

WT 188 200 WT 199 180 175

DOB

13 19

R/R 5' 11" R/R 5' 10"

04/03/00 09/07/98

Vega, Onix

INFIELDERS Antuna, Yasel Baker, Darren Barley, Jordy

NO.

B/T

HT

DOB

5 4

S/R 6' 0" L/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 0" L/R 5' 11" L/R 6' 5" R/R 6' 1" R/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 1"

10/26/99 02/11/99 12/03/99 11/28/96 10/10/97 08/18/97 07/12/00 07/25/97

23

Daily, Cole

6

170

Mendoza, Drew Meregildo, Omar Sánchez, José Strohschein, Kevin OUTFIELDERS Canning, Gage Méndez, Ricardo Ydens, Jeremy

20

225 185 197 215 WT 175 185 200

16 12 15

NO.

B/T

HT

DOB

3

L/R 5' 10" L/L 5' 10" R/R 6' 2"

04/23/97 01/24/00 07/03/97

1

26

8

ROME BRAVES Manager: Kanekoa Texeira Coaches: Wes McGuire, Danny Santiesteban, Bobby Moore, Jesus Aviles, Joe Powell

PITCHERS Barger, Alec De Avila, Luis

NO.

B/T

HT

WT 201 215 175 210 215 210 210 215 210 205 205 227 230 210 205

DOB

30 34 22 38 59 58 32 26 45 20 56 54 37

R/R 6' 2"

03/24/98 05/29/01 06/15/97 06/06/98 09/30/96 07/06/97 02/02/00 03/12/96 04/14/00 04/21/98 04/10/01 07/24/98 01/27/97 06/22/99 06/21/98 07/05/98

L/L

5' 9"

De La Cruz, Isrrael

S/R 5' 11"

Dodd, Dylan

L/L

6' 2"

Dum, Benjamin

L/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 1" R/R 6' 5"

Freure, R.J.

Hoffmann, Andrew McSteen, Jake Munoz, Roddery

R/L

6' 0"

R/R 6' 2" L/R 6' 3" R/R 6' 3"

Riley, Trey

Salinas, Royber Santos, Lisandro Schwab, Davis Smith, Austin

L/L L/L

6' 1" 6' 4"

12

R/R 6' 4" R/R 6' 6" R/R 6' 4"

Spain, Dylan

7

Van Buren, Malcolm

23

185

CATCHERS

NO.

B/T

HT

WT 185 200 205 WT 190 210 220

DOB

Dawson, Dimon

27 55

R/R 6' 1" L/R 6' 1" R/R 5' 10"

05/17/99 07/16/00 11/19/98

Tolve, Tyler

Valdes, Javier

16

INFIELDERS Bunnell, Cade

NO.

B/T

HT

DOB

4

L/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 3" L/R 6' 3" R/R 6' 3" L/R 5' 10" R/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 2"

05/14/97 01/05/01 03/06/99 02/19/00 12/23/98 10/23/98 03/15/98

Grissom, Vaughn

15

Horne, Bryson

9

Malloy, Justyn-Henry

24

212 170

Milligan, Cody

2 8

Philip, Beau

200 204

Stephens, Landon

18

OUTFIELDERS Campbell, Drew

NO.

B/T L/L

HT

WT 180 215

DOB

11

5' 11"

11/10/97

Carter, Willie

14

R/R 6' 0"

04/08/97 11/23/99

Robinson, Christian

25

L/L

6' 2"

211

9

ROME BRAVES COACHES

13

28

1

Wes McGuire Pitching Coach

Danny Santiesteban Hitting Coach

Bobby Moore Assistant Coach

50

Kanekoa Texeira Manager

Jesus Aviles Athletic Trainer

Joe Powell Strength + Conditioning

Angel Piva Clubhouse Manager

ROME BRAVES ROSTER as of 06/07/22

2

4

7

8

9

Cody Milligan Infielder

Cade Bunnell Infielder

Dylan Spain Pitcher

Beau Philip Infielder

Bryson Horne Infielder

10

ROME BRAVES ROSTER as of 06/07/22

11

12

14

15

16

Drew Campbell Outfielder

Austin Smith Pitcher

Willie Carter Outfielder

Vaughn Grissom Infielder

Javier Valdes Pitcher

18

20

22

23

24

Landon Stephens Pitcher

Trey Riley Pitcher

Isrrael De La Cruz Pitcher

Malcolm Van Buren Pitcher

Justyn-Henry Malloy Outfielder

25

26

27

30

32

Christian Robinson Outfielder

Jake McSteen Pitcher

Dawson Dimon Catcher

Alec Barger Pitcher

Andrew Hoffmann Pitcher

34

37

38

45

54

Luis De Avila Pitcher

Davis Schwab Pitcher

Dylan Dodd Pitcher

Roddery Muñoz Pitcher

Lisandro Santos Pitcher

55

56

58

59

Tyler Tolve Catcher

Royber Salinas Pitcher

R.J. Fruere Pitcher

Ben Dum Pitcher

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GROUP TICKETS

308

307 306

Pressbox

310 309

305

304 Jumbo Suite

311

Boardroom Suite

Terrace

314

301

201

200 202

203

204

206

205

208

207

100 102

210

101

209

103

104

106

105

Gate 6

108

t

107

gou

Du

ay

110

Aw

109

112

Bubba’s BBQ Barn

111

113

Marina

115

117

Picnic Pavilion

Kids Zone

Suzuki Showcase

The Terrace

Suites

The newly renovated Terrace is set to debut for the 2022 season. The Terrace is the most exclusive area at the stadium. Terrace parties include a 90-minute pre-game buffet inside a climate-controlled area with full bar service available. The Terrace also offers your guests one of the best views in the stadium.

An evening in a Rome Braves luxury suite is the perfect way to watch the Rome Braves at AdventHealth Stadium. In fact, a luxury suite is much more than a night of exciting ac- tion-packed entertainment. It’s Rome’s most exclusive opportunity to entertain your clients, employees, family and friends.

Picnics

Parade of Champions

Perfect for large company outings, Picnics in- clude a 90-minute pre-game buffet and a re- served Box Level ticket for each guest. Unique compared to other group areas, there’s no limit on how big your party may be.

Any group reaching one of three reward tiers will be invited to parade around the warning track during pre-game festivities and the Rome Braves will make a donation per the reward program back to your organization.

Suzuki Showcase

Birthday Parties

A covered private party area in Right Field is the perfect place to celebrate little league team parties or birthday parties! With picnic table seating and a grassy-berm area, it’s the perfect area for all to play. Reserve your date today and let the children celebrate.

Celebrate your birthday with the Rome Braves! Enjoy the game with three reserved picnic ta- bles, cake, and the opportunity to eat it too! We’ll even get the entire crowd to sing happy birthday on your special day. National Anthem Packages Does your choir, class, or church group want to perform the national anthem? Groups of 50 or more will receive a discount when booking through our group line!

Picnics

Perfect for large groups who don’t need the amenities of a group area. Discounts are based on how many tickets are purchased.

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$10 BUCKET HAT THIS HOMESTAND ONLY

The newly renovated Terrace is set to debut for the 2022 season. The Terrace is the most exclusive area at the stadium. Terrace parties include a 90-minute pre-game buffet inside a climate-controlled area with full bar service available. The Terrace also offers your guests one of the best views in the stadium.