Jake Hannemann

As things stand right now...

Jake Hannemann crushed a three-run homer, Juan Paniagua and Matt Rose each smacked a two-run HR, Victor Caratini drilled an RBI single, doubled, walked, and scored a run, Ryan Dent singled twice, walked, scored twice, and collected an RBI, Chesny Young drove-in three runs with a FC and a two-run single, and SP Preston Morrison hurled four innings of shutout ball, as the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) crushed the Modesto Nuts (Colorado Rockies Hi-A affiliate) 13-5 on Field #6, and Sam Hilliard tripled, singled twice, and scored two runs, Brian Mundell slugged a solo HR and singled and scored, and Jonathan Piron belted an RBI triple, singled, walked, and stole a base, helping the Asheville Tourists (Rockies low-A affiliate) edge the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) 9-8 on Field #3, in Cactus League Minor League doubleheader action Sunday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

P. J. Higgins blasted a two-run HR for South Bend in a losing cause on Field #3, and Ryan Stephens contributed a solo HR and a two-run single in a losing cause for Modesto on Field #6. 

LHSP Justin Steele had a rough outing for South Bend, surrendering seven runs on 11 hits (including two doubles, a triple, and a home run) and a walk in five innings of work. 

As usual, several players were temporarily moved-up from a lower level just for the day. 

The game on Field #6 was unusual in that the Cubs AA squad played the Rockies Hi-A squad. Normally AAA plays AAA, AA plays AA, etc, but the members of last season's Myrtle Beach Pelicans received their 2015 Carolina League Champion rings in a ceremony prior to the games, and because most of the 2015 Pelicans are presently assigned to the AA Tennessee squad at Minor League Camp, the Cubs Hi-A group was dispatched to Salt River Fields to play the Rockies AA squad in place of the Smokies, leaving the Cubs AA group behind at Riverview to collect their rings and destroy the Rockies Hi-A group.

John Arguello at Cubs Den has some great pictures and game reports from Saturday's games at Riveview Park. 

link  

And here are the abridged box scores from the two games played at Riverview on Sunday (Cubs players only): 

Jake Hannemann ripped an RBI double, walked, scored a run, and stole a base, as the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) edged the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants AA affiliate) 5-4 on Field #1, and Ali Castillo drilled a two-run double to cap a three-run second inning and 37-year old veteran catcher Miguel Olivo belted a two-run double to highlight a three-run 6th, as the Sacramento River Cats (Giants AAA affiliate) defeated the Iowa Cubs (the AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) 6-2 on Field #2, in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Friday afternoon at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ.   

Both games were called after eight innings of play. 

Richmond DH Tyler Horan slugged a solo home run in a losing cause on Field #1, and Cael Brockmeyer hammered a solo home run for the I-Cubs in a losing cause on Field #2. 

Iowa Cubs LHRP Scott Barnes continued a strong Minor League Camp with a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts (both swinging) on Field #2, while RHRP Michael Jensen and Steve Perakslis were hit hard, with Jensen also struggling to find the strike zone (throwing only 44% strikes).  

Seven position players were temporarily moved up from the South Bend group to augment the Iowa and Tennessee rosters for the game, with 3B Adonis Paula, OF Donnie Cimino, OF Michael Foster, and 2B Edgar Rondon (who is now switch-hitting -- he had two hits in the game) assigned to the I-Cubs squad, and LF Ricardo Marcano, SS Andruw Monasterio, and C Kevin Zamudio assigned to the Smokies squad, and RHRP James Norwood was moved up to the Tennessee squad from the Myrtle Beach group (and Norwood recorded the save for the Smokies, although he did labor through his one inning of work).    

Cubs Spring Training Depth Chart
Minor League Camp Rosters (updated daily)

Also, John Arguello (Cubs Den) has a report from the two Cactus League Minor League games played at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa on Friday.  

link 

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games played at Indian School Park (Cubs players only):

Jake Hannemann belted a solo home run leading off the bottom of the 1st inning and an RBI double in the 4th, Trey Martin tripled twice and knocked-in two runs, Yasiel Balaguert hammered a three-run HR in the 1st and walked in the 3rd, Will Remillard doubled twice and scored a run, and Paul Blackburn and seven relievers combined to toss a four-hit shutout, as the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) blanked Team Czech Republic 10-0 in Minor League Camp game action this morning on Field #5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

The Czech team (managed by Mike Griffin, with Trot Nixon and Corey Lee serving as assistant coaches) is in Arizona preparing for the World Baseball Classic Qualifier #2 tournament in Mexicali, Mexico later this week. Mexico is the host team, and Germany and Nicaragua are the other two particpants. The winner qualifies for the 2017 WBC. 

As per usual, the Tennessee squad added some additional players for the game, with RHP Corey Black, catchers David Freitas, Will Remillard, and Ben Carhart, 1B Matt Clark, SS Bryant Flete, and OF Bijan Rademacher moving down from the Iowa squad, RHRP Scott Effross, 1B Yasiel Balaguert, 2B Ian Happ, and LF Donnie Dewees moving up from the Myrtle Beach group, and 3B Adonis Paula and catcher P. J. Higgins moving up from the South Bend squad.     

Cubs Spring Training Depth Chart
Minor League Camp Rosters (updated daily)

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only): 

Jake Hannemann ripped an RBI triple and a single, walked, and scored a run, and Jeimer Candelario stroked a single and a solo home run and drove-in another run with a 3-1 GO, leading the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) to a 6-4 victory over the Mobile BayBears (Arizona Diamondbacks AA affiliate) on Field #5, and Justin Marks tossed four shutout innings with six strikeouts, and Danny Worth and Peter O'Brien blasted solo home runs, as the Reno Aces (D'backs AAA affiliate) rallied to edge the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) 5-4 on Field #6, in Cactus League minor league game action this afternoon at Mesa Cubtown at Riverview Park. 

Brandon Drury belted an RBI double and a two-run inside-the-park HR for Mobile in a losing cause. 

In Cubs Spring Training roster news, NRI catcher (and 2014 #1 draft pick) Kyle Schwarber has been sent to Minor League Camp. He has been initially assigned to the Iowa squad (subject to change) and in fact was in the I-Cubs starting lineup as a DH this afternoon (he went 2-4 with two singles).

Also, Cubs 2012 5th round draft pick LHP Anthony Prieto (Americas HS - El Paso, TX) has retired. The 21-year old Prieto underwent Tommy John Surgery last season, and he was far enough along in his rehab that he was able to throw an inning against the Ontario Nationals (Canadian amateur team) this past Monday. But he needed 29 pitches to get through the inning, throwing more balls than strikes and walking the bases loaded, before evenually retiring the side.   

Prieto is the second Cub draft pick from the 2012 class to retire in the last couple of months, with 2012 6th round pick RHP Trey Lang (Gateway CC) having retired prior to the start of Minor League Camp. Lang had major command issues throughout his pro career and had been unable to escape Extended Spring Training and short-season ball.    

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games played today at Riverview Park (Cubs players only):