Beloit Sky Carp return to ABC Supply Stadium for six-game series

BELOIT — As the girl from Kansas with the red slippers and little dog once said, “There’s no place like home.”

The Beloit Sky Carp return to ABC Supply Stadium on Tuesday for a six-game series against the Quad Cities River Bandits after a two-week road trip against the Lake County Captains and West Michigan Whitecaps.

The Sky Carp faithful will be welcomed back to the ballpark with a crowded schedule of promotions that feature both cemented classics and a host of fresh ideas.

Beloit’s squad will also surely be happy to be back within the friendly confines of their home stadium after going just 4-8 across 12 games in a pair of six-game sets against the Captains and Whitecaps.

The Sky Carp’s mediocre trip out East puts them in fifth place in the Midwest League West Division at 19-23 in the second half of the season, and they are 49-56 overall. They are well ahead of the lowly South Bend Cubs, who are 15-27 (42-66 overall), but are six and a half games behind the first-place Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (25-16, 67-40). In between the two are a trio of teams who are 21-21: the River Bandits, Peoria Chiefs and Cedar Rapid Kernels, who hold the automatic playoff spot, which would go to the second-place team should the Timber Rattlers win the division again.

Beloit has time to make up ground, with 24 games left in the regular season, and a good series against Quad Cities would get them on the right path to making the postseason.

It all starts Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday’s games all start at 6:35 p.m. as well while Sunday’s begins at 1:05 p.m.

• WHO’S HOT: Newbie Colby Shade, who was called up on Aug. 2 as the Sky Carp overhauled their roster with 10 new players being added, is making the most of his time in Beloit.

Shade, a 9th-round pick out of Oregon, is hitting .281 with four doubles and four runs batted in across his first nine games. He has walked twice and struck out nine times in 32 at-bats.

Catcher Ryan Ignoffo, another fresh addition, has hit .259 in his first six games. He has scored twice and knocked a run in while striking out four times.

Thomas White, the No. 2 prospect in the Miami Marlins’ system according to MLB Pipeline, continues to be Beloit’s most reliable arm in the starting rotation.

He followed up a stellar start against Lake County, where he threw five innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits while striking out eight, with a dominant outing against West Michigan. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter across five innings of one-run ball.

Cade Gibson and Alex Williams, both former starters who have come out of the bullpen for the Sky Carp as of late, are shining in their new roles.

Gibson hasn’t allowed a run while allowing five hits and striking out six in 7 1-3 innings these past two series. In that same span, Williams has allowed just an earned run on five hits while striking out six in eight frames.

• PROMOTIONS: The first two promotions in the homestand will be quite familiar to Sky Carp fans.

Wednesday is Waggin’ One Price Wednesday, where fans can bring their dog to the park and all fans may enter the park for $18, which includes a game ticket, soda, hot dog and chips, while Thursday is Thirsty Thursday, where fans can purchase 12-ounce drafts of Busch Light for $2 or 16-ounce cans for $4.

Friday is Fairbanks-Morse Fairies Throwback Night, where the Sky Carp will wear special jerseys to commemorate the semi-pro baseball team that played in Beloit from 1915-27. The Fairies, a company team that was made up of workers from Fairbanks Morse, included such former big leaguers as Eddie Gharrity, Buck Weaver and Jim “Hippo” Vaughn and were considered one of the best semi-pro squads in the nation.

Fireworks will fill up the night sky following Saturday’s game, which is also Star Wars Night. Fans are encouraged to dress up as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia or any of their favorite characters from the sci-fi trilogy. Themed activities will be held throughout the night, and fans can purchase a Jedi Package, which for $20 includes a game ticket and a lightsaber.

Sunday is Family Fun Day, where kids 12 and under will get a chance to run the bases following the game and families can play catch in the outfield, and BHS Employee Appreciation Day as the Beloit Health System honors its employees at the ballpark.