BELOIT—The way that the Beloit Sky Carp have been playing as of late, opponents may be pondering to themselves if there is some magic afoot.
Unfortunately for them, the Sky Carp’s four-game winning streak looks to be all pure athleticism and skill, but there will be some wizardry in Beloit come Friday Night as ABC Supply Stadium will play host to Harry Potter Night.
It is just one of several exciting events on the docket for the Sky Carp’s six-game homestand in Beloit as the squad prepares to take on the first-place Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, who come in fiery at 8-2 in its past 10 games and posses first place in the Midwest League West Division.
Of course, Beloit knows a thing or two about a hot run themselves as they swept a three-game series in Peoria. With a win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels the previous Sunday before a four-game layoff due to the MLB All-Star Break, Beloit holds the longest active streak in the division.
The series begins on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m., as do all Sky Carp games this week outside of Sunday, where first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
The Sky Carp are in third place with a 13-11 record in the second half of the season and a 43-44 overall mark. The Kernels are in second at 14-10 and currently hold the coveted playoff spot after the Timber Rattlers (16-7) clinched a berth with its first-half divisional title.
Peoria is in fourth at 12-12 followed by Quad Cities (11-13) and South Bend (7-17).
The usual hot-hitting suspects have helped Beloit rack up the wins with team-batting leader Josh Zamora hitting .375 in his past 15 games with four RBI and Johnny Olmstead, who is second among qualified hitters with a .257 average, hitting .333 and knocking in nine runs in the same stretch.
But perhaps most encouraging in the recent winning stretch was the work of outfielder Mark Coley from the plate. Coley, whose average bottomed out at .171 on June 14, has chipped his mark up to .217 after a strong past couple of weeks. In the last 15 days, the 2023 17th-round pick out of Rhode Island is hitting .273 with seven runs scored. He has three RBI in that stretch while smacking two triples and a homer. Coley also stole five bases in that span.
First baseman Brock Vradenburg, a 2023 third-rounder out of Michigan State that was called up to Beloit on July 2, has started to catch on quite nicely at the higher level. In his past nine games, Vradneburg is hitting .257 with six runs, and he has proved to be clutch during scoring opportunities as he has knocked in 10 runs in just 35 at-bats. He also has two home runs and a triple.
On the pitching side, Cade Gibson has made the most of his return to Beloit. The 2022 10th-rounder was sent down after four games, three of them starts, with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, despite sporting a 1.65 ERA with 16 strikeouts.
In 11 innings across two starts, Gibson looked like he was set out to prove he belongs back in Florida. He has struck out seven while allowing just one earned run for a 0.82 ERA. Opponents are hitting .179 off of him, and his sole iffy stat is his number of walks at four.
In the bullpen, Kyle Crigger tossed 5 2-3 innings of relief in four appearances across the last 15 days and allowed just two hits and zero runs. He has struck out four while going 3-0 in the span.
Yeuris Jimenez threw five scoreless innings with two hits and four strikeouts while Ignacio Feliz tossed two hitless frames out of the pen with a strikeout.
• PROMOTIONS: The Sky Carp faithful have more than just a hot-streaking squad to look forward to at the ballpark as the series is filled with special giveaways and events.
Feel bad about leaving the pooch at home while you have fun at the game? No worries, as the Sky Carp continue to hold Waggin’ One Price Wednesday at ABC Supply Stadium. 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.
The next night is Thirsty Thursday, where fans can purchase 12-ounce drafts of Busch Light for just $2 or 16-ounce cans for $4 and Nothing Night. Are you an oldschooler with a yearning for the classic style of baseball without all the added fanfare? Then this night will be for you.
On Friday, the first 500 fans through the gate will receive a Sky Carp-Hogwarts combo T-Shirt, and a slew of Harry Potter themed happenings will be held throughout the night.
Saturday will see Beloit and ABC Supply team up for a great cause as it hosts Make-A-Wish Night. The Sky Carp will wear special jerseys that will be auctioned off following the game, with full proceeds going towards the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Fans can also stick around for post game fireworks.
The series wraps up with Sunday 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.
Tickets are available at skycarp.com.
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