Fredericksburg dropped its first series in nearly a month last week, as the Nationals won the opener in Myrtle Beach, but then dropped four of the next five against the Pelicans.
The Freddies (29-32) are 7.5 games back in the Carolina League North Division heading into this week’s trip to Columbia.
The Fireflies (34-29) are tied for second place in the South, four games behind the Pelicans. It will be the second meeting this season between the Nats and Columbia, the Royals’ Single-A affiliate, who took 4 of 6 last month at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
In that series finale back on May 21, the FredNats exploded for 7 runs in the first two innings against the Fireflies en route to a 9-1 victory, which jump-started a string of 16 wins in their next 20 games.
Fredericksburg center fielder Elijah Green, the fifth player taken overall in last year’s draft, is hitting .230 on the season with 3 home runs, 29 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 94 strikeouts in 196 at-bats. Green, the Nationals’ No. 3 prospect, drove in a pair of runs in the series-opening win last week, but ended up striking out 11 times in 21 at-bats against the Pelicans.
No. 6 prospect Jarlin Susana (0-3) tossed four scoreless innings on Friday against Myrtle Beach, allowing just a pair of hits. He’s worked his ERA down to 3.28 on the year, with an opposing batting average of .192.
Left fielder Daylen Lile (No. 15) had a productive, 7-for-23 week at the plate, which included a pair of multi-hit games and the go-ahead, solo home run in the sixth inning of Friday’s 2-0 win. He’s batting .275 in 2023 with 5 homers, 36 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
Shortstop Armando Cruz (No. 13) went hitless (0-for-10) in his last three games against the Pelicans, and is batting at a .190 clip on the season, with 11 RBI and 6 stolen bases.
First baseman Roismar Quintana (No. 16) only played in three games last week, collecting a pair of singles in his 11 at-bats. On the season, Quintana is hitting .217 with a home run and 15 RBI.
Fredericksburg will aim to get back to their winning form against a talented Columbia pitching staff this week. The Fireflies own the league’s best team ERA (3.18) and third-best WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), 1.29.
Ben Kudrna, the Royals’ top pitching prospect, (No. 2 overall), was the 43rd pick in 2021, while Fireflies teammate Frank Mozzicato (No. 5) was selected seventh in the same draft. Kudrna is 4-3 on the year with a 3.91 ERA, while Mozzicato is 1-4 with an ERA of 2.54. The duo has combined for 127 punchouts on the season.
Another Columbia hurler with loads of potential is David Sandlin (No. 30), who has a 4-1 record on the season while sporting a 3.38 ERA.
On the flip side, Columbia ranks near the bottom of the list in several offensive categories, and have struck out a league-high 691 times.
Third baseman Austin Charles, the No. 17 prospect in the Kansas City organization, was called up to join the Fireflies from the rookie-league squad earlier this month. His best game came on Saturday when he went 3-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and an RBI.
The Fireflies have three other top-30 prospects on their roster — second baseman Lizandro Rodriguez (No. 25), shortstop Daniel Vazquez (No. 27) and third baseman Brennon McNair (No. 29). Vasquez and McNair have combined for 35 stolen bases this season.
The Freddies will get an extra day off next Tuesday before returning home for a six-game series against Salem, a team they took five of six against a few weeks back. The Red Sox (30-32) enter the week a half-game up on Fredericksburg, and will be hosting first-place Down East this week.
On a side note, the Wood Ducks (36-24) have already clinched a spot in the four-team Carolina League playoffs after emerging as the first-half winner in the North Division (Myrtle Beach has locked up the first half in the South).
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