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The Red Wings returned from their All-Star break with a doubleheader. In game 1, Ronald Torreyes had three hits and homered twice. But as we have known since childhood, Zander Wiel makes the Red Wings bus go round and round. Quietly the 2015 12th round pick from Vanderbilt is putting together a monster season in Triple-A. He deserves to be noticed and a game like this will get a player noticed. There were a large number of transactions again on Thursday including the transfer of Cody Allen from the Miracle to the Red Wings.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS RH RP Cody Allen was reinstated from the temporary inactive list and promoted from Ft. Myers to Rochester.IF Brian Schales was promoted from Pensacola to Rochester.The Red Wings officially received recently-optioned RHP Kohl Stewart and LHP Devin Smeltzer from the Twins.DJ Baxendale was placed on the Red Wings Injured List.LH RP Andrew Vasquez was sent from Rochester to Pensacola.The Blue Wahoos also announced that the Twins have signed veteran infielder (and former big leaguer) Ivan De Jesus, Jr. to a minor league deal and assigned him to Pensacola.RHP Edwar Colina was promoted from Ft. Myers to Pensacola.RH RP Moises Gomez was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers.RH RP Nate Hadley, the Twins 25th round pick last month, was promoted to the Kernels from Elizabethton.RED WINGS REPORTGame 1 - Rochester 13, Lehigh Valley 5 Box Score Zander Wiel continues to quietly put up big numbers for the Red Wings this year. In this game, he hit his 23rd and 24th doubles and his 14th and 15th home runs. He drove in seven runs. That is a good week! Ronald Torreyes knocked his sixth and seventh homers and drove in four runs. He went 3-for-4. Wilin Rosario was also 3-for-4 in the game. Jaylin Davis went 2-for-4. Nick Gordon drove in two runs with a single. Sean Poppen started Game 1 and gave up three runs on four hits and four walks over four innings. He also struck out four batters. Carlos Torres came on to start the fifth inning. He went the final three innings and gave up two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out three… to win his third game since joining the Red Wings. Game 2 - Rochester, Lehigh Valley Box Score Game is in progress. This will be updated upon game's completion. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 2, Montgomery 6 Box Score Lefty Bryan Sammons started and gave up four runs on four hits over the first four innings. He walked one, hit two batters, and struck out three batters. Zack Weiss came on and gave up one run on one hit over 2 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one batter. Alex Phillips gave up two runs on two hits over the next two innings. He walked three and struck out one. Hector Lujan got the final two outs of the top of the ninth inning, but not before allowing an inherited runner to score and two more of his own. He gave up three hits and struck out one batter. Travis Blankenhorn led the offense. He went 2-for-4 with his 14th double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Daytona Box Score Game cancelled by Rain. It will not be made up. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Great Lakes 3 Box Score Luis Rijo put together one of the best starts in the organization in his most recent starts, and he followed it with another really strong start. The right-hander started with six shutout innings. He gave up two runs in the seventh. In 6 2/3 innings, he gave up those two runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out six batters. Alex Schick came on and gave up one run on two hits over the final 2 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two batters. For the second straight game, Trevor Casanova hit a home run, his third in 15 games since joining the Kernels. A catcher, he has been playing often in the Kernels outfield, and on this night he threw out a runner at home. It provided the team their lone run. Gabe Snyder went 2-for-3 with a walk. --------------------------------------------- In case you missed it, on Wednesday night in Cedar Rapids, they introduced their 2019 Hall of Fame class. The group included long-time Board of Directors member Gary Keoppel, players Jerry Reuss and Hector Cruz ,and manager Jake Mauer. Jeff Johnson chatted with Mauerabout getting away from the game, what he misses and what he’s up to these days. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 0, Burlington 5 Box Score The E-Twins had a rough game. The offense only managed four hits, the same number of errors that they had in the night. Spencer Steer hit a triple, the team’s lone extra-base hit. Matt Wallner had a single, and he also threw out a runner at third base from right field. Ben Gross made the start for the E-Twins. He went the first four innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out six without a walk. Lefty Erik Cha came on and gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in two innings. He struck out three. Steven Cruz struck out six batters in three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score German right-hander Niklas Rimmel made the start for the Twins on Thursday afternoon. He gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits over five innings .He struck out five without walking any, though he did hit one batter. Venezuelan righty Miguel Rodriguez came on and tossed three scoreless innings for his second straight outing. On this day, he gave up one hit, walked one and struck out seven batters. Lefty Evan Gillespie, recently signed out of Faulkner University, gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth. He was credited with his first professional win. The Twins entered the bottom of the ninth inning down 2-0. With one out, Wander Valdez, Francisco Martinez and Bryson Gandy all singled to load the bases. Alec Craig walked to bring in the team’s first run. Martinez scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Jesus Feliz walked to reload the bases. Parker Phillips ended the game with a sacrifice fly deep enough to score Bryson Gandy with the winning run. LaRon Smith went 2-for-4. Along with the game-winning RBI, Phillips went 2-for-4. Wander Valdez entered the game late and went 2-for-2. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Luis Rijo, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zander Wiel, Rochester Red Wings PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 0-4, RBI, 3 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Did Not Play #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Game 2 ( #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Game 1 (1-4, R, 2 RBI), Game 2 ( #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - All Star Break #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-3, 2 K, OF Assist #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 1-4, K #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 0-3, 2 BB, R, RBI #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2B(14), RBI FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:05 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (4-4, 5.50 ERA) Montgomery @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-0, 2.92 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-2, 1.95 ERA) Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (6-1, 2.32 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - Andriu Marin (1-1, 2.77 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

Sometimes these short-season awards can be difficult to vote for. Yesterday, Andrew Cabezas was named the short-season Pitcher of the Year. Today we discuss the short-season Hitters of the Year. Over the coming days, we’ll also announce our choices for the full season Hitter, Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitcher of the Year. It is important to note that voters were encouraged to only look at the stats from the GCL Twins and the Elizabethton Twins. That’s probably unfair to the likes of Michael Davis and Michael Helman who played very little in Elizabethton before being promoted to Cedar Rapids where they continued to play well. Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach each stayed in E-Town a little longer. Previous winners: 2016: Lewin Diaz 2017: Akil Baddoo With fewer games than full season leagues, players have less time to make their mark. A smaller sample size can skew a player's overall numbers. However, each of these players are trying to make the organization take notice of their performance. Which hitters performed well for Elizabethton Twins and the GCL Twins? Let's dive in...Yesterday, Twins Daily announced the Short Season Pitcher of the Year. Throughout the rest of the week, the other minor league awards will be announced. There were some strong performances throughout the minors and some of these players may be part of the next wave of players heading for Target Field. Short profiles of our top five are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Others Receiving Votes: Janigson Villalobos, GCL Twins: 26-84, .310/.363/.393 (.755), 3-2B, 2-3B, 15 RBIYeltsin Encarnacion, GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins: 50-167, .299/.350/.377 (.727), 8-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 22 RBIDaShawn Keirsey, Elizabethton Twins: 31-103, .301/.371/.427 (.798), 7-2B, 3-3B, 13 RBIMichael Helman, Elizabethton Twins: 15-40, .375/.435/.575 (1.010), 1-3B, 2-HR, 7 RBI (does not include stats from Cedar Rapids)Alex Robles, Elizabethton Twins: 66-244, .297/.357/.378 (.735), 12-2B, 2-HR, 35 RBITrevor Larnach, Elizabethton Twins: 19-61, .311/.413/.492 (.905), 5-2B, 2-HR, 16 RBI (does not include stats from Cedar Rapids)Tyler Webb, GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins: 41-143, .287/.373/.336 (.709), 4-2B, 1-HR, 16 RBIShort-Season Hitter of the Year Here are the top five players for the Twins Daily Short-Season Hitter of the Year 5. Yunior Severino, Elizabethton Twins: 52-198, .263/.321/.424 (.745), 8-2B, 8-HR, 28 RBI Severino split the 2017 season between the Dominican Summer League and the Braves Gulf Coast League teams. Following the season, he was ruled a free agent by Major League Baseball and the Twins quickly signed him for $2.5 million. The 18-year-old is a really good athlete with good speed, but he’s also got real good bat speed from both sides of the plate which could lead to some power. While he could play shortstop, he is already primarily playing second base. 4. Colton Burns, Elizabethton Twins: 23-93, .247/.375/.505 (.880), 6-2B, 6-HR, 14 RBI Burns was the Twins 18th-round pick in 2017 out of UC-Santa Barbara. He’s fought some injuries in his time as a professional, including about a month due to a knee injury this season. When he did play, he displayed some raw power that made him intriguing to the organization. T2. Ryan Jeffers, Elizabethton Twins: 43-102, .422/.543/.578 (1.121), 7-2B, 3-HR, 17 RBI If we’re being honest, Jeffers was clearly on his way to this award, but it was clear that the Twins 2nd-round pick was ready to be pushed to the Midwest League. Jeffers hit for average, he took walks and got on base, and he showed plenty of power. Those things continued after he joined the Cedar Rapids Kernels. T2. Trevor Casanova, Elizabethton Twins: 48-145, .331/.389/.490 (.879), 14-2B, 3-HR, 16 RBI Casanova played just one year of high school baseball and then went to three junior colleges before spending a year at El Camino College. He was drafted in 2017 in the 14th round by Seattle, but he chose to go to Cal State-Northridge. The Twins made him their 13th-round pick and sent him as one of four catchers to Elizabethton. He played a little more than half of the time and earned the playing time with his high batting average and doubles power. As he continues to work on his defense, he will be one to watch in Cedar Rapids in 2019. Get to know more about Casanova from his Q&A for Twins Daily. 1. Chris Williams, Elizabethton Twins: 54-214, .252/.372/.500 (.872), 6-2B, 1-3B, 15-HR, 51 RBI Williams grew up in Southern California and after a strong high school career, he did not have a single Division 1 offer. So, he went to an area junior college and after one year, he moved across the country to play at Clemson University. In an interview with Twins Daily in late July, Williams discussed the decision to go to Clemson. “Clemson gave me a call and asked if I was interested in leaving California and going to South Carolina to play baseball. All I can remember was being dumbfounded and thinking, What does South Carolina even look like? I had never left home for more than three weeks. But I took a leap of faith, and it was the best three years of my life.” Over the next three years, Williams played in 211 games for Clemson and hit a combined .276 (.883) with 48 doubles and 44 home runs. He was drafted in the 31st round of the 2017 draft by the Rays but went back for his senior season. This June, the Twins called his name in the eighth round. Twins minor league director Jeremy Zoll mentioned the Twins scouts finding his potential game-changing tool and took a shot on him. “I think our amateur group identified that there was real power in Chris’s bat and to be able to snag that at that point in the draft was intriguing.” Since the only defensive position Williams played for Elizabethton was first base, it may surprise many to know that the Twins drafted him as a catcher, and that may be something he gets an opportunity to do starting next month. According to Zoll, “He’s dealt with some shoulder injuries in college, and he seems to be all squared away now and coming into our fall program, we’re going to explore getting him back behind the dish. That’s only going to help his value long-term.” Williams reported to Elizabethton where manager Ray Smith took a look at him and inserted him into the middle of the lineup. Smith noted, “ We had situated him into a ‘run producing’ slot early after seeing him a few times and reading the scouting reports. He had shown success (with power) at a good college program, had driven in some runs, hit some long balls for us and we ended up leaving him there for the duration of the year.” Williams’ 15 home runs led the Appalachian League, and his 51 RBI put him in fourth in the league. Despite the low batting average, he finished in the Top 10 in the league in slugging percentage and OPS. The numbers match the scouting reports. Zoll adds, “Chris has got crazy raw power. He does a good job when pitches end up in his zone of not missing them, and he showed that from wire to wire in the Appy League. To end up with 15 bombs in short season is pretty cool and speaks to the threat he is in the middle of the order. We saw teams starting to pitch around him at times which only helped that walk total there.” While he struck out just under 20% of his plate appearances, he walked over 15% of the time too. His manager noticed. “A lot of that comes from development and application of a hit plan, knowing the strike zone, showing balance and alignment, control of your weight shift, et cetera. Allows you to make adjustments to velocity, spin and location and not get yourself out so much.” Zoll added, “You can have all the power in the world, but if you don’t find the right place to harness it or get too eager to show it off, it becomes a detriment.” E-Twins manager Ray Smith discussed how Williams fit into the ideal lineup. “Ideally, you hope to stack your line-up with speed, consistency & some power. Chris supplied us with that power threat in the middle of our lineup. He was especially effective when we had Jeffers and Larnach here for awhile. Got pitched around some late.” All that being said, Williams had a very nice professional debut with the Elizabethton Twins and was very deserving as the choice for Twins Daily Short-Season Hitter of the Year. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs- 1) Chris Williams, 2) Ryan Jeffers, 3) Yunior Severino, 4) Trevor Casanova, 5) Yeltsin EncarnacionJeremy Nygaard- 1) Ryan Jeffers, 2) Chris Williams, 3) Michael Helman, 4) Trevor Larnach, 5) Trevor CasanovaCody Christie- 1) Chris Williams, 2) Ryan Jeffers, 3) Trevor Casanova, 4) Colton Burns, 5) Yunior SeverinoTom Froemming- 1) Chris Williams, 2) Ryan Jeffers, 3) Colton Burns, 4) Trevor Casanova, 5) Alex RoblesSteve Lein- 1) Chris Williams, 2) Trevor Casanova, 3) Colton Burns, 4) Yunior Severino, 5) DaShawn KeirseyTed Schwerzler- 1) Trevor Casanova, 2) Janigson Villalobos, 3) Yeltsin Encarnacion, 4) DeShawn Keirsey, 5) Tyler WebbFeel free to discuss. What do you think of our rankings? How would you rank them? How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

Entering play on Monday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels will have a shot at clinching the second-half championship. The Kernels are 40-23 in the second half and sit 3.5 games up on the Peoria Chiefs. In the second half, the Kernels are the only team in the entire league to win at least 20 games at home and on the road. Needless to say, Monday’s game could be a very important one for the Kernels.ROSTER MOVES INF Victor Tademo promoted from GCL Twins to Cedar RapidsINF Andrew Bechtold placed on DL with Cedar RapidsRED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Syracuse 3 (10 Innings) Box Score Byron Buxton fell a home run short of the cycle but the bats and the bullpen faltered in extra-innings. With the Red Wings trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning, Buxton cracked a two-run triple to take the lead. Unfortunately, that’s where the scoring would stop. Kennys Vargas reached base three times in five trips to the plate. Rochester loaded the bases in the top of the tenth but failed to push across a run. In fact, the team was 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Syracuse was able to score the winning run off of Jake Reed in the bottom half of the frame. Lewis Thorpe started and pitched 5 2/3 innings. He allowed one run on five hits. He struck out six and walked two. Tyler Duffey was charged with a blown save after he allowed the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth. Andrew Vasquez was pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and three walks. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jacksonville 1 Box Score Chattanooga was able to jump out to an early 2-0 lead and hold on for the one-run victory. Andy Wilkins put the team on top with a lead-off home run in the second inning. In the third inning, Tanner English tripled and was brought home on a Luke Raley sacrifice fly. Austin Adams was asked to serve in an “opener” role. He pitched two scoreless innings as he only allowed one hit. He whiffed three batters and walked one. Dietrich Enns finished off the final seven innings as he limited the Jumbo Shrimp to one run on three hits. He struck out eight and walked two. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, St. Lucie 5 Box Score Edwar Colina made his High-A debut on Sunday but the Miracle offense didn’t give him a ton of offensive support. Colina pitched into the fifth inning (4 2/3 innings), allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out two and walked three. Jovani Moran finished off the fifth and pitched the next two frames. He allowed two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. Hector Jujan pitched one shutout inning and struck out two. Fort Myers managed only three hits and two of those came off the bat of Aaron Whitefield. Alex Kirilloff went 1-for-4 and scored the team’s only run. Caleb Hamilton reached base on a walk. Overall, the club went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. After winning nine consecutive series, the Miracle have dropped three straight series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 10, Kane County 4 Box Score For the third straight games, the Kernels scored at least one run in the first inning. Gabriel Maciel doubled with one out and moved to second on a walk to Michael Helman. Ryan Jeffers drove in the first run on a single. Ben Rodriguez made the score 2-0 with a sacrifice fly. However, the biggest hit of the inning was a two-run bomb from Jacob Pearson. Michael Davis doubled to started off the second inning with his ninth double. Davis moved to third on an Ariel Montesino single and that’s when things got crazy. With Akil Badoo batting, Davis stole home and Montesino stole second on the same play. Cedar Rapids plated another three runs in the fourth inning. Montesino attempted a sacrifice bunt after two singles from David Banuelos and Michael Davis, but a throwing error allowed two runs to score, he moved to third on the error and then scored on a Gabriel Maciel sac fly. Tyler Watson retired 10 straight batters at one point and tied a season high with seven innings pitched. He struck out eight and walked three on the way to his fifth victory. Moises Gomez pitched the final two frames and allowed a two-run home run in the final inning. Cedar Rapids improved to a season-best 12 games over .500 overall at 72-60. The Kernels secured their fourth consecutive series win. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 9, Bristol 4 Box Score Elizabethton pounded out 19 hits and was able to cruise to a Sunday evening victory. Trevor Casanova lead the offensive charge by going 4-for-6 with two doubles. Albee Weiss matched Casanova with four hits. Yeltsin Encarnacion reached base four times and drove in two runs. Alex Robles, Chris Williams, and Yunior Severino all had multiple hits. Kody Funderburk pitched into the sixth inning (5 1/3 innings) and allowed four runs on eight hits. He struck out four and a walk. Pedro Garcia pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings to finish off the game. He struck out two and walked two. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Trevor Casanova, Elizabethton (4-for-6, 2 2B, R, RBI) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Dietrich Enns, Chattanooga (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 K, 2 BB, 3 H) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. Please note that this Prospect Summary has been updated. 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-4 2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): 1-for-4, R, K 3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): Did not play. 4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 0-for-4, 2 K 5. Stephen Gonsalves (MIN): Did not play. 6. Trevor Larnach (CR): Did not play. 7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 0-for-3, BB, K 8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 0-for-5, K 9. Wander Javier: Out of for the season 10. Zack Littell (ROC): Did not play. 11. Blayne Enlow (CR): Did not play. 12. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 0-for-4, BB, 2 K 13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 0-for-3 14. Lewis Thorpe (ROC): 5.2 IP, ER, 6 K, 2 BB, 5 H 15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): Did not play. 16. Yunior Severino (ET): 2-for-5, R, BB, 2 K 17. Lewin Diaz (FM): Did not play. 18. Ryan Jeffers (CR): 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, K 19. Jacob Pearson (CR): 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R, K 20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): 0-for-1 MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (5:35 CST) – RHP Fernando Romero (5-5, 3.40 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville (6:15 CST) – TBD Fort Myers vs. Bradenton (6:00 CST) – RHP Brusdar Graterol (4-2, 3.75 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Kane County (6:35 CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (9-5, 3.23 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Pulaski (6:00 CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

Early on Day 3 of the 2018 MLB Draft, Trevor Casanova was at home with his family when he was selected by the Minnesota Twins. Their 13th-round draft pick out of Cal State-Northridge, Casanova quickly signed in Ft. Myers and make the trek north to Elizabethton. He has been given consistent playing time. He has caught about one-third of the E-Twins games and often been the DH when he isn’t behind the plate. Recently, Twins Daily was able to catch up with Trevor Casanova. Continue reading to get to know him a little bit.On Thursday night, Casanova went 1-for-3 with a home run. Through his first 24 games as a professional baseball player, he has hit .313/.383/.469 (.852) with nine doubles and two home runs. We would like to thank Trevor for taking time to answer our questions. Please feel free to ask questions and congratulate Trevor in the Comments below. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in southern California, who was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Trevor Casanova (TC): My favorite team growing up would be the Angels, my mom and my step dad are huge Angel fans so I decided to jump on board with them. Some of my favorite players growing up were Ken Griffey Jr, Pudge Rodriguez, Mike Piazza SS: What were some of the better memories of your high school baseball career? Did you play other sports or were you involved in other activities? TC: Honestly, I only played one year of high school baseball but I would have to say showing up every day with your close friends and the life long relationships I have because of it is the best memory to me. I did not play any other sports, only baseball. SS: What was the recruitment process like for you out of high school, and what was it about El Camino College that made it the right choice for you?? TC: Out of high school I did not have high enough grades to get recruited anywhere so there was no recruiting process for me. I ended going to three different junior colleges before I found the right fit for me at El Camino. The coaches at El Camino believed in me and my abilities as a human being and gave me an opportunity to pursue my dreams even considering my background as a student. That’s how I knew it was right fit. SS: And then the recruitment at El Camino. What was it about Cal State Northridge that made it stand out to you, especially considering you had been drafted by the Mariners in 2017? TC: Again, The coaches at Cal State Northridge believed in me and wanted the best for me and my future even though they knew I had a rough past. They were the only Division 1 team to reach out to me prior to my season at El Camino and offered me a scholarship based on me as an individual and not because of me as a player. I knew after that, that was the best place for me. SS: What were a couple of your highlights from your college years? TC: At El Camino my favorite highlight is making to the state championship with some of my closest friends I still have today and the life-long relationships I made while being at that school. At Northridge I would also say just showing up everyday to be a better individual on and off the baseball field. And also the life- long relationships I made while being there. SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? What was your interaction with the Twins scout? TC: I spoke with a few scouts prior to the draft. Seth Moir which who was my area scout, invited me to a pre-draft workout prior to the draft where we got to meet in person. SS: The Twins took you in the 13th round. Was that about where you were expecting to be selected? How did you find out that you had been drafted? How busy was your phone at that moment? TC: I did not have any expectations coming into this draft. I was and am just blessed I got an opportunity to put on a Twins uniform. I was at home with my family while I got selected and celebrated with them all. My phone starting blowing up with friends and family congratulating me. SS: What has the adjustment been like for you so far, from the college game to the professional game, both on and off the field? TC: The adjustment for me has been very smooth and better than I had thought it was going to be. For me, going from college to professional it is just understanding you are going to go through good and bad times and keeping a positive attitude and outlook day in and day out is the most important thing for me right now. SS: You have put up some very solid numbers in Elizabethton. Are you at all surprised to have experienced such success already, and what do you think has been the biggest reason for the success? TC: I am blessed and grateful for the success I have had so far. The biggest reason for me is just keeping a positive attitude every day, showing up to the field every day the same and being myself while having fun at the same time. SS: At this very early stage in your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths? TC: My biggest strengths for me I would say is my mental toughness. Not letting negative things or bad days on the field affect me mentally. Showing up to the field everyday and being the same person every day. SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve? TC: : I would love to work on everything about my game. Every aspect of being a better hitter at the plate. Learn as much as I can at other positions while I can to keep myself versatile. SS: What do you have planned for the offseason? What was your major in school? TC: For the offseason, I don’t have anything planned yet. I don’t like to think to far ahead and just take it day by day. Right now I’m just focused on this season and doing anything and everything I can to help this team win. SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? TC: A lot of people have helped me get to this point in my career. From the coaches at El Camino, Cal State Northridge, and most importantly my family pushing me every day to pursue my dreams and believing in me. SS: Favorite Baseball movie? TC: All-time favorite baseball movie, I would have to go with Moneyball. Again, a huge Thank You to Elizabethton catcher Trevor Casanova for taking time to answer our questions. We wish him well the remainder of the season. Feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Click here to view the article

As the short-season minor leagues get going, it’s a lot of fun to highlight a lot of Firsts: First hits, first doubles, first wins, etc. There were a lot of firsts in Elizabethton on Wednesday night. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton both played in minor league games on Wednesday. Adalberto Mejia is also doing a good job of trying to get his name back on the forefront in the minds of Twins fans and front office personnel.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Wednesday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Chattanooga’s Williams Ramirez pitched in the Southern League All- Star game on Tuesday night and was placed on the Lookouts disabled list on Wednesday.Lefty Andrew Vasquez returns to the Lookouts.RHP Colton Davis and RHP Brady Anderson were activated from the Miracle DL with LHP Kevin Marnon going on the DL.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Syracuse 0 Box Score Lefty Adalberto Mejia celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday by tossing seven shutout innings. He gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out eight batters in the game. He improved to 3-2 while dropping his ERA to 2.91 on the season. Gabriel Moya pitched a scoreless eighth inning despite giving up a hit and walking a batter. Alan Busenitz came on for a perfect ninth inning, including a strikeout. It was just his second save of the season. The Red Wings offense didn't do much either. In fact, both of their runs came in the fourth inning. It had the making of a really big inning, but it also turned into a disaster. They had the bases loaded with nobody out, but two straight batters hit grounders that were fielded and the out was made at home. With two outs, Byron Buxton came through with a single that scored two, the second on a throwing error. Buxton was 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Willians Astudillo went 2-for-4 with his ninth and tenth doubles. Nick Gordon added a triple. LaMonte Wade was 0-for-2, but he walked twice. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts have the final day of their All-Star break on Wednesday. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Tampa 5 Box Score Clark Beeker put together another quality start, but the Miracle offense was unable to provide enough support. Beeker gave up three runs on six hits and a walk over the first six innings. He struck out seven. Brady Anderson came on and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks over the final three innings. He struck out two. The Miracle managed just four hits in the game. Caleb Hamilton had the long extra -base hit, his ninth double of the season. Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Maybe more surprising, Luis Arraez went 0-for-4, though he did drive in a run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids Box Score The Kernels enjoyed their final day of the All-Star break. They get back into game action on Thursday at home E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton Twins 15, Burlington 3 Box Score Less than two weeks ago, 6-9 starting pitcher Tyler Palm was working in the United Shores Professional Baseball League. On Wednesday night, Palm made his first start for an affiliated baseball club and did a nice job. He gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out seven batters without issuing a walk. Derek Molina came on and struck out three in two scoreless, hitless innings. Juan Gamez threw the final two innings. He was charged with an unearned run on two hits and a walk. He struck out four. The E-Twins got contributions from several players on their way to 15 runs on 19 hits. Alex Robles went 4-for-4 with a walk. He drove in two runs and scored two runs. Trevor Casanova, playing in his first game, went 3-for-4 with two doubles. He was also hit by a pitch. Jared Akins had a double and a triple. Casanova’s fellow catcher at Cal State Northridge, Albee Weiss, has already been moved to the outfield. He had his first two professional hits in this game, including a double. Fourth-round pick Dashawn Keirsey went 2-for-5 with a triple, again, his first two hits. Yunior Severino had his first two hits in the Twins organization and drove in four runs. Eighth-round pick Chris Williams had his first hit, a double. GCL TWINS TALK GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 1 Box Score The GCL Twins improved to 3-0 on the season thanks to some strong pitching. Kai-Wai Teng’s first US start went well. In five innings, he gave up one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out six. Next, Dylan Stowell made his first pro appearance. The 2018 34th-round pick gave up three hits and hit a batter, but no runs, over two scoreless innings. Osiris German recorded the save with two scoreless innings. Aaron Whitefield batted second and started in centerfield. He went 1-for-3 with a double in the game. He had not played since April when he suffered a broken hamate bone. Gabe Snyder, 2018 pick from Wright State, picked up the first two hits of his professional career. Tyler Webb went 2-for-4. Snyder and Webb each stole their first base. Samuel Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a double. Janigson Villalobos had just one hit, but he drove in three of the team’s five runs. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Alex Robles, Elizabethton Twins (4-4, BB) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day:Adalberto Mejia, Rochester Red Wings (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #2 - Fernando Romero (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #3 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-4, 3B(3) #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break, expect news of his promotion to Ft. Myers soon. #6 - Wander Javier - out of for the season #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #11 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 0-4 #14 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-2, 2 BB, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-2, BB, HBP, K #18 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) - 2-5, R, 4 RBI, K #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #20 - Felix Jorge (Chattanooga) - Disabled List, began rehab on June 19. THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Zack Littell (1-3, 3.58 ERA) Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - TBD Tampa Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (1-4, 3.88 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-2, 4.01 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled Please feel free to ask any questions about Wednesday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article