WINSTON-SALEM DASH (0-0) at LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (0-0)
RHP Spencer Adams vs. LHP Justus Sheffield
6:30 p.m. – Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium
Game #1 (Road Game #1)
DASH BEGIN 2016 IN LYNCHBURG
The Dash’s 140-game journey begins Thursday night against the Lynchburg Hillcats. Winston-Salem and Lynchburg do battle through Sunday before the Dash travel to Myrtle Beach for a three-game set. The home slate starts next Thursday, April 14, with the first of four against Salem. Since the franchise became the Dash prior to the 2009 season, Winston-Salem boasts a 517-455-1 (.532) record, which is the best in the Carolina League during this span.
REMEMBERING THE #PLAYOFFDASH
The Dash are coming off their first trip to the playoffs since 2012. Winston-Salem bounced back from its worst single-half performance in the Dash era (30-40) to its best (45-23) en route to the second-half Southern Division crown. Winston-Salem, who recorded the best second half record by a CL team since Salem in 1987 (47-23), took Game 1 of the Southern Division Championship Series. However, Myrtle Beach rallied with back-to-back one-run victories at home to eliminate the Dash. The Pelicans swept Wilmington in the Mills Cup Finals.
SKINNER TO MANAGE WINSTON-SALEM
A former big league player, coach and skipper has taken over the Dash’s managerial duties. Joel Skinner replaced Tim Esmay, who is an assistant coach with Triple-A Charlotte under Julio Vinas. Skinner played nine seasons as a catcher in the Major Leagues with the White Sox, Yankees and Indians before spending 2000-09 on Cleveland’s MLB staff, including a 76-game run as the Tribe’s interim skipper in 2002.
THE REST OF THE STAFF
Hitting coach Charlie Poe returns to Winston-Salem, while Jose Bautista takes over the role of pitching coach from J.R. Perdew, who is now in Double-A Birmingham. Bautista made 312 appearances with five MLB clubs from 1988-97. Three-time CL Athletic Trainer of the Year Josh Fallin and new strength and conditioning coach George Timkeround out the Dash’s 2016 staff.
FIVE OF THE SOX TOP PROSPECTS
Of the top 30 prospects in the White Sox system according to MLB Pipeline, five of them will start the season in Winston-Salem, and all are pitchers. Right-hander Spencer Adams is the top farmhand on the roster and the third-best in the organization, behind only righty Carson Fulmer and shortstop Tim Anderson. Jordan Stephens (13th), Thad Lowry (21st), Danny Dopico (26th) and Andre Wheeler (30th) round out the talented group of prospect pitchers.
SPEAKING OF ADAMS
The 19-year-old Adams will take the mound for his first professional Opening Day start. Adams went 9-5 with a 3.24 ERA in 19 outings with Low-A Kannapolis before a late-season jump to Winston-Salem. While with the Dash, Adams posted a 3-0 mark and a 2.15 ERA in five strong starts, one of which was a spot start in mid-July against these Hillcats (6IP, 0R). He is the youngest player (19 years, 360 days) on the Dash’s Opening Day roster by 557 days (Thad Lowry is second at 21 years, 186 days). More on Adams is available on page 3 of the attached document.
OPENING DAY HISTORY
Since becoming the Dash in 2009, Winston-Salem is just 2-5 on Opening Day, though last season’s lid-lifter yielded a 13-0 shellacking of the Keys in Frederick. Over the last 12 seasons, Winston-Salem is 3-9 in its season opener. This also marks the eighth time in the last nine years that Winston kicks off the campaign away from home, with the lone exception in 2014 when the Dash lost to Wilmington at BB&T Ballpark.
DASH DOTS
Only 10 of the Dash’s 25 active players have played for Winston-Salem before this season…Last season, all but seven players had been with the Dash before the year began…This is one of only two trips for the Dash to Lynchburg this season…The other does not take place until August 12-14…The Dash and Hillcats split their 16-game season series a year ago.
