Tennessee Smokies Archives - All Mississippi Baseball

into the record book

Move over, Jose Canseco. Pardon, Jake Marisnick. Trent Giambrone, the former Delta State star, has joined Canseco, Marisnick and three others as the only players in the long history of the Southern League to drive in nine runs in a single game. Giambrone hit three home runs as part of a 4-for-5 performance on Thursday night as he led Double-A Tennessee to a 16-3 victory over Jackson. Batting in the 3-hole for the Chicago Cubs affiliate, Giambrone, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound middle infielder, hit a solo homer, a two-run homer, a grand slam and a two-run double. The grand slam came in the ninth inning. He also had a hand in two double plays. He is batting .264 with 14 homers, 37 RBIs and 19 steals for the year. Giambrone was an All-Gulf South Conference player and GSC Tournament MVP in 2016 at Delta State. He batted .386 with nine homers and 11 steals as a senior for the Statesmen that year. The Cubs drafted Giambrone in the 25th round, and he has moved up swiftly. He’s had some good nights, but none like Thursday.

the other guys

With all due respect to the Mississippi Braves, sometimes the talent on the visiting team can be the attraction at Trustmark Park. The Tennessee Smokies are currently in Pearl, and this club features several of the Chicago Cubs’ top prospects. Foremost among this group is third baseman Kris Bryant, who was picked second overall in the 2013 draft (after blasting 31 homers in college last season) and is already knocking on Wrigley Field’s door. Bryant, 6 feet 5, 215 pounds, is batting .324 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs for a 23-17 team. Right fielder Jorge Soler, rated as high as No. 4 on the Cubs’ prospect chart, is hitting .333 with seven RBIs in seven games, though he did exit Thursday night’s contest with an undisclosed injury. Right-hander C.J. Edwards (1-2, 2.61 ERA in four starts) and former M-Braves standout Arodys Vizcaino, also top 10 prospects, are on the Smokies’ pitching staff. Another player of note is catcher Rafael Lopez, batting .330 with four homers, including one on Thursday. By the way: The M-Braves (21-19) won Thursday’s game 6-5 on a walk-off hit in the 11th inning by former big leaguer Cedric Hunter, who is having a solid season. The five-game series continues with Game 2 tonight. P.S. Ole Miss alumnus Zack Cozart, hovering beneath the Mendoza Line most of the season with Cincinnati, got three hits (and two RBIs) in Game 1 of a twinbill on Thursday and climbed to .208. He is batting .278 over his last 10 games, which might be a good sign. Cozart is valued more for his defense at shortstop, but he needs to hit a bit better. He batted .254 last year with 12 homers. He has just one homer this year.