DAYTON DRAGONS
HOMESTAND PREVIEW
July 4 – July 9, 2012
Fifth Third Field
Dayton, Ohio
**Game and Radio Broadcast Schedule**
§ Wednesday, July 4 – Dayton Dragons vs. South Bend Silver Hawks (Arizona Diamondbacks), 7:00 PM
§ Thursday, July 5 – Dayton Dragons vs. South Bend Silver Hawks, 7:00 PM
§ Friday, July 6 – Dayton Dragons vs. South Bend Silver Hawks, 7:00 PM
§ Saturday, July 7 – Dayton Dragons vs. Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers), 7:00 PM
§ Sunday, July 8 – Dayton Dragons vs. Great Lakes Loons, 4:00 PM
§ Monday, July 9 – Dayton Dragons vs. Great Lakes Loons, 7:00 PM
All games broadcast on WONE 980 AM and streamed via the Dragons website at www.daytondragons.com.
**Dragons On TV**
§ The games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2. It is available on Time Warner Basic Cable Channel 23 and Digital Channel 372.
§ Former Cincinnati Reds first baseman and Dragons manager Todd Benzinger will join Tom Nichols on the telecast on Thursday
§ Former Reds Assistant Director of Player Development Grant Griesser will provide color commentary on Friday’s broadcast
§ Reds Assistant Director of Media Relations Jamie Ramsey, author of the blog Better Off Red, will be on the broadcast on Saturday evening
**For Your Entertainment**
§ Wednesday, July 4
o National Anthem performed by Brandon Harvey (Piqua, Ohio)
o Mini Dugout Dancers
o Skydivers (weather permitting)
o WPAFB Honor Guard will present the nation’s colors
o “Birds in Flight” will release doves before the game
§ Thursday, July 5
o National Anthem performed by David Felmet (Dayton, Ohio)
o Retirement Village People
§ Friday, July 6
o National Anthem performed by Something Good (West Alexandria, Ohio)
§ Saturday, July 7
o National Anthem performed by Noteability (Troy, Ohio)
o Kroger Baseball Buddies
o Iams Pet Parade - The Humane Society of Greater Dayton, Montgomery County Animal Resource Center and SICSA will be featuring adoptable dogs on the plaza near the main gates, showcasing them in a parade during pre-game and the dogs will visit the Lawn D area through the first inning. Fliers with photos, bios and shelter info will be available.
§ Sunday, July 8
o National Anthem performed by Slightly Seasoned (Springfield, Ohio)
o Great Clips stylists will be giving free haircuts on the Plaza starting at 5 p.m. and accepting donations for the Children’s Miracle Network
§ Monday, July 9
o National Anthem performed by Meredith Mannier (Dayton, Ohio)
o Friends and Family game: Fans can purchase a ticket package which includes a lawn ticket to the Dragons game, a free Dragons hat and a voucher for a free Extra Value Meal ® at any Miami Valley McDonald’s location. This package valued at $30 is available for just $11 per ticket.
**Dragons On The Field**
§ The Dragons’ bats have come to life since the beginning of June, with the team hitting .261 during the month. Shortstop Juan Perez has a hit in 14 of his last 15 games, and has belted three home runs in the process. His 11-game hitting streak that he snapped last week is tied for the team’s season-long with second baseman Ryan Wright, who had a hit in 11 straight in late May. Wright has a nine-game hitting streak to start the second half and has raised his batting average to .308, good for fifth in the Midwest League. He already has five multi-hit games in the second half. Outfielder Juan Silva and infielder Joe Terry have each improved their batting average by more than 50 points over the last several weeks.
§ Pitcher James Allen has been added to the starting rotation and will make his first professional start on Tuesday against Bowling Green. Allen, the seventh round pick by the Reds in 2011, hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last six appearances out of the bullpen (17 IP, 7 H). In his last 10 appearances (21.1 IP), he’s only allowed one earned run. Allen has not started a game in his professional career, and didn’t start a game during his collegiate career at Kansas State. With the Wildcats, he set school records for career (31) and single-season (17) saves, and was named a first team All-American in 2011.
§ Former major leaguer Delino DeShields is in his second season as manager for Dayton in 2012. He enters his fourth season in the Reds organization, having served as the manager of the Billings Mustangs in 2010 and as the hitting coach in Billings in 2009. Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Tom Browning joins the staff as the pitching coach, and Alex Pelaez is in his second year as the team’s hitting coach.
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