Giants Open Regular Season Thursday Against Lancaster
At Municipal Stadium (San Jose, CA)
* Thursday, April 7, 7:00 PM
* Friday, April 8, 7:00 PM
* Saturday, April 9, 5:00 PM
* Sunday, April 10, 1:00 PM
Records
Lancaster: 0–0
San Jose: 0–0
Probable Starting Pitchers
Thursday
Lancaster — Akeem Bostick (0–0, — -)
San Jose — Andrew Suarez (0–0, — -)
Friday
Lancaster — Andrew Walter (0–0, — -)
San Jose — Sam Coonrod (0–0, — -)
Saturday
Lancaster — Trent Thornton (0–0, — -)
San Jose — D.J. Snelten (0–0, — -)
Sunday
Lancaster — Brock Dykxhoorn (0–0, — -)
San Jose — Jordan Johnson (0–0, — -)
San Jose Giants Ticket Information
Broadcast Information
All four games will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network (Channel 104 SD/819 HD). Joe Ritzo handles the play-by-play while color commentary duties will be provided by Joe Castellano. The entire series can also be heard live on sjgiants.com and inside Municipal Stadium on 92.9 FM with Justin Allegri calling the action. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and the San Jose Giants Mobile App. Additionally, every home game is streamed live and available on demand through MiLB.TV.
Giants Begin Regular Season Thursday
The San Jose Giants begin the 2016 regular season Thursday evening with the opener of a four-game series against the Lancaster JetHawks at Municipal Stadium. Following the series versus the JetHawks, San Jose’s homestand continues with a three-game set against the Visalia Rawhide. The Giants will play 14 out of their first 21 games at home this season.
San Francisco Affiliation
This year marks San Jose’s 29th season as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants — the longest current partnership of any team in the California League. Since their inception in 1988, the San Jose Giants have won six league championships (1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010), 11 North Division titles and qualified for the playoffs 21 times (in 28 seasons). The Giants enter this year having posted a league-record 12 consecutive winning seasons (2004–2015).
Home Opener
This year is the first time since 2009 that the San Jose Giants open the regular season at home.
Familiar Opening Foe
This is the second straight year the Giants begin the regular season against Lancaster. San Jose suffered a 3–2 loss to the JetHawks at The Hangar on opening night last year.
Top Prospects
Seven players on San Jose’s opening day roster are among the top 30 prospects in the San Francisco organization according to Baseball America: first baseman Chris Shaw (#5), pitcher Sam Coonrod (#6), catcher Aramis Garcia (#7), pitcher Andrew Suarez (#12), pitcher Jordan Johnson (#15), outfielder Ronnie Jebavy (#21) and outfielder Steven Duggar (#25).
Suarez Starts Opening Night
Andrew Suarez is slated to make the opening night start on the mound for the Giants. Suarez was a second round pick of the San Francisco Giants in the 2015 draft out of the University of Miami. He played for the AZL-Giants (Rookie-level), Salem-Keizer (Short-Season) and San Jose last season and combined to go 2–0 with a 1.60 ERA in 11 games (eight starts). Suarez also made two starts for the Giants in the California League playoffs last September.
Returning Players
15 of the 25 players on the Giants opening day roster have prior experience in San Jose. Of the 15 returnees, 13 were on the Giants’ playoff roster last September.
Manager Lipso Nava
Lipso Nava begins his first season as manager of the San Jose Giants in 2016. Previously, Nava was San Jose’s hitting coach the past three years (2013–15), in addition to a stint as the club’s acting manager during the final month of last season. Nava enters his ninth year in the San Francisco organization and third season as a manager. He had a prior two-year stint as manager of the Class-A Augusta GreenJackets in 2011–12. Nava played 16 seasons of professional baseball from 1990–2006, including stints in the Mariners, Red Sox and Cubs organizations.
2015 Review
The Giants finished last season with a 72–68 record (30–40 first half, 42–28 second half) and qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card team. San Jose led the California League in ERA (3.46) and shutouts (15) last year while the Giants pitching staff was tops among all teams in Minor League Baseball with 1,345 strikeouts. San Jose reached the playoffs despite setting a team record for fewest runs scored in a single-season (594). The Giants’ 40–25 record after June 30 last year was the best mark in the league. During the postseason, San Jose knocked off Stockton in the Mini Series and Visalia in the Division Series before getting swept by Rancho Cucamonga in the Championship Series. The Giants won four playoff elimination games, including three in extra innings, before falling to the Quakes.
Homegrown Giants
14 players on San Francisco’s 25-man opening day roster are former San Jose Giants: Ehire Adrianza, Brandon Belt, Trevor Brown, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Brandon Crawford, Matt Duffy, Chris Heston, Josh Osich, Joe Panik, Buster Posey, Sergio Romo, Hunter Strickland and Kelby Tomlinson. 181 former San Jose Giants have reached the major leagues during the 28-year history of the club.
Opponent Notes: Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks, an affiliate of the Houston Astros, went 75–65 last season and reached the playoffs as a Wild Card team out of the South Division. Lancaster was defeated by the High Desert Mavericks, two-games-to-one, in the South Mini Series last September. This year’s JetHawks opening day roster includes eight returning players. Ramon Vazquez begins his first season as Lancaster’s manager in 2016. This series marks the JetHawks’ only trip to Municipal Stadium this year. The JetHawks have won two California League championships (2012, 2014) in the last four seasons.
