SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2023
BATES NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK
SECOND TIME THIS SEASON
SIOUX CITY, IA – For the second time this season the American Association has named Sioux City Explorers RHP Solomon Bates the Pointstreak Pitcher of the Week for the week ending June 25. Bates made two starts during the week, pitching 14.2 innings, scattering seven hits, surrendering just one earned run while striking out 22. He picked up wins in both outings for the Explorers as the team finished their season-long road trip and 5-4. Bates’ two wins also helped Sioux City claim back-to-back road series wins at Kansas City and Fargo-Moorhead against the top two teams in the West Division.
The right-hander began the week on Tuesday June 20, by striking out a season high 15 Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field in Kansas City in the Explorers 5-2 win over the then first-place Monarchs. Bates struck out the side in the first inning and after giving up his only run of the week in the second “K’d” the next four batters including a 1-2-3 third inning. He would retire nine in a row, and when Kansas City threatened in the seventh, he sent down LJ Hatch with a punch out with runners on first and second to end his night.
Sunday in the series clincher in Fargo, Bates would work into the eighth inning going 7.1 shutout innings. He would hold the RedHawks hitless through the first five innings before a lead-off double in the sixth. Bates would work around that hit and keep the X’s in the lead at 1-0 at the time. In the seventh he would strikeout the side before departing with two outs in the eighth. Sioux City would win the contest 2-0.
Bates is having a great first half of the season for the Explorers, going 5-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 57.2 innings. The University of Southern California product was the opening night starter for Sioux City, picking up the win over the Kansas City Monarchs 10-1. Bates struck out six with five looking that night against Kansas City. He has added five quality starts including the two this week on the road and he has gone at least five innings in all nine starts this season for Sioux City. He leads the circuit with 70 strikeouts and is tied for the league lead in wins with five.
Bates was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round in the 2018 June draft after two seasons at USC. He would go 7-4 in his career in college with a 3.57 ERA in 113.1 innings with 110 strikeouts. He would spend parts of four seasons with the Giants organization reaching AA Richmond. Bates hails from Victorville, California where he played his high school ball at Oak Hills High School.
It is the second time that Bates has been named Pitcher of the Week this season after taking the honor on the week ending May 21. It is the third time this season Sioux City has picked up the weekly award as fellow righty Mitchell Verburg claimed the honor for opening week on May 16.
The Explorers are off on Monday June 26 but return home tomorrow June 27 to begin a three-game series with the Sioux Falls Canaries with a first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park. Tickets for the season can be purchased online as XSBaseball.com, in person at the Lewis and Clark Park Box Office or by calling 712-277-WINS. You can catch all the X’s action on aabaseball.tv and on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM.