Down East swept a doubleheader against Trois-Rivières to tie their longest winning streak of the season at five games and pull within five games of a playoff spot, while Evansville came back with four runs in the eighth inning to win the series against Florence, and the Gateway Grizzlies mounted an improbable comeback from a 4-0 deficit to snap a five-game losing skid and end a 13-game road losing streak against Windy City. New York clinched their series against Brockton by keeping the pressure on New Jersey, and Lake Erie evened their series against Schaumburg with a win that also featured historic milestones for a pair of Crushers. Mississippi, Québec, New Jersey, and Joliet also picked up wins on Saturday. MISSISSIPPI MUD MONSTERS 7 @ OTTAWA TITANS 5 – A five-run third inning and a quality start from Tyler Campbell boosted the Mississippi Mud Monsters (35-53) as they held on for a 7-5 game-five victory over the Ottawa Titans (50-38) Saturday evening. BROCKTON ROX 0 @ NEW YORK BOULDERS 5 – The Boulders kept the pressure on the New Jersey Jackals with a series-clinching 5-0 win over the visiting Brockton Rox on Saturday night at Clover Stadium. QUÉBEC CAPITALES 8 @ SUSSEX COUNTY MINERS 5 – The Québec Capitales defeated the Sussex County Miners 8-5 on Saturday night at Stade Canac. SCHAUMBURG BOOMERS 1 @ LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS 6 – The Lake Erie Crushers (35-52) evened up the series against the Schaumburg Boomers (49-40) after their 6-1 win on Saturday night at ForeFront Field, and a pair of Crushers had historic milestones in the contest as well. GATEWAY GRIZZLIES 6 @ WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 4 – Having lost five games in a row overall, as well as 13 straight on the road dating back to late July, and down 4-0 heading into the top of the eighth inning, the Gateway Grizzlies mounted an improbable comeback, scoring two runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth to stun the Windy City ThunderBolts by a final score of 6-4 on Saturday night at Ozinga Field. WASHINGTON WILD THINGS 5 @ JOLIET SLAMMERS 8 – The Joliet Slammers evened the weekend series with Washington with an 8-5 victory, getting the job done on a Patrick Ward grand slam in the seventh inning. TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS 1 @ NEW JERSEY JACKALS 2 – The Jackals kept pace with the New York Boulders after falling on Friday night with a 2-1 over the Tri-City ValleyCats on Saturday night. FLORENCE Y'ALLS 5 @ EVANSVILLE OTTERS 8 – The Evansville Otters (55-34) scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to come back and win the series against the Florence Y’alls (50-38) on Saturday night, 8-5. TROIS-RIVIÈRES AIGLES 1 @ DOWN EAST BIRD DAWGS 3 – The Down East Bird Dawgs swept both ends of Saturday's twin bill against the Trois-Rivières Aigles at Historic Grainger Stadium, winning 3-1 in Game One and 5-3 in Game Two to tie their longest winning streak of the season at five games, take a 5-0 series lead, and pull within five games of a playoff spot at 42-47. TROIS-RIVIÈRES AIGLES 3 @ DOWN EAST BIRD DAWGS 5 – The Down East Bird Dawgs swept both ends of Saturday's twin bill against the Trois-Rivières Aigles at Historic Grainger Stadium, winning 3-1 in Game One and 5-3 in Game Two to tie their longest winning streak of the season at five games, take a 5-0 series lead, and pull within five games of a playoff spot at 42-47.

Ottawa reached 50 wins, while Windy City extended their winning streak to five games and Evansville opened a crucial series against Florence with a victory. Washington dropped their playoff magic number to four, and Schaumburg, New York, Québec and Tri-City also picked up wins on Friday. SCHAUMBURG BOOMERS 5 @ LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS 2 – The Schaumburg Boomers rebounded after being swept to start the week, opening a three-game road series at Lake Erie with a 5-2 victory. MISSISSIPPI MUD MONSTERS 3 @ OTTAWA TITANS 11 – Despite home runs from Kyle Booker and Kevin Brown, the Mississippi Mud Monsters (34-53) were unable to overcome 11 runs from the Ottawa Titans (50-37) in an 11-3 loss in game four Friday evening. BROCKTON ROX 1 @ NEW YORK BOULDERS 3 – The Boulders got a tie-breaking, two-run homer from DH Daniel McElveny in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday night at Clover Stadium, where they posted a 3-1 come-frombehind series opening win vs. the Brockton Rox. QUÉBEC CAPITALES 13 @ SUSSEX COUNTY MINERS 4 – The Québec Capitales defeated the Sussex County Miners 13-4 on Friday night at Skylands Stadium. TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS 3 @ NEW JERSEY JACKALS 2 – The Tri-City ValleyCats picked up probably the most unique win of the 2026 season as Pedro Moreno scored the go-ahead run on a Chase Hungate balk in the top of the ninth and the ValleyCats played spoiler against the New Jersey Jackals with a 3-2 win on August 21. GATEWAY GRIZZLIES 4 @ WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 7 – The Windy City ThunderBolts won a fifth straight game Friday night, as they took the series opener against the Gateway Grizzlies 7-4 at Ozinga Field. WASHINGTON WILD THINGS 9 @ JOLIET SLAMMERS 4 – Following a one-hour and 23-minute delay at the start of the game, Washington, after a bus ride out to Joliet following Thursday’s win against Evansville, stayed with it to score early, see their lead cut to one and then add four in the eighth to pull away late in a 9-4 victory to open the series with the Slammers. Washington cut its playoff magic number to four and its division magic number to 11 with the win and have 14 left to play. FLORENCE Y'ALLS 5 @ EVANSVILLE OTTERS 9 – The Florence Y’alls (50-37) fell 9-5 to Evansville on Friday night in a premier matchup between the two Midwest playoff contenders.

By Brendan Gallian On July 25, Windy City ThunderBolts infielder Jared Beebe crushed a two-run walk-off home run to put an exclamation mark on a dramatic Bolts comeback over the Florence Y’alls. The homer was the final piece to erasing a 6-0 deficit, but it wasn’t the most impactful trip around the bases that night. Earlier in the evening, infielder James Dunlap and six-year-old Arianny — a pediatric cancer patient from Plainfield, Illinois — participated in the Home Run for Life. During the ceremony, Arianny received high-fives from both the Y’alls and Bolts while rounding the bases beside Dunlap. In the stands, fans delivered a standing ovation and thunderous applause. “(Arianny is) going to run the bases for every kid who’s battling cancer, every kid who’s beaten cancer, and every kid whose battle with cancer is complete,” announced GOAT Gives Foundation founder Mike Martin during the Home Run for Life ceremony. This year’s Bolts Fight Cancer Night, however, almost didn’t happen. Martin was planning to take the year off from events as he re-organized his charitable organization, but ThunderBolts General Manager Mike VerSchave made it a priority to have him back for a third-straight season. "We were going to miss this entire season when I spoke with Mike (VerSchave),” Martin said. “He said, ‘I won't wait until next year.’ So that's why we're back here.” The event’s presence was especially meaningful to the ThunderBolts, where many within the organization are still missing former manager Bobby Jenks, who passed away after a battle with stomach cancer last July. VerSchave said that Jenks himself enjoyed the first Fight Cancer Night in 2024 so much that it was set to become a recurring event even before Jenks’ diagnosis. “The event was such a successful night, and Mike's such a great person to work with that we were going to do it regardless for 2025,” VerSchave said. “It became special and a lot more meaningful with Bobby (Jenks) getting sick and then ultimately passing away.” It was a meaningful night for Beebe, too, who lost his grandfather to cancer. He said that he was already feeling emotional well before hitting the walk-off home run. “Emotions were high, adrenaline was high, and to do something that special on a night like tonight, it's incredible,” Beebe said. “It's an honor to be part of an organization that does something like this.” In addition to the Home Run for Life, another part of the event is special jerseys, which were auctioned off to support the GOAT Gives Foundation. When Beebe hit the walk-off home run, he did so wearing gold, with the name “Riley” above his number 27. The night also featured a pre-game ceremony, and the players themselves had a chance to meet the kids that they’re playing for. Beebe called his time with Riley “awesome.” The event throws off the carefully orchestrated routine of a normal baseball game, but it’s a change the organization is more than willing to make once a season. “The players are getting out of their comfort zone to where we cancel batting practice,” VerSchave said. “It screws up their pregame, and they find out real quick how worth it is and how amazing the event is, and that's why we'll continue to do this.” VerSchave says that next year’s Fight Cancer Night is already penciled in on the ThunderBolts promotional schedule.

By Lily Kocourek Trust isn’t built in a single conversation. It’s earned over months of early afternoons, honest conversations and the everyday moments that rarely make it beyond the clubhouse walls. For Windy City ThunderBolts athletic trainer Tom Martin, those moments define his job. Whether he’s answering a player’s questions, explaining the reason behind a treatment plan or simply checking in before the first pitch, Martin has become someone players can count on throughout the hustle of a professional baseball season. That philosophy has guided Martin throughout his early career. After playing soccer at Augustana College, Martin earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2022 before completing his master’s degree in athletic training in 2024. During graduate school, he spent a summer with the Kansas City Royals’ minor league system, gaining experience in professional baseball before joining the ThunderBolts. Although his playing career ended after college, Martin said he still wanted to be a part of a team environment. Athletic training gave him the opportunity to remain in sports while helping athletes perform their best. Working in baseball also introduced Martin to the unique demands of a sport played nearly every day for six months, where preparation often becomes just as important as performance. According to Martin, aspiring athletic trainers often underestimate having people skills. “You can be a great athletic trainer, but it does not matter if you can’t make connections and make people trust and believe in you,” he said. Those relationships are reinforced through the work Martin does every day. No two players follow the same routine. Each day begins with evaluating how a player’s body is responding to the demands of a nearly everyday baseball schedule before determining the best course of action. “It’s about figuring out the injury and what they need to do to get better and back on the field,” Martin explained. “Are they lacking strength or range of motion? Are we working on stability? Every situation is different.” Because no two players have the same needs, Martin gives them a variety of recovery options, from soft tissue work and stretching to compression therapy and strength exercises. Pitcher Tyler Wehrle says that flexibility has become one of Martin’s greatest strengths. “Every day with him just goes off of how you feel,” Wehrle stated. “He gives a plethora of options and he’ll break down what’s best and what’s not best.” More importantly, Wehrle said Martin has increased players’ confidence by explaining the “why” behind every decision, helping them understand how small adjustments today can help keep them on the field throughout the season. “When he breaks it down and tells you this is what the cause is and explains everything it just makes sense,” he remarked. “He helps you out to a T.” Outfielder Carlos Peña has benefited from that same approach from Martin. Like many players over the course of a long season, Peña has leaned on Martin to stay prepared. Whether it's asking questions about his body, talking through the mental side of the game or simply learning more about the recovery process from baseball-related injuries, Peña says Martin has become one of the team’s most trusted resources. “I’m a guy that likes to ask questions,” Peña stated. “My trainers always give me the right answers, or the not-so-easy answers. It’s crucial to learn these things.” Those conversations build trust long before players face adversity. When the challenges of a professional season arise, Martin’s role shifts from preparing players for the field to helping them navigate the road back to it. Both Peña and Wehrle agreed that one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding injuries that fans don’t realize is how much work, both mental and physical, goes into returning to the field. “Most people don’t realize how long the process truly takes, because it’s usually not as simple as one thing,” Wehrle said. “It’s defeating once you get reinjured again, and it takes a lot of work and tenacity to come back.” Peña explained that players are often physically ready before they’re mentally ready. While fans see someone return to the lineup, they may not realize the mental challenge of regaining confidence and returning to the level of play they had before the injury. “It’s all mental,” he explained. “The question that enters your head coming back is ‘Are you ready?” Martin knows those moments require more than a rehabilitation plan. They require understanding the person behind the player. Wehrle said Martin has a knack for recognizing when something doesn’t seem right before anyone says a word. “He’s very observant,” Werhle noted. “If somebody does something not normal such as running to first weird, or throwing a pitch that is off, he’ll know and come up and ask you right then, ‘Hey, you good?’” That attentiveness, Martin believes, comes from knowing players as people first, meaning sometimes the best conversations don’t center around baseball. Peña laughed while recalling a pregame afternoon spent with Martin discussing Greek mythology and the movie release of The Odyssey. Other days the discussion turns to Peña’s interest in coaching after his playing career ends or simply life outside the ballpark. “He’s always said, ‘If you need anything, you can talk to me,’” he voiced. “He’s always been there to answer my questions the best he can.” When players do return to the field after being out from injury, Martin enjoys watching them succeed. “Whenever someone comes back and hits a home run,” Martin said with a laugh, “I always like to tell my wife that was me.” The comment drew a laugh, but it reflected something deeper. Martin rarely receives public recognition for his work, and that’s okay with him. Success isn’t measured by statistics or headlines. Instead it's found in seeing players take the field with confidence, knowing they’re prepared for another game.  Fans may never notice the hours spent behind the scenes before first pitch, but players do. Over the course of a 102-game season, those conversations, preparations, and relationships become a part of the foundation that helps the ThunderBolts compete every night.

Evansville secured their series against Washington, dropping their magic number to nine, while Florence reached 50 wins for the first time since 2021. New Jersey moved back into sole possession of first place, Ottawa and Down East each won their third straight, and Windy City, Tri-City, Québec and Joliet also picked up victories on Wednesday. WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 6 @ SCHAUMBURG BOOMERS 0 – Tyler Wehrle tossed six shutout innings as the ThunderBolts beat the Schaumburg Boomers for the second day in a row, 6-0 at Wintrust Field Wednesday afternoon. EVANSVILLE OTTERS 6 @ WASHINGTON WILD THINGS 3 – The Evansville Otters (53-33) took game two and the series on the road against the Washington Wild Things (56-30) on Wednesday night, 6-3. MISSISSIPPI MUD MONSTERS 1 @ OTTAWA TITANS 8 – The Ottawa Titans (49-36) earned their third win in a row, defeating the Mississippi Mud Monsters (33-52) 8-1 on Wednesday, powered by stellar pitching and two jacks off the bat of rookie Caleb Burr. FLORENCE Y’ALLS 14 @ LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS 2 – The Florence Y’alls (50-35) clobbered Lake Erie 14-2 on Wednesday night to take home the series and secure a 50-win season for the first time since 2021. NEW YORK BOULDERS 0 @ NEW JERSEY JACKALS 7 – The Jackals took care of the Boulders on Wednesday night with a 7-0 shutout to move back into sole possession of first place. TROIS-RIVIÈRES AIGLES 3 @ DOWN EAST BIRD DAWGS 9 – Colby Backus homered for the third consecutive game and the Down East Bird Dawgs erupted for nine runs across the sixth and seventh innings to cruise past the Trois-Rivières Aigles 9-3 at Historic Grainger Stadium Wednesday night, winning their third straight game and taking a commanding 2-0 series lead at 39-47. TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS 7 @ BROCKTON ROX 5 – The Tri-City ValleyCats scored six-straight unanswered runs and rallied past the Broxton Rox, 7-5, on August 19. SUSSEX COUNTY MINERS 2 @ QUÉBEC CAPITALES 16 – The Québec Capitales defeated the Sussex County Miner Miners 16-2 on Wednesday night at Stade Canac, after running away with the game in the sixth inning. GATEWAY GRIZZLIES 3 @ JOLIET SLAMMERS 3 - The Joliet Slammers rallied late before defeating the Gateway Grizzlies in Sudden Death on Wednesday night at Slammers Stadium, handing Gateway their 11th consecutive road loss.

 Québec became the first Atlantic Conference team to clinch a playoff spot, rallying for a 9-8 walk-off victory over Sussex County. New York pulled even atop the East Division, Down East set a franchise record with their 38th win, Brockton tied their franchise wins record, and Florence, Ottawa, Evansville, Windy City and Joliet also picked up victories on Tuesday. FLORENCE Y’ALLS 6 @ LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS 2 – The Florence Y’alls (49-35) picked up a 6-2 win over Lake Erie on Tuesday night, led by strong pitching and early run support. MISSISSIPPI MUD MONSTERS 4 @ OTTAWA TITANS 16 – The bats once again came alive as the Ottawa Titans (48-36) took a commanding 16-4 win over the Mississippi Mud Monsters (33-51) on Tuesday night. NEW YORK BOULDERS 8 @ NEW JERSEY JACKALS 5 – The Boulders opened their two-game, first place showdown Tuesday night at Hinchliffe Stadium with a five-run top of the first inning and went on to beat the New Jersey Jackals 8-5 as they forged another flat-footed tie atop the East Division. TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS 2 @ BROCKTON ROX 4 – The Brockton Rox tied their franchise record for wins in a season, Tuesday evening, defeating the Tri-City ValleyCats 4-2. The Rox improved their record to 38-47 in their quest for the final wild card spot in the Atlantic Conference. TROIS-RIVIÈRES AIGLES 4 @ DOWN EAST BIRD DAWGS 10 – Colby Backus launched two home runs including a grand slam, and the return of Lyle Miller-Green sparked a six-run fourth inning as the Down East Bird Dawgs cruised to a 10-4 victory over the Trois-Rivières Aigles at Historic Grainger Stadium Tuesday night, setting a franchise record for wins in a single season with their 38th victory and three weeks still to play. EVANSVILLE OTTERS 4 @ WASHINGTON WILD THINGS 1 – The Evansville Otters (52-33) started a huge series with a low-scoring win in game one against the Washington Wild Things (33-49) on Tuesday night, 4-1. SUSSEX COUNTY MINERS 8 @ QUÉBEC CAPITALES 9 – The Québec Capitales came back to not only walk-off the Sussex County Miners 9-8, but to secure their playoff spot on Tuesday night at Stade Canac. SCHAUMBURG BOOMERS 4 @ WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS 5 – Carlos Pena’s walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth inning delivered the ThunderBolts a critical 5-4 victory over the Schaumburg Boomers at Ozinga Field Tuesday night, moving the Bolts to four games behind Schaumburg for first place in the Frontier League West Division. GATEWAY GRIZZLIES 6 @ JOLIET SLAMMERS 8 – The Joliet Slammers handed the Gateway Grizzlies their 10th consecutive road loss on Tuesday night, holding on for an 8-6 victory at Slammers Stadium.

AVON, OH – The Trois-Rivières Aigles earned their first weekly award of the year as right-handed pitcher Anthony Escobar struck out 13 while pitching a complete game to claim Pitcher of the Week.k. Trois-Rivières Aigles right-handed pitcher Anthony Escobar struck out 13 batters while nearly throwing a no-hitter to earn Pitcher of the Week. Escobar started against the New York Boulders on Wednesday and made it through the first 8.2 innings without allowing a hit. The Boulders scored two unearned runs in the ninth inning after an Aigles error and a two-run home run, but Escobar rebounded to record the final out. He finished the day with one hit, and zero walks allowed over nine innings of work. Escobar is in his first season with the Aigles. He split time in 2025 between the Lake Erie Crushers and the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks. Escobar also played for the Venezuelan Winter League’s Tiburones de La Guaira this past winter. He pitched four seasons within the Minnesota Twins organization, reaching as high as Single-A with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels in 2021 and 2022.

AVON, OH – As the Washington Wild Things look to clinch a playoff berth this week, the team picked up its eighth weekly award this year. First baseman Andrew Czech hit .545 (12-for-22), drew eight walks in six games, and drove in 12 runs to earn Player of the Week. Washington Wild Things first baseman Andrew Czech drove in 12 runs this week while hitting .545 to take home Player of the Week. Czech started his week with a 3-for-5 day at the plate on Tuesday against the Mississippi Mud Monsters. He recorded a pair of RBIs and hit two doubles in the Wild Things’ win. Czech drove in three more runs and reached base four times in the series’ second game and picked up two hits and one RBI on Thursday. On Friday, Czech drew four walks and scored a pair of runs. He tallied three hits on Saturday and launched a pair of home runs on Sunday to conclude the six-game series. Czech is in his sixth season with the Wild Things. He joined Washington in 2021 after graduating from Walsh University. Czech is the Wild Things’ franchise leader in several categories, including doubles (119), RBI (377), walks (391), and home runs (110). He’s the seventh different Washington player to earn a weekly award this season.