Record: 22-39, Fourth Place in North Division, 24.5 Games Out

Summary:

With the addition of Joe Dunigan in the off-season and the pitching staff that manager Doug Simunic put together, the 2015 American Association season had all the makings of a resurgence for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. That has not come to fruition unfortunately.

The RedHawks started out the season dropping their first seven games and, despite taking three of four from Sioux Falls immediately after that, they simply have not recovered. A 2-8 May was followed by an 8-20 June and it has been difficult for the club to dig themselves out of that hole.

The good news is that the RedHawks are 12-11 in July, and Dunigan is finally healthy and hitting as the club had expected. To keep that winning momentum going they need to get some more production out of their roster. Fargo-Moorhead in tied for 11th in hitting in the American Association, and their pitching staff is 1oth.

Top Player – Chad Mozingo

Chad Mozingo was dealt to the St. Paul Saints in the off-season, but their crowded outfield situation necessitated his release. The former Lincoln Saltdog has found a home in Fargo-Moorhead where he is having an outstanding season. Mozingo has played in all 61 games and is hitting .314 with 42 runs and 39 RBI. He also has 2 home runs and 12 stolen bases. The RedHawks outfielder enters the All-Star break on a five-game hitting streak, where he has gone 8-20 with 8 runs scored and 9 RBI.

Top Pitcher – Tyler Herron

Tyler Herron has quickly established himself as the ace of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks staff. He is 4-4 with a 3.51 ERA for a club that is 17 games below .500. A pretty remarkable achievement considering. He has shown that he has some very nasty stuff, tossing two shutouts, and striking out 72 in 79.1 innings pitched.

Prognosis:

The North Division race is all but over, relegating the other three teams in this division to battle for the Wild Card. The RedHawks are 12 games out with 39 games left to play; quite a daunting task, but not an impossible one. With three games against Grand Prairie to start the second half of the season they can get a little momentum going. It is all going to depend on how they fair against St. Paul and Sioux City after that. If they go through those six games 2-4 the season is over.

By Robert Pannier