Mike Couzens has been named manager of broadcasting and media relations, the Fort Wayne TinCaps announced today.FORT WAYNE – It might be too early for looking up the TinCaps’ magic number for clinching a playoff spot, but the postseason is certainly on Fort Wayne’s mind.
Tickets go on sale today for a potential first-round playoff game.
The TinCaps (32-20 second half), who return home tonight to begin a four-game series with Lansing, entered Friday five games ahead of West Michigan (27-25) and six in front of the Lugnuts (26-26) for one of the two Midwest League Eastern Division second-half playoff slots. The TinCaps have 17 regular-season games remaining.
The top two teams in each half advance to the playoffs. If either team already qualified in the first half, then the next available team makes the playoffs. Great Lakes, which is in first place, and Lake County qualified in the first half.
Fort Wayne is in second place, four games behind the Loons, as it looks to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
The first TinCaps home playoff game would be Sept. 8. The game would start at 7:05 p.m. and fireworks would follow.
Late-inning fireworks have helped Fort Wayne get into the postseason mix. The TinCaps have won nine times when either tied or trailing entering the ninth inning.
“Sometimes you look at these guys and for the first seven innings it looks like they don’t have anything going. And then all of a sudden we have a big inning to tie the ballgame or win it in the ninth,” TinCaps manager Jose Flores said. “I’ve never counted these guys out. What impresses me about these guys is that they keep fighting. They keep getting good at-bats until the last out is made.”
Fort Wayne has 33 comeback wins this year.
“I’ve never been part of a team that comes back as often as this team does,” first baseman Nate Freiman said. “It’s a lot of fun because no game is over until the last out. We’ve had games where we are down four or five runs in the ninth and we’ve still won. You have guys having patient at-bats. We have guys who are disciplined enough to be up there, working counts. It’s unbelievable that we’ve come back that many times.”
The playoffs aren’t the only push the franchise is making. Fort Wayne is on pace to break the franchise single-season attendance mark of 378,529 set last season.
Attendance this season at Parkview Field is 343,684. If the TinCaps continue to average 5,728 fans for the remaining 10 home games, Fort Wayne will end the season with more than 400,000 in regular-season attendance for the first time in franchise history.
