Montgomery Biscuits look ahead to second half of season
The Montgomery Biscuits finished second in their division to close out the first half of their season. They fall short of the playoff berth they earned last year but feel optimistic ahead of the second half beginning on Tuesday.
The Biscuits posted a 38-31 record in the first half, two wins shy of last year’s first-half championship total of 40 wins. Biloxi captured the division title with 42 wins, edging Montgomery despite the Biscuits’ strong stretches that included two six-game winning streaks and a seven-game winning streak. Montgomery also endured four losing streaks of four games or more.
“Everything resets in the second half,” said Biscuits announcer Jack Sadighian, who highlighted the continued development of the team’s young talent as reason for optimism.
Montgomery Biscuits Youth and Chemistry
Two players drawing particular attention are second baseman Cooper Kinney and pitcher Brody Hopkins. Kinney, selected 34th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays out of high school, has belted 11 home runs. Hopkins leads the Southern League with 80 strikeouts.
“When you throw a fastball 98, 99 (mph) consistently as a starter, it’s impressive, and he’s got good breaking stuff off of that,” Sadighian said of Hopkins. “He’s one of those guys that, when he throws in the strike zone, you know that he’s going to be able to get people out. He’s got that kind of stuff. It’s just about controlling it.”
The team chemistry has impressed Sadighian as much as individual performances.
“With such a young group, I mean, they’re so high energy, and they’re just fun to interact with and fun to be around,” he said. “We just have such a playful, fun atmosphere in the clubhouse. Everybody’s pulling for everybody else. It doesn’t feel like there’s this individual competition or vendettas that we have going on, which I think is really important at this level, and I think that will help us win a lot of games as a club.”
What’s Next
The Biscuits open the second half with a nine-game homestand at Riverwalk Stadium. They’ll face Rocket City for six games before hosting their Independence Day celebration July 3. Last year’s July 4 game drew a packed crowd.
“Come out for that. If you’re gonna pick one game to any game this season, this is the one to pick,” Sadighian said of the holiday matchup.
