The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BJ Murray Jr and his South Bend Cubs head into the most pivotal matchup of the Midwest League regular season this week.

The Cubs currently lead the second half of the West division standings at 25-17, just ahead of the Beloit Sky Carp at 24-18. The division rivals will meet in a six-game series, August 16-21, with 18 games remaining in the regular season.

The format for the 2022 postseason will consist of four teams per league in a best-of-3 division series, followed by a best-of-3 championship series.

The four participants per league will be the winners of each division from both halves based on the best winning percentage of each half.

Cedar Rapids has already clinched a spot as a first half division winner. In the event the same club wins both halves, the club with the next best full-season winning percentage in that division will advance.

South Bend is currently second to Cedar Rapids in the overall division standings at 59-49.

The 22-year-old infielder has made a successful transition to High-A baseball and his progression within the Chicago Cubs organisation.

In an August 12 matchup with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Murray had a perfect day at the plate, 4-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Through 37 games with South Bend, Murray is hitting .264, slugging .355, with a .751 OPS, with 32 hits, 12 runs scored, five doubles, two home runs, 20 RBI and eight stolen bases.

Murray began his 2022 season at the Low-A level with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

In 39 games with the club, he hit .305, slugged .461 with a .902 OPS, 39 hits, including three home runs, 11 doubles, 31 runs scored and 25 RBI.

Murray overcame a slow start in his first season at the Low-A level but became one of the club’s offensive leaders across all categories at the time of his new assignment.

He produced 11 multi hit games, highlighted by a season high 3-4 night with five RBI in his club’s 24-6 win over the Winston- Salem Red Sox.

He previously earned Player of the Game honours when he finished 2-3 with a home run, double, an RBI and three runs scored in the Pelicans’ 9-1 win over the Columbia Fireflies, April 30. Murray began his day with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. He also doubled in the fourth inning.

Murray was selected by the Cubs out of Florida Atlantic University with the 22nd pick in the 15th round, no. 454 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. He spent his first season of professional baseball in the Arizona Complex League.

Through 16 ACL games, he hit .286, slugging .482 with a .826 OPS, 16 hits, including two home runs, three doubles, a triple, 12 runs scored an eight RBI.