Pitching expected to be biggest strength for South Bend Cubs in 2022

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Baseball season is right around the corner, as the South Bend Cubs are set to play their first game of the season on Friday.

This year’s team has a new manager at the helm in Lance Rymel and a lethal pitching staff that has some of the organization’s top-ranked prospects in the starting rotation and bullpen.

The team talked about this strength ahead of opening day.

“Pitching is going to be really good,” Rymel says. “If you take a look at our staff, I’m super happy with it. I wasn’t complaining at all in the roster meetings. I was like, ‘yep, come on to South Bend.’ So, pitching I think will be one of our very strong suits this year. We’re happy to have them. They probably won’t stay here the whole year, which is the goal anyways. But we’re happy to have them to start at South Bend.”

“I think the shortest answer for that is we’re an electric factory,” says pitcher Chris Clarke. “We got a lot of guys that can throw it 100, and we got a lot of guys that can throw it sideways. I feel like we got a lot of guys that want to win, and that’s the most important thing.”

Clarke has been named the starter for Friday night’s game against the Quad Cities River Bandits. First pitch at Four Winds Field is set for 7:05 p.m.

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