Cubs Minor League News: Iowa doubles up Omaha to begin 2025 season

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Saturday, March 29 2025

DES MOINES - Baseball is back, or in this case, Minor League Baseball is back, as the Iowa Cubs kicked off their 2025 campaign against the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday. With their parent club, the Chicago Cubs, out West for the first week, many fans will have an opportunity to see what this Iowa team is all about.

If Friday's game was any indication of what is to come, there could be big things on the horizon for the Cubs as Iowa opened their season with a 6-3 win over Omaha. Barring health issues this season, the Cubs' rotation should be in much better shape than in years past, as all five starters have the potential to win 10 or more games. That includes opening night starter Connor Noland, who got the start to kick off the 2025 season.

Not expected to go deep in his first outing, Noland did just what the Cubs needed him to do as the right-hander got through four innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six before handing things off to a bullpen that struck out nine batters in five innings, including three from Brooks Kriske and Ethan Roberts.

For the Cubs to have the success they are hoping for this season, not only does the pitching need to hold up, but the offense needs to shoulder the load and with Ben Cowles connecting for a two-run shot in the second to put the Cubs in front 2-0 they were off to a great start. Not only did that home run give the Cubs the lead, but it was a lead they would never let go of, as the Cubs never trailed in this one.

The lone run of the game off Noland came in the third when Omaha scored off a strike-three wild pitch to pull within 2-1. That is a rarity when Noland is on the mound, but it's further proof that Moises Ballesteros does have more work to do as a catcher. The Cubs continued to build on their lead in the fifth, with Dixon Machado coming through with an RBI double to make things 3-1 and came racing home on the Christian Franklin double to push the lead to 4-1. Machado added a second RBI double in the sixth to push the lead to 5-1.

One inning later, it was the Cubs playing long ball once again, as Owen Caissie returned to the lineup after missing all of Spring Training recovering from a core injury and proceeded to launch his first homer of the season, making it a 6-1 game. Caissie is going to be at the center of attention for the Cubs this season, as he could play himself onto their roster before the season ends.

Despite an overall great outing from the bullpen, Trevor Richards did have his issues in the eighth, as he walked the first two batters he faced, handing the Storm Chasers some momentum and giving them a chance to make things interesting. Richards did his best to limit the damage, allowing a Joey Wiemer single to make things 6-2 before Jack Neely took over to finish the eighth.

Neely would allow a sacrifice fly that was charged to Richards before settling in to finish the inning. That was the final run of the game for Omaha as Daniel Palencia came in to slam the door in the ninth and recorded two punchouts. Iowa recorded 10 hits in the win, with four players contributing two hits each. Those players were Machado, Franklin, Cowles, and Ballesteros. James Triantos also added a hit, while Jonathon Long and Kevin Alcantara went hitless.