Still nameless, winless: Amid fanfare, Frederick's new Atlantic League team falls in home debut

May 2—The first home game for Frederick's new Atlantic League baseball team arrived with some of the expected fanfare.

Fans strolled through the main gate despite the chill and occasional sprinkle of rain, greeted by the smell of popcorn emanating from the concession stand, the grounds crew putting the finishing touches on the diamond and a thank you message from the team's owners. After two ceremonial first pitches, the teams lined up along their respective baselines as they were introduced, before the Frederick High choir sang the national anthem.

Yet when David Kubiak took the mound to deliver the first pitch, it felt like just another game at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. He received cheers from the fans gathered to celebrate the arrival of a new team to Frederick, the first professional franchise to call the city home since the Keys lost their minor league affiliation in 2021.

The team, in turn, hoped to put on a show and turn its early season woes around in front of friendly fans. But it wasn't meant to be, as the nameless club remained winless with a 4-2 loss to Lexington on Tuesday night.

"Coming out of the gates losing, losing, losing is not the goal, but it's a two-week process." Frederick manager Mark Minicozzi said.

That's because the roster is incomplete, with several international players waiting to resolve visa issues. But some of the struggles are more apparent.

There were some baserunning lapses Tuesday — catcher Kole Cottam was picked off and later caught stealing, while Osvaldo Abreu was thrown out at home trying to swipe an extra run. The team left eight runners on base and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Still, Minicozzi is encouraged by Frederick's ability to stay in games in the early going even without their full complement of talent.

"Just guys not executing in the right situations and mental mistakes. It happens early in the season," he said. "The writing is on the wall. We have eight to 10 guys coming really soon, [many former] major league players."

Frederick (0-4) did offer its fans a few moments to cheer.

Luke Becker legged out an infield single in the seventh to bring home the team's first run in Frederick. Kubiak turned in a solid 5 1-3 innings of two-run ball in his first start since 2021.

And Craig Dedelow provided the two biggest rounds of applause all night. He robbed a home run on the first pitch of the game, then cranked a solo shot of his own off the high wall in center field in the eighth. The blast was his fourth in as many games.

"Just trying to stay locked in, talking around the dugout asking what everyone else is seeing so when I go up there, nothing's a surprise," Dedelow said. "Just putting good swings on it, try not to do too much, and getting a little lucky, too."

Those plays meant Frederick was never more than three runs down, as the game remained scoreless into the sixth inning.

Kubiak was efficient, and Minicozzi said the right-hander originally wasn't supposed to go more than five innings before he carried a low pitch count into the sixth. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter.

"He came back looking like the David Kubiak we all know," Minicozzi said.

But the Counter Clocks broke through as Abiatal Avelino poked a one-out RBI single to left field, chasing Kubiak. Thomas Dillard then hit a sacrifice fly to put Lexington (3-1) up by two.

Ronnie Dawson later added a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Logan Brown drew a bases-loaded walk with one out in the eighth for insurance. It was needed as Becker and Dedelow ended the Counter Clocks' shutout bid, but Frederick couldn't add any more.

They threatened once more in the ninth, as Gavin Johns represented the tying run at the plate with two outs. Johns worked a nine-pitch at-bat but ultimately grounded into a fielder's choice to end the contest.

So ended the start of a new era of Frederick professional baseball. The disappointing result on the field didn't mask the enthusiasm of the crowd — children rode the carousel and chased foul balls as fans yelled "charge" at various points throughout the night.

That in itself is a sign of optimism, even as the team still searches for a moniker and a victory.

"Rest assured, this team will win," Minicozzi said. "It might not look pretty at the beginning, but in a few weeks, it's going to be a whole different look."