PIONEERS AT A GLANCE

1999 Record:	Won 26, Lost 25 overall; 5-4 second half
Current Streak:	Lost 1
Current Standings:	Second, one game behind first place New Jersey

Top Hitters (min. 70 plate appearances):

Name	H	HR	RBI	AVG
Pepe McNeal, C	39	4	19	.281
Mike Groppuso, 3B	50	8	44	.279
David Tidwell, DH	40	1	17	.278
Gus Kennedy, OF	20	3	11	.267
Nelson Abreu, OF	49	1	18	.251
Kiko Reyes, SS	44	2	21	.243

Top Pitchers (min. 20 IP):

Name	W-L	R	ER	H	ERA	K
Neil Forsythe	2-1	7	5	23	1.80	17
Phil Grundy	3-6	46	31	89	3.27	73
Ivan Arteaga	6-4	36	25	70	3.63	42
Jamie Nichols	4-4	34	32	72	3.81	49
Aaron Turnier	3-2	19	16	42	3.93	25
Chad Ward	5-5	38	33	85	4.09	59

Saves

Name	Saves
Rod Steph	12

Upcoming Series:

July 29-31	at Adirondack
August 3-5	at Quebec
August 6-9	New Jersey
August 10-12	Quebec

PIONEERS VS. DIAMOND DOGS: The Pioneers trail the head-to-head series 6-3. Albany has won two of the last three contests with Elmira. Outfielder David Tidwell has been the best hitter for the Pioneers against Albany, batting .375 with three RBIs and five stolen bases in eight games. Outfielder Gus Kennedy has also batted well against Albany-Colonie, hitting .350 with a home run and five RBIs. Former Diamond Dog Dan Kopriva hit .273 with two RBIs in his first three games against his former team. Starting pitcher Jamie Nichols is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two starts against the Diamond Dogs. The Pioneers pitching staff holds a 2.95 ERA in the nine games played between the two.

PIONEERS VS. DIAMOND DOGS, PART II: Outfielder Marlon Roche is hitting .323 in nine games against Elmira, including a team-high six RBIs. Designated hitter Jon Mueller has hit two home runs in just three games versus the Pioneers. Former Pioneers pitcher Jimmy Hooper has faced his former team once, throwing one inning and striking out the side. Six different Diamond Dogs pitchers hold wins against the Pioneers, including Fermin Cruz who has a 2.08 ERA in two starts.

STARTING PITCHERS: All-Star Phil Grundy (3-6, 3.27 ERA) takes the mound to open the series. He is 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Diamond Dogs this year. Ivan Arteaga (6-4, 3.63 ERA) will get the call on Tuesday. He is winless in three starts with the Diamond Dogs and has a 6.00 ERA. Jamie Nichols (4-4, 3.81 ERA) will start Wednesday. He has pitched well in his last two starts, allowing just two runs in his last 16 innings. Nichols has also performed well against Albany, allowing just three runs, two earned, in 16 innings of work.

LAST TEN GAMES: The Pioneers have won two of their last three and are 5-5 in their last ten. The Diamond Dogs have won their last two and are 4-6 in their last ten.

PIONEERS AMONG LEAD LEADERS: All-Star Phil Grundy is ranked sixth in the league with a 3.27 ERA and has the third highest strikeout total with 73. Grundy is tied for first in the league with one shutout and second with three complete games. Pitcher Ivan Arteaga is eighth in the league with a 3.63 ERA. Closer Rod Steph is tied for second with 12 saves and is third in the Rolaids Reliever standings with 29 points.

The speedy David Tidwell is tied with Quebec's Anton French for first in the league with 24 steals. Teammate Nelson Abreu is close behind with 19. Abreu also has four triples, second most in the league. Third baseman Mike Groppuso has 44 RBIs in 1999, third most in the league.

PITCHING STRENGTH: The Pioneers have the lowest team ERA in the league at 4.00. They have allowed the second fewest home runs (31), walked the second fewest (143), and have fanned the second most batters (327).

HOME VS. ROAD: The Pioneers offense has been a day and night story depending on whether they are home or on the road. Elmira hits .276 at the friendly confines of Dunn Field, and just .227 away. Gus Kennedy and Nelson Abreu seem to enjoy playing at Dunn Field the most. Kennedy is hitting .350 at home compared to .186 away, and Abreu is hitting .337 home and .183 away. Pioneers pitching has remained constant, holding a 3.79 ERA at home and a 4.17 ERA away. Ivan Arteaga seems to prefer the Dunn Field mound over others, going 4-2 with a 2.81 ERA at home compared with a 2-2 record and a 3.75 ERA.

MADISON PICKED UP BY INDIANS: The Pioneers' bullpen took a blow on Monday when reliever Scott Madison had his contract purchased by the Cleveland Indians organization. Madison pitched just one inning with the Pioneers, striking out one and allowing just one hit. He will be immediately assigned to Class A Columbus.

GROPPUSO HAS SOLID JULY: Third baseman Mike Groppuso has had an impressive July for the Pioneers, hitting .312 (24-for-77) in 21 games. He has driven in 24 runs this month and has nailed three home runs. His slugging percentage for the month is also tops on the team at .506. His play at third has been solid as well, making several great plays.

NICHOLS EN FUEGO: Starting pitcher Jamie Nichols has been enjoying his greatest stretch as a member of the Pioneers, allowing just two runs in his last two starts, and eight in his last four. In his last 31.2 innings, Nichols is 2-1 with 20 strikeouts, while limiting opponents to just 23 hits.

FOMER MVP JOINS PIONEERS: The Pioneers obtained the services of 1998 Northeast League MVP, first baseman Dan Kopriva on Monday, July 18 when they traded short reliever Jimmy Hooper to Albany-Colonie. Kopriva brings a great resume to Elmira, having been drafted in the 10th round of the 1992 draft by the Cincinnati Reds and later signing his first pro contract on June 3, 1992. He spent five years in the Reds system, advancing as high as Class AA with Chattanooga, before being traded to the Chicago White Sox organization on January 6, 1997. Kopriva has spent the last three years in independent baseball, playing for Moose Jaw and Grand Forks in 1997 and Albany-Colonie in 1998.

While with Albany-Colonie last season, Kopriva set many personal highs. He hit a career-best .391 while hitting a career-high 16 home runs. He also set a career mark in hits with 100. Although not career-highs, Kopriva posted other impressive numbers, including 20 doubles, 64 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. Other career-bests for Kopriva include 75 RBIs, 22 doubles, and seven triples while with Class A Charleston in 1993, and 16 stolen bases while splitting time with Moose Jaw and Grand Forks in 1997. He is currently hitting .368 with four RBIs and three steals in his first six games with the Pioneers.

ATTENDANCE WATCH: The Pioneers are closing in on their preseason goal of 75,000 fans for the 1999 season. Current totals give the Pioneers 31,936 for the season. The number is expected to rise as the Pioneers will be hosting three great events this week. Monday will be Dime-A-Dog Night with all hot dogs costing ten cents. Tuesday is Star-Gazette Family Night where a family of four receives General Admission tickets for eight dollars with a coupon in the Star-Gazette. Wednesday is another installment of Wacky Wednesday when Shreibman's Jewlers present a Diamond Dig at the conclusion of the game.

UPCOMING MATCH-UPS: The Pioneers will leave Elmira for a six-game roadtrip, beginning in Adirondack on July 29-31. The Pioneers will then venture north of the border again to face Quebec City following a two-day break for the All-Star game on August 3-5. Fans in Elmira will once again be able to root, root, root for the home team on August 6 when they return home to face the New Jersey Jackals.