LAKE ELSINORE -- It is customary in the minor leagues for there to be changes in a team's lineup at the midway point of the season, and that will certainly be the case for the Storm when they take the field against the Inland Empire 66ers tonight.

Lake Elsinore kicks off the second half of the California League season with four new players, who have been promoted from Class A Fort Wayne. Third baseman James Darnell, first baseman Matt Clark, outfielder Sawyer Carroll and left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt have all joined the team, Storm manager Carlos Lezcano said.

Darnell was Fort Wayne's top hitter by average, and Clark led the TinCaps in home runs, doubles and RBI. Carroll led Fort Wayne in hits.

Darnell batted .329 with seven home runs and 38 RBI, Clark went .266 with 11 home runs, 55 RBI and 22 doubles, and Carroll batted .316 with five home runs and 40 RBI.

On the mound, Schmidt posted a 4-0 record with a 2.79 earned-run average for Fort Wayne. Schmidt is scheduled to make his Storm debut Saturday night and will face Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers' suspended outfielder joins the 66ers on Friday and will play at Lake Elsinore on Saturday.

Not everybody is coming into the team, however. Four players, including two of Lake Elsinore's top performers, have left.

The Storm is losing two all-stars as their top hitter, third baseman Logan Forsythe, and their top pitcher, Cory Luebke, are being promoted to Double-A San Antonio. Outfielder Yefri Carvajal and first baseman Justin Baum are being sent down to Fort Wayne, Lezcano said.

"We're pretty much keeping the nucleus of the team together," Lezcano said.

"They know each other from last year or spring training. Very rarely do you get a guy that nobody knows. That's the way it is in the minor leagues. Guys that stay will take over, and the new guys will blend in very well."

As for the team's play, things have been going well since a rocky start. Lake Elsinore lost five straight to start the season, but the Storm recovered to finish the first half with a stellar 39-31 record, good for second place in the South Division.

The Storm have two paths to the playoffs. If they win the South Division in the second half of the season, they will clinch an automatic berth. If Lake Elsinore falls short, it can still get a wild-card spot.

Through 70 games, Lake Elsinore is sitting pretty in that respect. The Storm lead rivals Inland Empire by seven games, Rancho Cucamonga by nine games and Lancaster by 13 games.

"Our goal is obviously to win the second half, but in this league three teams make the playoffs," Lezcano said. "We don't want to rest on the lead we've built if it comes down to fighting for a wild-card spot. But I'd rather be in our position than some of the other teams."