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Riders Game Notes - 6:30 p.m. at Midland RockHounds - June 20, 2016

June 20, 2016 - Texas League (TL1) - Frisco RoughRiders News Release


Riders: LHP Victor Payano (4-4, 3.64 ERA)

RockHounds: RHP Corey Walter (1-2, 2.77 ERA)

Full game notes are available online through this link.

Today's game can be heard on the RoughRiders Radio Network at Ridersbaseball.com/media, online and on mobile devices via TuneIn Radio, or on the MiLB First Pitch App. The Dr Pepper Pregame Show with Steve Goldberg begins at 5:55 p.m. prior to the first pitch at 6:30 p.m. with game coverage from Nathan Barnett and Ryan Rouillard. Today's Dr Pepper Pregame Show is athletic trainer Jacob Newburn.

You may access the 2016 Riders Media Guide online here.

LAST TIME OUT:

Coming from behind, the RoughRiders took a 4-2 lead into the second-half of their game against Midland on Sunday...Frisco surrendered the lead in the sixth, however, and lost 5-4 in 12 innings...Tyler Marincov plated Viosergy Rosa with a double to walk it off for Midland with one out in the bottom of the 12th...Frisco's runs all came in the fourth, one on a PRESTON BECK RBI single and three on a home run by JOE JACKSON...Rehabbing right-hander A.J. GRIFFIN tossed five innings of two-run ball, and only one of the runs was earned. He struck out seven, walked two, and allowed three hits, leaving in-line for the win.

A HISTORIC HALF:

While the Riders failed to capture a first-half title, the club put together quite the half. Frisco had the best start in team history almost everyday through the first 46 games, including the high-water mark of 30-13. The first half saw seven players promoted to Triple-A or higher, including MATT BUSH who was promoted straight to the big leagues. Six different major league rehabbers played for the Riders, including YU DARVISH, who made three starts for Frisco. RYAN CORDELL won a plethora of awards, posted a 17-game on-base streak, and reached base in 37 straight to begin the year. The fourth-largest crowd in team history packed Dr Pepper Ballpark (11,842), and the Riders posted the largest four-day attendance total in team history May 20-23. A win today would guarantee at least a tie for the third best record in the eight-team Texas League, behind division winners Corpus Christi and Springfield.

THE SPRINGFIELD SEVEN:

Tuesday, the Texas League announced its midseason all-stars and seven RoughRiders earned all-star honors. Infielder RONALD GUZMAN and outfielder RYAN CORDELL were both named starters, while outfielder PRESTON BECK and catcher ISIAH KINER-FALEFA earned reserve spots. Starting pitchers CONNOR SADZECK and VICTOR PAYANO, along with reliever ADAM PARKS also were named mid-season all-stars. It was the sixth-straight year the RoughRiders had at least seven players named to the All-Star Game, and Frisco's seven selections were third-most in the Texas League, behind Tulsa (nine) and Corpus Christi (nine). The 2016 Texas League All-Star Game takes place Tuesday, June 28 in Springfield, Missouri.

EATEN UP BY ERRORS:

For most of the season, the RoughRiders have been one of the best defensive teams in the Texas League. However, in the last 14 games, the RoughRiders have committed 17 errors (1.21 per game), leading to 18 unearned runs. By comparison, they had committed just 37 errors in the first 54 games (0.69 per game). EVAN VAN HOOSIER, who played his first five career games at third base last week, made four of the 13 errors as he adjusts to the new position. ANDY IBANEZ has accounted for three of the miscues in that span, and LUIS SILVA made two blunders in his state-side debut yesterday.

BECK BUSTING OUT:

PRESTON BECK has become a key contributor for the Riders over the last month. The Dallas-native has reached base in 25 of his last 29 games, including on-base streaks of 14 (5/13-6/1) and seven (6/3-6/13) games. Over his last 30 games (since May 13), Beck is hitting .303 with four doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 13 RBI. He also sports a .356 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .459 in that span. Beck qualified for the league leaderboard Thursday and was seventh in league average prior to going 3-for-13 over the last three games.

CORDELL COMES BACK CRUSHING:

RoughRiders outfielder RYAN CORDELL broke out of his longest homerless stretch of the season Tuesday in a big way, hitting a pair of solo home runs in a 5-4 win over Midland. It was his second multi-home run game of the season, both of which have come against the RockHounds. After hitting 10 home runs in his first 35 games, Cordell went homerless in 26 straight games (90 at-bats) from May 16 through June 13 before his big day Tuesday. Cordell continued his recent surge with a 3-for-4 performance in game one of Thursday's doubleheader, including his 13th home run of the year. Friday, he hit his 14th homer and his first opposite-field shot of the year.

RANGERS ON REHAB:

Thanks to their geographic proximity to Arlington, the Riders have already had a handful of Rangers join the squad on Major League rehabilitation assignments this season. A.J. GRIFFIN made his third rehab start with Frisco yesterday and is the sixth rehabber to suit up for the RoughRiders this season. Griffin joins catchers CHRIS GIMENEZ and ROBINSON CHIRINOS, outfielders JOSH HAMILTON and SHIN-SOO CHOO, and right-handed pitcher YU DARVISH on rehab assignments this season.

RANGER DANGER:

The Riders aren't the only Rangers affiliate with a winning record. Among full-season affiliates, the Rangers farm system is 155-121 (.562). Every full-season affiliate in the organization has a record above .500, as Class A-Advanced High Desert enters the day at 43-27 (and first-half division champs), Class-A Hickory is 38-32, and Triple-A Round Rock is 38-31. Round Rock was ranked the fifth-best Minor League team (any level) by MLB.com's Jim Callis earlier this season.

TOP OF THE CLASS:

The RoughRiders roster includes eight players ranked on either the MLBPipeline.com and/or Baseball America Rangers Top 30 Prospects list. LEWIS BRINSON, the No. 2 prospect in the Texas farm system according to MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America, is in his second season in Frisco. LUIS ORTIZ (No. 4 in MLBPipeline.com, No. 4 in BA) is the highest-ranked pitching prospect on the squad. Aside from Brinson and Ortiz, YOHANDER MENDEZ (13, 24), RYAN CORDELL (14, 11), ANDY IBANEZ (15, 8), RONALD GUZMAN (22, 29), SAM WOLFF (25, NR), and CONNOR SADZECK (26, 26) rank among Texas' top 30 prospects.

OPPOSING STARTER:

The RoughRiders face Corey Walter for the second time this year today, last facing him in game two of a doubleheader on May 19 (5.0 IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 2SO). Walter moved into the rotation when Daniel Mengden was promoted to Triple-A, but he missed Frisco in the first series between the two teams...Drafted in the 28th Round of the 2014 Draft out of West Virginia University, Walter starred in baseball at Wheeling (WV) Park High, where he was all-state first team as a senior in 2010, going 11-4 with nine complete games and an ERA of just 1.76...Following his first season, Walter was named "Most Improved Pitcher" during Instructional League...The righty throws a two-seam sinker, a slider, and a developing changeup, getting an inordinate amount of groundballs (2.42 GO/AO). Walter would be seventh in MiLB in groundout/air out ratio if he qualified.


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