Riders Game Notes - 7:25 p.m. at Northwest Arkansas Naturals - April 8, 2016
April 8, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
Springdale, Arkansas is set for 7:05 p.m.
Riders: RHP Connor Sadzeck (0-0, -.-- ERA)
Riders: LHP Matt Strahm (0-0, -.-- ERA)
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 Ryan Rouillard begins at 6:30 p.m. prior to the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. with game coverage from Nathan Barnett and Steve Goldberg. Today's Dr Pepper Pregame Show guest is Riders outfielder Lewis Brinson.
LAST TIME OUT: The RoughRiders shut out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 2-0 on Opening Night, behind six innings of scoreless from FRANK LOPEZ and a trio of relievers. LEWIS BRINSON notched a pair of hits, while RYAN CORDELL picked up the lone extra-base hit, an RBI double in the third that put the Riders ahead for good. Northwest Arkansas had its chances with a lead-off double in the fifth and the bases loaded in the eighth but went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven men on and hitting into a game-ending double-play. MATT BUSH picked up his first save of the year in his first outing since 2011, facing the minimum around a single from Zane Evans.
TOP OF THE CLASS: The RoughRiders enter the season with six players ranked in either Baseball America or MLBPipeline.com's Rangers Top 30 Prospects. LEWIS BRINSON, the No. 2 prospect in Rangers' farm system according to MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America, returns to Frisco. He appeared in 28 games for the Riders last season, hitting .291 with six home runs and 23 RBI before being promoted to Round Rock in August. Brinson is joined by five other players named in the lists- RYAN CORDELL (No. 15 in MLB, No. 11 in BA), RONALD GUZMAN (23, 29), JOSE LECLERC (25, 21), SAM WOLFF (26, NR), and CONNOR SADZECK (27, 26).
STREAKING START: Over the course of team history, the RoughRiders have had a fair amount of success following an Opening Day victory. Frisco has a 4-3 record in the second game of a season after winning the first, and they are 4-1 in these games since 2007. The best start to a season was when the Riders reeled off five straight wins on the road against Springfield and Arkansas to begin the 2008 campaign.
STAY IN THE YARD: Last night, Frisco and Northwest Arkansas played the only Texas League game that did not feature a home run. Bruce Caldwell (Springfield) and Mott Hyde (Corpus Christi) both hit solo home runs in their teams' respective Opening Day victories. The Midland-Arkansas contest featured three home runs. Eric Aguilera (Arkansas) mashed two solo shots to give him an early league lead, and Jaycob Brugman (Midland) hit a three-run dinger with two outs in the first inning.
RANGER DANGER: Although the big league club lost 4-3 to the Angels on an Albert Pujols walk-off single, yesterday was a successful day for all the Rangers' affiliates. Triple-A Round Rock jumped out to an early 7-1 lead over Iowa and cruised to a 7-3 win. Jared Hoying (Riders '12-13) hit a two-out grand slam in the third, and Chad Smith (Riders '15) earned the win in relief. High-A High Desert doubled up Inland Empire 10-5 behind Travis Demeritte's (No. 21 prospect, MLB Pipeline) two home runs, and Single-A Hickory topped Kannapolis 5-1.
MATT'S ALL, FOLKS: Last night, MATT BUSH made his debut in the Rangers' organization and earned his first save since August 24, 2011 with Double-A Montgomery. Originally a shortstop, the San Diego native was selected No. 1 overall by his hometown Padres in the 2004 MLB Draft. Bush was converted to a pitcher prior to the 2007 season and later spent two years in the Tampa Bay Rays' farm system.
KEEP THEM OFF THE BOARD: All of CONNOR SADZECK's 16 career wins have come when allowing two earned runs or less. He has allowed two earned runs in a win on just one occasion, with Single-A Hickory on May 25, 2013 against Kannapolis. Sadzeck has allowed three or more runs 15 times in his career without a victory.
FRESH START FOR FRISCO: After finishing 2015 with a 60-79 overall record, the RoughRiders are looking to improve this season. Frisco went 29-41 in the first half and 31-38 in the second half last year. The Riders ended the season in third place, 28.5 games behind Corpus Christi, in the final Texas League South division standings.
FAMILIAR FACES IN FRISCO: The Riders' initial roster features 18 players who appeared in Frisco last season. Dallas native PRESTON BECK is back home in the Metroplex once again after playing 93 games with the Riders last year. Despite the large number of returning players this year, only five were on the 2015 Opening Day roster.
SKIPPING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS: JOE MIKULIK has returned for his second season with the RoughRiders. He is the eighth manager in RoughRiders history, and the fourth to return for a second consecutive year. The veteran skipper is in his 18th season as a Minor League manager and has 1,122 all-time wins. 938 of his victories were recorded with the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League (Class A), setting both a team and league record.
A NATURAL START: The Riders have only played Northwest Arkansas once on Opening Day and lost 3-1 at home on April 4, 2014. Current Rider Pat Cantwell was Frisco's starting catcher and went 0-for-3 in the game.
K.C. CONNECTION: The Naturals recently announced a four-year extension of their player development contract with the Kansas City Royals. The agreement will keep the Naturals as the Royals' Double-A affiliate through the 2020 season. Northwest Arkansas, the youngest Texas League club, joined the circuit in 2008 when they relocated to Springdale from Wichita.
ARVEST ADDITIONS: While construction of the Choctaw Lazy River continues back at home, other Texas League teams have been making ballpark renovations as well. Arvest Ballpark features several upgrades that are brand new for the 2016 season, including the installation of a 66-foot wide HD videoboard in the outfield.
NATURAL HISTORY LESSON: The Riders have fared well against Northwest Arkansas since the Naturals began Texas League play in 2008. In 96 total meetings between the two teams, Frisco holds a favorable 55-41 record (.573 winning percentage) and is 26-22 at Arvest Ballpark. The RoughRiders have not lost a season series to the Naturals either, with six wins and two ties over the eight-year span.
OPPOSING STARTER: Tonight's Naturals starter Matt Strahm makes his Double-A debut tonight against the Riders. The southpaw works with much improved velocity from his high school days, now firing a 89-94 mph fastball, a slider from 78-84 and a rarely used changeup. Strahm pitched at Neosho County Community College in Kansas, leading his club to the JUCO World Series with a 9-3 record and a 1.91 ERA. He enters his fourth professional season after a 21st round selection in 2012. After beginning his pro start in the bullpen, the Royals moved the left-hander to the rotation in High-A Wilmington in the second half of last year.
Texas League Stories from April 8, 2016
- Missions Escape with 5-4 Win on Friday - Springfield Cardinals
- Alcantara Dazzles in Debut, Travs Win 2-0 - Arkansas Travelers
- Clutch Relief Leads Drillers to First Win of 2016 - Tulsa Drillers
- Missions Even Series with 5-4 Win over Cards - San Antonio Missions
- Tulsa Trims Hooks - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Sadzeck Shines as Riders Win Again - Frisco RoughRiders
- Late Rally Falls Short as Roughriders Take Game 2 - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Riders Game Notes - 7:25 p.m. at Northwest Arkansas Naturals - April 8, 2016 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Saturday Happy Hours at Arvest Ballpark for the 2016 Season - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Drillers First Home Games of 2016 on Deck - Tulsa Drillers
- Aguilera Homers Twice in Opening Night Loss - Arkansas Travelers
- An Auspicious, Efficient Debut - Midland RockHounds
- Caldwell and Cards Take Opener in San Antonio, 3-1 - Springfield Cardinals
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