RoughRiders Fall in Opening Series to Amarillo
April 11, 2023 - Texas League (TL)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
The Frisco RoughRiders canceled out one, but not two deficits on Saturday at Riders Field against the Amarillo Sod Poodles in a 5-3 loss. Down 3-0 in the fifth inning, Frisco (1-2) rattled off four consecutive hits to dissipate the lead in quick fashion. After a Scott Kapers double and singles by Evan Carter and Leody Taveras, Luisangel Acuña singled up the middle for two runs batted in, tying the game at three runs apiece. Amarillo (2-1) responded with a two-run seventh inning and then held Frisco hitless the remainder of the game. Nick Starr (0-1) struck out the side in the sixth but allowed the two runs in the seventh to take the loss. With the win, the Sod Poodles won the opening weekend series at Riders Field after winning just one of six games in Frisco a year ago. Jake Rice (1-0) needed just 0.1 innings for the win, and Raffi VizcaÃ-no pitched a clean ninth inning for the save. Tekoah Roby made his Double-A de- but on Saturday for Frisco, scattering three runs allowed across his first three innings. He finished on a strong note, getting a double play in the fourth inning before exiting. He struck out five batters in his 3.2 innings. Carter went 1-for-4 on Saturday. The 20-year-old RoughRider outfielder notched four hits in the series.
MISSION POSSIBLE:
After another series victory in San Antonio their last time out against the Missions, the Riders dominated the Padres affiliate over their last two seasons. Last season, they went 15-9 against San Antonio and 10-2 at Nelson Wolff Stadium, but including last season, Frisco is 28-14 against the Padres affiliate. The Riders also swept the Missions in the 2022 South Division Champioship Series, winning one game at home and one in San Antonio. Dating back to mid-June of 2018, the Riders are 40-22 against San Antonio in their last 62 games.
EVAN ALMIGHTY:
Through three games, Evan Carter has .308 (4-for-13) with four RBIs and a stolen base. The No. 3 prospect in the Rangers system - who won a MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove in 2022, has played right field, centerfield and left field in the three games. The reigning Tom Greive Rangers Minor League Player of the Year, Carter joined the RoughRiders for the last week of the 2022 season and the playoffs.
Between Frisco and Hickory, Carter hit .295/.397/.489/.886 with 21 doubles, 10 triples, 12 home runs, 73 RBIs, 86 runs and 28 stolen bases in 106 games. He finished tied for fourth in all of Minor League Baseball in triples and was one of 11 players in the minors with double digit doubles, triples and home runs over the course of the season.
A GRAND BEGINNING:
The RoughRiders saw history on Opening Day against the Sod Poodles. Trevor Hauver became the first RoughRiders player in fran- chise history to hit a grand slam on Opening Day. It was not the first home run that Hauver had hit on Opening Day, though. To begin 2021 with the Tampa Tarpons in the Yankees system, Hauver homered twice on Opening Day and then homered in the next four games consecutively. Through the first five games of the 2021 season, Hauver hit .556 (10-for-18)/.654/1.611/2.265 with a double, six home runs, 13 RBIs and 7 walks.
MEET THE NEW SKIPPER:
A new year welcomes a new face at the helm of the RoughRiders. Carlos Cardoza gets the bump up from High-A Hickory in 2023 and he brings a history of winning with him. The Puerto Rico native piloted the Crawdads to a 66-65 record last season and has amassed a 312-207 (.601) total over his six seasons as a skipper. With Down East, he took the Wood Ducks to the Low-A East Champi- onship Series before falling to Charleston. Prior to his time in Down East, he managed the Arizona League Rangers (2019), winning the AZL Championship, and Dominican Summer League Rangers (2016-2019), twice reaching the championship series. Hired on by the Rangers in 2015, Cardoza was the head coach at his alma mater, Decatur High School, in Georgia for two years. As a player, Cardoza spent two seasons at Georgia State University and two years at Armstrong Atlantic State, where he was a gold glove second baseman and All-Peach Belt Conference selection.
LOOK AT ALL THAT TALENT:
This year's squad features nine of the top 30 prospects in the Rangers organization. Texas' No. 2 overall prospect Evan Carter high- lights the bunch that includes four of the top five prospects in Carter, No. 3 RHP Owen White, No. 4 INF Luisangel Acuña and No. 5 RHP Jack Leiter. Outside of the top five, OF Dustin Harris slots in at No. 8 in his return to Frisco from last season after missing the last month with a wrist injury. The last four prospects are No. 12 RHP Tekoah Roby, No. 16 INF Thomas Saggese, No. 20 RHP Marc Church and No. 24 LHP Antoine Kelly. Out of the nine, eight are returning players with Roby being the only newcomer to the Frisco roster.
LOTS OF FAMILIAR FACES:
Toward the end of the 2022 season, the Rangers moved a lot of players up to Frisco which has led to 21 returning players on the RoughRiders Opening Day roster for the 2023 season. On the starting staff, Jack Leiter and Owen White return along with Antoine Kelly. In the bullpen, Nick Starr, Grant Wolfram and Justin Slaten are the only three that were on the 2022 Opening Day roster as well while Marc Church, John Matthews and Triston Polley all joined later in the year. Both Scott Kapers and David Garcia were pivotal in the Riders championship run at catcher. Five of the seven infielders (Jax Biggers, Luisangel Acuña, Frainyer Chavez, Thomas Saggese and Josh Sale) are back and all four listed outfielders (Dustin Harris, Kellen Strahm, Evan Carter and Trevor Hauver). Alex Speas is the only returner who didn't play in 2022 as he was a RoughRiders pitcher in 2021. Out of the 21 returning players, 15 were active when the RoughRiders won the Texas League Championship last year.
Texas League Stories from April 11, 2023
- Tenerowicz Delivers Walk-Off Hit in Home Opener - Arkansas Travelers
- Stout Pitching Sends CC to First Win - Corpus Christi Hooks
- RoughRiders' Offense Falters in Series Opener - Frisco RoughRiders
- Wind Surge Wins the Home Opener in Front of a Record Breaking Crowd - Wichita Wind Surge
- Missions Shut Out Frisco In Home Opener - San Antonio Missions
- Walks, Errors Cause Naturals Third-Straight Setback - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Walk Off with 6-5 Win on Tuesday - Springfield Cardinals
- RoughRiders Fall in Opening Series to Amarillo - Frisco RoughRiders
- Frisco RoughRiders Roster Moves - Frisco RoughRiders
- 2022 National League All-Star Joe Mantiply to Rehab with Amarillo - Amarillo Sod Poodles
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