TL1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Series Preview: Naturals Resume Rivalry with Drillers

Published on May 17, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


The Naturals are almost home. The team returns to Arvest Ballpark this Saturday after a nine-game road trip. The three-game homestand will be continuation of the series that begins tonight at ONEOK Field in Tulsa at 7:05pm.

The Drillers sit 31/2 games in front of Northwest Arkansas, good for third in the Texas League North Division. Both teams have hit a rough patch in their schedule. Tulsa has dropped six of their last seven games, after taking 15 innings to hold off first-place Springfield last night in a 2-1 victory at home. Also last night, the Naturals sent Yordano Ventura to mound trying to stave off a four-game sweep in North Little Rock. The Dominican-born fireballer was touched up for two runs in the first inning courtesy of back-to-back-to-back two-out doubles that plated two runs. Travelers starter Matt Oye matched him for zeroes, as the Naturals were unable to spark any offense and were swept four games out of North Little Rock.

Tonight in Tulsa, RHP Noel Argulles is scheduled to start for the Naturals against Tim Gustafson.

Brooks Pounders is the scheduled starter for tomorrow against Tyler Matzek. Pounders has excelled as both a starter and a reliever for Manager Brian Poldberg this season. The 6'4"-270-pound 24 year-old right-hander from Temecula, California has totaled 27 2/3 innings this season and pitched to a 2.60 ERA, striking out 22 batters while walking just six. Matzek entered the season ranked as MLB.com's #13 prospect in the Rockies organization.

Jason Adam will start for the Naturals in search of his first Double-A win against Christian Bergmann on Sunday. Adam is 0-4 but has allowed two runs or less in his last three starts. The series wraps up Monday at 11 a.m. as Sugar Ray Marimon looks to end the series with a win for the Naturals. Tulsa is scheduled to start Dan Houston in the finale.

NOTES: Brett Eibner returned in the finale vs. the Travelers going 1-4. His last home series, also against Tulsa, he was 6-for-13 with a homerun...Eibner and Yordano Ventura will be recognized before Saturday's game, each having received Texas League honors. Eibner was named Texas League Player of the Week on April 22, with Ventura being the reigning Player of the Week...LHP Buddy Baumann was re-assigned to Northwest Arkansas after sitting on the disabled list for AAA-Omaha to begin the season. Baumann has not allowed a run through two appearances an had tallied six strikeouts in four innings...In their last series against Tulsa, April 26-30, Tulsa won three of four to claim the series, with the Naturals' lone win coming in a 10-inning game on April 27. In that series, the Naturals were outscored 20-9.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

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Texas League Stories from May 17, 2013


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