TL1 Texas League

Texas League Newsletter No. 19 Part 2

Published on August 18, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release


PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jon Zeringue - Midland RockHounds

6 G, 20 AB, 7 H, .350 AVG, 3 HR

13 RBI, 1 2B, .381 OBP, .850 SLG

Led by Zeringue's hot bat, the RockHounds won five of six games in the last week. During the week of August 11-17, Zeringue led the Texas League with three home runs, 13 RBIs and an .850 slugging percentage. The former LSU star also tied for the league lead with four extra-base hits and six runs scored.

In five of six games played during the week, Zeringue had at least one hit and one RBI. Zeringue's 13 RBIs were the third highest total by a Texas League Player of the Week this year, trailing only teammates Jesus Guzman (15) and Tommy Everidge (14).

Zeringue also stood out this week with two spectacular individual performances. In game two of a doubleheader on August 16, the 25-year-old almost single handily helped Midland defeat Tulsa 7-6. Zeringue went 3-for-3, with six RBIs, finishing a triple short of the cycle. With his club trailing 6-4 in the fifth, Zeringue launched a go-ahead, three run-homer, catapulting Midland into the lead.

On August 8, Zeringue socked a first-inning grand slam, leading the charge in Midland's 13-7 thrashing of Northwest Arkansas. The 6'2" slugger also scored three times in the rout. The following night, Zeringue stroked a solo home run, joining Everidge as the second RockHounds player with 20 dingers this season.

In 117 games this season, the Louisiana native is batting .262 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Derek Holland - Frisco RoughRiders

1 G, 1 GS, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 8 IP

1 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 10 K

The Frisco RoughRiders have dealt with their share of roster turnover this season, but the first place team hasn't skipped a beat thanks to reinforcements from the lower minors. Derek Holland, the team's latest prized addition, made a dazzling Double-A debut in Frisco's 5-1 win against Tulsa on August 13. In eight innings, Holland surrendered no earned runs, four hits and a walk, while tallying 10 strikeouts. Holland picked up his first Texas League victory, which improved his record to 11-1 in the minors this season.

During one stretch between the first and sixth innings, the southpaw retired 15 of the 16 Drillers batters he faced. After Holland completed the seventh inning, he had put down 18 of the last 20 hitters that had stepped into the batter's box. The 21-year-old was showing outstanding command during the whole game, Holland fell behind 2-0 to just a single batter over his eight innings of work. In the eighth inning, Holland demonstrated his stamina by hitting 95 mph on the radar gun at Frisco's Dr. Pepper Ballpark.

Holland began the year in the low Class-A Midwest League, where he registered a perfect 7-0 record with a 2.40 ERA in 17 starts. Promoted to high Single-A Bakersfield in July, the southpaw went 3-1, with a 3.19 ERA and racked up 37 strikeouts in 31 innings.

Holland was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. The 185-pound southpaw was a draft-and-follow pick who was eventually signed by the Rangers on May 20 of 2007.

ALUMNI REPORT

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

Salt Lake catcher Bobby Wilson ('06-'07) has hit .458 (11-for-24) over his last seven games...Salt Lake outfielder Bradley Coon ('07) batted .391 (9-for-23) in a five-game stretch...The 16-game hitting streak of Salt Lake first baseman Kendry Morales ('05) came to a halt -- temporarily, at least--when he was called up by the Angels on Friday. Morales was batting .462 (30-for-65) during the streak, which began July 28 when he went 3-for-4 against New Orleans. The 25-year-old Cuban was batting .338 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs for the Bees at the time of his promotion, having raised his season average 28 points during the streak. Morales entered the season as a career .256 hitter in 100 Major League games over the last two year, though before Friday his only action with the Angels consisted of one pinch-hit at-bat May 11...Durham first baseman Chris Richard ('97-'99) has batted .333 with two homers, eight RBIs and seven runs scored in his last 10 contests.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

Round Rock third baseman Mark Saccomanno ('05-"06) had a .394 average (13-for-33) over nine games. Norfolk outfielder Tike Redman ('06) entered July with a .270 batting average, but he's been hot ever since. He hit .314 last month and is batting .396 with 11 runs scored in his first 11 games of August. Redman begins the week with hits in 13 of his last 14 games to lift his average to .296 with a homer, 30 RBIs, and 68 runs scored in 101 games...Richmond outfielder Josh Anderson ('05-'06) has hit .455 with two homers, seven RBIs and 12 runs scored in his last 10 games. He begins the week with a 22-game hitting streak, two shy of the IL's best run this season.

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS

Nashville outfielder Laynce Nix ('03-'04) had a .389 average (7-for-18) in his previous six games before being promoted to the Brewers...Oklahoma 2B Joaquin Arias ('05) has collected seven hits in 18 at-bats (.389) over his last five games.

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

New Orleans catcher Raul Casanova ('06) had a .444 average (12-for-27) over a seven-game span.

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

Albuquerque catcher Paul LoDuca ('97) batted .423 (11-for-26) with seven RBIs in seven games with the team before being promoted to the Marlins...Las Vegas first baseman John Lindsey ('03-'04) has hit .359 (14-for-39) with four home runs and six RBIs in his last 10 games...In 2006, his first season in the Padres organization, Manny Ayala ('07-'08) made one appearance with the Portland Beavers between stints at Class-A Fort Wayne and Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore, throwing two scoreless innings and giving up two hits. Two seasons later, the 23-year-old returned to Portland and again allowed two hits in his first appearance -- this time over seven shutout innings, as he dazzled Fresno on Wednesday to earn his first Triple-A victory. Ayala started the season at Double-A San Antonio, where he was 6-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 16 games (including 13 starts)...West Tennessee outfielder Mike Wilson ('06) homered in back-to-back games, increasing his SL-best total to 25.

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS

Memphis outfielder Jon Jay ('07-'08) has hit .371 (13-for-35) over his last 10 games...Right-handed pitcher Jess Todd ('08) may be new to the Memphis Redbirds, but he looked comfortable in his Triple-A debut Wednesday. Todd pitched 6.2 innings for the Redbirds on Wednesday night, giving up one run on four hits and striking out six in a 2-1 win over Round Rock.

TULSA DRILLERS

Colorado Springs first baseman Joe Koshansky ('05-'06) has a .513 average (20-for-39) with four homers and 16 RBIs over his last 10 games...Colorado Springs third baseman Christian Colonel ('06-'07) batted .432 (19-for-44) with nine RBIs in a 10-game stretch...Lehigh Valley first baseman Andy Tracy ('03) has hit .458 with four homers, eight RBIs and six runs scored in his last six games.

Rochester infielder Matt Macri ('05-'07) has hit .323 with four homers, 10 RBIs and five runs scored in his last eight games.

OTHER TEXAS LEAGUE ALUMNI

Omaha catcher Matt Tupman (Wichita '05-'06) has batted .318 (7-for-22) over his last seven games...Portland first baseman Justin Huber ('05) has a .421 average (8-for-19) over his last five games...Buffalo outfielder Todd Linden (Shreveport '02) has hit .297 with three homers, six RBIs and nine runs scored in his last 10 games...Charlotte first baseman Royce Huffman (Round Rock '00-'02) has hit .324 with a homer, four RBIs and five runs scored in his last nine games...Scranton/Wilkes-Barre infielder Cody Ransom (Shreveport '99-'00) has batted .333 with two homers, six RBIs and six runs scored in his last eight contests.

This Week in the Texas League History

August 19, 1919...Galveston's John Smithson closed out a doubleheader sweep of Dallas by tossing a 3-0, no-hit win. Smithson's gem followed a 1-0, seven-hitter tossed by Jim Gudger in the nine-inning opener.

August 20, 1950...Rudy Minarcin lost a no-hit bid when Dallas pinch hitter Jim Kirby led off the eighth inning with a clean single to left field. It was the only hit that Minarcin would allow the Eagles. Wally Post's seventh inning solo homer produced the only run of the contest, leading to Minarcin's 1-0, one-hit win.

August 21, 1997...Lead-off hitter Calvin Murray sparked Shreveport's offense, going 5-for-5, with three runs scored and three RBI's, leading the Captains to an 8-1 win over Tulsa.

August 22, 1936...Tulsa was out-hit by San Antonio 18-17, yet managed to pound the Missions 15-8. Tulsa catcher Bill Jackson claimed a fair share of the laurels in the win, driving in six runs with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate.

August 23, 1959...San Antonio's Ron Perranoski struck out 14 on the way to a 2-1 win over Corpus Christi. Nat Peeples gave Perronoski a helping hand when he stroked a game winning, one-out, bases loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning off of relief pitcher Gaylord Perry, who had just entered the contest.

August 24, 1914...Waco ace Ollie Jost walked none and allowed just one hit, a single by Pat Newnam, as he led his club to first place with a 3-0 win over arch-rival Houston. In the third inning, Waco scored all three of their runs when they bunched four of the five hits they collected in the game. One of the blows in the third was a run-scoring poke by Jost.

August 25, 1953...Nino Escalara helped Tulsa top Oklahoma City 8-7 with a perfect 5-for-5 night at the plate. Escalara's big evening included a double, two triples and three RBI's. Even with Escalara's out-put, Tulsa needed a solo homer in the eighth inning from catcher Ed Bailey to produce the one-run win.

Individual Texas League Leaders

( through August 17)

Batting Average

Home Runs

Runs Batted In

M. Miller (TUL) .344

K. Kaaihue (NWA) 26

T. Everidge (MID) 105

D. Fowler (TUL) .337

Cor. Smith (ARK) 23

M. Miller (TUL) 87

T. Blanco (TUL) .324

T. Blanco (TUL) 21

K. Blanks (SA) 84

C. Johnson (CC) .324

A. Craig (SPR) 21

J. Zeringue (MID) 84

A. Cunningham (MID) .317

J. Zeringue/T. Everidge (MID) 21

2 others tied at 81

Earned Run Average

Strikeouts

Saves

V. Mazzaro (MID) 1.90

W. Inman (SA) 137

F. Salas (SPR) 24

M. Buschmann (SA) 2.95

S. Garrison (SA) 108

A. Carignan (MID) 21

J. Todd (SPR) 2.97

M. Buschmann (SA) 104

G. Burke (SA) 18

S. Faris (SA) 3.31

V. Mazzaro (MID) 104

R. Mattheus (TUL) 14

J. Simmons (MID) 3.42

G. DeHoyos (SA) 102

2 tied with 11

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Texas League Stories from August 18, 2008


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