Week 18 - Corpus Christi Series Preview

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Wichita Wind Surge

Week 18 - Corpus Christi Series Preview

August 6, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Wichita Wind Surge News Release


SERIES INFO

The Wichita Wind Surge (12-21, 43-59) travel for the first time in August to play six games against the Corpus Christi Hooks (10-22, 36-65) at Whataburger Field. These upcoming games will be the only 2024 regular season matchups between the two sides this season.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, August 6, Whataburger Field, 6:35 PM:

LHP Christian MacLeod (0-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Guilfoil (4-9, 4.05 ERA)

Following an eight strikeout performance in his Riverfront Stadium debut last Wednesday against Northwest Arkansas, Christian MacLeod makes his third Double-A Start and second in Texas.

Wednesday, August 7, Whataburger Field, 6:35 PM:

RHP Andrew Morris (5-3, 2.14 ERA) vs. LHP Trey Dombrowski (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

A man who ranks #7 across Minor League Baseball in ERA, Andrew Morris returns to the mound for start #2 in August.

Thursday, August 8, Whataburger Field, 6:35 PM:

RHP Cory Lewis (1-2, 3.77 ERA) vs. TBA

In game three of the series, Cory Lewis starts again after earning his first professional save his last time out on Friday against Northwest Arkansas as a piggyback reliever.

Friday, August 9, Whataburger Field, 7:05 PM:

RHP Marco Raya (1-3, 5.54 ERA) vs. RHP Jose Fleury (1-3, 4.93 ERA)

As the sky dims a little more on Friday, Marco Raya pitches around two and a half hours near his native Laredo, Texas, for the third time in his Wind Surge career.

Saturday, August 10, Whataburger Field, 7:05 PM:

RHP Travis Adams (4-7, 4.28 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Brown (2-7, 5.01 ERA)

Amidst throwing quality starts his last three times out, Travis Adams aims for his fifth time doing so in 2024 versus the Hooks.

Sunday, August 11, Whataburger Field, 5:05 PM:

LHP Christian MacLeod (0-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Ethan Pecko (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Southpaw Christian MacLeod looks to make it back-to-back weeks where a Wichita starter throws a pair of starts the same week after Travis Adams did so last Tuesday and Sunday at Riverfront Stadium against the Naturals.

WIND SURGE STORYLINES

THE SUMMER OF LUKE: Luke Keaschall earned Twins Minor League Player of the Month Honors after a spectacular July. Over 20 games, Keaschall led the Wind Surge with five home runs while slashing .290/.426/.513 with 12 RBIs, 12 walks, and 15 runs scored. The #92 overall prospect in baseball per MLB.com, Keaschall also represented the Twins organization at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, during All-Star Weekend, becoming the fourth Wichita player selected to the event in team history.

A SECOND CENTURY MARK OF CONTACT: In Sunday's series finale against Northwest Arkansas, Jake Rucker had 98 hits on the season. Following a 2-for-4 performance in the matinee, he crossed the 100-hit threshold for the second straight year with the Wind Surge. Rucker becomes just the second player in franchise history to gather 100 or more hits in consecutive seasons since DaShawn Keirsey Jr. did so in 2022 and 2023. The Wichita infielder is four hits away from tying his total from last season, and if he accomplishes that within his next five games, he'll have recorded as many knocks in 20 fewer games played than in 2023.

WE'RE DUE A FEW IN THE SPARKLING CITY BY THE SEA, RIGHT?: The Wind Surge have made two trips to Whataburger Field over the last two seasons. Wichita is 5-7 against the Corpus Christi Hooks when playing near the overlooking Harbor Bridge, splitting 3-3 in 2022 and falling in four of six in 2023. Putting that into perspective, when the Hooks made their first trip to Riverfront Stadium in August 2022, the Wind Surge went 5-1 that week, including rattling off wins in the series' final four games. Currently standing 5.5 games back of the current second place Northwest Arkansas Naturals, which would secure a Texas League North Semifinals spot (first-half champion Springfield is in first place), this week ranks highly in regards to Wichita's chances of making a move back into the playoff push.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

WHATABURGER WOES: 101 games into the 2024 season, the Hooks enter the week with the lowest overall home record (18-33) and winning percentage (.353) in the Texas League. Since the second half started, they've gone 3-9 at Whataburger Field, with a pair of three-game sweeps taking place against them courtesy of the San Antonio Missions between July 1-3 and Springfield Cardinals after the All-Star Break across July 19-21.

BREEZY BRICE: The #28 overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Brice Matthews has accomplished a fair amount through his first 30 games at the Double-A ranks since being called up from High-A Asheville on June 18. On top of matching his 2024 Tourist totals in home runs (6) and stolen bases (10), Matthews is doing all this as the youngest position player on the Corpus Christi roster. An infielder who's spent the majority of his time playing between shortstop and third base since joining the Hooks, he's the current #3 prospect in the Houston Astros system, the highest number for an infielder who's located just under three and a half hours from Minute Maid Park.

ULLOLA IS HIS NAME, K'ING BATTERS IS HIS GAME: When glancing at the Minor League leaderboards, Miguel Ullola will appear on the pitching side among the strikeouts column. Ullola has struck out 122 hitters over 96.1 innings, tying him for eighth among the full-season ranks. On top of leading the Texas League with that amount, the next punch out for the Corpus Christi righthander will crown him as the Hooks pitcher with the highest strikeout total since the reconstruction of Minor League Baseball. Only Misael Tamarez tallied as many as Ullola has so far back in the 2021 season with Corpus Christi.

BROADCAST

For the upcoming series in Texas, you can listen to Wind Surge games with Mike Capps on the call on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and windsurge.com or watch them online at MiLB.TV and Bally Live.

Check out the Wichita Wind Surge Statistics

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Texas League Stories from August 6, 2024


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