Sam Huff Heats Up for Round Rock

Double-A Frisco (8-7): 1B Diosbel Arias hit his fourth home run to lift Frisco to a 6-3 win over Arkansas. LF Dustin Harris (2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) had a pair of extra-base hits. The Frisco pitching staff struck out a season-high 19 batters. RHP Jack Leiter (ND, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R-ER, 5 BB, 5 SO) made his fourth start. LHP Grant Wolfram (2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 4 SO) threw 2.2 perfect IP, while RHP Justin Slaten (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 5 SO) matched a career high in strikeouts.

High Class-A Hickory (9-4): Hickory shut out Bowling Green, 2-0. CF Daniel Mateo and DH Liam Hicks each had a home run. 1B Josh Hatcher is 19-for-46 (.413 BA) on the season, which ranks 3rd in the South Atlantic League. LHP Larson Kindreich (3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) started, but LHP Juan Mejia (W, 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R-ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) earned his first win of the season.

Low Class-A Down East (6-8): Down East dropped both games of a doubleheader to Carolina. 1B Abimelec Ortiz (2-for-6, 2 2B, BB) had extra-base hits in both contests, while C Tucker Mitchell (1-for-2, RBI) is now 12-for-24 (.500 BA) through eight games. In relief, RHP Jackson Kelly (G1, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 37) and RHP D.J. McCarty (G2, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R-ER, 1 BB, 5 SO) each hurled multiple scoreless innings for Down East.

April 22: The Texas Rangers swept the Philadelphia Phillies to open the season and face the New York Yankees later this week at Globe Life Field.

What else do those two foes have in common?

Well, the coaching staffs of their Single-A affiliates apparently don’t like each other too much.

Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia) manager Marty Malloy got upset by a hit batter and in the aftermath of arguing about it, threw a punch at Tampa Tarpons (New York) pitching coach Gerardo Casadiego on Sunday in Florida.

More punches were thrown as the benches cleared, with Tarpons hitting coach Rick Guarno getting tackled in the melee.

The wild incident was captured on video below.

April 22: Kumar Rocker's third outing as a starter wasn't quite as efficient as his first two, but he did help Hickory to a 5-3 win over Bowling Green on Saturday night. 

Rocker — the South Atlantic League's Pitcher of the Week during his first week of professional baseball — gave up three runs in the first inning for the Rangers High Class-A affiliate. But he bounced back after that to throw three shutout innings and get into the fifth inning before he was replaced by Leury Tejada, who got the win. 

Rocker struck out eight, walked two and gave up three hits in 4 1/3 innings on the hill. 

Max Acosta led the Crawdads at the plate with a 3-for-4 game that included three RBI. 

Games for April 21

Triple-A Round Rock (12-5):  SS Jonathan Ornelas (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) drove in the winning runs in a 2-1 win over Sacramento on Thursday. LHP Cody Bradford (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R-ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) improved to 4-0. LHP John King (S, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) earned the save. 

Double-A Frisco (6-5): Frisco was up 9-0 in the top of the fifth inning before rain suspended the game, which will resume as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. SS Luisangel Acuña (1-for-2, HR, 4 RBI) hit his 2nd career grand slam (also 8/6/22 vs. AMA) as part of a 6-run fourth inning from the ‘Riders.

RHP Nick Krauth (4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R-ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) tossed 4.0 SHO IP before the game was suspended.

High Class-A Hickory (6-4): Hickory beat Bowling Green, 5-1, on  Thursday night. DH Josh Hatcher (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB) set the tone in the 1st inning with a 2-run home run to grab a 2-0 lead. RHP Josh Stephan (W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R-ER, 3 BB, 10 SO) won his second start.

Low Class-A Down East (5-6): The Wood Ducks lost to Carolina, 8-3, on Thursday. RHP Jose Corniell (L, 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO) took the loss. DH Yosy Galan (2-for-2, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 RBI) and CF Anthony Gutierrez (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) each launched their first home runs for Down East’s only offensive production.

April 20: Texas Rangers prospect Cody Freeman led the Hickory Crawdads to an 8-7 victory over Bowling Green on Wednesday night. That victory came with a walk-off home run. 

Freeman drove a ball deep to center in the ninth, scoring two runs to win the game for the Crawdads. Here's the video.

Freeman, a catcher, was drafted in the fourth round by the Rangers in 2019. He is batting .227 with one home run and four RBI after Wednesday game. 

Games of April 19

Triple-A Round Rock (10-5): Round Rock beat Sacramento, 17-9, on Tuesday. 2B Justin Foscue (2-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, BB) hit a grand slam. LF Rafael Ortega (3-for-6, BB) and DH Clint Frazier (3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB) both produced 3 hits. C Sam Huff (1-for-7, HR, 3 RBI) and 3B Jonathan Ornelas (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 3 BB) had big games. 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo (1-for-2, RBI, 4 BB) reached in 5 of 6 plate appearances. RHP Cole Winn (4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R-ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) left with the no decision. RHP Joe Barlow (W, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) and RHP Yerry Rodriguez (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 4 SO) threw well in relief.

Double-A Frisco (5-5): Frisco left the bases loaded in the 9th inning in a 5-1 loss to Arkansas. C David Garcia (3-for-4, 2 RBI) ripped a 2-run double for the ‘Riders. CF Evan Carter (0-for-1, 4 BB) reached base via BB 4 times, also stealing a bag and recording an outfield assist. RHP Jack Leiter (L, 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R-ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) took the loss but has 5+ K’s in every appearance.

High Class-A Hickory (4-4): SS Max Acosta (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) and LF Geisel Cepeda (1-for-4, HR, RBI) each launched solo home runs as Hickory lost, 5-3, to Bowling Green. 1B Josh Hatcher (1-for-4) extended his hitting streak to 7 games and is batting a team-high .379. RHP Gavin Collyer (L, 4 H, 3 R-ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) struggled giving up 3 runs in 4.1 IP.

Low Class-A Down East (5-4): Down East lost 5-2 to Carolina. 3B Gleyber Figuereo (1-for-2, HR, RBI, 2 BB) and 1B Abimelec Ortiz (1-for-3, RBI) drove in Down East's only runs. RHP Luis Ramirez (L, 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R-ER, 4 BB, 2 SO), walking 4 batters in his 2nd start. RHP Damian Mendoza (3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 4 S0) tossed shutout relief.

Games of April 16

Triple-A Round Rock (9-5): Round Rock beat Tacoma, 5-4. DH Rafael Ortega (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI), 3B Davis Wendzel (2-for-4, 2B, HR, RBI), and RF Sandro Fabian (2-for-4, 2 2B) each had at least one double. Wendzel’s 4th-inning home run was his second in as many days. LF J.P. Martinez (1-for-2, 2 BB) has now reached base in all 11 games this season. RHP Fernery Ozuna (W, 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) struck out 3 to earn the win, while RHP Dominic Leone (S, 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 0 SO) earned the save. Round Rock is in Sacramento this week to take on the River Cats beginning on Tuesday.

Double-A Frisco (5-4): 1B Dustin Harris (3-for-5, 2B, HR - grand slam, 4 RBI) led Frisco to a 12-2 win over San Antonio. CF Evan Carter (2- for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB) wrapped up a great series in which he reached in 17 of 30 PA (.567 OBP), hit three home runs and drove in 11 of his team-high 15 RBI. DH Luisangel Acuña (1-for-4, RBI, BB) has hits in his last 5 games. Frisco pitching struck out 14, with RHP Nick Starr (W, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) securing the win.

High Class-A Hickory (4-3): RHP Kumar Rocker was named South Atlantic Player of the Week after hurling a pair of shutout starts (8.0 IP) against Wilmington with 12 strikeouts. Hickory beat Wilmington, 3-0, as Rocker (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R-ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) made his second start. A 2-run double from SS Max Acosta (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) and 3B Keyber Rodriguez’s (1-for-4, RBI) RBI single accounted for all Hickory’s offense. 1B Josh Hatcher (2-for-4) was the only Crawdad to finish with multiple hits. LHP Larson Kindreich (3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) recorded the win out of the bullpen.

Low Class-A Down East (5-3): Down East lost 3-0 to Augusta. SS Danyer Cueva (1-for-4), DH Anthony Gutierrez (1-for-3), and 1B Miguel Villarroel (1- for-4) each singled to hold a BA over the .300 mark. In his first start, RHP Ivan Oviedo (4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R-ER, 1 BB, 5 SO) took the loss. LHP Seth Clark (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) struck out a pair in his lone inning of work.

April 15: Round Rock outfielder and designated hitter J.P. Martinez continues to swing one of the hottest bats in the organization after the Express' 10-2 loss to Tacoma on Saturday. 

Martinez went 2-for-4 to keep his batting average at .400. 

For the season, Martinez has two home runs, nine RBI and six stolen bases. He has a 1.169 OPS. 

Martinez also has a hit in eight of his 10 games this season entering the Express' final game with Tacoma on Sunday. 

Martinez has been a member of the Rangers system since 2018.

Games for April 14

Triple-A Round Rock (8-4): Round Rock beat Tacoma, 7-1, behind the hitting of 3B Justin Foscue (3-for-3, HR, RBI) and the pitching of starter LHP Cody Bradford (W, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R-ER, 3 BB, 6 SO). CF J.P. Martinez (1-for-4, RBI, BB) and LF Clint Frazier (2-for-3, 3B, RBI) had solid games at the plate.

Double-A Frisco (4-3): DH Evan Carter (4-for-6, 2 RBI) led Frisco to a 7-0 win over San Antonio. The ‘Riders had 16 hits and were led by C Scott Kapers (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI), SS Luisangel Acuña (3-for-5, RBI), and LF Dustin Harris (2-for-4, RBI). RHP Nick Krauth (W, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) led Frisco on the hill.

High Class-A Hickory (3-2): Hickory rallied down 3-1 in the fourth to beat Wilmington, 6-3. Hickory 3B Keyber Rodriguez (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and 2B Griffin Cheney (2-for-4, RBI BB) used back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game. DH Geisel Cepeda (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and CF Daniel Mateo (3-for-5) had big games offensively. RHP Josh Stephan (W, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) earned the win.

Low Class-A Down East (5-1): Down East swept a doubleheader over Augusta, taking Game 1, 5-3, and  Game 2, 3-1. 1B Miguel Villaroel (2-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI) was the only Wood Duck to tally a hit in both games. CF Anthony Gutierrez (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI) and RF JoJo Blackmon (1- for-2, 2B, 2 RBI) each had a pair of RBIs…LHP Dylan MacLean (W, 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R-ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) and RHP Matt Brosky (W, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R-ER, 0 B,, 6 SO) were the winning pitchers in each contest.

April 12: Outfielder Evan Carter, considered by many to be the top prospect in the Texas Rangers organization, hit his first two home runs of the season for Double-A Frisco on Wednesday night. 

Carter's first home run, a three-run shot, gave the RoughRiders a 4-0 lead in the second inning. His second, which was in the fourth inning, was a two-run home run that gave Frisco a 7-0 lead. Frisco went on to win, 7-1. 

Entering Thursday's action Carter is batting .333 with two home runs and eight RBI. The RoughRiders continue a series with San Antonio. 

Games for April 11

Triple-A Round Rock (6-3): Round Rock defeated Tacoma, 10-2, on Tuesday. OF Leody Taveras (2-for-4, HR, 5 RBI, BB) hammered a grand slam in the fourth inning to give Round Rock a 5-1 lead. Taveras was activated by the Rangers on Wednesday. CF J.P. Martinez (2-for-4, RBI, BB) reached base in his seventh consecutive game, and his .435 (10-for-23) average is tied for third in the Pacific Coast League. 3B Blaine Crim (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) ended up with hits in back-to-back contests. RHP Robert Duggar (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R-ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) took a no-decision as the starter. LHP Lucas Jacobsen (W, 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R-ER, 2 SO) earned his first win of the season.

Double-A Frisco (1-3): The Roughriders had three hits in a 4-0 loss to San Antonio. C David García (2-for-3), 1B Trevor Hauver (1-for-3) and CF Evan Carter (0-for-2, 2 BB) were the only RoughRiders to reach base. In his first start of the season, RHP Ryan Garcia (L, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R-ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) took the loss. LHP Tristen Polley (2.0 IP, 0 H

High Class-A Hickory (2-0): First-round pick RHP Kumar Rocker (W, 5.0 IP,2 H, 0 R-ER, 8 SO), shined in his professional debut in a 3-2 win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Rocker threw 42 of his 53 pitches for strikes and punched out 8 of 17 batters faced, including 6 of the first 8. 1B Josh Hatcher (2-for-4, HR, RBI) homered while CF Daniel Mateo (1-for-4, RBI) and RF Alejandro Osuna (0-for-3, SF, RBI) also drove in runs. LHP Larson Kindreich (2.0 IP, 2 H 0 R-ER, 1 SO) and RHP Bradford Webb (2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R-ER, 3 SO) each threw a pair of innings to seal the victory.

Low Class-A Down East (2-1: Down East beat Augusta, 6-5. A two-run single in the second from 1B Miguel Villarroel (2-for-4, 2 RBI) gave the Woodies a 2-0 lead they never relinquished. In the seventh, SS Cameron Cauley (1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) added a pair on a two-run blast while 2B Danyer Cueva (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) and C Ian Moller (2-for-3, BB) each notched multi-hit games. RHP Luis Ramirez (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 3 SO) opened the game for the Wood Ducks.RHP Joseph Montalvo (3.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO) was credited with the win in his season debut.

Games for April 9

Triple-A Round Rock: DH Yoshi Tsutsugo’s two-run home run sparked Round Rock (5-3) past Sugar Land, 6-0, on Sunday. CF J.P. Martinez drew two walks and has now reached base in all 6 G to begin the season. C Sam Huff (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) extended his hit streak to four games and is batting .313 during the streak. The Express went with a bullpen game featuring RHP Fernery Ozuna, RHP Josh Sborz (making an injury rehab assignment for the Rangers), LHP John King, RHP Dominic Leone and RHP Yerry Rodriguez combining for the shutout. Round Rock opens a six-game homestand against Tacoma on Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. CT.

Double-A Frisco: Frisco (1-2) was off on Sunday. Frisco will travel to San Antonio to take on the Missions in a six-game series beginning Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

High Class-A Hickory: Hickory (1-0) was off on Sunday. RHP Kumar Rocker, who Texas selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, is set to make his professional debut on Tuesday when Hickory takes on the Wilmington Blue Rocks at 5:35 p.m. as part of a five-game road trip.

Low Class-A Down East: Down East (1-1) was off on Sunday. The Wood Ducks open a six-game series with Augusta on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m.

Games for April 8

Triple-A Round Rock: Round Rock (4-3) swept a doubleheader Saturday against Sugar Land, winning Game 1, 4-0, and Game 2, 3-2. Round Rock hit 3 home runs across the twin bill, including RF Elier Hernandez (3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB), who homered inboth contests. C Sam Huff (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) opened the second game of the night with a two-run shot in the first inning. 2B Justin Foscue (2-for-5, 2B, BB), SS Jonathan Ornelas (2-for-6, 2 BB), and CF Rafael Ortega (3-for-7, 2 RBI, BB) each had hits in both games. LHP Cody Bradford (W, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, BB, 4 SO) started Game 1 and allowed just 2 runners to reach base. RHP Kyle Cody (2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R-ER, BB, 4 SO, 60 pitches/41 strikes) started Game 2 and left with a no-decision. Round Rock’s bullpen tossed 4.1 SHO IP (7 SO) to secure the day’s sweep.

Double-A Frisco: A late two-run triple in the seventh inning propelled Amarillo past Frisco (1-2), 5-3. DH Luisangel Acuña (2-for-5, 2 RBI) and 3B Thomas Sagesse (2-for-3, BB) had multi-hit performances. The RoughRiders scored three runs in the fifth after a leadoff double by C Scott Kapers set the table for an RBI single from LF Evan Carter and a two-run home run from Acuña. CF Leody Taveras, who had been held hitless through his first 2 injury rehab appearances with Frisco, reached base 3 times (1B, 2 BB). RHP Tekoah Roby (L, 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R-ER, 3 BB, 5 SO) took the loss in his season debut.

High Class-A Hickory: The Crawdads (1-0) did not Saturday’s doubleheader with Winston-Salem after it was postponed due to rain. This was the second consecutive day that weather impacted the Crawdads. The scheduled doubleheader is set to be made up later this month...LHP Mitch Bratt, who pitched for Team Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, is now slated to make his High-A debut in a start on Tuesday when Hickory takes on the Wilmington Blue Rocks as part of a five-game series.

Low Class-A Down East: Weather postponed Saturday’s game between Down East (1-1) and Kannapolis. Down East will travel to Augusta to take on the GreenJackets in a five-game series beginning Tuesday.

April 8: Not only was the minor-league debut of Kumar Rocker postponed Friday due to rain, it was also washed out Saturday. Rocker’s team, the High Class-A Hickory Crawdads, postponed the double-header against Winston-Salem due to continued showers in the area.

Rocker has yet to start his full professional season in the Texas Rangers system after being selected in the first round of last July’s Major League Draft. The right-handed pitcher is the organization's No. 10 prospect, per MLB.com,

The Rangers assigned Rocker to Hickory after Spring Training.

Games for April 7

Triple-A Round Rock: Round Rock’s game against Sugar Land was postponed due to rain. The contest is expected to be rescheduled for a later date. Round Rock (2-3) and Sugar Land will play two games on Sunday to make for a postponement on Thursday. RHP Kyle Cody is expected to start on Saturday for the Express.

Double-A Frisco: The RoughRiders (1-1) lost 3-1 to Amarillo. RHP Owen White (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) produced a scoreless start in his season debut. OF Evan Carter (1-for-4), SS Luisangel Acuña (1-for-4), and LF Dustin Harris (1-for-3, 3B, R, BB) were the only ‘Riders to record hits. RHP Tekoah Roby is expected to start for Frisco on Saturday.

High Class-A Hickory: The Crawdads (1-0) did not play on Friday against Winston-Salem as the game was postponed due to rain. It will be made up as a doubleheader on Sunday. LHP Mitch Bratt, who pitched for Team Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, is set to make his High-A debut for Hickory in a doubleheader on Saturday.

Low Class-A Down East: C Tucker Mitchell (4-for-4, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI) powered Down East (1-1) to a 10-1 victory over Kannapolis. 2B Danyer Cueva (3-for-5, 3B, R, 4 RBI) had a big night offensively. RF Yeison Morrobel (1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R) reached base 3 times on a single and 2 walks. Starting RHP Aidan Curry (3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R-ER, 2 BB, 7 SO) struck out 7 of the 14 batters he faced. Rangers’ 12th round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, RHP Jackson Kelly (W, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO), earned the win in his professional debut.

Games for April 6

Triple-A Round Rock: The Express (2-3) lost to Sugar Land 5-2. The game was part of a doubleheader, but Game 2 was postponed. LF J.P. Martinez had his third multi-hit game, including an eighth-inning home run, and is batting .615 to lead all Pacific Coast League players. LHP Jake Latz took a no-decision (3 IP, 3 H, 1 R-ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) while RHP Cole Winn (0-1) took the loss (3 1/3 IP, 3 R, 5 BB). 

Double-A Frisco: The RoughRiders (1-0) won their opener 12-4 over Amarillo. Top hitters included C Scott Kapers (2-for-3, 3B, 3 RBI), CF Evan Carter (2-for-5, 3 RBI) and 1B Trevor Hauver (1-for-4, HR, 4 RBI). RHP Jack Leiter started (4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R-ER, 3 BB, 5 SO) and took a no-decision, while RHP Grant Anderson (1-0) earned the win after posting 2 2/3 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts. 

High Class-A Hickory: The Crawdads (1-0) defeated Winston-Salem 10-5. Top hitters included CF Daniel Mateo (3-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI), 3B Keyber Rodriguez (3-for-4, 2 2B) and 1B Josh Hatcher (2-for-4, 4 RBI). RHP Winston Santos got the win in his first start (6 innings, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 5 SO, 0 BB), allowing just two batters to reach base and carrying a perfect game into the fifth inning. 

Low Class-A Down East: Down East (0-1) lost its opener 5-4 to Kannapolis. RHP Brock Porter made his debut ( 2/3 innings , 1 H, 1 R-ER, 4 BB, 1 SO). Top hitters included 3B Gleider Figuero (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI), CF Anthony Gutierrez (2-for-4) and DH Miguel Villarroel (1-for-4, 2B, RBI). Wood Ducks RHP Matt Brosky (3 innings, 4 H, 3 R-ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) took the loss.