Cole shines in Riders debut but Tulsa takes season opener 5-2
Record crowd on hand for Opening Night at Dr Pepper Ballpark
FRISCO, Texas (April 5, 2018) - Despite a dazzling night from Hunter Cole , the Frisco RoughRiders, Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, dropped their season opener 5-2 Thursday night in front of a Riders Opening Day-record 11,015 fans at Dr Pepper Ballpark.BIG MOMENTS In his first at-bat of the new season,
FRISCO, Texas (April 5, 2018) - Despite a dazzling night from
BIG MOMENTS
- In his first at-bat of the new season, Cole hit a solo home run to left field to start the bottom of the third. He finished the night 2-3 with a walk.
- Tulsa countered with five runs in the top of the fourth on back-to-back homers from
Errol Robinson andLuke Raley . - Riders relievers combined for four scoreless innings, including one frame from Rangers rehabber
Tony Barnette .
KEY RIDERS PERFORMERS
- Hunter Cole: 2-3, home run, walk
Tommy Joseph : 2-3, walk, run- Tony Barnette: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Tyler Davis : 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
NEWS AND NOTES
- Thursday's crowd of 11,015 ranks as the largest Opening Day crowd in Riders history.
- The Riders are 8-8 all-time on Opening Day.
- In addition to homering in his first at-bat of 2018, Cole finished 2017 with a home run in his final at-bat with Double-A Richmond (San Francisco Giants).
WHAT'S NEXT
Riders vs. Tulsa, Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Probables: RHP Ariel Jurado (first appearance) vs. LHP Caleb Ferguson (first appearance)
Tickets: Click here
Video: MiLB.tv
Audio: RidersBaseball.com, TuneIn Radio, First Pitch App
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 13 seasons (2005-2017). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Choctaw Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 140 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars