Wind Surge Play Frisco RoughRiders In Weekend Series At Riverfront Stadium
SERIES INFO Now that the All-Star Break has come to a close, the Wichita Wind Surge (5-13, 36-51) start back up against the same team they opened the season against, the Frisco RoughRiders (11-7, 55-32) in another three-game series at Riverfront Stadium. The RoughRiders took two of three in the
SERIES INFO
Now that the All-Star Break has come to a close, the Wichita Wind Surge (5-13, 36-51) start back up against the same team they opened the season against, the Frisco RoughRiders (11-7, 55-32) in another three-game series at Riverfront Stadium. The RoughRiders took two of three in the ICT back on Opening Weekend in April.
SCHEDULE
Friday, July 19, 2024, Riverfront Stadium, 7:05 PM, Fireworks Friday:
RHP Ryan Garcia (6-4, 4.14 ERA) vs. RHP Marco Raya (0-2, 5.40 ERA)
Wichita will become the Turbo Tubs again in 2024 as Marco Raya opens the series against Frisco in his second start against the RoughRiders this season. His first came on Opening Day on April 5. Fireworks will follow the game as the home stretch of the regular season gets underway.
Saturday, July 20, 2024, Riverfront Stadium, 6:05 PM, “Wait, Who Are These Guys?” Night:
RHP Emiliano Teodo (5-2, 1.71 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Morris (4-2, 1.14 ERA)
The Malmö Oatmilkers take to the diamond at Riverfront Stadium for the first time ever! Andrew Morris gets the nod for Minor League Baseball’s 121st team, bringing its revolutionary brand of baseball to the ICT.
Sunday, July 21, 2024, Riverfront Stadium, 1:05 PM, Sunday Family Fun-Day:
RHP Winston Santos (1-0, 5.87 ERA) vs. RHP Cory Lewis (0-2, 3.86 ERA)
Wrapping up the weekend festivities, Cory Lewis will face the RoughRiders in a matchup that will be the last between the two teams until Labor Day in September. Come by Riverfront Stadium for its last Sunday game in July for Pre-Game Catch on the Field, and Post-Game Kids Run the Bases!
WIND SURGE STORYLINES
AN OUTLIER OF THE SET: The Wind Surge's proverbial second half follows patterns for home and road opponents. Wichita plays Texas League North teams at Riverfront Stadium; in between those series, they travel to the Lone Star State to tour around the Texas League South. Frisco will be the only Texas League South team to play games at Riverfront Stadium over the final two months of the regular season. The San Antonio Missions and Midland RockHounds each came to the ICT for a six-game series in May and June, where the Wind Surge lost four of six against the former and took four of six versus the latter.
TUESDAY THE NEWS DAY: While this past Tuesday, July 16, was an off-day for Wichita during the All-Star Break, that didn’t mean that no moves were happening throughout the Minnesota Twins system. Zebby Matthews, the #19 Twins prospect per MLB.com and #54 overall prospect by Baseball America, was called up to Triple-A St. Paul after just 10 appearances (nine starts) at the Double-A level for the Wind Surge. Matthews, who began the season at High-A Cedar Rapids, went 5-1 with a 1.85 ERA while striking out 63 batters to just six walks in 55.1 innings pitched in Wichita colors. Luke Keaschall, the #94 prospect in all of baseball per MLB.com, also earned Twins Minor League Player of the Week honors after hitting .563 (9-for-16) with two home runs, two RBI, four runs scored, and a 1.570 OPS in four games last week before heading down to Arlington to represent the organization in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.
THE ICT HAS AN LHB: A common observation among Wind Surge lineups throughout the summer is a lack of lefty hitters. Only right-handed hitters were on the active roster after pure lefty Emmanuel Rodriguez landed on the Injured List on June 7. On July 11, outfielder Tyler Dearden got called up to Wichita from High-A Cedar Rapids eight days after signing a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. A former Red Sox selection in 2017, Dearden elected free agency after last season and played for the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball before receiving a second chance in minor league action. After having experience in Double-A with the Portland Sea Dogs in 2022-23, Dearden made his Wind Surge debut on Thursday, 36 days after Rodriguez’s last appearance with Wichita (June 5 at Northwest Arkansas). He went 2-for-4 with a double, ending a 31-game streak where the Wind Surge did not have a lefty hitter in their lineup.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
WHILE WINNING IS A RECENT NORM, THIS YEAR IS SPECIAL: After winning the Texas League First-Half South Title, Frisco will participate in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons this coming September. 87 games in, the RoughRiders are 55-32 and have the highest winning percentage in all of Double-A at .632. They’re the only team at the level with a win rate over .600. What makes this even more eye-opening is that before the pandemic, Frisco finished under .500 for five consecutive seasons between 2015-19, with their last playoff appearance coming in 2014 after they won a Texas League-leading 80 games and both the South Division first and second half regular season titles.
FUTURE ON THE BUMP: The RoughRiders had two pitchers appear in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Saturday for the American League team, Emiliano Teodo and Winston Santos. Teodo started for the AL at Globe Life Field, pitching two hitless frames while striking out Bryce Eldridge, the #70 MLB prospect per MLB.com, of the San Fransisco Giants system. Santos was the final pitcher for the hosting squad and lasted through the seventh inning, giving up an unearned run on a hit with one walk and a strikeout of Matt Shaw, baseball’s #29 prospect per MLB.com, from the Chicago Cubs system. Both Teodo and Santos are the scheduled starters for Frisco on Saturday and Sunday.
HELLO ALEJANDRO: When you play teams sparingly with months off in between, rosters can look very different with players moving up and down the Minor League levels. Someone who’s a recent climber and new RoughRider is Alejandro Osuna. Since heading to Frisco from High-A Hickory on June 28, Osuna is slashing .340/.397/.623 in 13 games for the RoughRiders. The Texas minor league free agent signee from back in 2020 leads the team in hits (15), runs (11), home runs (2), and RBIs (11) while tying for the team lead in games played (11) this month.
BROADCAST
You can listen to Wind Surge games with Tim Grubbs on the call on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and windsurge.com, or watch them online at MiLB.TV and Bally Live.