Week 16 - Amarillo Series Preview

SERIES INFO

The Wichita Wind Surge (7-14, 38-52) visit the state of Texas for the first time since April for a six-game series with the reigning Texas League champions in the Amarillo Sod Poodles (8-13, 38-52) at HODGETOWN in the Yellow City. These upcoming games will be the only 2024 regular-season matchups between the two sides, marking the first of two opponents Wichita will play six times, all on the road, this season (Corpus Christi Hooks, August 6-11).

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 23, HODGETOWN, 7:05 PM:

LHP Jaylen Nowlin (5-4, 4.30 ERA) vs. LHP Spencer Geisting (2-3, 5.33 ERA)

For the series opener, Jaylen Nowlin takes the ball 13 days after his fifth win of the year at Springfield, where he threw five innings of two-run baseball against a Cardinals lineup that stands near the top of the Texas League in multiple offensive categories.

Wednesday, July 24, HODGETOWN, 7:05 PM:

RHP Travis Adams (4-6, 4.86 ERA) vs. LHP Yu-Min Lin (1-3, 5.40 ERA)

The Wind Surge strikeout leader Travis Adams, who has recorded five or more punchouts in each of his last five appearances, starts for the second time in his career in Amarillo, 367 days after his first on July 22, 2023.

Thursday, July 25, HODGETOWN, 7:05 PM:

LHP Christian MacLeoud (NR) vs. RHP Dylan File (4-7, 5.09 ERA)

After being called up earlier this week from High-A Cedar Rapids, Christian MacLeod will make his Wichita debut in a starting capacity. He’ll become the second pitching call-up this year to wear #41 (Zebby Matthews) with the team.

Friday, July 26, HODGETOWN, 7:05 PM:

RHP Marco Raya (0-3, 5.83 ERA) vs. RHP Billy Corcoran (5-3, 4.03 ERA)

Texas native Marco Raya steps atop the bump for his team-leading 17th start, marking the third consecutive season where he’s thrown that many as a pro. Counting this upcoming game, 27 of his 56 starts in the Twins system have come with the Wind Surge.

Saturday, July 27, HODGETOWN, 7:05 PM:

RHP Cory Lewis (0-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Ray (0-1, 4.62 ERA)

Wichita’s Cory Lewis enters after a five-strikeout performance on Sunday against Frisco. The knuckleballer has surrendered two earned runs or less in five of his first six Double-A starts since his debut on June 12 versus Midland.

Sunday, July 28, HODGETOWN, 6:05 PM:

LHP Jaylen Nowlin (5-4, 4.30 ERA) vs. LHP Spencer Geisting (2-3, 5.33 ERA)

Southpaw Jaylen Nowlin anchors out the week after getting us underway on Tuesday. The last time he threw multiple starts for the Wind Surge in the same series came on September 5 and 10 last season at Corpus Christi.

WIND SURGE STORYLINES

GET USED TO THE LONE STAR STATE: There are only four more road series for Wichita in the 2024 regular season, but they all have one thing in common: they’ll be taking place somewhere in Texas. While this week is against Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle, next month will see the Wind Surge traveling to Corpus Christi in South Texas between August 6-11 and Midland in West Texas from August 20-25. The opening week in September sees a trip to Frisco in North Texas for the only time this season across September 2-8.

WE LOVE SOME TEXAS TUSSLES: If there’s one group of teams that Wichita has handled well this season, that would be teams from the Texas League South Division. After taking two of three from Frisco last weekend, avenging a series loss to the then-future First-Half South Champs on Opening Weekend, the Wind Surge have not lost four consecutive series against teams from Texas. They’ve equally split both six-game sets at and against San Antonio in April and May and won four of six against Midland in the ICT in June.

NEW ARMS ADDITIONS: Yesterday, Wichita called up a pair of pitchers, Kyle Bischoff and Christian MacLeod, from High-A Cedar Rapids. Ahead of the move, Bischoff was 5-2 with a 4.05 ERA as the most utilized Kernels reliever, appearing in 28 games. He’s registered 52 strikeouts across 40 innings and four saves in six tries. MacLeod was a starter who’s gone 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA across 12 outings. He’s thrown five or more innings in his last five starts, including July 13 @ Beloit, where he tallied a career-high 11 strikeouts against Sky Carp hitters.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

A SIMILAR REFLECTION: Amarillo won their first series after the All-Star Break this past weekend, taking two out of three against the Springfield Cardinals. Besides taming the red birds, the Sod Poodles share the same overall record with the Wind Surge at 38-52 this season. Both sides are one game away from matching each other’s second half records, with Wichita at 7-14 and Amarillo at 8-13. If the Wind Surge win tonight, that would indeed be the case.

BASHIN’ IVAN & CO.: The Soddies are second in the Texas League in home runs at 92 (Tulsa Drillers, 95), and a primary helping hand to that cause is infielder Ivan Melendez. The Diamondbacks #8 prospect, per MLB.com, has left the yard 18 times this season, a current team-leading total. The 18 is one off from the Double-A individual lead (Nicholas Northcut, 19) while also pacing as the Texas League-leading amount. Coincidentally, current and former teammates Tim Tawa (15) and Deyvison De Los Santos (14, called up to Triple-A Reno on May 21, 2024) are second and third, respectively, among the latter rankings.

HE’S A STURDY STUMP: A bright spot out of the Amarillo bullpen is the team’s primary closer, Mitchell Stumpo. In 20 games with the Sod Poodles in 2024, Stumpo has a 0.43 ERA and is a perfect 8/8 in save opportunities. He’s the only current Texas League pitcher with a sub-1 ERA and double-digit appearances. In five July games with the Soddies, he’s thrown five scoreless innings, struck out six batters, and tallied three saves against three separate teams in Midland, San Antonio, and Springfield.

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.