Frisco Rides Into Town For HODGETOWN Showdown

Amarillo, TX – The Amarillo Sod Poodles (23-27) will welcome the Texas Rangers' Double-A Affiliate, the Frisco Roughriders (27-24) to town for the second half of the two-week homestand. The Sod Poodles are 30-29 against the RoughRiders all-time including the most exciting Sod Poodles game in 2021 when Stone Garrett hit the only walk-off home run of the season, knocking Frisco out of the playoffs in the process.

Both teams feature a full slate of top minor league prospects, including the No. 1 pitching prospects in both organizations – Jack Leiter for Texas and Blake Walston for Arizona. The upcoming week is jam-packed with promotions and giveaways for the inter-state rivalry, including all of the daily promotions with Taco Tuesday, Weiner Wednesday, and Thirsty Thursday to kick off the week and Marvel Super Hero Night and a beach towel giveaway closing out the homestand.

Top Pitcher’s Duel

Two of the top pitchers in minor league baseball, Jack Leiter and Blake Walston, are scheduled to clash to open the series on Tuesday, June 7. Both are the highest-rated pitchers in their respective organizations and both are listed in the MLB.com Top 100 prospects list.

LHP Blake Walston is the No. 4 prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks system and No. 92 in all of baseball. He was selected by the D-backs with the 26th overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft out of New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina after being named the 2019 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. He is in his first Double-A season at just 20 years old. He racked up 117 strikeouts with a 3.76 ERA across 19 starts in Low-A last season.

RHP Jack Leiter

is the No. 1 prospect in the Texas Rangers organization and No. 15 in baseball. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft after a dominant collegiate career at Vanderbilt. In his final season in 2021, he led NCAA D1 with 179 strikeouts in 110 innings pitched. He is pitching in Double-A in his rookie season, and he currently owns a 2-4 record and a 4.93 ERA through his first nine starts.

The matchup will be the first career head-to-head battle between the two young arms. Amarillo’s rotation also features top Diamondbacks prospects

Bryce Jarvis (No. 7), Brandon Pfaadt (No. 9) and Slade Cecconi (No. 10). Frisco is packed with young pitching talent as well, with top Rangers prospects Cody Bradford (No. 19), Zak Kent (No. 20), Cole Ragans (No. 29), and Justin Slaten (No. 30) in their rotation.

Hot Hitters

The Sod Poodles have been powered all season by Arizona’s No. 1 prospect OF Corbin Carroll. Carroll was drafted out of high school by the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, and the Seattle native is batting .305 this year while leading the Sod Poodles in hits (53), home runs (13), stolen bases (18), walks (31), and OPS (1.051). Amarillo also features No. 24 Diamondbacks prospect SS Blaze Alexander, who is riding a team-high 14-game on-base streak. Alexander is one of the best defensive players in all of minor league baseball and is batting .303 with seven home runs, 18 RBI, and eight stolen bases on the year and carries an OPS of 1.012 over his 14-game on-base streak.

The RoughRiders offense this season has been led by 1B Blaine Crim and utility man, Dustin Harris. Crim, a 19th-round pick by the Rangers in 2019, is batting .296 this year with a team-leading 10 HR and 35 RBI. Harris, the Rangers No. 6 overall prospect, is batting .248 this season with 9 HR, and is tied with Crim for the team-lead in RBI.

Frisco is also home to 2B Justin Foscue, Texas’ 2020 first-round pick out of Mississippi State University. Foscue is batting .288 this season with three home runs and 19 RBI after blasting 17 homers last season. Foscue is currently on the Frisco IL but might see some action later in the series.

The rival squads have been two of the best in all of Double-A baseball this season, with the Sod Poodles leading the league with 334 runs scored and a .280 team batting average. Frisco is 6th in Double-A with a .262 batting average and 9th with 277 runs.

All single-game tickets for the series as well as for the rest of the Sod Poodles' 2022 season are on sale now. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.SodPoodles.com or call the HODGETOWN Box Office at (806) 803-9547 or email [email protected]

A summary of details for each game is below:

Tuesday, June 7 vs. Frisco – 7:05 P.M.

• Taco Tuesday presented by Taco Bell and $2 Tuesday
• Taco Tuesday – Two tacos for just $3 all game long!
• $2 Tuesday – Lawn, standing room, and select seating bowl tickets are only $2
• Kids run the bases postgame (12 & Under)
• Gates Open at 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, June 8 vs. Frisco – 7:05 p.m.

• Wiener Wednesday presented by Texas Ford Dealers – Enjoy $1 hot dogs all game long at all HODGETOWN concession stands.
• Copa de la Diversion – Pointy Boots de Amarillo
• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 9 vs. Frisco – 7:05 p.m.

• Thirsty Thursday™ presented by Barnes Jewelry - $2 domestic drafts and fountain sodas!
• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.

Friday, June 10 vs Frisco – 7:05 PM

• Friday Night Fireworks – Kick off the weekend with an amazing firework show shortly after the final out of the night is recorded!
• Gates open – 6:05 p.m.

Saturday, June 11 vs Frisco – 7:05 PM

• Marvel Super Hero Night – The Sod Poodles will rock their second specialty jerseys of the season on Saturday for Marvel Super Hero Night. Come to the game dressed as your favorite superhero and cheer on the Soddies to victory!

Sunday, June 12 vs. Midland – 6:05 p.m.

• Hometown Hero Sunday presented by Bell – discounted tickets for all military and active first responders!
• Beach Towel Giveaway – First 1,500 fans
• Kids run the bases postgame (12 & Under)
• Gates open – 5:05 p.m.