RoughRiders unveil initial roster for 2017 season

FRISCO, Texas (March 28, 2017) - The Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, unveiled the initial roster for the 2017 season on Tuesday, highlighted by eight players on MLB.com's list of top 30 Rangers prospects. The RoughRiders open the 2017 season next Thursday, April 6 at 7:05 p.m. against the Springfield Cardinals at Dr Pepper Ballpark.

A trio of talented arms headlines the initial roster, including reigning Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year Yohander Mendez. Mendez, rated the second-best prospect in the Rangers organization and 56th in baseball by MLB.com, rose all the way from Advanced-A High Desert to the Rangers last season, making 10 starts with the Riders along the way. 20-year-old Ariel Jurado, who was the Rangers 2015 Minor League Pitcher of the Year and posted a 3.30 ERA across eight appearances with the Riders last season, is also back. So too is Connor Sadzeck, who led the 2016 pitching staff in innings (140 2/3), wins (10) and strikeouts (133).

The pitching staff will get a chance to work closely with catcher Jose Trevino, who leads the charge of young talent coming to Frisco. Trevino won the Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year award last season. In 109 games with Advanced-A High Desert, he hit .303 with 30 doubles, nine home runs and 68 RBIs. The native of Corpus Christi, Texas was also a California League Midseason and Postseason All-Star, and was the recipient of the Minor League Gold Glove at catcher.

Eight players on the initial roster rank among MLB.com's top 30 Rangers prospects: Yohander Mendez (No. 2), Ariel Jurado (3), Jose Trevino (7), Connor Sadzeck (11), Andy Ibanez (12), Michael De Leon (19), Scott Heineman (24) and Juremi Profar (27).

"We are excited about the 2017 season and a roster with a solid mix of quality players," Riders manager Joe Mikulik said. "Our job is to assist our Major League club and develop championship players. This season should be a fun year to do this."

Additional notes on the initial 2017 roster:

• This year's roster carries a championship pedigree with 16 players from last year's California League championship team in High Desert and 13 players from Class-A Hickory's South Atlantic League championship squad in 2015.
• Nine members of the initial roster were part of the 2016 Riders roster, including seven pitchers.
• Pitchers Connor Sadzeck and Yohander Mendez are on the Rangers 40-man roster.
• Michael De Leon, 20, represents the youngest player on the roster, while 14-year-pro Adam Loewen, 32, represents the oldest player. De Leon previously played in a brief stint with the Riders during the 2014 season at the age of 17, making him the youngest player in team history.
• Nine different countries of origin are represented on the roster: Canada, Curacao, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela.
• 21 players on the initial roster originally came up in the Rangers system, while six (Eric Aguilera, Clayton Cook, James Dykstra, Adam Loewen, Matt Lipka and Drew Vettleson) are new to the organization.
• Outfielder Matt Lipka attended nearby McKinney High School and now resides in Frisco.
• Infielder Juremi Profar is the younger brother of current Rangers player (and former Riders infielder) Jurickson Profar.

The RoughRiders roster currently stands at 27 players, which is two above the Texas League limit. The official Opening Day roster will be released on April 6.

The complete initial roster includes the following players:

PITCHERS (14): Clayton Cook, James Dykstra, Nick Gardewine, Reed Garrett, Ariel Jurado, David Ledbetter, Adam Loewen, Shane McCain, Yohander Mendez, Cody Palmquist, Connor Sadzeck, Ryne Slack, Collin Wiles and Sam Wolff.

CATCHERS (2): Kevin Torres and Jose Trevino

INFIELDERS (5): Eric Aguilera, Michael De Leon, Andy Ibanez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Juremi Profar

OUTFIELDERS (6): Royce Bolinger, Jose Cardona, Scott Heineman, Matt Lipka, Luke Tendler and Drew Vettleson

The 2017 Frisco RoughRiders season begins on April 6, when the RoughRiders host the Springfield Cardinals at Dr Pepper Ballpark. For all 2017 ticketing information, including tickets for the Choctaw Lazy River and ticket packages for the 2017 Texas League All-Star Game at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Tuesday, June 27, fans can visit RidersBaseball.com, email [email protected], call (972) 731-9200, or stop by in-person to the RoughRiders Ticket Office. 

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 12 seasons (2005-2016). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg and Scott Sonju. The new ownership group, together with the city of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements over the past two seasons, investing more than $7 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a new state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store, and the newest and biggest creation, the 174-foot Choctaw Lazy River. The upgrades made prior to the 2015 season earned the Riders and the City of Frisco "Best Ballpark Renovation" of 2015 by Ballpark Digest. The same publication also honored the Choctaw Lazy River as the best ballpark improvement over $1 million for the 2016 season. More than 140 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Adrian Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler, and Nelson Cruz, as well as current Rangers stars Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor, and Nomar Mazara. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Art Garcia at [email protected] or Ryan Rouillard at [email protected].