Payoff Pitch: Hooks Hanging Tight in First Half Race

The Hooks currently carry a 29-28 record and sit just 1.5 games back of first-place Frisco in the Texas League South division.
Several Hooks received promotions to Triple-A Round Rock in May, including pitchers Brandon Bielak, Jose Urquidy, Ronel Blanco, Kit Scheetz and Gabriel Valdez, catcher Lorenzo Quintana and infielder Anibal Sierra. But the team has carried on through those departures, with the offense firing on all cylinders and the pitching staff settling in after a rocky April.
Seth Beer, rated the Astros' No. 9 prospect by MLB.com, was promoted to Corpus Christi from Advanced-A Fayetteville on May 16 and has been a boon in the Hooks lineup. The Clemson product batted .323 (21-for-65) with two homers and 17 RBIs over his first 18 Double-A games.
With 12 games remaining in the first half, Beer and the rest of the Hooks will look to string enough wins together to clinch a playoff berth.

Joshua Rojas, Bryan Abreu and Abraham Toro each dominated the month of May, with all three taking home Texas League weekly awards.
Toro, rated Houston's No. 21 prospect by MLB.com, batted .381 with one double, two home runs, eight RBIs and six walks with a 1.233 OPS in six games from May 6-12, earning TL Player of the Week. But his hot streak continued for the entire month, batting .402 (33-for-82) with five homers, 21 RBIs, 21 walks and a 1.175 OPS over 23 games through May 26. He earned a spot on MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Week for May 20-26 as well. The 22-year-old currently ranks among Texas League leaders in batting average (2nd, .317), RBIs (2nd, 48), OPS (2nd, .937) and on-base percentage (3rd, .412).
Abreu was the second Hook to take home weekly honors, earning TL Pitcher of the Week for May 13-19. Abreu, rated Houston's No. 7 prospect by MLB.com, threw 5.0 hitless, scoreless innings in his lone appearance of the week on Wednesday, May 15 vs. Frisco. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic walked two and struck out six, throwing 59 of 89 pitches for strikes.
Rojas made it a three-peat for Hooks players, garnering TL Player of the Week for May 20-26. He became the first player in Corpus Christi history to have three multi-homer games in one week, hitting two jacks on May 21 and 22 at Amarillo, and again on May 26 vs. Frisco. Overall, he hit .516 (16-for-31) on the week. He was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock on May 29.
The Hooks partnered with the USS Lexington CV-16 Museum on the Bay for the second-annual Blue Ghosts Weekend from May 23-25, paying homage to the legendary aircraft carrier's nickname.
Thursday kicked off Blue Ghosts weekend as the Hooks and Humana honored and recognized Vietnam War veterans with a pinning ceremony at Whataburger Field before a win against the visiting Frisco RoughRiders.
Saturday marked the one of the marquee events of the weekend as Hooks players, joined by four active duty military members, took batting practice on the flight deck of the Lexington. Approximately 150 baseballs were launched into Corpus Christi Bay. MLB Network anchor Robert Flores joined in the festivities as a host for the batting practice. He later threw out the ceremonial first pitch and did play-by-play on the broadcast of that night's game.
A successful auction of game-worn Blue Ghosts jerseys sent proceeds to benefit the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay and the USO of South Texas.