Vacationers run roughshod over RoughRiders, take 4 of six

Clearly, if we’re rating the relative fame of teams that use/used some model of the nickname “Tough Riders,” the first United States Volunteer Cavalry throughout the Spanish-American Conflict takes the highest spot. And, if you’re over the age of 35, there’s a first rate probability that hip-hop report label Ruff Ryders (or a minimum of the DMX music “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”) is available in quantity two.

However third on that checklist? Properly, that’s virtually actually the Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League. Even they acknowledge their comparative lack of notoriety, utilizing probably the most well-known Tough Rider of all of them as their main brand. Simply take a look at ol’ Teddy Roosevelt, swinging from the heels and giving opposing pitchers the identical nightmares he gave John D. Rockefeller!

Bustin’ trusts, crushin’ sliders

Sadly for Frisco, having The Bull Moose as your mascot solely helps a lot. You continue to must stroll steadily and carry a giant stick. In any other case, you would possibly roll into Dickey-Stephens Park with a 7-2 report solely to see the Arkansas Vacationers win 4 out of six, because the RoughRiders simply discovered.

Collection recap:

Tuesday (4/16) introduced the primary of two 11:05 a.m. “College Day” video games, as 7,102 of us loved sunny skies and mid-70s temps whereas the Vacationers downed Frisco 4-3. CF Jared Oliva had his greatest recreation for Arkansas, going 2-3 with a stolen base, three runs batted in, and his first homer of the season. Oliva’s seventh-inning blast proved to be the sport winner when Frisco was in a position to minimize the Travs’ two-run lead in half within the high of the ninth. On the mound, southpaw Raúl Alcantara gave a strong beginning efficiency, going 5 innings and permitting solely two runs (one earned).

On Wednesday, the Vacationers took on a brand new character for the night because the Malmö Oat Milkers as a part of a promotion between Minor League Baseball and Oatly Oat Milk. Righthander (and one in all this column’s favorites on the younger season) Logan Evans was in high kind, hurling six innings and permitting solely a single run. 1B Tyler Locklear broke a 1-1 tie with a solo house run within the fifth inning, his second huge fly of the season, and the Travs added 4 runs within the backside of the eighth to offer themselves some respiratory room. RHP Luis Curvelo continued his wonderful season with two scoreless innings in aid of Evans, and RHP Travis Kuhn tossed a scoreless ninth to seal the 6-1 Arkansas win.

If Wednesday’s 6-1 win saved many of the Travs’ scoring till the late innings, Thursday’s 6-1 win did the alternative. Locklear launched his third homer of the 12 months (and second in two days) within the backside of the primary, driving in three runs, then he drew a bases-loaded stroll within the second inning, scoring SS Morgan McCullough. Frisco C Cooper Johnson bought one run again with a solo house run within the third inning, however Arkansas answered again with two within the fifth due to a bases loaded single by CF Kaden Polcovich. Travs starter lefty Reid VanScoter carried the similarities between Wednesday and Thursday’s video games to the mound, matching Evans’ six innings pitched and single earned run.

Frisco hopped again into the win column on Friday, 4-0. As for the Travs’ efficiency?

Saturday noticed the Vacationers come thiiiis near bouncing again, solely to have their efforts crumble late. Arkansas trailed 4-1 after 5 innings in Juan Mercedes’ third begin of the 12 months. The large righty pitched into the sixth inning, permitting two RBI singles within the second, sacrificing an absolute piss missile of a homer within the fifth to switch-hitting 2B Frainyer Chavez, and giving up two consecutive hits earlier than being pulled within the sixth for Curvelo. A kind of runners scored on a throwing error by C Jake Anchia, however Curvelo was lights out for 2 innings. Arkansas clawed their means again with a run from DH Harry Ford within the fourth and three runs within the sixth due to a two-run double from 2B Hogan Windish and a sacrifice fly by 3B Ben Ramirez. Sadly, the comeback was for naught, as Kuhn imploded in additional innings, permitting 4 within the high of the tenth, and Arkansas misplaced 8-4.

Sunday, although? Sunday was as enjoyable as Saturday was demoralizing. Each Travs starter apart from Locklear had a minimum of one hit (and Locklear added a stroll and a run, so each Traveler reached base). Ford, who has been heating up since a brutal first 5 video games, had two doubles and an RBI. RF Grant Witherspoon drove in two runs, and LF Spencer Packard went 2-4 with two runs and one RBI. Righty Blas Castano bought the beginning and threw 3.2 innings, permitting just one run. Alcantara, understanding of the bullpen, bought the win with 4 strong innings and solely two runs allowed.

Vacationers present report:

9-6. Second place within the Texas League North behind 12-3 Springfield. Arkansas begins a six-game collection in Springfield on Tuesday night.

#ByrdWatch:

1B/DH Robbie “Byrd” Tenerowicz must be hit by a pitch solely 12 extra instances to tie the Travs’ profession report of 36, which is at the moment held by Mike Collins, who performed for Arkansas in 2007-2008.

Byrd was drilled as soon as within the collection towards Frisco.

Three issues to be optimistic about:

1. Kaden Polcovich. Are we seeing a return of the participant who was a High 10 prospect within the Mariners’ group in 2021? It’s too early to say for certain, however Polcovich batted .333 over the past week with a gaudy .500 on-base share. And whereas his outfield play is just not going to make anybody overlook about Julio Rodriguez or Jonatan Clase and time quickly, his potential to play CF is a large plus proper now as Oliva struggles to hit (.114/.184/.114) and RF Alberto Rodriguez tries to shake off a nagging damage that has bothered him just about all season.
2. The infield. Ford, Locklear, Windish, SS Cole Younger, and Ramirez are the guts of this group’s offense, accounting for 56 of the Travs’ 118 hits, 5 of their 10 homers, 25 of 59 RBIs, and 11 of 17 stolen bases. Additionally they have a mean age of twenty-two.6 years outdated.
3. Luis Curvelo. 9.1 innings pitched this season throughout six video games. Solely three hits allowed, together with zero runs and 13 strikeouts. Opponents are batting an anemic .097 towards him. Dude is an absolute weapon out of the bullpen proper now.

Present space(s) of concern:

1. Outfield protection. Still not great. The outfield at Dickey-Stephens is huge, and it performs even larger. Left-center would possibly as effectively be 600 ft deep, as a result of virtually nobody within the Texas League has the facility to hit a ball over the Buddy’s America Vodka signal. Even with robust scouting and good defensive positioning, the outfield protection appears to lack the velocity to persistently cowl foul-line-to-foul-line.
2. Again finish of the rotation. Evans, VanScoter, and Mercedes give the Travs three robust starters, however the fourth and fifth spots within the rotation are but to be settled. Lefty Danny Wirchansky is nominally the fourth starter as of now, and he has improved since a tough four-inning outing towards Springfield on Apr. 7, however his lack of ability (thus far) to go a lot previous the fourth inning is lower than perfect when the unsettled fifth-starter place means the bullpen must be recent the day after a Wirchansky begin. Castano has began two video games, however he has been shaky at instances and is rarely going to offer you a ton of innings (regardless of beginning twice and showing in 4 video games total, he has solely seven innings this 12 months). Alcantara seemed good in his begin Tuesday and once more out of the pen for 4 innings on Sunday, so possibly he can develop into the fifth starter?

Arkansas Occasions Participant of the Week:

1B Tyler Locklear. The large righty gave followers a clinic final week on why batting common is overrated as a statistic. Locklear’s .176 common versus Frisco belied a .391 on-base share and .529 slugging share. He crushed two homers (in a collection the place no different Vacationers participant had any) and drove in 5 runs, whereas including six walks and a stolen base.

Up subsequent:

Arkansas travels to the birthplace of cashew chicken and Route 66 this week to tackle the hated Springfield Cardinals. Righty Logan Evans (1-1, 2.51) takes the hill tonight for the Vacationers reverse the Playing cards’ ace, Tink Therefore (2-0, 1.17). The 2 hurlers final met on opening day, with the Pine Bluff native and Watson Chapel alum getting the higher of Evans in a 6-1 Springfield win.

All video games can be found on 106.7 Buz2 in Central Arkansas.

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