Corpus Christi (40-26) at Midland (32-34) Friday, June 15, 2018 • Security Bank Ballpark • Midland, TX • 7:00 P.M
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Corpus Christi (40-26) at Midland (32-34) Friday, June 15, 2018 • Security Bank Ballpark • Midland, TX • 7:00 p.m. ON THE RECORD: 25-11 Home | 15-15 Road | 11-4-3 Series | 3-1 Sweeps | W 2 Streak | 4-1 Last 5 | 7-3 Last 10 ROJAS TO THE RESCUE: With the Hooks down to their final four outs Thursday night, Josh Rojas belted an 0-2 pitch down the line and into the bullpen beyond the right-field fence for a two-run home run, lifting Corpus Christi to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Midland. Hooks lefty Ryan Hartman held the RockHounds to three hits and one run over the first five innings. Hartman, who struck out six, dispatched 10 of the final 11 men he faced. Meanwhile, Joel Seddon was spinning a gem for Midland. Seddon no-hit Corpus Christi through five and carried a shutout in the eighth. With one away in the frame, Anibal Sierra scratched out an infield hit. Seddon induced a fly ball from Myles Straw for the second out, but then Rojas came to the plate. The game-winning dinger was his sixth of the year, fifth at Double-A. Yoanys Quiala, who worked three frames of shutout relief for the victory, struck out the side in the Midland eighth. Riley Ferrell stepped around a lead-off single in the ninth, earning his sixth save in as many chances. HOOKS | TONIGHT’S PITCHING MATCHUP | ROCKHOUNDS RH Corbin Martin (3-1, 2.97) RH Logan Shore (1-2, 4.68) • Selected by the Astros in the 2nd round (56th overall) of • Selected by Oakland in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft the 2017 draft out of Texas A&M out of the University of Florida • 22-yr-old is from Hempstead, TX, 50 mi. west of Houston • 23-year-old was born in Coon Rapids, MN...makes his • Ranked by MLB.com as the No. 6 HOU pitching prospect home in Gainesville, FL • TL South All-star is 5-1 w/ 1.89 ERA & 0.90 WHIP in 12 • Listed by MLB.com as the No. 5 A’s pitching prospect GM (9 GS) for Buies Creek & CC | 9.3 K per 9 IP • Slated to make 5th Double-A start this evening • Allowed 2 R & 2 H (Naylor HR) in 4.0 IP Sun for W vs. SA • Did not allow an ER in his Double-A debut May 24, log- • Had yielded 3 ER in prior 6 GM (29.0 IP, 24 K, 9 BB) ging 4.2 IP at ARK • 5.0 IP of 1-run ball for W June 5 vs. FRI (5 H, 1 K, 1 BB) • Has yielded 13 R on 23 H in 3 GS since (20.1 IP) • Yielded just 2 H over career-best 7.2 IP May 24 vs. SPR • Lost 2nd consecutive start Sun at FRI, allowing 4 R on 5 H & 3 BB in 6.2 IP • Allowed 6 R & recorded 1 out in AA debut May 3 at MID • Touched for 5 R on 9 H in 6.2 IP June 5 at SA • Permitted 1 UR over 4 GM (3 GS) w/ Buies Creek to open year...26 K, 7 BB, 4 H, 19.0 IP (.065 BAA) • Hurled 7.0 IP of 4-run ball May 30 vs. ARK for first W as a RockHound...struck out 7 against 1 BB & 9 H • Struck out 8 vs. 1 BB in 4.0 no-hit IP Apr 20 at Carolina • Made 4 starts with the Stockton Ports to begin the season, Made 10 appearances in GCL after being drafted • going 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA & 0.90 WHIP • Boasted a 2.20 ERA in 32.2 IP (43 K, 9 BB, 20 H) • California League batted .220 without a home run • In 8 New York-Penn League outings (3 GS), averaged • Fanned 25 & walked only 2 in 22.1 IP 12.4 K per 9 IP & 4.75 K per BB • Struck out 7 and blanked San Jose over a season-best Began collegiate career in the Aggies bullpen, striking out • 6.1 IP in final High-A start May 18 51 vs. 33 BB & 33 H in 44 IP as freshman & sophomore • Went 2-5 with a 4.24 ERA & 1.23 WHIP in 20 GM (17 GS) Shifted to the rotation in 2017, going 7-4 with a 3.80 ERA • between Stockton and Rookie Ball last year as Texas A&M’s Saturday starter...9.8 K per 9 IP • Averaged 9.7 K per 9 IP & 5.44 K per BB • Aggies went 41-23 in 2017, advancing to the College World Series...Texas A&M was eliminated by TCU • Limited due to a strained right oblique • Highest draft selection for the Aggies since 2012: Tyler • Gators' Friday night starter for all 3 years in Gainesville Naquin (15th, CLE) and Michael Wacha (19th, STL) • As a junior, went 12-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 18 GS en route • ‘16 Cape Cod League All-Star w/ Falmouth Commodores to 2016 SEC Pitcher of the Year honors • Won state title as a sophomore at Cy-Ranch HS • Was college roommates with A.J. Puck, the 6th overall pick in the 2016 draft & the A’s No. 1 prospect UPCOMING PROBABLES Date Opp. Pitchers - Opponent vs. Corpus Christi Time Sat, June 16 @MID RH Parker Dunshee (AA debut) vs. RH Jorge Alcala (0-0, 2.25) 7:00 PAGE 2 HOOKS MEDIA INFORMATION • FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 • MIDLAND WHERE THEY STAND: Thanks to Rojas’ heroics, the Hooks stay two games back of first-place San Antonio with four to play in the first half. Corpus Christi has two contests left in the Alamo City before the half ends. The Hooks and Missions season series is level at 6. Corpus Christi was swept in a 4-game series at the Wolff May 5-8. STEP FOR STEP: Corpus Christi rides into tonight’s contest a season-best 14 games over .500 at 40-26. The Hooks have won 4 of their last 5, and have avoided back-to-back losses since dropping 2 in a row May 24-25. Corpus Christi is 13-5 during this stretch. The Hooks though have able to gain only 1.0 game on the Missions as San Antonio has won 12 of its last 18. CESAR SIDELINED: 3B Randy Cesar, who currently boasts a 35-game hit streak, is out of the lineup for the second consecu- tive day due to a sore left thumb. Cesar injured his thumb while sliding into home plate to score the winning run in the 8th in- ning Wednesday night. Cesar’s 35-game hit streak is the best in the minors this season, and it’s also the longest in the 14-year history of the Hooks. The run by Cesar eclipses Jorge Cortes’ 27-gamer in 2006. During his 35-game hit streak, Cesar is batting .378 with 24 runs scored, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 28 RBIs, and a .414 OBP. The Texas League record for longest hitting streak is 37 games, achieved by El Paso’s Bobby Trevino in 1969. Cesar’s absence last night snapped a stretch of 28 consecutive games played for the 23-year-old out of Santo Domingo, DR. LIFE OF RILEY: RHP Riley Ferrell, who picked up his 6th save in as many chances last night, has not permitted an earned run in his last 9 appearances, striking out 14 against 5 hits and 1 walk thru 10.2 innings. Dating back to 2017, Ferrell owns a 2.20 ERA in his last 34 appearances with the Hooks, while averaging 12.1 K per 9 IP. The flame-throwing right-hander out of College Station, TX has converted his last 10 save chances for Corpus Christi. FOR STARTERS: RHP Forrest Whitley and LHP Ryan Hartman have provided the Hooks with a pair of strong starts to begin this series. Whitley, who blanked the RockHounds over 4.0 frames Wednesday night, has struck out 11 against 2 walks and 3 hits in his first 2 outings of the year. Hartman, who retired 10 of the final 11 men he faced last night is now tied for 3rd in the Texas League with a 3.47 ERA. The Anaheim, CA native has permitted 1 ER or none in 8 of his 13 assignments in 2018. BIG & BRIGHT: LHP Framber Valdez was added to the Texas League South All-Star squad yesterday, replacing Frisco’s Richelson Pena. Now, a contingent of 8 players will represent the Corpus Christi Hooks at the 82nd Texas League All-Star Game, set for June 26 at Midland’s Security Bank Ballpark. First pitch 7:15. First baseman Taylor Jones, third baseman Randy Cesar, outfielders Myles Straw and Josh Rojas, and pitchers Cionel Perez, Ryan Hartman, and Corbin Martin were voted in by league field staffs, broadcasters, and beat writers. Jones, Cesar, and Straw will start for the South Division at the TL Midsummer Classic. ROSTER UPDATE: The Astros have promoted LHP Chris Nunn to Fresno for his 3rd Pacific Coast League stint of the season. Nunn logged 3.0 scoreless innings last Saturday, marking his longest assignment since retired 10 of 13 batters in his Corpus Christi debut April 28 vs. Frisco. The 27-year-old southpaw has not permitted an earned run in 7 of his 8 Hooks outings. Nunn is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA for Corpus Christi, striking out 23 against 8 walks and 19 hits in 20.0 innings.