WICHITA, Kan. (July 23, 2025) – After a power-packed opening game that saw the Wichita Wind Surge go yard six times, the Frisco RoughRiders aim to regroup Wednesday night in Game Two of a six-game road series at Equity Bank Park. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. CT as Frisco sends right-hander Josh Stephan (5-4, 5.53 ERA) to the mound, countered by Wichita lefty Christian MacLeod (0-2, 2.25 ERA).
The series opener on Tuesday was anything but quiet. Wichita (11-11, 48-43), the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, launched an early onslaught with three home runs across the first two innings and never looked back in a 12-5 thumping of the RoughRiders (8-14, 46-44).
Recapping the Opener
The Wind Surge flexed their power from the jump. Kala’i Rosario opened the scoring with a two-run homer, followed by Kyler Fedko’s solo shot moments later in the first inning. Jake Rucker added a third homer with a leadoff blast in the second inning, putting Wichita up 4-0 before the RoughRiders could get comfortable.
Wichita tacked on a fifth run in the third with an RBI single from catcher Andrew Cossetti, forcing Frisco starter Mitch Bratt to battle under pressure from the outset. Bratt, who took the loss and dropped to 5-3 on the season, allowed a season-high seven earned runs over five innings, including three home runs.
To their credit, the RoughRiders showed fight. In the top of the fourth, Abimelec Ortiz brought in a run with a sacrifice fly before Josh Hatcher rolled an RBI groundout to make it 5-2. The offense surged again in the fifth when Aaron Zavala smoked a two-run triple and Alejandro Osuna followed with an RBI single to pull Frisco within a run at 6-5.
But the comeback was short-lived.
Fedko homered again in the bottom of the fifth, followed by a trio of long balls in the sixth—courtesy of Kaelen Culpepper, Rosario (his second of the night), and Gonzalez—to blow the game wide open. Cossetti’s second RBI single in the eighth capped the night for Wichita, handing Frisco its third loss in the last four games.
Reliever Mike Paredes (10-0) picked up the win for Wichita, throwing three shutout innings in relief.
Game Two Pitching Matchup
Frisco turns to Josh Stephan, who’s looking for a bounce-back performance after a rocky stretch in which he’s surrendered at least four earned runs in three of his last four outings. Despite the inflated ERA, Stephan has flashed strikeout stuff, fanning 69 batters in 71.2 innings this season.
On the other side, Wichita will send out Christian MacLeod. Though still searching for his first win of the season, the southpaw has impressed with a 2.25 ERA through 28 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .220 average. His last outing was a five-inning gem, allowing just one earned run.
Keys to the Game
For Frisco, containing Wichita’s hot bats is priority number one. The Wind Surge totaled 15 hits and eight extra-base hits in the opener, showing depth throughout the lineup. Rosario and Fedko combined for three home runs and five RBI, while Cossetti added two RBI singles.
Offensively, the Riders will continue leaning on Zavala and Osuna, both of whom delivered clutch hits Tuesday. Osuna, fresh off a return from the Rangers, has 10 multi-hit games in 32 Double-A contests this season, while Zavala’s triple was his sixth extra-base hit in the last two weeks.
With Ortiz and Walcott continuing to produce in the heart of the order, Frisco has the offensive firepower to compete—but limiting long balls and minimizing bullpen exposure will be the difference.
What’s Next
The series continues through Sunday in Wichita, with the RoughRiders seeking to stay above .500 in the second half. First pitch tonight is at 7:05 p.m. CT. Fans can tune in via the H-E-B Riders Baseball Network or stream at RidersBaseball.com/Broadcast.
The bounce-back starts tonight—if Stephan can hold off the storm.
