STWF Sports | FRISCO, Texas | July 3, 2026— The Frisco RoughRiders return to Riders Field on Friday night looking for a response after a tough bullpen-game loss shifted momentum toward the Midland RockHounds.
Frisco meets Midland, the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics, at 7:05 p.m. for the fourth game of a six-game series. Left-hander Dalton Pence is scheduled to start for the RoughRiders, entering with a 2-2 record and a 2.95 ERA. Midland will counter with right-hander Jackson Finley, who comes in at 0-0 with a 3.05 ERA.
The RoughRiders enter the matchup at 4-5 in the second half and 43-34 overall after falling 10-4 to Midland on Thursday night. The RockHounds improved to 7-2 in the second half and 39-38 overall, continuing a strong start after the break.
Thursday’s game got away from Frisco early. Midland opened the contest with three consecutive hits against Joey Danielson, scoring twice in the first inning. The RockHounds added three more runs in the third and built a 6-3 advantage after the fourth. Frisco’s offense struggled to generate early rhythm against Corey Avant, who held the RoughRiders scoreless over six innings while allowing just one hit.
Frisco finally broke through late. Keith Jones II drove in a run with an RBI single in the seventh inning, and Marcus Lee Sang gave the Riders a spark in the eighth with a two-run triple. Lee Sang later scored on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 6-4, but Midland quickly answered with four runs in the top of the ninth. Jared Johnson retired Frisco in order to secure his first save of the season.
Now, the RoughRiders turn to Pence with a chance to slow Midland’s bats and even the direction of the series.
Pence has been one of Frisco’s steadier arms, and his matchup against Finley gives the Riders a chance to reset after leaning heavily on the bullpen Thursday. Frisco used six pitchers in the loss, with Danielson, Bryan Magdaleno, Anthony Susac, Janser Lara, Josh Trentadue and Cole Stasio all seeing action.
Frisco RoughRiders Focus on Series Momentum
The RoughRiders have already clinched a postseason berth after capturing the Texas League South Division first-half title on June 18. It marked Frisco’s 11th playoff appearance in franchise history and first since 2024. The club finished the first half 39-29, good for a .567 winning percentage, the eighth-best first-half mark in team history.
Still, the second half matters for rhythm, development and momentum, and Frisco has plenty of offensive firepower to fuel a turnaround.
Frainyer Chavez remains at the center of that attack. The RoughRiders infielder was named Texas League Player of the Week after a dominant series in Amarillo, where he hit .481 with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs and seven runs scored. Over his last 37 games, Chavez is batting .369 with a .473 on-base percentage, a .617 slugging percentage, seven home runs and 24 RBIs.
Chavez has set a new career high with 12 home runs and ranks among the Texas League leaders in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits, doubles, walks, extra-base hits and runs scored. Against Midland this season, he has been productive as well, entering the matchup with three home runs and 15 hits against the RockHounds.
Frisco’s power surge has been one of the biggest stories of the past two weeks. The RoughRiders tied a franchise record with 17 home runs during a six-game series in Amarillo, with Chavez, Dylan Dreiling and Max Wagner each going deep three times. Through 77 games, Frisco’s 103 home runs are the most in franchise history at this point in a season.
The Riders continue to rank among the best offensive teams in Double-A. They lead Double-A with 705 hits and own the top OPS in the classification at .813. They also rank first in the Texas League in batting average and doubles while sitting second in runs.
Late offense has also been a strength. Frisco leads Double-A with 168 runs scored in the seventh inning or later, giving the RoughRiders a dangerous profile even when trailing.
Friday brings a chance to turn that profile into a win. With Pence on the mound and one of Double-A’s deepest lineups behind him, the RoughRiders will look to regain control at home and even the series against a Midland club that has opened the second half with confidence.
