STWF Sports | AMARILLO, Texas |June 26, 2026 — The Frisco RoughRiders have already secured their postseason ticket, but the second half has opened with the same urgency that carried them through the first.

Frisco continues its six-game series against the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Friday night at HODGETOWN, looking to build on Thursday’s offensive outburst and take another step forward in the second half of the Texas League season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Left-hander Dalton Pence is slated to start for the RoughRiders, entering at 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA. Amarillo, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, will counter with left-hander Avery Short, who comes in at 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA.

The RoughRiders enter the matchup at 2-1 in the second half and 41-30 overall after powering past Amarillo 12-8 on Thursday night. Frisco’s offense launched four home runs in the win, continuing a loud stretch at one of the Texas League’s most hitter-friendly parks.

Frisco RoughRiders: Powering Through the Season

Frisco wasted little time getting started Thursday. Orlando Martinez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning against Amarillo starter Ashton Izzi. The Sod Poodles answered immediately when Anderdson Rojas hit a solo home run off Josh Trentadue in the bottom half, but the RoughRiders responded in the second.

Arturo Disla hammered his first career home run at HODGETOWN to push Frisco back in front, 2-1. By the fourth inning, the Riders had widened the gap with a four-run frame powered by RBIs from Keith Jones II, Corey Joyce, Frainyer Chavez and Rafe Perich.

Amarillo cut the deficit to 7-5 with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, but Frisco’s bats did not cool off. Dylan Dreiling launched a two-run homer in the sixth, and both Dreiling and Chavez went deep again in the eighth to stretch the lead to 12-5. Amarillo scored three in the ninth, but Frisco held on to claim the win.

Cole Stasio earned the victory with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, helping stabilize the game after Amarillo’s early push.

The RoughRiders’ offense has been a force in Amarillo this season. Through nine games at HODGETOWN, Frisco is hitting .342 with a .425 on-base percentage, a .611 slugging percentage and a 1.036 OPS. The Riders have hit 22 home runs and are averaging 8.8 runs per game in Amarillo.

That production is part of a larger trend. Through 71 games, Frisco leads the Texas League with 654 hits and a .272 team batting average. The RoughRiders also rank second in runs with 451, averaging 6.4 per game. They lead the league with 132 doubles and sit first in OPS at .814.

Chavez continues to drive the offense during one of the hottest stretches of his season. Over his last 31 games, he is batting .373 with a .479 on-base percentage, a .610 slugging percentage, 13 doubles, five home runs, 20 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Since May 20, he leads the Texas League in batting average and ranks among the league leaders in hits, OPS, doubles and extra-base hits.

His current seven-game hitting streak has been especially impressive. During that run, Chavez is batting .552 with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.595 OPS. He has also set a new career high with 10 home runs, reaching that mark 31 games faster than last season.

Perich has also made an immediate impact since joining Frisco. In his first 24 games with the RoughRiders, he has hit six home runs, with all but one either tying the game or giving Frisco the lead. His 17 total home runs this season lead the Texas Rangers organization.

While the offense continues to draw attention, Frisco’s pitching has helped maintain balance. The bullpen owns a 3.82 ERA, third-best in Double-A and first in the Texas League. Over the last 25 games, the relief group has posted a 3.25 ERA, the best mark in the league during that span.

The RoughRiders clinched a playoff berth June 18 by winning the Texas League South Division first-half title. It marked the franchise’s 11th postseason appearance and first since 2024.

Now, the focus shifts to building momentum. With the bats hot, Chavez rolling and Pence set to take the mound, Frisco has another chance Friday to keep its strong start to the second half moving forward.