STWF Sports| SPRINGDALE, Arkansas| August 26, 2026 — The Frisco RoughRiders will look to halt a difficult recent stretch when they face the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Wednesday night in the second game of their six-game series at Arvest Ballpark.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT, with right-hander D.J. McCarty getting the start for Frisco against Northwest Arkansas right-hander Felix Arronde. McCarty enters the matchup with an 0-2 record and 7.16 ERA, while Arronde is 5-5 with a 5.63 ERA.

Frisco is coming off a 12-4 loss in Tuesday’s series opener, a game that remained competitive through the early innings before Northwest Arkansas broke it open with a nine-run stretch between the fourth and sixth.

The Naturals scored twice in the first against Ben Anderson, but Frisco answered in the fourth with two runs, including an RBI single from Ian Moller, to tie the game at 2-2. Northwest Arkansas then took control, highlighted by a three-run home run from Daniel Vazquez.

The RoughRiders added single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings but could not recover from the middle-inning damage.

The loss dropped Frisco to 25-27 in the second half and 64-56 overall, while continuing a difficult seven-game stretch in which the club has lost six times.

Pitching has been the biggest concern during that span.

RoughRiders opponents are averaging 8.3 runs per game over the last seven contests, while Frisco starters have posted a 9.38 ERA across 24 innings. That group has averaged just over three innings per start, forcing the bullpen into an unusually heavy workload.

Frisco relievers have thrown a Double-A-high 108.1 innings in August, while the starting rotation owns a Texas League-worst 6.90 ERA for the month.

Wednesday’s assignment for McCarty will therefore carry added importance as the RoughRiders attempt to stabilize the staff and keep the bullpen from being overextended again.

Offensively, Frisco remains one of the strongest clubs in Double-A.

Frisco RoughRiders’ Strong Offensive Performance

The RoughRiders lead Double-A with 1,099 hits and a .269 team batting average while ranking second with 716 runs. They also lead the Texas League in doubles and slugging percentage.

At the center of that production is Dylan Dreiling, who enters Wednesday on a 17-game hitting streak — the longest in the Texas League this season.

Dreiling is batting .437 during the streak with six doubles, five home runs and 18 RBIs. For the season, he ranks second in the Texas League in batting average at .314 and hits with 129, while sitting fourth in OPS at .915.

His 21 home runs are the most by a RoughRider since Blaine Crim hit 24 in 2022 and the most by a center fielder in franchise history.

Sebastian Walcott also continues to provide a major presence at the top of the lineup. The Rangers’ No. 1 prospect has hit .275 through his first 23 games this season with 10 doubles, three home runs and five stolen bases since returning from elbow surgery and a brief stint on the injured list.

Frisco remains especially dangerous late in games. The RoughRiders lead Double-A with 254 runs scored in the seventh inning or later and have produced 103 runs in the eighth alone.

That late-inning production could prove critical if Wednesday’s game remains close.

With a postseason berth already secured after winning the Texas League South Division first half, Frisco’s focus now is on regaining consistency before October.

Game two against Northwest Arkansas offers another opportunity to do exactly that.