STWF Sports | FRISCO, Texas | July 2, 2026 — The Frisco RoughRiders will look to bounce back Thursday night after falling on the wrong side of a one-run finish against the Midland RockHounds.
Frisco RoughRiders: A Team on the Rise
Frisco meets Midland, the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics, at 7:05 p.m. at Riders Field for the third game of a six-game series. Right-hander Joey Danielson is scheduled to start for the RoughRiders, entering at 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA. Midland will counter with right-hander Corey Avant, who comes in at 1-5 with a 5.63 ERA.
The series is even after the first two games, with Frisco taking Tuesday’s opener before Midland answered with a 6-5 win Wednesday night. The RoughRiders enter Thursday at 4-4 in the second half and 43-33 overall, while the RockHounds sit at 6-3 and 38-38.
Wednesday’s loss had the feel of a game Frisco nearly stole late. Texas Rangers reliever Chris Martin opened the night with a scoreless first inning on MLB rehab assignment, and Malcolm Moore gave the RoughRiders an early lift in the second by crushing his first home run at Riders Field for a 1-0 lead.
Midland flipped the game in the third. Cole Conn launched a grand slam against Blake Townsend, pushing the RockHounds ahead 4-1. Midland later stretched the lead to 6-1, forcing Frisco into comeback mode.
The RoughRiders started the climb in the fifth when Arturo Disla delivered a two-run single to make it 6-3. Midland reliever Stevie Emanuels slowed the push with 1.2 scoreless innings, but Frisco kept pressing.
In the eighth, Rafe Perich ripped a two-run single into right field to score Corey Joyce and Keith Jones II, trimming the deficit to 6-5. The Riders loaded the bases but could not cash in again. Midland closer Shohei Tomioka then closed the door in the ninth for his seventh save.
The narrow loss continued a familiar trend for Frisco, which has played several tight games this season. The RoughRiders are 18-19 in games decided by one or two runs and have made a habit of producing late offense. Frisco leads Double-A with 164 runs scored in the seventh inning or later, giving the lineup a constant threat even when trailing.
That late-game pressure remains one of the club’s biggest strengths. Frainyer Chavez has been especially dangerous in those moments, hitting .351 with a .475 on-base percentage in the seventh inning or later this season.
Chavez continues to drive Frisco’s offense after being named Texas League Player of the Week for his performance in Amarillo. He hit .481 last week with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs and seven runs. Over his last 36 games, Chavez is batting .374 with a .473 on-base percentage, a .626 slugging percentage, seven home runs and 24 RBIs.
His season numbers continue to climb. Chavez ranks near the top of the Texas League in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits, doubles, walks, extra-base hits and runs scored. He has also set a new career high with 12 home runs.
The RoughRiders’ power surge has been a major storyline. Frisco tied its franchise record with 17 home runs in a six-game series last week in Amarillo. Chavez, Dylan Dreiling and Max Wagner each homered three times during the series. Over the last eight games, Frisco leads all of Minor League Baseball with 20 home runs.
That power has helped make the Riders one of the most dangerous offensive teams in Double-A. Through 76 games, Frisco leads Double-A with 702 hits and owns the top OPS in Double-A at .817. The RoughRiders also lead the Texas League in batting average and doubles while ranking second in runs.
Frisco has already secured its postseason spot after winning the Texas League South Division first-half title on June 18. The berth marks the club’s 11th playoff appearance and first since 2024.
Now the focus is on building rhythm in the second half. Danielson gets the ball Thursday with a chance to help Frisco reclaim control of the series. With Chavez rolling, the bats still hot and Riders Field back in play, the RoughRiders have the ingredients for another response.
