STWF Sports | AMARILLO, Texas | June 23, 2026 — The second half begins with the Frisco RoughRiders already holding one of the most important achievements of the season.

After clinching the Texas League South Division first-half title and securing a postseason berth, Frisco turns the page Tuesday night with the opener of a six-game series against the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from HODGETOWN.

Right-hander Aidan Curry is slated to start for Frisco, entering at 1-1 with an 8.68 ERA. Amarillo will counter with right-hander Daniel Eagen, who comes in at 2-5 with a 5.66 ERA.

The RoughRiders enter the second half after finishing the first half at 39-29, good for a .567 winning percentage. That mark is the eighth-best first-half winning percentage in franchise history and the club’s best since 2024. More importantly, Frisco’s strong finish locked up the organization’s 11th playoff berth and its first since 2024. The RoughRiders have now won the first half nine times in franchise history and will chase a third Texas League championship after previous titles in 2004 and 2022.

Overview of the Frisco RoughRiders’ Season

Frisco closed the first half with momentum, taking five games from the Arkansas Travelers in the final series before the break. The RoughRiders capped the series with a 3-1 Father’s Day win at Riders Field.

Texas Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery opened that game on a Major League rehab assignment, working a scoreless first inning in his first mound action since 2024. Max Wagner then gave Frisco the lead in the third inning with a solo home run over the left-center field wall. Arkansas briefly tied the game in the fourth on a Hunter Fitz-Gerald homer, but Wagner answered again in the fifth with an RBI single to put the Riders back in front.

Dylan MacLean handled the middle innings and improved to 5-0 after allowing just one run over 5.1 innings. Orlando Martinez added insurance with an RBI single in the eighth, and Joey Danielson finished the win with his first career Double-A save.

The RoughRiders now shift to a hitter-friendly environment where their offense has already enjoyed success this season. Frisco went 3-3 during its first trip to Amarillo in April, producing a .318 batting average, .410 on-base percentage and 1.002 OPS over six games. The Riders hit 14 home runs in that series and averaged 9.0 runs per game.

Since Amarillo entered the league in 2019, Frisco has played more games at HODGETOWN than any other visiting team. Across 89 games in Amarillo, the RoughRiders have averaged 6.5 runs and 1.8 home runs per contest.

Frainyer Chavez remains one of the hottest hitters in the Texas League entering the new half. Over his last 28 games, Chavez is batting .356 with a .464 on-base percentage, a .558 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 20 walks and 24 runs scored. He also hit his third leadoff homer of the season on June 17 and has already tied his career high with eight home runs, doing so in 47 fewer games than last year.

Chavez ranks among the league leaders in several major categories, including third in hits, third in doubles, sixth in walks and second in runs scored.

Rafe Perich has also provided instant impact since joining Frisco. In his first 21 games with the RoughRiders, he has homered five times, and every one of those home runs has either tied the game or given Frisco the lead. His 16 total home runs this season lead the Rangers organization.

Pitching has helped balance the offense. Frisco’s bullpen owns a 3.71 ERA, second-best in Double-A and the top mark in the Texas League. Over the last 24 games, the relief group has posted a league-best 2.85 ERA. The starting rotation has also stabilized recently, going 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA over the last 13 games.

The RoughRiders begin the second half with playoff security, offensive confidence and a bullpen performing at a high level. Now, the challenge is turning a strong first half into sustained momentum.

With a postseason spot already secured, Frisco’s next mission starts in Amarillo: keep building, keep scoring and keep sharpening for September.