The day’s most eye-catching power surge came from Frisco, where Sebastian Walcott kept the home run streak alive by going deep for the fourth straight game. He finished 2 for 4 with a walk, and he was hardly alone in driving the offense.
Gleider Figuereo put together a big line of his own, going 3 for 4 with a homer and a walk. Yeison Morrobel also had a strong night at the plate, finishing 3 for 5 with a double. Rafe Perich chipped in with a 2 for 4 effort and a double, while Ian Moller added a hit and a walk.
Hub City got a solid start from AJ Russell, who worked four innings and gave up two runs while striking out seven and walking one. At the plate, Paxton Kling led the way by going 3 for 4 with a walk. Maxton Martin and Eduardo Mejia each had a pair of hits.
In Hickory, Seong-Jun Kim opened with two shutout innings, allowing three walks and striking out two. Jake Barbee followed and gave up one run over 3.1 innings, striking out four and walking two. Will Whelan was tagged for three runs in one inning, and Louis Marinaro finished with a scoreless frame and two strikeouts.
The Hickory offense was paced by Jay McQueen, who went 2 for 4 with a double. Yolfran Castillo added a triple and a stolen base, Noah Franklin was 2 for 4, and Paulino Santana collected a hit.
Round Rock also got a mixed bag on the mound. Winston Santos allowed two runs in four innings, striking out four and walking three.
Carter Baumler, on rehab, struck out two in a scoreless inning. Wilian Bormie added 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and two walks, while Josh Sborz and Michel Otanez each worked a shutout inning with one strikeout apiece.
In Other News...
Sebastian Walcott Is Forcing A Tough Rangers Decision On Josh Jung
Sebastian Walcott has pushed his way into the Rangers thinking with a strong run at Double-A, and the organization is starting to treat his timeline like something more immediate than a distant prospect debate. A possible September arrival is now part of the conversation, which matters because Texas already has a young third baseman in Josh Jung trying to hold down the spot while working through defensive inconsistency and a recent injury absence.
Walcotts rise puts the Rangers in a familiar but difficult spot: keep waiting on Jung to settle in, or start thinking about a roster reshuffle if the top prospect is ready to force the issue. If Texas decides the bat and energy Walcott brings can help sooner rather than later, Jung could become a trade candidate as the club looks to fill other needs. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Sebastian Walcott Closely
Sebastian Walcott has already given Rangers fans plenty to monitor at Double-A Frisco, and the top prospect is backing up the buzz with a hot stretch at the plate. He has homered in three straight games and is riding a seven-game hitting streak, adding more evidence that his bat is translating quickly as he continues to move through the system.
Walcotts comeback makes the watch even more interesting because he is doing this after an internal brace procedure for a UCL tear, and he may be nearing a return to fielding duties soon. Through 30 games this season, the Rangers No. 1 prospect is hitting .319 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs, a line that only sharpens the anticipation around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
St. Thomas Aquinas Opponent Is Now Pushing Back After Viral Backlash
The season opener between DeSoto High School and St. Thomas Aquinas was supposed to be about football, but it became a bigger conversation when three of DeSotos four captains declined to shake hands with the opposing players before kickoff. The moment, caught on live television, spread quickly and drew widespread criticism, turning a standard pregame routine into the kind of scene that lingers well beyond one Friday night.
DeSotos football program moved quickly to address it, issuing an apology and taking responsibility for the captains actions while framing the incident as a learning opportunity. On the field, St. Thomas Aquinas handled its business with a 38-14 win, but the aftereffects of the handshake moment are still what people are talking about, and now the reaction is becoming part of the story too. [Read more 🡒]