The Frisco Roughriders, Double-A affiliate of the Rangers, will be well represented at this year’s Texas League All-Star Game.
The Roughriders will send seven players to Springfield, Missouri later this month; first baseman Ronald Guzman, outfielders Ryan Cordell and Preston Beck, catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa and pitchers Conner Sadzeck, Victor Payano and Adam Parks. Guzman and Cordell were named starters.
The 21-year old Guzman was part of the 2011 international class signed by the Rangers that included Nomar Mazara and Rougned Odor. Guzman is hitting .287 with nine home runs and 29 RBI for Frisco this season.
Cordell is having a breakout year with the Roughriders, hitting .287 in 60 games. He earned Player of the Month honors in both the Texas League and the Rangers farm system in April after hitting .363 with five home runs and 22 RBI. This is Cordell’s third All-Star selection in four years at the professional level.
Beck, a UT-Arlington alum, leads the Roughriders with a .300 batting average and has reached base safely in 21 of his last 23 games. This is Beck’s second selection, he made the Carolina League’s All-Star team with Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach in 2014.
In just his first year at the pro level as a catcher, Kiner-Falefa makes the All-Star roster. He’s cut down six of 14 base-stealers and was named the Rangers Minor League Defender of the Month in April for his work.
Sadzeck has probably been Frisco’s most consistent starting pitcher during the first half of the season. He’s 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA, holding opponents to a .198 batting average. Sadzeck’s 62 strikeouts rank fourth in the league.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Payano is third in the league in strikeouts, three better than Sadzeck with 65. Payano is 4-4 with a 3.64 ERA in 12 starts. He struck out a career-high 13 hitters in May against San Antonio, the second-most strikeouts by pitcher in a game in team history.
Parks became the Roughriders primary closer after Matt Bush was called up to the Rangers last month. He’s 5-for-5 in save opportunities with a 1.86 ERA. This is Parks second season in Frisco.
The 2016 Texas League All-Star Game will be June 28th in Springfield, Missouri, home of the Springfield Cardinals.
