The Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, are pleased to announce that the club will host the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in a non-conference showdown at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco on Tuesday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m.
The Red Raiders are just two years removed from a trip to the College World Series and have been picked to finish in the top half of the Big 12 this season. This is the second-straight year the Red Raiders have been projected to finish fifth or better in the league standings, as the Red Raiders were picked fourth in the 2015 preseason poll. In each of the last two seasons, the Red Raiders have finished higher than the preseason poll projected.
This year’s roster boasts 19 returning letterwinners, including seven position starters, from a squad that went 31-24 overall and 13-11 in Big 12 play last season.
The game with Oral Roberts comes between trips to two Major League parks, as Texas Tech plays February 26-28 at Minute Maid Park in Houston and at Globe Life Park in Arlington on March 15. The Red Raiders also make a trip to another Texas League ballpark on April 5, when they head to Security Bank Ballpark, home of the Midland RockHounds.
Oral Roberts, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is coming off an outstanding 2015 season, posting a 41-16 record, a dominating 25-5 record in the Summit Conference, and a trip to the NCAA Postseason for the 16th time in the last 18 seasons. RoughRiders hurler Chi Chi Gonzalez from the 2014 squad played collegiately at Oral Roberts before the Rangers made him the highest draft selection ever out of the school when they took him 23rd overall in the 2013 Draft. Current Rangers infield prospectJose Trevino also played collegiately at Oral Roberts before Texas selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft; Trevino spent the 2015 season with the Rangers Class-A affiliate, the Hickory Crawdads.
“We are thrilled and honored to host both Texas Tech and Oral Roberts next month,” said RoughRiders Executive Vice President and General Manager Jason Dambach. “We are confident that this is the beginning of a fruitful relationship with the Red Raiders, and we hope to host the Red Raiders and other top college programs in the state of Texas in the future.”
Tickets are all general admission for $8.00/person. Fans can park in the South Lot for $5.00. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, February 10 and can be purchased at RidersBaseball.com or at the box office at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
The RoughRiders will open their 2016 home schedule at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Thursday, April 14 and host 70 home dates through Labor Day, Monday, September 5. Season ticket packages and group and hospitality offerings for the RoughRiders 2016 season can be reserved by calling (972) 731-9200 or emailing info@ridersbaseball.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public in March.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 11 seasons (2005-2015). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg and Scott Sonju. The new ownership group has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements, from a completely new team identity to massive additions and upgrades to Dr Pepper Ballpark, including a giant new video board, sound system, sports bar, team store, improved food service and menu, and a complete overhaul of in-game entertainment. The improvements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco “Best Ballpark Renovation” of 2015 by Ballpark Digest in the under $6 million category. More than 130 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Gonzalez and Ian Kinsler. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Nathan Barnett at (972) 334-1976 or via e-mail at Nathan@RidersBaseball.com.
(Press Release & Image Courtesy of Frisco RoughRiders & MILB.com)