Frisco RoughRiders Game Program: April 7-12, 2026

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HOMESTAND HIGHLIGHTS 4/07

OPENING DAY PRESENTED BY GLOBE LIFE

GRAB YOUR 2026 SCHEDULE MAGNET GIVEAWAY PRESENTED

BY THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS AND ENJOY A POSTGAME FIREWORKS SHOW TO CELEBRATE THE START OF THE 2026 SEASON 4/10

OPENING WEEKEND YOUTH SUNGLASSES GIVEAWAY PRESENTED BY PEAK ROOFING AND CONSTRUCTION WITH POSTGAME FIREWORKS TO KICK OFF THE SEASON 4/12

THROWBACK SUNDAY OUR FIRST OF 3 THROWBACK SUNDAYS, GET YOUR ELVIS ANDRUS BOBBLEHEAD PRESENTED BY CLASSIC CHEVROLET OF GRAPEVINE

2026 SCHEDULE 3 HOMESTAND HIGHLIGHTS 6 OPPONENT OVERVIEW 9 RIDER SPOTLIGHT 12 STADIUM MAP 20 ROSTER 32 MEET THE MASCOTS 38 FEATURE STORY 48 PHOTO GALLERY 53 ROAD TO THE SHOW 56 THIS DAY IN HISTORY 60 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE 2

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS DOUBLE-A AFFILIATE OF THE ATHLETICS

MIDLAND FINISHED 2025 WITH THE THIRD-BEST OVERALL RECORD IN THE TEXAS LEAGUE SOUTH, BUT WAS THE DIVISION’S REPRESENTATIVE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, FALLING TO THE EVENTUAL CHAMPION CARDINALS DESPITE WINNING GAME ONE. THE ROCKHOUNDS WON THE FIRST HALF WITH A 39–30 RECORD, SCUFFLED AT 27–42 IN THE SECOND HALF, BUT SURGED IN THE PLAYOFFS BEHIND SHORTSTOP TRADE DEADLINE ACQUISITION LEO DE VRIES, THE ATHLETICS’ TOP PROSPECT AND THE FOURTH-BEST IN ALL OF BASEBALL PER MLB PIPELINE.

POSITION FAVORITE PLAYER

INFIELD DEREK JETER

FAVORITE FOOD

AREPAS

FAVORITE MOVIE

BENCHWARMERS

YEARS WITH ROUGHRIDERS INSTAGRAM

5

@FRAINYERCHAVEZ

Chad Comer MANAGER

Comer returns to Double-A Frisco in 2026 after managing at the High-A level over the last three seasons. A native of Mansfield, Texas, will enter his 10th season with the Rangers and his second in Frisco. In 2022, Comer helped pilot the Riders to their second Texas League Championship in franchise history, serving as a development coach. Over the last three seasons, Comer managed High-A Hickory (2023-2024) and High-A Hub City (2025), going 197-191 (.508). The former University of Texas at Arlington catcher played two seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Thomas St. Clair PITCHING COACH

St. Clair joins the Riders as the pitching coach after leading a Hub City staff that finished with a 3.50 ERA in 2025. St. Clair enters his fifth season as a Rangers minor league pitching coach and first at the Double-A level, while also serving as the assistant pitching coordinator in the Rangers farm system in 2026. Initially, St. Clair joined the Rangers as a coach in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. Before pro baseball, he spent two and a half years as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at North Carolina Wesleyan College. The righthander pitched three professional seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals system from 2017-19. The Winston-Salem, NC native played four years at Lenior-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C.

Jason Hart HITTING COACH Hart begins his 13th season with the Texas organization and his ninth as Frisco’s hitting coach. He served as the Riders' hitting coach from 2012-2019. Most recently, he served as the Major League hitting assistant for the Marlins. In 2015, Hart was named the Mike Coolbaugh Texas League Coach of the Year for his work with the Riders hitters. His tenure with the Rangers began after he assisted the Single-A Clinton staff with coaching for part of the 2008 season.

Hart played professionally from 1998-2006, with stints in the Oakland, Texas and Minnesota organizations. He made his Major League debut with the Rangers in 2002. He missed the 2004 season following the removal of a benign brain tumor, but returned to the field in 2005 and hit 21 home runs in 128 games with Frisco. He attended Southwest Missouri State University, where he paced the conference in homers in 1997 and was named a Missouri Valley Conference All-Star in 1998.

Jay Sullenger DEVELOPMENT COACH Sullenger serves his seventh year in the Texas organization as a development coach for Frisco. He made his professional managerial debut in 2021, leading the ACL Rangers to a 31-28 record. Sullenger was slated to coach for Hickory in the 2020 season before the cancellation of the campaign. Before joining the professional ranks, he served as head coach at Biola University in California from 2013-2018. In addition to his work at Biola, Sullenger invested in the local community through baseball camps and working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes summer ball team. He began his coaching career in 2000 as a volunteer assistant for James Madison University and finished his tenure in 2011 as associate head coach. Additionally, he worked one season in stadium operations for the Tampa Bay Rays. Sullenger played baseball at Florida Southern and Liberty.

Jorge Hernandez BENCH COACH Hernandez joins the Riders for his first season with the Rangers organization. During 2020, Hernandez managed the Texas Collegiate League Frisco RoughRiders after the Minor League season had been canceled. In 2025, he served as a bench coach for Triple-A Jacksonville and spent 19 seasons with the Marlins as a coach and coordinator. In that stint, he served eight seasons as a manager, most recently in 2022 with High-A Beloit.

Hernandez started his coaching career at the University of Mobile in 1993 as a hitting coach and stayed there through 2001. From there, he coached Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi from 2002-2004 and the University of West Florida in 2006. From 20052006, Hernandez served as the hitting coach for the Independent Pensacola Pelicans.

Hernandez attended Troy State, where he helped them to the 1987 DII World Series Championship

Kiley Brown ATHLETIC TRAINER Brown makes his Double-A debut, serving in his third season in the Rangers system. Before being the athletic trainer for High-A Hub City in 2025, Brown was the ACL Rangers athletic trainer in 2024. He joined the Texas organization in the 2023-24 offseason after completing a student athletic trainer internship with the University of Texas baseball program in 2023. Brown was also a student athletic trainer at Carroll University in 2021. The Louisville, Ky. native holds an associate’s degree in Biology, a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, and a Master’s in Athletic Training. Additionally, he played four years of college baseball as an infielder and pitcher for McHenry County and Upper Iowa.

Brett Platts STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Platts returns to the RoughRiders for his third season in the Rangers organization and his second in Frisco. In his first year, he was the strength and conditioning coach for the Low-A Down East Wood Ducks before spending a season with the Cubs, working in the Dominican Summer League. The Canada native completed his strength and conditioning internship with the University of Iowa athletic department in 2022 and spent four years with the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Academy from 2019 through 2022. Platts played two seasons at Southeastern Community College in Iowa.

AS OF BREAK CAMP* 04/01

#1 KEYBER RODRIGUEZ

POSITION: INF | DOB: 10/24/2000 | HEIGHT: 5'10" | WEIGHT: 178 HOMETOWN: MARACAY, VENEZUELA Rodriguez enters his ninth season in the Rangers organization after signing a Minor League contract on July 2, 2017. He first reached Frisco in 2023, batting .242 in 41 games. In 2024, he hit .234/.285/.369/.654 while his 139 defensive assists ranked 10th among Texas League shortstops. Last year, Rodriguez hit .251 in 116 games with Frisco and also earned his first career call-up to Triple-A Round Rock. The Maracay, Venezuela native won the 2021 True Ranger Award, given to the Rangers Minor Leaguer who exemplifies the core values of the organization both on and off the field.

#2 FRAINYER CHAVEZ

POSITION: INF | DOB: 5/24/1999 | HEIGHT: 5'8" | WEIGHT: 170 HOMETOWN: VALENCIA, VENEZUELA Chavez enters 2026 having played parts of four seasons with Frisco, after being drafted in the 22nd round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Midland Junior College. The Venezuelan-born infielder went to Little Elm High School, under 10 miles from Riders Field. In his RoughRiders career, coming into 2026, Chavez is a .251 hitter with 12 home runs and 86 RBIs across 220 total games.

He was a postseason hero for the Riders in 2022, hitting the go-ahead single in the 10th inning of the TLCS-clinching win over Wichita.

#3 THEO HARDY

POSITION: INF | DOB: 11/27/2001 | HEIGHT: 6'1" | WEIGHT: 185 HOMETOWN: BERKELEY, CA Signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Rangers in 2023, Hardy plays his third season with the RoughRiders in 2026 after five games in 2024 and 14 last year. The Berkeley, California native was a standout infielder over four seasons with the San Jose State Spartans, including being named 1st Team All-MWC in 2023. That season, he hit .329/.426/.449/.875 while starting in all 58 games. In the minors, he has played at High-A’s Hickory and Hub City, Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, with 35 hits in 74 career games.

#4 JULIAN BROCK

POSITION: C | DOB: 6/3/2001 | HEIGHT: 6'3" | WEIGHT: 220 HOMETOWN: HOUSTON, TX The Rangers selected Brock in the eighth round of the 2023 draft. Before earning a call-up to Frisco on August 5, 2025, the former University of Louisiana-Lafayette standout racked up 503.0 innings behind the dish for High-A Hub City. Defensively, Brock caught 61 runners stealing while also adding 24 RBIs, 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases on offense across 62 games for the Spartanburgers. While with the RoughRiders, the catcher hit .321 across 17 games with an .846 OPS and 10 RBIs.

#5 MARCUS LEE SANG

POSITION: OF | DOB: 1/2/2001 | HEIGHT: 5'11" | WEIGHT: 200 HOMETOWN: LAUREL, MD 2026 marks the seventh season in Minor League Baseball for Lee Sang, who joined Texas on a MiLB free agent contract over the offseason. Between 2019 and 2025 in the Phillies organization, the Maryland native hit .249 with a .727 career OPS across every level of Minor League Baseball. Lee Sang only played in four games with Double-A Reading last year, but hit .239 with 13 HR and 47 RBI in 103 games back in 2024. He also made his first career appearance in Triple-A with Lehigh Valley. Lee Sang was an 11th-round pick

by Philadelphia in 2019 out of Northern High School in Owings, MD.

#6 JAKE SNIDER

POSITION: OF | DOB: 5/19/1998 | HEIGHT: 5'10" | WEIGHT: 190 HOMETOWN: WATERLOO, IA An original 20th-round pick in 2019 by Pittsburgh out of the University of Louisville, Snider agreed to a Minor League free agent deal with the Rangers in January. Texas is the outfielder’s fourth organization since breaking into pro ball. After spending 2023 and 2024 in Colorado’s system, Snider played in High-A and Double-A last year for the Padres organization. In seven Texas League games with the San Antonio Missions last season, Snider went 6-for18 at the plate, drew three walks and stole three bases, making his Double-A debut.

#8 DYLAN DREILING

POSITION: OF | DOB: 4/17/2003 | HEIGHT: 5'10" | WEIGHT: 197 HOMETOWN: HAYS, KA Dreiling was drafted by Texas in the second round in 2024 off the back of a national championship with the University of Tennessee, where he was the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. Dreiling makes his Double-A debut in 2026 after clubbing 21 doubles and 12 home runs for High-A Hub City last season. Entering 2026, in 134 career Minor League games, Dreiling is slashing .221/.323/.364/.686 and has stolen 20 bases.

#11 KEITH JONES II

POSITION: OF | DOB: 4/29/2002 | HEIGHT: 6'2" | WEIGHT: 220 HOMETOWN: BRENTWOOD, CA The 23-year-old was assigned to Frisco on July 1 last season and made an immediate impact, homering in his Double-A debut versus the Arkansas Travelers. He’d finish with three long balls and a .244 average in 52 Frisco games. With High-A Hub City in 2025, Jones ranked fifth in the South Atlantic League in OBP (.406) and seventh in OPS (.857), securing June Player of the Month honors. In total, Jones slashed .259/.377/.421/.798 between the two levels. The Rangers took him in the ninth round in 2024 out of New Mexico State, after starting his college career at Washington State.

#12 TUCKER MITCHELL

POSITION: C | DOB: 2/10/2001 | HEIGHT: 6'1" | WEIGHT: 210 HOMETOWN: IRVING, TEXAS The 25-year-old backstop was a 14th-round pick by Texas in the 2021 MLB Draft after one year at Florida Atlantic and one year at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. Before college, Mitchell played high school baseball at the prestigious IMG Academy. In 2025, he played 53 games for the RoughRiders and hit .218 behind the plate before getting his first career call-up to Triple-A Round Rock. With the Express, he made 20 plate appearances in eight games to finish the season.

#13 ORLANDO MARTINEZ

POSITION: OF | DOB: 2/17/1998 | HEIGHT: 5'11" | WEIGHT: 185 HOMETOWN: HAVANA, CUBA A Minor Leaguer since 2018, Martinez makes his first appearance in the Rangers organization this season. The RoughRiders saw the Cuban outfielder across the Texas League in 2025, as he spent 60 games with the Corpus Christi Hooks in the Astros system. With Corpus Christi, Martinez hit .270 with a .724 OPS and knocked in 25. He also logged 54 games in the independent, unaffiliated Mexican League and clubbed 16 home runs for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes. The 28-year-old’s career started with six seasons in the Angels system, reaching as high as Double-A Rocket City.

#14 WINSTON SANTOS

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 4/15/2002 | HEIGHT: 6'0" | WEIGHT: 160 HOMETOWN: SANTO DOMINGO, D.R. Santos signed as a Non-Drafted Free Agent on 7/2/2019. After starting 2024 with a 2.80 ERA in 12 starts at High-A Hickory, he was selected to the All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field. The next day, he joined Frisco, going 5-3 with a 4.89 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 10 starts. The Payita, Dominican Republic native dazzled with a 12-strikeout outing in Game Two of the Texas League Division Series versus Midland. Santos only threw six games in 2025 due to a back injury, but made his Triple-A debut in Round Rock.

#15 AUSTIN BERGNER

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 5/1/1997 | HEIGHT: 6'5" | WEIGHT: 210 HOMETOWN: BOCA RATON, FL An offseason Minor League free agent signing by Texas, Bergner joins Frisco by way of the Tigers organization. The right-hander recently spent four seasons splitting time between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo. He finished his time with Erie as the Seawolves’ career strikeouts record holder with 309. The Florida native owns a 2.96 career ERA in 82 Double-A games and has six seasons of Minor League Baseball under his belt. Most recently, Bergner pitched for Team Colombia in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with three innings pitched in two total appearances.

#16 JOHN TAYLOR

POSITION: INF | DOB: 4/26/2001 | HEIGHT: 5'11" | WEIGHT: 200 HOMETOWN: BEND, OR A former Ragin’ Cajun from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Taylor takes his talents to Frisco in his second season of Minor League Baseball.

After posting a .932 OPS with eight home runs in 52 games for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League, Taylor signed with Texas and joined High-A Hub City in June of 2025. With the Spartanburgers, Taylor hit .256 in 58 games with 20 runs driven in. John and his brother, Will, run the social media brand, the Baseball Bat Bros, which reviews different baseball bats. They have over one million subscribers on YouTube and over a million followers on Instagram.

#17 LEANDRO LOPEZ

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 6/17/2002 | HEIGHT: 6'1" | WEIGHT: 200 HOMETOWN: BONAO, D.R. The 23-year-old was assigned to Frisco from High-A Hub City on July 20th last season. With the Spartanburgers, he posted a 2.19 ERA, a .199 opposing average and 74 strikeouts across 14 starts. In his final five starts in High-A, he notched a 1.93 ERA, eighth-best in the South Atlantic League. Lopez didn’t look back upon arrival in Frisco, twirling a 2.78 ERA across 35.2 innings with 43 strikeouts. Of his nine RoughRiders appearances, eight were starts.

#18 JACK BLOMGREN

POSITION: INF | DOB: 9/27/1998 | HEIGHT: 5'11" | WEIGHT: 180 HOMETOWN: MILTON, WIS. Blomgren was drafted by the Rockies in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft and signed with Texas over the offseason following his release by Colorado. The former Michigan Wolverine has played 165 career MiLB games across five seasons, reaching as high as Double-A Hartford. The Wisconsin native spent a brief stint in the Astros organization last year, playing 19 games between rookie ball and High-A Asheville. In 25 career games at the Double-A level, the infielder has lifted four home runs and owns an .855 OPS.

#19 RYAN LOBUS

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 9/8/2000 | HEIGHT: 6'2" | WEIGHT: 180 HOMETOWN: WOODSTOCK, GA Lobus signed with Texas as a Non-Drafted Free Agent on July 18, 2023 after three seasons at Mercer University and one at Chattanooga State Community College, where he started as a position player. In his first Minor League season, Lobus stood out in 27 appearances, including 12 starts, between Low-A Down East, High-A Hickory and Frisco. The Marietta, Georgia native posted a 2.96 ERA and 134 strikeouts while his 35.8% strikeout rate ranked second in MiLB (min. 90 IP). Last year, Lobus led the Riders with 45 appearances and had a 3.48 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched.

#20 DAVID DAVALILLO

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 9/21/2002 | HEIGHT: 61" | WEIGHT: 175 HOMETOWN: OCUMARE DEL TUY, VENEZUELA The 23-year-old right-hander returns to Frisco after dominating with High-A Hub City last year and making the midseason jump. At the time of his promotion, Davalillo ranked fourth in Minor League Baseball in WHIP (0.82) and led the SAL in ERA (2.12). Between Low-A Down East and High-A Hickory in 2024, Davalillo led MiLB with a 1.88 ERA, the lowest by a Rangers farmhand since former Rider Joe Wieland in 2011. In his first Double-A stint last season, Davalillo stayed red hot and stormed to a 2.73 ERA in 11 starts.

#22 WILIAN BORMIE

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 4/7/2001 | HEIGHT: 6'3" | WEIGHT: 175 HOMETOWN: BARAHONA, D.R. Bormie signed a minor league contract with the Rangers in December of 2019 and began playing in the Rangers organization in August of 2022. After posting a 3.86 ERA with High-A Hub City in 2025, he was promoted to Frisco on August 5, 2025. Across 33 relief appearances for the Spartanburgers, the right-hander struck out 76 batters across 52 innings of work while walking just 29. Bormie proceeded to post a 2.31 ERA in his 12 appearances with the RoughRiders and tallied 14 strikeouts.

#23 JOSH TRENTADUE

POSITION: LHP | DOB: 1/25/2002 | HEIGHT: 6'2" | WEIGHT: 185 HOMETOWN: RICHMOND, VA. The 2024 Rangers 14th-round pick out of the College of Southern Idaho started last season with High-A Hub City and stymied the South Atlantic League. In 15 appearances and nine starts, the Richmond, VA native allowed just seven earned runs in 54.2 innings. Among pitchers in the SAL who threw at least 50 innings, he led the league in ERA (1.15) and batting average against (.147). From there, the left-hander made seven starts to finish the season with the RoughRiders. Across both levels, Trentadue’s 2025 worked out to a 2.34 ERA in 77.0 IP with 94 total strikeouts.

#24 IAN MOLLER

POSITION: C | DOB: 10/26/2002 | HEIGHT: 6'0" | WEIGHT: 190 HOMETOWN: DUBUQUE, IOWA Moller was a fourth-round pick by the Rangers in 2021 out of Wahlert High School, forgoing a commitment to LSU. After 15 games with ACL Rangers in 2021, Moller played 155 games over the next two seasons with Low-A Down East. He flashed defensively with High-A Hickory in 2024, ranking third in the South Atlantic League with a .989 fielding percentage and tied for seventh with 22 runners caught stealing. In 2025, Moller made his first Frisco appearance, logging 77 games and over 600 innings behind the plate for the RoughRiders.

#25 RICARDO VELEZ

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 8/21/1998 | HEIGHT: 6'1" | WEIGHT: 180 HOMETOWN: LAJAS, PUERTO RICO Velez has enjoyed a long career in both the Minor Leagues and International baseball. He owns a career 21-8 record and 2.95 ERA across five MiLB seasons between the Twins and Cardinals organizations. Last year, Velez pitched for the Springfield Cardinals in the Texas League with a 1.99 ERA and 53 K’s in 30 games for the eventual champions. The righty has also tossed 151 combined innings in the Puerto Rican Winter League and Carribean Series with a 2.21 mark. Most recently, Velez suited up for Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and did not allow a run in two outings.

#27 AUSTIN ROBERTS

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 7/27/1998 | HEIGHT: 6'0" | WEIGHT: 215 HOMETOWN: WEST SACRAMENTO, CA. Now in his seventh season as a Minor League reliever, Roberts will pitch in the Rangers organization for the first time. The righty split time between Double-A and Triple-A last year, playing both for Miami and Milwaukee’s affiliates. The former eighth-round pick appeared at the Triple-A level as early as 2021, his first season in MiLB. He spent the bulk of his season last year with Triple-A Jacksonville and posted a 5.19 ERA across 34.2 innings before time with two Southern League Double-A teams: Pensacola and Biloxi.

#28 DYLAN MACLEAN

POSITION: LHP | DOB: 7/12/2002 | HEIGHT: 6'4" | WEIGHT: 190 HOMETOWN: PORTLAND, OR MacLean, Texas’ fourth-round draft selection in 2020, makes his Double-A debut with Frisco in 2026. The Central Catholic High School product spent 2022 and 2023 with Low-A Down East before starring last season with HighA Hub City. The left-hander twirled a 3.34 ERA across 72.2 innings for the Spartanburgers in 2025. He surrendered just 53 hits and 15 walks for a 0.94 WHIP and added 65 strikeouts. In Hub City’s postseason run, MacLean made two starts and allowed three earned runs in eight total innings.

#30 JANSER LARA

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 8/10/1996 | HEIGHT: 6'0" | WEIGHT: 170 HOMETOWN: SAN CRISTOBAL, D.R The 28-year-old made his return to Minor League Baseball last year for the first time since 2018. In 2015, Lara signed at 19 years old with the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander pitched in the Royals organization from 2016-18, reaching as high as Class-A Lexington. Lara was assigned to Frisco on April 17th and pitched two shutout innings on April 18th. His Double-A debut marked his first MiLB game since Aug. 31, 2018. By season’s end, Lara made 13 appearances and struck out eight hitters over 9.2 innings.

#40 BRYAN MAGDALENO

POSITION: LHP | DOB: 2/22/2001 | HEIGHT: 6'1" | WEIGHT: 202 HOMETOWN: SANTO DOMINGO, D.R. Magdaleno was named the 2024 Rangers Minor League Reliever of the Year after a dominant season between Low-A Down East, High-A Hickory and Frisco. The southpaw yielded just six earned runs all year, while his .134 batting average against was tied for second among MiLB pitchers (min. 40 innings). From July 3rd to Sept. 7th, he pitched 19 consecutive innings without allowing a hit between the three levels. Magdaleno had a 6.31 ERA in his first full season with Frisco last year across 36 appearances. The Santo Domingo, DR native has now pitched five years in the Rangers organization.

#46 ZACH BRYANT

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 6/5/1998 | HEIGHT: 6'1" | WEIGHT: 210 HOMETOWN: DAYTONA BEACH, FL Bryant joined Texas over the offseason after spending time in the Red Sox organization. The Florida native started his career as a 15th-round draft pick by the Cubs in 2019 and joined Boston’s High-A affiliate, Greenville, in 2021.

Since 2022, the righty has spent all of his time with Double-A Portland and owns a 6.26 ERA across 79 appearances at the level.

#52 JONATHAN BRAND

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 2/20/2000 | HEIGHT: 5'9" | WEIGHT: 200 HOMETOWN: COLUMBUS, GA Brand enters his fifth season of Minor League Baseball in 2026 and his first as a member of the Rangers organization. The righty brings his career 3.17 ERA to Frisco after pitching across all four levels in Boston’s system. Brand, a former eighth-rounder out of Miami University of Ohio, had a 3.48 ERA with Double-A Portland last season after posting a 0.89 mark in High-A Greenville and making one appearance with Triple-A Worcester. Texas selected the Georgian in the Minor League phase of MLB’s Rule 5 Draft.

#54 BLAKE TOWNSEND

POSITION: LHP | DOB: 4/5/2001 | HEIGHT: 6'4" | WEIGHT: 245 HOMETOWN: TRARALGON, VIC, AUSTRALIA The left-handed Townsend signed with Texas as a Minor League free agent in January. After four seasons in the Mariners system, his last two years came as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Last season, Townsend had a 2.05 ERA in 66 innings with Double-A Altoona and earned the chance to pitch in Triple-A for the first time with the Indianapolis Indians, working a scoreless 2.1 IP outing. A native Australian, Townsend is a two-time participant in the World Baseball Classic with Team Australia. Between 2023 and 2026, he didn’t allow a hit or a run across three WBC appearances.

#67 ERIC LOOMIS

POSITION: RHP | DOB: 3/27/2002 | HEIGHT: 6'0" | WEIGHT: 195 HOMETOWN: BRENTWOOD, MO The Rangers selected Loomis in the 16th round of the 2024 Draft. The righthanded pitcher started last season in Low-A and finished the year two levels higher with a seven-game stint in Frisco, ending his season as the Rangers Minor League Reliever of the Year. Loomis had a 2.89 ERA across seven appearances with Low-A Hickory and leveled up with a 1.80 mark and an astronomical 55 strikeouts in 35 innings with High-A Hub City. From there, the 23-year-old struck out 15 Texas Leaguers in 7.2 innings of work.

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FEATURE STORY

frisco feels familiar to comer Chad Comer’s path into coaching began, not with a fungo, but with a rake in hand.

Now the RoughRiders manager, the Mansfield, Texas native was a star for the UT Arlington Mavericks during his playing days and had just finished a twoyear stint in the minors as a catcher within the Braves system. While it was clear he was done putting down signs behind the plate, he knew he had more to give to the game.

“I finished playing two years with the Braves in the minor leagues and when I was done, I was like I want to coach,” Comer said. “It’s in me. A lot of people have told me along the way that coaching is going to be in your future. That kind of led me to believe to that the big leagues wasn’t going to be in my future, I am going to be a better coach.”

A smile crossed his face after he said that, knowing what was to come.

College coaching seemed like the best path, so he reached out to his old coach, Darin Thomas, at UT Arlington. “[Thomas] said we don’t have anything open right now, but when something does, the spot is yours,” Comer said. “Volunteer or whatever it might be, it’s yours.”

frisco feels familiar to comer The position that eventually came available was paid, but it wasn’t a spot on the coaching staff.

Instead, he was hired to work on the grounds crew at UTA. Comer said that Thomas told him, “You could start working on the grounds crew and we’ll have you out at practice, working with the catchers and different things like that. Kind of get going with it because you’ve got great knowledge, and I think you could be a good asset to have around.”

As it turns out, the grounds crew gig did not last long, as the pitching coach for the Mavericks approached Comer with an opportunity. One of his connections with the Rangers had reached out and asked if he knew of a young guy with a catching background who was looking to get into coaching.

Comer checked all of the boxes.

After getting the Rangers job, he was whisked off to the Low-A level for a season, before three years in the Dominican Republic, coaching for the Dominican Summer League Rangers. That included his first season as a manager in 2017, guiding the DSL Rangers 1 to a 42-28 record. That team featured future RoughRiders and Rangers pitcher Yerry Rodriguez.

frisco feels familiar to comer In 2021, Comer served as the hitting coach for HighA Hickory before helping pilot the RoughRiders to a Texas League Championship in 2022 as a Development Coach. While he had many lasting memories from that season, one stood out.

“Getting to see the players celebrate at the end of it, those are always special moments,” Comer said. “It’s such a tough thing to go out and win a championship, but when you get there, you never know if you might be back there or not. Could be the next year, could be five or 10 years after or it might not ever be again. So, seeing how special that moment was with that group. Even walking down [into the RoughRiders clubhouse] again and seeing the picture on the wall, it brings back so many memories.“ From 2023 through 2025, Comer took the helm for the Rangers High-A affiliates, managing Hickory for two seasons before skippering the new affiliate Hub City in 2025. In those three years, Comer grew immensely, learning how to work within the staff as a manager.

“A lot of [the job] is to have constant empathy for the players,” Comer said. “It’s not an easy game to play. In High-A, at one point, we lost 14 in a row and then we rattled off 17 [wins] in a row, so it changes so fast. Remembering how difficult this game is and continuing to show up every day and pour into the players, not only on the field, but off the field as well.”

frisco feels familiar to comer The role of a baseball manager is in the title.

Sometimes, it can be more about managing people than managing the game itself. Comer’s unique path and his resume have helped him connect with anyone who works on his staff.

“I’ve been a development coach, I’ve been a hitting coach, I’ve been a bench coach. I’ve had all those opportunities to wear some different hats,” Comer said. “So, to that side as well, knowing what staff might be going through and all those types of things, I think it’s helped prepare me for this opportunity.

Even with that, I still learn every single day. There’s so many things that I could continue to pick up on and learn from players and from staff every single day. I don’t think we’re ever done learning in this game. The more you continue to stay open to that, I think, is huge.”

Now, his sights are set towards 2026. It figures to be an experienced group that Comer pilots in Frisco, but no matter what, he looks forward to the challenge.

Not to mention, because of his time in High-A over the last three years, many of the faces who will come through the RoughRiders clubhouse will be very familiar to him.

“At the end of the day, living out our core values, dominating the fundamentals, competing with passion and being a great teammate,” Comer said. “If we can live those out each and every day and put that type of baseball out on the field, I think it’s going to be very special.”

frisco feels familiar to comer On and off the field, Comer certainly understands what the position entails, including in the community which he has called home for almost his entire life. A Texas man through-and-through, he knows his role perfectly.

“The interaction that we have in the community with fans is important, to make this a special place for baseball to be played,” Comer said. “There are so many families that come out here and so, just having the opportunity to create a good atmosphere, to come out and not only watch really good baseball, but enjoy a baseball game is something that will be really special. Frisco has it. You guys have always had it.”

And, of course, always the baseball man, he had one more thing to add: “So, just to continue to carry that on and, ultimately, at the end of the day win a championship. You can’t be mad about that.”

Frisco Photos

THEO HARDY

CAM CAULEY WALKOFF IN FINAL GAME OF 2025 SEASON

PREGAME NATIONAL ANTHEM

RYAN LOBUS

CAM CAU

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APRIL 7TH-12TH

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APRIL 7 , 1979 Texas rangers legend and mlb hall of fame third baseman Adrian Beltre was born. he would debut in the mlb 19 years later and joined texas in 2011.

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