Going into the first homestand of the 2022 season, Midland RockHounds manager Bobby Crosby didn’t think it would take long for his team to get reacclimated to Momentum Bank Ballpark.
The team was fresh off a series victory against the Amarillo Sod Poodles on the road before facing the Corpus Christi Hooks Tuesday.
“These guys know how this park plays, it plays big,” Crosby said. “Pitching is important, defense is important and the way they hit the ball.
“You can hit a ball in the air and it’s not going anywhere here, so our players know that, I’m sure some of their players know that as well.”
The RockHounds showcased a strong offensive presence in their first three games, with Jonah Bride and Zack Gelof combining for 16 RBIs.
Bride is one of the team’s returning veterans, spending all of last season with the RockHounds.
After getting to know the culture around the Midland franchise, Bride said one of his favorite parts about hosting a home opener is seeing the crowd that goes through the front gates.
“It’s always exciting to get out and hopefully start off hot for all the fans,” Bride said. “Hopefully they get rowdy and we get behind them.”
In the series opener against the Hooks, the RockHounds recorded six hits through the first six innings.
They just couldn’t convert their early opportunities and only drove in Max Schuemann off an RBI single from Kyle McCann in the bottom of the third.
That proved to be the recurring theme of the night as Midland finished with 15 hits in an 11-4 loss.
Crosby knew that the early part of the season would be to feel out how each player looks in the system.
“These guys know what they need to do on their swings,” Crosby said. “For me, it’s just kind of sitting back and helping with whatever they need.”
Crosby tells his players to focus on hitting low line drives and staying up the middle of the field instead of focusing too much on deep shots.
He feels it’s good for his players to have the home field advantage where they know the ins and outs of the ballpark they’ll be in for most of the season.
When the RockHounds are at home, the team has various themes through the week to keep fans engaged and entice them to return on later dates.
Bride said seeing those large crowds helped him build relationships and connect with the community.
The first baseman said he enjoys taking time to sign autographs for kids at the end of each game.
“As you’re growing up, you see stuff like that and you love meeting the players,” Bride said. “I try to be that same thing for those kids.”
With the constantly changing nature of Minor League Baseball, a large chunk of players don’t experience opening day in the same spot more than once.
Bride said he knew what he was getting going into his second year in Midland, adding that he appreciated the familiarity that comes with knowing his surroundings, teammates and the coaching staff.
He was anticipating the Hooks having strong pitching before the start of their series and that stood out as the visitors turned to four arms in the first game.
Jose Bravo led Corpus Christi with four strikeouts while allowing seven hits.
“It’s the [Houston] Astros’ system, they’ve got some good arms and they’re going to have some good players,” Bride said.
The RockHounds continue the series this week against Corpus Christi, closing out the opening homestand with a doubleheader at 5 p.m. Saturday.
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