Written the week of September 7-13, 2026

Ah, at last! We’re down to the last week of Hooks’ baseball, and it finds Ellen and me in Midland where the guys finish out their season. The playoff hopes flickered dimly at the beginning of the last home stand but losing early and often extinguished them.

The only thing the Hooks can accomplish is snuffing out the RockHounds’ playoff hopes as well. Technically, Midland can still get in. Practically, like us early last week, they are done. Let’s put that final nail in the RockHound coffin.

This week feels like the first week of the season for me when it comes to knowing the players on the roster. We have six new players on the team, all moving up from High-A Asheville. Two pitchers, a catcher, two infielders, and an outfielder filled out our depleted ranks due to promotions and injuries.

Jeremy Cologna, development coach, talked about the depletions, saying this was the thinnest roster he’d experienced in all his years of coaching.

For the first time in weeks, the Hooks have four healthy outfielders who are listed as outfielders. Alejandro Nunez, listed as an infielder, has filled in admirably in left field.

Also, the two pitching additions bolster a bullpen much in need of bolstering. They have shown signs of a long and wearying season over the past two weeks.

The surprise move was seeing Jason Schiavone get promoted to Triple-A—not that he doesn’t deserve the promotion. He leads the entire Astros’ minor league system with 31 home runs and is a steal away from joining an exclusive baseball club, the 30-30 club.

Tuesday turned out to be a day of one blessed moment after another. First, Ellen and I walked to Momentum Bank Park from our hotel early enough to see the Hooks’ batting practice. She found shade while I found ballplayers.

Blessing one was being able to walk to the ballpark. Blessing two was watching batting practice.

Blessing three was being the Fans of the Game, an ironic distinction, because we were big fans but not for the home team. We sat in recliners during the game. Ellen spent the entire game in her recliner with the footrest up. I bounced in and out of mine as I headed to left field then back to the recliner then out to right field and finally back to my recliner.

Blessing four was the news that our tickets included the Diamond Club, an air-conditioned room with free snacks and sodas. We have the Cotton Club at Whataburger Field, but snacks and drinks are not included. I’ll have to talk to management about that.

Blessing five was the game itself.

Braden Nett started for the RockHounds, and Trey Dombroski started for the Hooks. Each pitched a 1-2-3 inning to begin game 1, but Nett ran into trouble quickly in the 2^nd.

With one out and two on, birthday boy Alejandro Nunez lifted a 3-run homer that plunked down in the uncrowded right field berm. I watched as a small boy trotted from the first-base side seats to claim the opening homerun of the series.

First baseman Jack Moss and third baseman Zach Daudet smacked their first Double-A hits for the Hooks in the 2^nd inning. Center fielder Anthony Huezo would get his first in the 5^th inning, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

The RockHounds scored a run in the bottom of the 2^nd and another in the 4^th inning to close the gap to Corpus Christi 3-Midland 2 after four innings.

With two on and one out, Anthony Huezo doubled to send Zach Daudet home from second. The RockHounds responded in the bottom of the inning with two runs to knot the game up, 4-4.

The 8^th inning curse of last week’s series showed up in favor of the Hooks this night. With bases loaded and two out, Chase Call lashed a line drive into the left-center field gap for a 2-RBI double. He has powered three hits in his last three games with two homers and a double. I’m thrilled to see him contributing with his bat as well as his arm.

Andrew Marrero entered in the 6^th inning and threw 2.1 innings of no-hit baseball to record his first win. Railin Perez pitched the 9^th inning, a 1-2-3 get-’em-out inning, for his fifth save.

The next day I saw all four pitchers who had a part in the win at various points and times. I ran into Trey Dombroski in the hotel hallway and shook his hand. In a nearby coffee shop, Ellen and I ran into Jose Guedez and Andrew Marrero. I shook their hands. I met Railin Perez as he climbed the stairs after batting practice. He had fielded flies in the outfield and looked good doing it. I, of course, shook his hand.

On Wednesday night, Adam Shoemaker started his first Double-A game for the Hooks. He’d be wobbly to the tune of six walks and two hit-by-pitches but pitch four scoreless innings, giving up a single and striking out two.

The Hooks had their biggest inning of the night in the top of the 4^th. With two out and two on, Walker Janek smacked a double against the left field wall to get Justin Thomas Jr. home and our guy Will Bush to third. Jack Moss hit a comebacker that skipped off the top of pitcher Nathan Dettmer’s glove. Smart base running by Walker Janek beat a first to home throw by a blink for the second of the two runs. After three complete, Corpus Christi 4-Midland 0.

New guy Max Martin entered in relief for Shoemaker in the 5^th inning and began a short adventure on the mound. A fielding error by our third baseman, three walks, two runs, and two outs later, Martin had completed his first moment under the glaring Double-A lights.

Amilcar Chirinos replaced Martin and quickly ended the 5^th inning. He pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball. The Hooks maintained the lead to the end which gave Chiri his 6^th win of the season. He may lead the team in wins. I’m not sure and too lazy to look it up.

Alejandro Torres pitched the 7^th and 8^th innings, giving up a solo home run to Bobby Boser, and the RockHounds crept to within a run of tying things up. A leadoff single by Hector Salas and a double by Alberto Hernandez set the table for Justin Thomas Jr.’s sacrifice fly to center fielder Pedro Pineda to score Salas from third.

Fireballer Ramsey David finished the evening with a strikeout of Midland third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott. It was David’s third save of the season.

The next morning, Justin Thomas Jr. and I sat in the hotel dining room while I was writing about the series. For half an hour, we talked about his recent promotion, the guys who helped him along the way, how helpful the coaches were, our common faith in Jesus Christ, and what happens for him when the season is over (he packs and heads to Georgia on Monday).

Justin is an excellent outfielder who has no desire to play in the infield. That fire got put out early in his baseball journey when a hard bouncing grounder hit him in the face. If he hadn’t been wearing glasses, he believes he would have lost an eye.

Justin reiterated what I’ve heard about the difference in Double-A pitching and High-A. The pitchers aren’t necessarily better and throwing stuff he hasn’t seen. They just control where the ball goes better. They hit their spots.

We talked about his early at bats at Double-A, the thing that a lot of players deal with, and pressing to prove he belonged at this level. In an earlier article, I noted that his batting average was abysmal but would shoot up like a good investment. He was doing things right but not getting any early returns. His first two hits were home runs. His batting average at this writing is .246 and, more impressive, his OPS is .802. I’m pretty sure his average will continue to rise. He is a good investment.

I met Jerry, a RockHound usher, before one of the games. He had picked up some stray balls from batting practice, so we talked about what he would do with those baseballs. He, like other ushers I know, gives them away to kids. In his case, it’s the smaller kids he focuses on. “The big kids can get their own. Besides, a lot of them are jerks.”

On Thursday, I arrived before the gates opened to watch our guys take fielding practice. A lot more happened on the field than fielding grounders though. The music over the loudspeaker was lively and Hispanic, so a lot of dancing and laughing happened on the field. The atmosphere was loose and fun, something I hadn’t seen in our team, probably not because it hadn’t happened before but because I usually don’t see our guys before they come out of the tunnel for a game.

When the pitchers made their way down to the field, I had a chance to talk with Andrew Taylor. He is one of several Hooks players who made the trip to Midland but are done for the season. Our conversation reminded me that it may be the last week of the season, but it’s still a grind. Most guys are banged up in some way and playing through pain. Ramsey David admitted his velocity has dropped because of arm soreness. He still brings the heat though.

Ellen joined me after the gates opened, and Rylee Darnell, the director of field fun (not her actual title, but it captures a part of what she does), lassoed us for a pre-game on-field game. We competed in a toss-the-sombrero contest against Rocky, the team mascot, and a staff member. Ellen beat Rocky to the finish line.

The best thing that came out of that experience was when I looked into the Midland dugout and asked, “Is Bobby Boser here?”

The closest player looked up and said, “I’m Bobby.”

I asked him to autograph his home run ball from the night before which he was more than happy to do.

The game itself had a highlight worth seeing and another not so much. In the bottom of the 4^th inning, the score was 1-0 Midland with one out and the bases loaded. C.J. Pittaro hit a fly ball to left field, one that usually scores the runner from third. Only it didn’t.

Chase Call caught the flyball and fired a perfect strike to our guy Will Bush to catch Bobby Boser at home.

Ellen and I were the only ones who stood, clapped, whooped, and hollered in the stands, but even RockHound fans acknowledged that was an exceptional double play. In watching the replay on the Hooks’ team website, I heard the RockHound play-by-play announcer say, “And, man, that was just flat out beautiful.” It was Chase’s fifth outfield assist since arriving in July.

Corpus Christi tied up the game in the top of the 5^th inning but fell behind again in the bottom of the 5^th. The go ahead run came via a bases-loaded walk. With two out, Cameron Leary doubled down the first base line and cleared the bases. His hit seemed destined to be caught by our first baseman but it skipped into right field to put Midland up 5-1.

We’d get two back when Jack Moss smacked a double into right center field allowing Zach Daudet and Justin Thomas Jr. to score.

During the 8^th inning, Ryan Artzer, director of ticket sales, gave me a tour of the upstairs press box. Joey Gennusa, sales executive, was in front of the screen handling the Gameday feed that records balls, strikes, and batting outcomes. It was the first time for me to see what happens as a pitch or play is recorded in real time. The system is accurate, although I’m sure there are occasional glitches.

The night ended in a 5-3 loss for the Hooks. As Ellen said afterwards, seeing Chase Call’s throw to home made it worth being in the stands. It was a magical moment that brought us Hooks fans joy.

Our last night in Midland, September 11, ended in fireworks, both during the game and afterwards. The game stayed close throughout the first 8 innings as both pitching staffs kept it close. Corpus Christi allowed 4 hits while Midland gave up 5.

The Hooks didn’t have a good start as they struck out seven times before recording a groundout for the second out of the 3^rd inning. Their first hit came in the 4^th inning.

One defensive highlight for me was a RockHound double in the early innings. Center fielder Justin Thomas Jr. tracked the hit and came up short as it hit the wall and bounced away from him. Left fielder Tyler Whitaker made a heads-up play by anticipating the ball’s carom, fielding the ball, and getting it back into the infield before Brennan Milone turned his double into a triple. The whole thing was a beautiful example of teamwork in the outfield.

By the end of 8 innings of play, the score stood knotted at ones. Ramsey David pitched a 1-2-3 scoreless 8^th inning to maintain the tie.

In the top of the 9th inning, the Hooks exploded into action. Our guy Will Bush walked then was forced out on a Tyler Whitaker ground ball to short stop Ali Camarillo. Tyler high-tailed it down the first base line to prevent a double play.

Hector Salas singled into left field, which allowed Whit to round second and race to third. Max Holy singled to right field to bring Whitaker home and move Salas to third. This was Max’s second RBI single of the night. The first tied the game. The second gave the Hooks the lead.

A wild pitch allowed Salas to score and Holy to take second. Zach Daudet walked, putting runners at first and second. Chase Call slashed a double into the right field gap to score both Holy and Daudet, ballooning the Hooks’ side of the ledger to 5 against Midland’s 1 run. A double play would end our night of scoring.

Amilcar Chirinos pitched the bottom of the 9^th, and it wouldn’t be his best outing as he walked the bases loaded. He’d end the night with a Casey Yamauchi strikeout after yielding a run. Final score: Corpus Christi 5-Midland 2.

After the game, we watched the fireworks display honoring the heroes of 9/11. When the fireworks ended, I met Jim Blair. Ryan Artzer said, “Jim, this is the Hooks you.” This was the second time I had met a superfan for the opponents. The first time was in Wichita, and both times the director of ticket sales introduced me as “the Hooks you.” What an undeserved privilege and honor.

Ellen and I headed home early the next morning, feeling pretty good about the Hooks taking three out of the first four games. We would watch the end of the Hooks’ season at home on MLB.COM. They’d end the season losing the last two games and split the series in Midland. Glad we came home early.

Game 5 wasn’t even close, a 6-1 loss, but the game 6 loss exemplified how we had lost throughout the season. Trey Dombroski pitched six scoreless innings. The Hooks scored four runs in the 2^nd and one in the 5^th. They were playing exceptional defense. Everything looked like we’d end the season on a winning note.

Then the 7^th inning came, and I watched our lead evaporate in a 6-run meltdown by our normally reliable bullpen. After seven complete, Midland 6-Corpus Christi 5.

In the 9^th inning, Midland pitching walked the bases loaded. With two out and three on, a hit would score the tying run and possibly a lot more. Instead, a groundout to first baseman Brennan Milone and a soft toss to pitcher Micah Dallas ended the season as it had begun, with a loss.

Despite the ending, Ellen and I enjoyed our time in Midland. We did nothing but write (me), edit (her), and go to Momentum Bank Park, but we had wonderful experience thanks to the staff for the RockHounds.

Ryan Artzer, director of ticket sales, made sure we had great seats at every game and informed us of the benefits that came with our tickets. Joey Gennusa, sales executive, helped us get around the ballpark. Rylee Darnell, coordinator of digital media and promotions, put the between-innings fun on the field. Erica Esparza filled our cups with Dr. Pepper every night. She knew our order the moment we stepped into the Diamond Club. Jerry Williamson and DeAnn King were the ushers who took good care of us while we watched the games.

What a trip! What a season! Go, Hooks!

Corpus Christi Hooks 6-Midland RockHounds 4               W

Corpus Christi Hooks 5-Midland RockHounds 3               W

Corpus Christi Hooks 3-Midland RockHounds 5               L

Corpus Christi Hooks 5-Midland RockHounds 2               W

Corpus Christi Hooks 1-Midland RockHounds 6               L

Corpus Christi Hooks 5-Midland RockHounds 6               L

Texas League South 2^nd-half standings

Amarillo                          41-28

Midland                           34-35

Frisco                              34-35

Corpus Christi                  31-38

San Antonio                     28-41