June 17, 2024

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Squatting behind the plate can be a difficult task, one that Liam Hicks does almost 50% of the time he steps on to the field for the Frisco RoughRiders, the double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

His bat has been impressive enough that the club puts him in the DH spot when he’s not conducting catching duties. Due to his power and ability to put the ball in play with regularity, he earns this week’s Canadian Baseball minor league Player of the Week honours.

Driving over six hours down the road to Corpus Christi, Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) and the Roughriders played six games at Whataburger Field, home to a struggling Hooks squad. The red-hot Hicks went 8-for-21 (.381) against Corpus Christi and played in every game.

For the period spanning from June 4 to June 9, Hicks topped all Canuck minor league batters with two homers and 16 total bases.

In the series opener against the Hooks on Tuesday, June 4, Hicks was in the DH spot, hitting second in the lineup. Facing right-hander Jake Bloss, Hicks took an outside pitch to left for a double to put the RoughRiders in scoring position early in the first inning. His teammates would unfortunately strand him at second to end the inning.

On Wednesday, Hicks moved behind the plate and immediately got to work in the batter’s box for the second game of the series. Facing another right-hander, the Toronto Mets alum drove another ball to left for a double. His teammate Aaron Zavala followed with a single to score him, giving the RoughRiders an early lead.

The third inning saw Hicks add an RBI of his own, pulling a ground ball through the right side to score Kellen Strahm from second, giving the RoughRiders a 2-0 lead. Hicks would add a walk in the top of the fifth and his team-high third hit of the game in the seventh, a single to left.

Hicks was hitless on Thursday, as he collected a walk and a stolen base in a 3-0 win.

Moving back behind the plate for Friday’s game, Hicks put the RoughRiders on the board in the first inning when he blasted a no-doubt homer over the right field wall on a 1-2 pitch from Hooks RHP Michael Knorr, who hung a pitch in the middle of the zone.

Hicks wasn’t done there, hitting ground ball through the right side for a single to score a runner from second in the second for a 3-0 RoughRiders lead. Two innings later, Hicks ended Knorr’s night in the top of the fourth by driving another homer over the right field wall. His second homer was a two-run shot on a 2-2 count. It put the RoughRiders up 6-0. Hicks finished the day with another three-hit performance and four RBIs.

Rounding out the week, Hicks added one more hit, another walk, and was hit by a pitch on Saturday.

Former Winners

Opening Day to May 6 – LHP Matt Wilkinson (Lander, BC), Guardians.

May 7-12 – INF Charles LeBlanc (Laval, Que.), Angels.

May 13-19 – RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC), Braves.

May 20-26 – INF Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.), Tigers.

May 27-June 2 – RHP Lucas Wepf (Georgetown, Ont.), Dodgers.

June 4-9 – C-DH Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Rangers.

Stats Compiled by Pete Berryman

Hitters

Pitchers