WHEN: June 22nd

WHERE: Corbett Field, Minot ND

WATCH: ESPN+

LISTEN: Granite City Sports Radio

ROX 2025 RECORD: 20-5

MINOT 2025 RECORD: 5-22

LAST TIME OUT

The St. Cloud Rox (20-5) put together a double-digit 16-6 victory over the Minot Hot Tots (5-22) on Saturday and have the lead in the Great Plains West. It was St. Cloud’s seventeenth straight victory over Minot.

St. Cloud scored one run in the third inning from a double by Tyson LeBlanc to dig into the deficit and make it 2-1.

Jaixen Frost let loose in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer to tie the contest at three apiece.

Aiden Lieser stepped onto the mound in relief and shined by recording eight outs in just 24 pitches, keeping the Hot Tots offense at bay.

The Rox would quickly load the bases in the sixth and score two runs to pull the game within one at 6-5.

In the seventh, the Rox would score four runs off Minot miscues to take the lead 9-6, followed by three strikeouts from Jordan Kolenda (Kent State University) on the mound.

The Rox took over the ballgame in the ninth, scoring seven runs in the final frame, with some highlights including a pair of RBI singles from Brady Ballinger and Joshua Dykhoff to extend the lead to 16-6.

Jake Reigert would close the game out on the bump and record three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth to clinch a St. Cloud victory.

St. Cloud reached win number 20 and stands as the leader in the Great Plains West at 20-5.

BURNT POTATOES

Since the Hot Tots became a team in 2023, the St. Cloud Rox hold a record of 24-3 vs Minot. In those games, the Rox are 10-2 on the road, and that success has continued this season with St. Cloud having won all four contests thus far. The Rox are outscoring Minot 67-21 in the four games between these two clubs this campaign.

The difference this season has been the pitching for both teams. The Rox have the best ERA in the league at 2.94 while minot is averaging giving up 7.36 runs per-game which is second worst in the entire Northwoods League.

PROBABLE STARTERS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

STC- Marcus Kruzan will start the series finale for the Rox. Kruzan holds a 2.77 ERA across 13 innings with the Rox this season while picking up 19 strikeouts and walking nine. His last start went three innings and he picked up three strikeouts across those scoreless frames.

MOT- Trent Harris gets the ball for Minot in game four. Harris last pitched an inning and a-third against Duluth with two strikeouts. The Rox put up four runs in one inning against him at the RockPile last week. This season, he has an ERA of 4.24 with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks in 17 innings.