Season start: How did the Express fare in first game?
Profar lashes 2 hits, Olt an RBI double in their debuts with Express.
roUnD rocK — On a chilly opening night when Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt made their much-hyped Round Rock debuts, it was Nick Tepesch’s cameo appearance for the Express that was the bigger deal in the grand scheme of things.
Tepesch, named the Texas Rangers’ No. 5 starter, pitched five innings Thursday at Dell Diamond, allowing only an unearned run in the Express’ 3-1 win over Omaha.
Next stop for Tepesch: Arlington, April 9, against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Not bad for a 24-year-old who had only two seasons in professional ball and had never pitched above Double-A.
“I think I am ready,” said Tepesch, a former Missouri Tiger who was Texas’ 14thround draft choice in 2010. “I feel confident. I have to stick to my strengths, stick to my game plan.”
For Tepesch, that plan is attacking the strike zone. Of his 77 pitches, just 21 were balls. He had five strikeouts and no walks.
“I had good overall command, that was the best part,” the 6-foot-4-inch, 220pounder said. “The slider got away from me a little, but my changeup is getting a lot better.
“It was exciting being out there for an opening night.”
Same goes for Profar, the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, and Olt, ranked second in the Texas farm system.
Profar, the 20-year-old shortstop, ripped a single to center field in his first trip to the plate. He promptly stole second base. The next time up he walked and scored on a crisp double down the leftfield line by Olt, the 24-year-