Drillers are the Hottest Team in Texas League

Originally Published: Jul 14, 2010 4:33 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma – The Tulsa Drillers recent streak on the field is nearly as hot as the temperatures at the ballpark. Since the start of the second half of the Texas League season, nobody’s playing ball like the Drillers.

After struggling to a 29-40 finish in the season’s first half, Tulsa is 14-4 since June 23rd. The team is batting .279 over its last 18 games, tagging teams for over five runs per game. Tulsa has scored three or more runs in an inning nine times during this streak.

The drastic turnaround has Ron Gideon’s club perched atop the Texas North division.

The Drillers finished 12 ? games behind Northwest Arkansas in the standings in the first half after a really slow starts. The players knew the key to contending in the second half was starting fast.

The remarkable thing for Gideon’s bunch is the way the team is winning. Tulsa is 4-1 in games decided by one run and has held opponents under three runs in seven of its last eight games. The Drillers have magically transformed into a well-rounded team, seemingly overnight.

Tulsa holds a half game lead over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in the Texas North division. The Drillers begin a four-game home series against the Arkansas Travelers Thursday at 7:05 p.m.