When El Paso Chihuahuas pitcher Walker Lockett throws out the first pitch of the 2017 season to a Las Vegas 51s batter on Thursday evening, the book will officially be closed on the Chihuahuas’ 2016 Pacific Coast League championship season.
Gone are most of the cornerstones of that PCL championship team. Catcher Austin Hedges is deftly handling the pitching staff of the San Diego Padres in their opening series against the L.A. Dodgers currently.
Centerfielder Manuel Margot is batting .375, mainly out of the lead-off spot for the Padres. Slugger Hunter Renfroe hit his first home run of the season for the Padres off of Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill on Wednesday night in a 3-1 loss for San Diego.