PBR Team Series Championship Preview: No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 6 Missouri
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – The 2022 PBR Team Series Championship is days away, and PBR.com will be taking a look at each of the first-round matchups taking place inside T-Mobile Arena Friday night in Las Vegas.
The playoffs are the same five-on-five, head-to-head format fans saw during the regular season. Two teams will be eliminated from the PBR Team Series Championship each day. The first two rounds of competition will feature a “Last Chance” playoff game for teams who lost their first game earlier in the night.
Today, let’s take a look at Arizona vs. Missouri.
No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders (14-13-1) vs. No. 6 Missouri Thunder (13-15) | Friday | 11 p.m. ET CBS Sports Network
Game Competition Rides: Arizona (57) | Missouri (46)
Riding Percentage: Arizona (40.71%) | Missouri (32.86%)
Average Score Per Game: Arizona (174.63) | Missouri (141)
Rides Per Game: Arizona (2.04) | Missouri City (1.64)
Season Series tied at 2-2
Aug. 12: Missouri (W) 169.5-0
Aug. 26 Arizona (W) 340.5-260.75
Sept. 17 Arizona (W) 271.25-89.5
Oct. 7 Missouri (W) 357-355.75
Arizona and Missouri may have the potential to be featured in the highest scoring game of the first round. Three of the four regular-season matchups between the two had at least one team post three qualified rides. In fact, the last matchup on Oct. 7 was one of the best games of the entire season as each team went 4-for-5 at Rattler Days. Andrew Alvidrez was the hero for the Thunder with a walk-off, 91-point ride on Pickle Moonshine.
MVP: Arizona (Luciano de Castro) | Missouri Thunder (Adriano Salgado)
Luciano de Castro is the only rider in the league to compete in every game this season, going 15-for-31 (48.4%). Castro has done the bulk of his damage from the closer position with 10 qualified rides, and coaches Paulo Crimber and Colby Yates have him in that exact spot for Friday night. Castro is 3-for-4 against Missouri.
Adriano Salgado has been the unexpected MVP for the Thunder. Salgado was a rider teams overlooked on draft night because of torn ligaments in his right knee. Missouri decided to trust Salgado’s rehab process and he wound up being a team-altering signing. Injuries to top draft picks Colten Fritzlan and Clayton Sellars opened the door for Salgado to lead the team with his 13-for-25 performance. Salgado is 3-for-4 against Arizona.
X-Factor: Arizona (Alisson de Souza) | Missouri (Colten Fritzlan)
Alisson de Souza was red-hot to start the season for Arizona out of the leadoff position, posting 17 of his 25 outs have come from the leadoff position. However, Souza will be deployed in the fourth-hole on Friday. It marks just the third time this year Souza has gone fourth. Depending on how the game plays out, Souza could be in position to cement the win even before the team’s usual closer Castro steps up.
Colten Fritzlan is set to return to competition for the Thunder after missing over a month recovering from a concussion at Freedom Fest. Fritzlan missed the final two regular-season events, but a healthy Fritzlan could be a huge difference maker for the Thunder on Friday. The first-round draft pick went 1-for-2 at Robson Palermo’s event two weeks ago in a tune-up for the postseason.
Young Gun to Watch: Arizona (Vitor Losnake) | Missouri (Andrew Alvidrez)
It is always special anytime a bull rider gets to ride in Las Vegas for the first time, and 18-year-old Vitor Losnake could be the latest Brazilian to have his moment inside T-Mobile Arena. Losnake has gotten better and better throughout the season, and he will now be the Ridge Riders’ 90-point hitter with Mauricio Moreira left off the postseason event roster. Losnake is only 6-for-14 in limited action, but three of those rides have gone for 90 or more points.
Andrew Alvidrez has absolutely thrived under the tutelage of Ross Coleman and Luke Snyder. Alvidrez could very well be viewed as the most important rider throughout the season for Missouri after he broke out with a 13-for-25 performance. Alvidrez has a rematch on Friday night against Magic Carpet, who he previously has ridden for 87.25 points.
Outlook: Arizona may be the No. 5 seed, but they were the only team to average more than two rides per game all season. The question is can they recover from not having the depth of Marco Eguchi, Sandro Batista and Chase Dougherty? Those three losses, as well as Mauricio Moreira not being in the lineup, has completely altered the Arizona’s depth. However, they still have one of the more stout lineups in the league and could very well be a threat to win the title.
On the flip side, Missouri may be one of the teams to benefit the most from the two-week break. Those two weeks off allowed the team to get Fritzlan healthy, as well as 2012 PRCA champion Cody Teel. Teel has been battling a shoulder injury most of the season, and the Thunder have done their best to contain his workload. A well-rested, Teel and Fritzlan could give Missouri the necessary firepower to advance to the second round.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photos courtesy of Todd Brewer/Bull Stock Media
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