Here’s the press release. Can’t wait for the start of baseball!
The Colorado Rockies have assigned 25 players, including 12 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and four outfielders, to Asheville to open the 2009 South Atlantic League season. The players along with manager Joe Mikulik, pitching coach Dave Schuler and hitting coach Kevin Riggs are scheduled to break spring training in Arizona this weekend before meeting the media at 11 a.m. on Monday and participating in their first practice at McCormick Field at noon.
“I feel we have a chance to be a very competitive club,” said Mikulik, who will begin his 10th season as the Tourists’ manager. “Our starting rotation projects very well, and our everyday lineup should be balanced with solid speed and power. We also have a couple of guys nursing minor injuries in Arizona who should join us later this month, which should make us an even better team.”
The starting rotation includes lefthander Christian Friedrich and righthanders Robinson Fabian, Parker Frazier, Dan Houston and Ethan Hollingsworth. Friedrich was the Rockies’ first-round choice in the June 2008 draft, selected with the 25th overall pick out of Eastern Kentucky University. Friedrich made three late-season starts with Asheville last year, when he joined Fabian in the Tourists’ rotation. Fabian went 4-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 17 games in 2008 and is projected to be the team’s Opening Day starter. Hollingsworth, Houston and Frazier were drafted in the fourth, seventh and eighth rounds, respectively.
The Asheville bullpen will consist of lefthander Isaiah Froneberger and righthanders Jonathan Aristill, Alan DeRatt, Adam Jorgenson and Tyler Trice. Righthander Aaron Weatherford, drafted in the third round last year by the Rockies out of Mississippi State, will handle the setup role, while Kurt Yacko will be the closer after saving 11 games for Casper in the Pioneer League in 2008.
Sharing the catching duties will be Beau Seabury and Jordan Pacheco. Seabury played in 51 games with Asheville last year after being drafted in the 13th round in 2007. Pacheco, a ninth-round pick in 2007, batted at a .280 clip in 54 games at Tri-City in the Northwest League last summer. Pacheco could also see activity at designated hitter.
The projected starting infield will include James Cesario at first base, Patrick Rose at second base, Ryan Peisel at third base and Carlos Martinez at shortstop. Martinez was ranked as one of the Rockies’ top 30 prosepcts over the winter after signing with Colorado out of the Dominican Republic in 2005. Others battling for playing time on the grass will be Thomas Field, Maikol Gonzaelz and Bo Bowman, who played 31 games with Asheville last year and will divide the DH duties with Pacheco.
In the outfield, David Christensen, a second-round draft pick in 2006, returns to Asheville after hitting 11 home runs with 46 RBIs for the Tourists last year. Christensen is slated to start in right field, alongside center fielder James Sims and left fielder Tyler Massey. Scott Robinson will also see activity after leading Tri-City with six home runs last summer.
As Mikulik mentioned, the Tourists also are expected to receive the services of first baseman Kiel Roling, second baseman Eric Wetzel and outfielder Delta Cleary during the first month of the season. All three are getting extra at-bats in extended spring training after missing some time in March with minor injuries.
Rounding out the Tourists’ roster is trainer Billy Whiteside and strength coach Joe Gorshe. Lance Mooney will be the team’s clubhouse manager after serving in the same capacity last year at Delmarva.
The Tourists will host a Fan Fest on Tuesday, April 7, beginning at 4 p.m. before playing the Blue Ridge Community College Bears in an exhibition game, starting at 7:05 p.m. Asheville’s first game of the 2009 season will be Thursday, April 9, at Kannapolis, the first meeting of a four-game series. The Tourists’ home opener will be Monday, April 13, at 7:05 p.m. against the Greensboro Grasshoppers, which starts an eight-game homestand.