Cougars Roster Set for Opening Day
April 6, 2004 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release
The Kane County Cougars, in conjunction with the Oakland Athletics, announced the 2004 Opening Day roster. Including some new faces, highlighted by 2003 first round draft pick (26th overall) Brian Snyder, the Cougars squad features return visits from fielders Kory Wayment, Chris Tritle and Dustin Majewski and pitchers Jario Garcia, Brigmer Leon, Chris Dunwell and Manny Rodriguez. The Cougars travel to Burlington this Thursday for the season opener against the Bees
Leading the Cougars, manager Dave Joppie will be accompanied in Kane County by pitching coach Fernando Arroyo, hitting coach Aaron Nieckula and trainer Justin Whitehouse. Joppie enters his tenth season as a coach within the A's system. Making his managerial debut with Vancouver in 2000, Joppie spent the last three seasons with the Midland RockHounds (AA, Texas) as a hitting coach before returning to manager with Kane County. Arroyo comes to the Cougars after splitting six seasons as a pitching coach for the Rookie-level Arizona A's (1999-2000, 2002-03) and the Short-season A-level Vancouver Canadians (2001). Playing catcher for five seasons in the A's (1998-2001) and San Francisco Giants' (2002) minor league systems, Nieckula makes his coaching debut this season.
Third baseman Brian Snyder joins the Cougars after starting his professional career last season with Vancouver. Snyder is a former All-American from Stetson University where he hit .396 in his final collegiate season. Snyder's Former Canadian teammate Eddie Kim will anchor the other side of the infield. Oakland picked up the big first baseman in the fourth round of the 2003 June Draft out of James Madison University. Kim slugged an impressive .412 for the Dukes with 17 HR and 67 RBI and earned Eastern College Athletic Conference player of the year honors last year before joining Vancouver for his professional debut. Pitcher Jared Trout, equipped with a 90 mph fastball, spent most of his college career in the outfield for the University of Rhode Island, making only twelve appearances on the mound in 2003 and generating a 6-3 record with a 3.97 ERA. With the Canadians last season, Trout went 4-4, yielding a 3.50 ERA.
Seven players from the 2003 Cougars that finished with a Midwest League-best 80â59 record appear on the 2004 roster. Majewski looks to improve on last year's .171 average in four games with Kane County and return to the .401 hitter that vaulted the University of Texas to the National Championship in 2002. Kory Wayment showed his speed with 16 stolen bases last season and his power, blasting five home runs. Chris Tritle will play outfield and continues to develop as a five-tool player that was named MVP of the Arizona League in 2001.
Following a three-game stint in Burlington, the Cougars return to Geneva on Monday, April 12 for the home opener at 3:00 p.m. against the Swing of the Quad Cities, formerly the Quad City River Bandits. The Swing remain in Kane County for four games before Cedar Rapids comes to town for another four-game set on Friday, April 16 to complete the eight-game homestand.
The complete Opening Day roster is as follows:
Player's Name & 2003 Team
Pitchers
Bondurant, Steve - Vancouver
Corchado, Jose - Vancouver
Dunwell, Chris - Kane County
Friedberg, Drew - Hickory
Fyvie, Daniel - Vancouver
Garcia, Jairo - Kane County
Knox, Brad - Vancouver
Leon, Brigmer - Kane County
Pickens, J.R. - Vancouver
Rodriguez, Manny - Kane County
Sanchez, Adiel - Arizona/Modesto
Trout, Jared - Vancouver
Catchers
Brown, Trevor - Gateway (Independent)
Castillo, David - Vancouver
Harriman, David - Vancouver/Modesto
Infielders
Appert, Luke - Vancouver
Ingram, Brian - Vancouver
Kim, Eddie - Vancouver
Snyder, Brian - Vancouver
Spanos, Vasili - Arizona
Wayment, Kory - Kane County
Outfielders
Gibbons, Danny - Vancouver
Majewski, Dustin - Vancouver/Kane County
Perez, Luis - Vancouver
Tritle, Chris - Modesto/Kane County
Field Staff
Joppie, Dave - Manager
Nieckula, Aaron - Hitting Coach
Arroyo, Fernando - Pitching Coach
Whitehouse, Justin - Trainer
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Midwest League Stories from April 6, 2004
- Hawks Announce 2004 Roster - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Fifth Third Bank Customer from Springboro to Throw Out First Pitch at Dragons 2004 Season Opener - Dayton Dragons
- Cougars Roster Set for Opening Day - Kane County Cougars
- Final Days to be in the 2004 Snappers Card Set - Beloit Sky Carp
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