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CT Tigers Release 2018 Opening Night Roster

June 15, 2018 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Norwich Sea Unicorns News Release


NORWICH, Ct. - Teenage catcher Sam McMillan headlines a youthful class of 2018 Connecticut Tigers including nine teenagers on the official New York-Penn League Opening Night roster, released in conjunction with the Detroit Tigers on Friday.

McMillan arrives in Norwich after an impressive pro debut in 2017 with Gulf Coast League Tigers West. After Detroit selected McMillan in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the 19-year-old finished second on his GCL club with 25 runs batted in during 36 games and recorded a team-best .441 on-base percentage. Baseball America named the Live Oak, Florida native "Organization Breakout Prospect" and "Best Pure Hitter" among Detroit's 2017 draftees. McMillan is currently ranked the #14 prospect in the Detroit Tigers system by MLB.com.

McMillan earned promotion to Connecticut with fellow Floridian teenager Gio Arriera. The righty from Hialeah was drafted out of Palm Beach State Junior College in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. The 19-year-old will serve as a starter in the Connecticut Tigers rotation as he seeks his first professional win after finishing the 2017 GCL campaign with 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings pitched.

Six other teenagers will make their first appearance in Connecticut Tigers uniforms on Friday including 19-year-old shortstop Jose King, who was included in a 2017 trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for outfielder J.D. Martinez. 19-year-old switch hitter Gresuan Silverio returns to the New York-Penn League after playing catcher in two late-season games for Connecticut last year.

Second baseman Hector Martinez is the top returning bat for the Connecticut Tigers. Last season, the 21-year-old from Bani, Dominican Republic tallied 40 hits in 50 games and finished fifth on the team with 20 runs batted in. Right fielder Teddy Hoffman scored 18 runs for the 2017 Tigers and the Texas State alum begins his second professional season at Dodd Stadium.

19 of 31 Tigers on the Opening Night roster were born abroad including Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic natives Cesar Gonzalez and Julio Gonzalez in the outfield. Seven other Dominican players will suit up for first-year Connecticut Tigers manager Gary Cathcart, who will look to veterans including fifth-year pros Isrrael De La Cruz and Jhonny Mateo.

Two Australians begin the season in Norwich with Canberra native and Texas Christian University alum Cam Warner making his return to the Connecticut infield after batting .277 in 20 games last year. 18-year-old Jack O'Loughlin debuts on American soil after pitching the last two seasons for the Adelaide Bite in the Australian Baseball League.

Seven Venezuelans will be introduced with the Connecticut Tigers on Friday night in Norwich, headlined by two starting pitchers in the opening weekend rotation. Jose Vasquez joins the Tigers from Class A West Michigan in the Midwest League, where he earned one win in his four starts for the Whietcaps. The 22-year-old righty pitched for Connecticut in 2016 and 2017, tallying a combined 36 strikeouts in 45 innings.

19-year-old Venezuelan Wilkel Hernandez joins a Detroit Tigers affiliate for the first time after the Los Angeles Angels traded the right-handed pitcher for second baseman Ian Kinsler last December. Carlos Guzman rounds out a trio of Venezuelans in the starting rotation and carries a career earned run average of 0.68 into the 2018 season after pitching in the GCL during 2017 and one inning for A-Advanced Lakeland earlier this year.

Eight different states are represented on the Tigers roster. Texan and former Lamar University pitcher Carson Lance draws the coveted Opening Night start for Connecticut. Detroit selected the 23-year-old in the 16th round of last year's draft. Lance, who stands a team-high 6-foot-5-inches and 245 pounds, finished the 2017 Connecticut Tigers season with a 1-1 record in three consecutive starts thanks to a 1.38 earned run average during that span and 12 strikeouts scattered across 13 innings.

Lance will throw the first pitch of the 2018 Connecticut Tigers season on Friday at 7:05 p.m. when the Red Sox affiliate Lowell Spinners visit Dodd Stadium for the first of three games this weekend. Tune in to the Courtyard by Marriott Connecticut Tigers Radio Network with Kevin Gehl and Elijah Gonzalez on the call for all 76 games this season on WICH 1310 AM across Connecticut and online at CTTigers.com via TuneIn Radio.

The Connecticut Tigers are the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. Individual tickets for all 2018 home games, season memberships to "The Club," ticket mini plans, and Tigers team merchandise are now on sale at Dodd Stadium, over the phone at 860-887-7962, and online at CTTigers.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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