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EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Fightin Phils Announce 2015 Roster

April 5, 2015 - Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


The Reading Fightin Phils, Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, have announced the organization's 2015 roster in conjunction with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 24-man roster features an even balance of players originally signed or drafted by the Phillies and players acquired by the Phillies through trades or free agency. Three players (Elvis Araujo, Jesse Biddle, and Nefi Ogando) are members of the Phillies 40-man roster. 11 of the 24 players on the club have also formerly played in Reading.

As one of the most prospect-laden teams in recent Fightins history, the 2015 roster features six of the Top 10 Philadelphia Phillies prospects according to MLB.com and five of the Top 10 Phillies Prospects according to Baseball America.

Reading boasts a rotation that features two first round selections and three Top 10 Phillies, who will be making their debut in Reading for the organization.

Leading the way for the rotation is 2014 first round pick Aaron Nola, who made his debut with the Fightins last August. Drafted out of LSU with the seventh overall pick, Nola went 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 11 combined starts between Clearwater (A+) and Reading in 2014. He became the first Phillies first round pick since 1986 to be drafted and make his Double-A debut in the same season. The right-handed pitcher is a two-time All-American and was the only pitcher in SEC history to be awarded Pitcher of the Year honors twice.

Nola will be joined in the starting rotation by Zach Eflin, Tom Windle, and Ben Lively. The trio of pitchers was acquired by the Phillies as part of their active offseason.

Eflin and Windle come to the Phillies from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Phillies all-time hits leader Jimmy Rollins. Originally selected by the San Diego Padres between the 1st and 2nd round of the June 2012 draft, Eflin went 10-7 with a 3.80 ERA last season with Lake Elsinore (A+). In 23 of his 24 starts, Eflin posted a 3.37 ERA. A second round pick of the Dodgers in 2013, Windle was 12-8 with a 4.26 ERA in 25 starts with Rancho Cucamonga (A+). He finished third among California League pitchers in wins. Baseball America named Eflin and Windle the no. 4 and no.5 prospects in the Phillies system, respectively, upon being acquired.

Named Cincinnati's Minor Leaguer Player of the Year, Lively comes to Baseballtown looking to follow up on his stellar 2014 where he went 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA in 26 combined starts between Single-A and Double-A. Acquired in exchange for outfielder Marlon Byrd, Lively led all Cincinnati pitchers and finished second in Minor League Baseball with 171 strikeouts. In 11 of his 13 starts with Pensacola (AA), Lively held opponents to three earned runs or less. He was named the Phillies sixth-best prospect by Baseball America following the trade with the Reds.

Rounding out the rotation is former Phillies top pitching prospect Biddle, who will start in Reading for the third straight season. In his debut season with the Fightins, Biddle posted a 3.64 ERA over a league-leading 27 starts and struck out 154 batters. Biddle looks to regain those numbers in 2015 as he bounces back from an injury-plagued 2014 season.

Not to be outdone, the Fightins outfield will feature no.7 Phillies prospect Roman Quinn and rising star Cameron Perkins. They will be joined by Brian Pointer, who will be making his Double-A debut along with Quinn.

The 21-year old Quinn made the switch from shortstop to centerfield in 2014 with Clearwater and prospered, hitting .257 with seven home runs while tying his career-high of 32 stolen bases in 88 games. The Florida native set records in most offensive categories including hits (84), doubles (10), home runs, and RBIs (36). In the offseason, Quinn played with the Scottsdale Scorpions of the prestigious Arizona Fall League where he led the league with 14 stolen bases and was named to both the league's Fall Stars Game and Top Prospects Team.

Perkins makes his return to the Reading roster after spending the latter part of 2014 with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In 52 games with the Fightins last season, the 24-year old hit .342 with 19 doubles and 34 RBIs to earn Phillies Minor League Player of the Month for April honors.

Pointer will make his Reading debut this season following a year where he set career-highs in hits (102), home runs (15), and RBIs (53). He hit .246 in 123 games with Clearwater last season.

The Fightins infield will be anchored by a veteran presence as four players come back to Baseballtown. An Eastern League All-Star in 2014, Carlos Alonso led the Fightins in OBP (.367) last season while finishing sixth in the Eastern League in walks (60). The 27-year old was also named a Rawlings Gold Glove Award among all second basemen prior to the 2014 season. Edgar Duran will return to Reading to man shortstop for the third straight season. KC Serna, who hit .368 (21-for-57) against left-handed pitching, will start the season in Reading after a 2014 that saw Serna make his Double-A debut after being signed by the Phillies from the independents. Brock Stassi returns to the Fightins after a season where he set personal bests in almost every offensive category.

The foursome will be joined by newcomers Art Charles, Harold Martinez, and Gustavo Pierre. In his second season in the Phillies system, Charles finished second in the Florida State League after slugging 19 home runs with Clearwater in 2014 and was named to the league's All-Star team. A second round pick of the Phillies in 2011, Martinez spent his second full season in Clearwater last year where he hit .251 in 103 games. Pierre, who was acquired by the Phillies from Toronto in exchange for John Mayberry Jr., is coming off a blistering end to 2014 where he hit .300 (67-for-223) over the final three months of the season.

Catchers Logan Moore and Gabriel Lino will be backing up home this year. In his first Double-A season, Moore hit .221 in 59 games with the Fightins. Along with his father and 1987-88 and 1990 alum Brad, Moore is part of the only father-son combination to play for Reading over the team's 49-year history. Lino makes his way to Reading three years after the Phillies acquired him from Baltimore for Jim Thome. Lino hit .223 in 74 games with the Threshers during 2014.

The Reading bullpen is highlighted by a group of relievers with a ton of Double-A pitching experience. Returning to the Fightins will be Ogando, Mike Nesseth, and Ryan O'Sullivan. In 30 games as a reliever last season, Nesseth posted a 2.58 ERA over 52.1 IP. Ogando, whose fastball topped out at 100 mph in 2014, recorded a 2.48 ERA in 41 of his 48 appearances with the Fightins. Along with Quinn, he also played for Scottsdale in the AFL and was named to the Rising Stars team after going 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA and three saves in 12 games. In 2014, O'Sullivan saw time in both the bullpen and starting rotation for the Fightins. As a reliever, he went 2-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 25 appearances.

Araujo leads the group of newly-acquired players with Double-A experience. A member of the 40-man roster, Araujo went 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 18 appearances with Double-A Akron last season while averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. He will be joined by Stephen Shackleford and Anthony Vasquez. Shackleford spent all of 2014 with Double-A Jackson and posted a 3.11 ERA in 44 appearances. He also averaged 9.90 strikeouts per nine innings. A former Seattle pitching prospect who made seven major league starts in 2011, Vasquez played with Double-A Bowie last year and recorded a 4.73 ERA in 24 games (18 starts).

As the lone Double-A rookie in the bullpen, Ethan Stewart joins the club after spending the last two seasons in Clearwater and transitioning to the bullpen in July of 2014. In 8 of his 12 relief appearances, the southpaw pitched at least 2.0 innings.

Manager Dusty Wathan returns to the club for his fourth season as skipper. Joining Wathan with be pitching David Lundquist, who is back for his second season in Reading, and longtime hitting coach Frank Cacciatore, who is back with the team for his seventh year after spending 2014 with Clearwater. Interim coach Mickey Morandini will begin the season with Reading as he fills in for Cacciatore, who is away for personal reasons. Athletic trainer Aaron Scott and strength coach Justin Miloszewski round out the coaching staff.

Celebrating the 65th Season of Baseball at America's Classic Ballpark, the Fightins kick off their home season on Friday, April 17th at Fightins Opening Night when they host the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the 2014 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. The first 3000 adults 15 & over will receive a 65th Season of Baseball at America's Classic Ballpark Fleece Blanket thanks to CJ's Tire and Automotive Services and VF Outlet. One lucky fan will also win a trip for two to Phillies Spring Training 2016 thanks to White Star Tours & Travel Center. Tickets for Opening Night and the 2015 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at FirstEnergy Stadium.

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