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AtL Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

Jake Opitz to Return in 2015, Nieve and Barham Inked

March 10, 2015 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs News Release


WALDORF, MD- The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have announced that infielder Jake Opitz, and pitchers Fernando Nieve and Trey Barham have agreed to terms with the club for the 2015 season.

Opitz, returns to the team after appearing in 129 games for the Blue Crabs in 2014, splitting time at third base and second base. A product of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft, Opitz has spent time in both the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies organizations and has reached as high as the AAA level.

Posting a .985 fielding percentage in 2014, the Blue Crabs will lean on Opitz's ability to cover ground and make plays in order to stabilize the infield during the 2015 season. Additionally, Opitz is coming off of a season where he recorded a respectable .282 batting average in 573 plate appearances.

Pitcher Fernando Nieve was drafted as a free agent by the Houston Astros in 1999 and remained in the Astros system until 2008. Nieve reached the MLB level with the Astros in 2006 and 2008 and appeared in a total of 51 games for the team. He also appeared in 48 games for the New York Mets over the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Starting seven games for the Mets in 2009, the Venezuelan pitcher notched a 2.95 ERA.

Most recently a member of the Los Angeles Angels organization at the AAA level in 2014, Nieve will make his first run at independent baseball with the Blue Crabs. Over the course of 14 seasons in minor league baseball, the right-hander has averaged nearly one strikeout per inning and has, on average, allowed less than one home run per nine innings (HR9).

Trey Barham joins the Blue Crabs after spending the 2014 season with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association. A 2008 draft pick by the Oakland Athletics, the Norfolk, Va. native spent six of his first seven seasons in professional baseball within the Athletics organization.

Signed primarily as a bullpen arm, Barham has maintained a 3.41 ERA and a 0.5 HR9 mark. He is the first left-handed pitcher that Southern Maryland has signed to this point.

"We continue to load our roster with some talented, experienced players," said Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Manager Stan Cliburn. "We are not just signing guys who have experience in affiliated baseball; more importantly, we are signing guys who have had legitimate success at those levels."

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