Otters Announce Opening Night Roster, Host Media Day
Published on May 11, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Evansville Otters News Release
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Evansville Otters manager Andy McCauley finalized his Opening Night roster ahead of the team's regular season opener against the Washington Wild Things at Bosse Field on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
Friday's Opening Night is sponsored by Hoosier Lottery and Swat Pest and gates open an hour prior to first pitch at 5:35 p.m. On-field pregame ceremonies will begin at 6:15 p.m. with a ceremonial first pitch and team introductions.
A fireworks show will follow after the game's conclusion.
The active roster features five returning players from last season's team that finished 52-44 in the regular season and earned a trip to the Frontier League playoffs.
Outfielder Jeff Gardner is back in Evansville for his third season with the Otters. In 91 games with Evansville last season, Gardner hit .278 with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs. His 23 homers tied Shayne Houck's mark set in 2014 for the Otters' single-season franchise record.
Right-handed pitcher Luc Rennie also returns for his third season at Bosse Field. Rennie made 13 appearances on the mound for Evansville last season with 12 starts. In 77.1 innings, he struck out 66 batters while finishing with a 2.91 ERA and 7-5 record.
Left-handed pitcher Kyano Cummings is set for his second season in Evansville after an impressive 2017 season, where he made 50 appearances on the mound, struck out 58 batters and finished with a 1.22 ERA in 73.2 innings.
Midseason signees a year ago, infielder Ryan Long and outfielder Zach Welz also are returning for another season with Evansville.
In 49 games with Evansville last season, Long batted .286 with 53 hits and 11 RBIs. He accounted for six doubles, a triple and two home runs.
Meanwhile, Welz batted .250 with 17 hits and six RBIs in 20 games with the Otters. He had two doubles, a triple and home run while also walking 11 times.
After spending the 2017 season in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, Tyler Vail returns to Evansville after playing for the Otters from 2015-16. In two seasons with the Otters, Vail is 15-8 with a 4.06 ERA in 35 appearances. He has pitched 206 innings while striking out 160 batters.
Two other players on last season's roster begin the year on the injured list with right-handed pitcher Taylore Cherry (60-day) and Taylor Hillson (7-day) not active. Carlos Castro and Clinton Hollon are also on the injured list.
Evansville has 12 pitchers on the 24-man roster, two catchers, six infielders and four outfielders.
Sean Dadler, Nathan Foriest, Patrick McGuff, Randy Wynne, Sean Johnson, Mitchell Aker, Michael Hensley, Austin Nicely and Garrett Harris are new pitching options.
Both catchers are newcomers with Luis Vilorio and Rizzitello earning roster spots.
Most of the infield will have new faces with Brandon Dulin, Caleb Eldridge, Toby Thomas, Pedro Barrios and Manny Cruz all in their first season with Evansville. Travis Harrison and Hunter Cullen are newcomers in the outfield.
The Otters kicked off the regular season by hosting Media Day Thursday at Bosse Field. Local media partners interviewed players and members of the coaching staff after the team's last spring training workout.
Game coverage Friday will be available on the Otters Digital Network, presented by Kruckemeyer and Cohn all weekend with Preston Leinenbach (play-by-play) and Bill McKeon (analyst) on the call.
Fans can also follow Otters social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for game updates throughout the day.
The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions. Season tickets, group outing packages, and single game tickets are on sale now for the 2018 season.
Tickets can be purchased online at evansvilleotters.com, by calling 812-435-8686, or at the Bosse Field box office. For more information, visit evansvilleotters.com or call 812-435-8686.
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