'Riders Opening Day Roster Announced
Published on April 2, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
FRISCO, TEXAS (APRIL 2, 2012) -Two of the Rangers' top hitting prospects will be on display at Dr Pepper Ballpark this summer as the Frisco RoughRiders released their 2012 Opening Day roster today. Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt will anchor the infield for the 'Riders, who seek a third consecutive Texas League playoff berth under manager Steve Buechele.
Profar, a 19-year-old shortstop from Curacao, was the Most Valuable Player in the South Atlantic League for the Single-A Hickory Crawdads in 2011, hitting .286 with 12 home runs, 37 doubles, eight triples, and 65 runs batted in. He was named the top Rangers prospect this off-season by Baseball America and is a consensus top-10 prospect in all of Minor League Baseball. Profar first gained fame when he led Curacao to the Little League World Series title in 2004 and then back to the championship game in 2005.
Olt enters his professional third season as one of the top power-hitting prospects in the Texas farm system. The former supplemental first round draft pick (49th overall in 2010 out of the University of Connecticut) spent 2011 with Advanced-A Myrtle Beach and hit .267 with 14 home runs and 42 runs batted in. Olt was limited to 69 games with the Pelicans after suffering a mid-season collarbone injury in June. Baseball America named him the third best prospect in the Rangers' farm system and the best defensive third baseman in the Carolina League; he is expected to spend some time at first base in 2012.
Including Profar and Olt, six of the Rangers' top 30 prospects according to Baseball America appear on Frisco's Opening Day roster. Infielder Leury Garcia (11), RHP Justin Grimm (15), RHP Barret Loux (20), and LHP Miguel De Los Santos (29) are also ranked in the top 30.
A Houston native, Loux returns to the Lone Star State where he attended Texas A&M University. He was a first round pick (sixth overall) by the Diamondbacks in 2010, but was not signed and was granted free agency by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. The Rangers signed him in November of 2010 and he finished second in the Carolina League in strikeouts (127) last year with Myrtle Beach.
In 2011, the RoughRiders finished 79-61 (.564) under Buechele and qualified for the Texas League playoffs before being eliminated by eventual league champion San Antonio. Frisco also made the postseason in 2010, Buechele's first year as the RoughRiders' manager.
Roster Notes:
* Of the players currently listed on the Frisco roster, 12 have previously suited up in a 'Riders uniform. They are: Engel Beltre, Wilfredo Boscan, Jake Brigham, Fabio Castillo, De Los Santos, Jose Felix, Tim Murphy (2010), Carlos Pimentel, Guilder Rodriguez, Tyler Tufts, Johan Yan and Corey Young. * The 2012 RoughRiders hail from five different countries (United States, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Curacao and Mexico) and 11 states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington). * The average age of the roster is 23.5; the oldest player is OF Val Majewski (30) and the youngest is Profar (19).
Before starting the regular season, the RoughRiders will host the Texas Rangers in an exhibition game on Wednesday at 2:05 p.m. at Dr Pepper Ballpark. Yu Darvish is expected to start for the Rangers in what will be his first pitching appearances in the Metroplex. Seated tickets for the exhibition are sold out, but fans who wish to attend may still purchase grass berm tickets for $15. Those tickets are available online at www.ridersbaseball.com or at the 'Riders box office.
Frisco's regular season opens on April 5 at the Springfield Cardinals. The 'Riders begin their home schedule at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Thursday, April 12 against Springfield. For ticket information, please call (972) 731-9200 or visit www.ridersbaseball.com.
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