SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

RiverDogs Announce 2010 Opening Day Roster

Published on April 8, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - If you're a Clemson or South Carolina fan, or even a fan of the 27-time World Series champion New York Yankees, come to Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park and "Be Your Own Fan" as the Charleston RiverDogs begin its quest for its eight straight winning season, which is already the longest such streak in the South Atlantic League (SAL).

Local college products DeAngelo Mack and Graham Stoneburner along with one of the Yankees' top 30 prospects according to Baseball America, highlight the Charleston RiverDogs 2010 opening-day roster.

Former South Carolina outfielder Mack and former Clemson right-handed pitcher Stoneburner (No. 21 Yankees prospect, Baseball America) will be returning to the Palmetto State in hopes of leading the Holy City's favorite professional team to its first appearance in the SAL postseason since 2005. Mack's big bat and Stoneburner's knack for control should help put the RiverDogs in contention for a Southern Division crown.

Joining the former rivals will be Baseball America top prospect Jose Ramirez (No. 19 Baseball America), a right-handed hurler, along with some familiar faces and former members of the Staten Island Yankees, the reigning New York-Penn League champion.

A year after helping lead Staten Island to the NYPL championship, Mack returns to his native South Carolina and adds to a talented outfield platoon. The former Gamecock ranked second in the NYPL in 2009 in extra-base hits (30), tied for third in total bases (119), placed fifth in slugging (.513), sixth in average and was a member of the midseason All-Star team.

Led by the dynamic Mack, fans should also be excited about the potential of Ray Kruml, Taylor Grote and Zoilo Almonte.

Known for his defensive tools and lightening speed, the 24-year-old Kruml is expected to patrol multiple outfield positions. Last year with the RiverDogs, the former University of South Alabama star hit .246 with 15 doubles and 35 RBI in 100 games. He also gave fans a glimpse of his quickness, having stolen 23 bases in 28 attempts.

Grote returns to Charleston after finishing second on the team in doubles last summer. The versatile lefty from The Woodlands, Tex. is expected to start in left field. A native of the Dominican Republic, Almonte is positioned to boost the RiverDogs' offensive firepower. The 20-year-old prospect exploded offensively last season, reaching career highs in every offensive category and receiving NYPL all-star honors.

A former college teammate of fellow Yankees prospect D.J. Mitchell, Stoneburner's late signing in '09 resulted in him seeing minimal game experience. The former Tiger hurler was still able to turn heads during Instructional League, proving to be an impressive control artist with his fastball-slider combination.

After leading the Gulf Coast League in opponent average (.159) and fewest base runners per nine innings (7.23) in '09, Ramirez brings his 95-mph smoke to the SAL. Completing the rotation with Stoneburner and Ramirez is lefty Shaeffer Hall and right-handers Kelvin Perez and Sean Black, along with northpaw fireballer Ryan Flannery coming out of the pen.

Hall, a former Kansas University Jayhawk, saw limited action with Staten Island last year but was still able to shine. Making the most of his time on the mound, the lefty sank 11 batters with an ERA of 1.86 in 9.2 innings of work. Perez continues to shine since coming off Tommy John surgery following the '07 season, as the 24-year-old showed off his nasty curveball and changeup in '09, going 5-2 in time between the Gulf Coast League and Staten Island.

Originally a second-round pick of the Washington Nationals out of high school, Black was drafted by the Yankees in the seventh-round of the '09 draft after attending college at Seton Hall University. Another Staten Island alum, Black went a perfect 6-0 last year with an equally impressive 1.62 ERA. Flannery returns to Charleston to turn up the heat at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park with his 97-mph heater. The cannon-armed New Jersey native went 6-2 last year and held opponents without an earned run in 34 of his 40 outings.

Another Dominican native, right-hander Dickson Marquez should look familiar to RiverDogs fans as Marquez spent the majority of last season on the mound for the GCL Yankees before being promoted to the RiverDogs late in the season. In his two appearances with Charleston, Marquez gave fans a view of what all hope to be a promising 2010 season as he tossed 4.0 scoreless innings.

In his first full year with the Yankees, righty Ryan Acosta looks to continue the run of his success his family has had in baseball. Acosta's father played in the Philadelphia Phillies' farm system for three years and was a coach with the Cubs (2000-01) and Rangers (2002) as well as manager of the GCL Yankees in '04. The younger Acosta pitched in one game with the GCL Yankees in '09, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning.

Right-hander Ronny Marte makes his RiverDogs debut in 2010. Marte opened '09 with Single-A Tampa and made two relief appearances before being transferred to Staten Island. Marte finished '09 ranked third in the NYPL in appearances (31), converting seven of 10 save opportunities. Between Tampa and Staten Island, the Dominican native compiled a 7-3 record as a starter.

Continuing the pipeline of pitchers who found success in '09 with Staten Island is southpaw Francisco Rondon, who went 3-2 with a 2.32 ERA and found himself on the NYPL midseason All-Star team. In a short time, the 21-year-old has impressed Yankees brass with his big arm.

Gabriel Tatis returns to the RiverDogs after being promoted from the GCL Yankees to the RiverDogs in July of '09. Tatis and his big right arm went 5-2 with a 4.25 ERA in 21 combined relief appearances between the two squads.

Another pair of 2009 Staten Island Yankees joins the RiverDogs bullpen, in right-handers Ben Watkins and Michael Solbach. The professional career of Watkins got off to an excellent start last year as the former University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown standout now brings his impressive 5-0 record from '09 with him to Charleston. Watkins had a 2.47 ERA in 25 games, and did not allow an earned run in his two starts in '09. Solbach comes to Charleston after going 2-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 24 games (with two starts) in '09.

After hitting .247 and catching 12-of-37 stolen base attempts (32.4%) with the Gulf Coast League Yankees last summer, Francisco Arcia will be directing traffic at home plate for the RiverDogs this season. Splitting time with the switch-hitting Venezuelan at home plate will be California native Kyle Higashioka, a 2008 seventh-round draft pick. Though only 19, Higashioka brings experience to the catcher position, having led all New York-Penn League catchers in games (57) for Staten Island.

Boosting the catcher position will be catcher/infielder Hector Rabago. The former Trojan from the University of Southern California showed off his versatility last year with Staten Island, as he hit .216 while appearing in games at catcher, second base, third base and shortstop.

No stranger to baseball in the south, former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket and ACC standout Luke Murton leads a talented infield lineup for the RiverDogs as the first baseman tied for second in the NYPL in home runs last year with eight. The infield also features 2009 NYPL All-Star Game MVP Jimmy Paredes. Previously known for his defensive versatility, the speedy Paredes batted .302 and showed off his wheels stealing 23 bases.

Joining Murton and Paredes inside will be 2009 RiverDog Garrison Lassiter. Known for his solid defense and excellent contact stick, Lassiter also returns to anchor the infield at third after recording 29 RBI in 74 games in 2009.

A sixth-round draft pick in 2009, Rob Lyerly returns to the diamond after sports hernia surgery cut short his pro debut season. The infielder still get excited those within the organization about his potential, having batted .268 with eight doubles and seven RBI in only 18 games at first base and two at third base last year with Staten Island.

Boosting the infield will be Dominican shortstop Kelvin Castro and former Florida Marlins prospect Emerson Landoni. The 22-year-old Castro spent all of '09 with Staten Island, batting .212 with a career-high 11 doubles, five triples, two homers and 27 RBI. Landoni made his way through three different clubs last season, appearing in the lineup for Tampa, Staten Island and the GCL Yankees. Though constantly changing scenery, the Venezuela native still finished with an impressive 13 RBIs through 38 games with the three clubs.

The RiverDogs begin the 2010 season at The Joe on Thursday, April 8, with the opener of a four-game series against the Lexington Legends for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Following the series with Lexington, the RiverDogs will stay at home with another four-game match-up with the West Virginia Power.

Tickets for all 70 home games may be purchased at the Riley Park Box Office, on-line at www.riverdogs.com or by calling (843) 577-DOGS (3647).

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 8, 2010


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