Round Rock Express Season-Opening Roster Announced
Published on April 4, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Highly touted prospects Martin Perez and Leonys Martin highlight the Round Rock Express season-opening roster, announced Wednesday by the Texas Rangers. The roster features 13 pitchers, two of whom start on the disabled list, and 13 position players as Triple-A rosters expand to 25 players for the 2012. Additionally, 12 players who appeared on the Express roster last season return for 2012.
Perez, a left-handed pitcher, is considered baseball's 31st-best prospect and the third-best prospect in the Rangers organization, according to Baseball America. The publication ranks Martin, an outfielder, as the sixth-best Rangers prospect and the 79th-best prospect overall. Both played for Round Rock in 2011. Perez joined the Express in mid-July and was 4-4 with a 6.43 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 10 starts. Martin also joined Round Rock in mid-July last season; he hit .263 with no homers and 17 RBI in 40 games before a September call-up to the Rangers for whom he was 3-for-8 with a double and two runs scored in eight games.
Round Rock also announced its starting pitching rotation Wednesday. Right-hander Mark Hamburger, who was the Express pitcher of the year in 2011, will start Thursday's season opener at Iowa. He was 7-4 with a 3.88 ERA in four starts and 27 relief appearances, tallying 48 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. Hamburger, who was 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in five relief outings for the Rangers last September, will be followed in the rotation by Perez, right-hander Neil Ramirez, right-hander Greg Reynolds and southpaw Zach Jackson. All but Reynolds pitched for the Express last season. Jackson, who pitched collegiately at Texas A&M, tied a franchise record with 13 wins.
Other players on the Express roster who played for the squad last season include right-handed pitchers Derek Hankins and Tanner Scheppers, left-handed pitcher Michael Kirkman, infielders Matt Kata and Brad Nelson, and outfielders Joey Butler and Julio Borbon. Butler earned Pacific Coast League Postseason All-Star honors in 2011 after hitting .322 with 12 homers and 57 RBI in 113 games.
Right-handers Sean Green and Aaron Heilman, and lefty Ben Snyder complete the Express pitching staff. The Rangers signed Heilman to a minor league contract late Tuesday night. Additionally, left-hander Neal Cotts and right-hander Justin Miller begin the season on the Express roster but have been placed on the seven-day disabled list.
Round Rock opens the season with three catchers - Dusty Brown, Luis Martinez and Elio Sarmiento. The Express roster is completed by infielders Michael Bianucci, Luis Hernandez, Tommy Mendonca and Greg Miclat, and outfielder Yangervis Solarte, who also will see time on the infield.
Manager Bobby Jones returns for his 25th season as a manager or coach in the Texas organization. He has been the skipper of the Rangers Triple-A team since 2007 and previous served in the position during the 1993-1994 and 2002-2005 seasons. Jones, who was named PCL Manager of the Year after leading the Express to a franchise best 87-57 record, owns the Texas organization record for managerial wins regardless of level with a career record of 1514-1475. He is assisted by pitching coach Terry Clark, hitting coach Brant Brown and third-base coach Spike Owen.
Round Rock opens the 2012 season with an eight-game road trip, starting with four games at Iowa. Thursday's season opener is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CDT. The Express then play four games at Omaha (April 9-12) before returning to The Dell Diamond for an eight-game home stand against those same two teams. Round Rock's first home game is April 13 against Iowa; first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
ROUND ROCK EXPRESS SEASON-OPENING ROSTER
PITCHERS (11)
RH Sean Green (6-6, 230, 32)
2012 stats: 1-5, 3.91 ERA, 6 SV, 46.0 IP, 27 BB, 40 K (Nashville - AAA); 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 11.2 IP, 6 BB, 7 K (Milwaukee Brewers)
RH Mark Hamburger (6-4, 195, 25)
2012 stats: 1-0, 1.83 ERA, 4 SV, 19.2 IP, 5 BB, 22 K (Frisco - AA); 7-4, 3.88 ERA, 62.2 IP, 20 BB, 48 K (Round Rock - AAA); 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 8.0 IP, 3 BB, 6K (Texas Rangers)
RH Derek Hankins (6-4, 192, 28)
2012 stats: 1-2, 4.82 ERA, 18.2 IP, 7 BB, 10 K (Frisco - AA); 7-6, 5.89 ERA, 91.2 IP, 34 BB, 60 K (Round Rock - AAA)
RH Aaron Heilman (6-5, 230, 33)
2012 stats: 0-0, 8.38 ERA, 9.2 IP, 6 BB, 8 K (Lehigh Valley - AAA); 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 SV, 8.2 IP, 6 BB, 8 K (Indianapolis - AAA); 5-8, 6.88 ERA, 35.1 IP, 11 BB, 33 K (Arizona Diamondbacks)
LH Zach Jackson (6-5, 220, 28)
2012 stats: 13-5, 5.51 ERA, 152.0 IP, 56 BB, 78 K (Round Rock - AAA)
LH Michael Kirkman (6-4, 195, 25)
2012 stats: 3-3, 5.05 ERA, 1 SV, 73.0 IP, 37 BB, 84 K (Round Rock - AAA); 1-1, 6.59 ERA, 27.1 IP, 12 BB, 21 K (Texas Rangers)
LH Martin Perez (6-0, 178, 21)
2012 stats: 4-2, 3.16 ERA, 88.1 IP, 36, BB, 83 K (Frisco - AA); 4-4, 6.43 ERA, 49.0 IP, 20 BB, 37 K (Round Rock - AAA)
RH Neil Ramirez (6-3, 185, 22)
2012 stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.2 IP, 1 BB, 9 K (Myrtle Beach - A-Advanced); 1-0, 1.89 ERA, 19.0 IP, 8 BB, 24 K (Frisco - AA); 4-3, 3.63 ERA, 74.1 IP, 35 BB, 86 K (Round Rock - AAA)
RH Greg Reynolds (6-7, 225, 26)
2012 stats: 6-7, 6.81 ERA, 109.2 IP, 32 BB, 65 K (Colorado Springs - AAA); 3-0, 6.19 ERA, 32.0 IP, 10 BB, 18 K (Colorado Rockies)
RH Tanner Scheppers (6-4, 200, 25)
2012 stats: 2-1, 3.13 ERA, 23.0 IP, 9 BB, 24 K (Frisco - AA); 2-0, 4.35 ERA, 2 SV, 20.2 IP, 12 BB, 20 K (Round Rock - AAA)
LH Ben Snyder (6-2, 225, 26)
2012 stats: 11-5, 3.87 ERA, 1 SV, 118.2 IP, 30 BB, 67 K (Frisco - AA)
CATCHERS (3)
Dusty Brown (6-0, 195, 29)
2012 stats: 54 G, .285 (49-for-172), 7 HR, 28 RBI, 22 BB, 35 K, 0 SB (Indianapolis - AAA); 11 G, .107 (3-for-11), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 SB (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Luis Martinez (6-0, 210, 27)
2012 stats: 58 G, .323 (64-for-198), 1 HR, 28 RBI, 17 BB, 46 K, 2 SB (Tucson - AA); 22 G, .203 (12-for-59), 1 HR, 10 RBI, 8 BB, 14 K, 1 SB (San Diego Padres)
Elio Sarmiento (5-11, 200, 25)
2012 stats: 59 G, .279 (58-for-208), 5 HR, 27 RBI, 16 BB, 42 K, 3 SB (Frisco - AA)
INFIELDERS (6)
Michael Bianucci (6-1, 225, 25)
2012 stats: 133 G, .243 (130-for-535), 30 HR, 89 RBI, 35 BB, 136 K, 5 SB (Frisco - AA)
Luis Hernandez (5-10, 190, 27)
2012 stats: 121 G, .240 (97-for-404), 6 HR, 54 RBI, 22 BB, 73 K, 7 SB (Buffalo - AAA)
Matt Kata (6-1, 185, 34)
2012 stats: 106 G, .293 (115-for-392), 13 HR, 71 RBI, 28 BB, 63 K, 1 SB (Round Rock - AAA)
Tommy Mendonca (6-1, 200, 23)
2012 stats: 125 G, .278 (140-for-504), 25 HR, 87 RBI, 35 BB, 160 K, 0 SB (Frisco - AA)
Greg Miclat (5-8, 180, 24)
2012 stats: 120 G, .280 (118-for-421), 2 HR, 24 RBI, 54 BB, 90 K, 50 SB (Bowie - AA)
Brad Nelson (6-2, 260, 29)
2012 stats: 121 G, .281 (130-for-463), 24 HR, 83 RBI, 60 BB, 101 K, 3 SB (Round Rock - AAA)
OUTFIELDERS (4)
Julio Borbon (6-0, 195, 26)
2012 stats: 1 G, .000 (0-for-4), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 SB (Frisco - AA); 32 G, .298 (39-for-131), 0 HR, 14 RBI, 14 BB, 22 K, 16 SB (Round Rock - AAA); 32 G, .270 (24-for-89), 0 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K, 6 SB (Texas Rangers)
Joey Butler (6-2, 210, 26)
2012 stats: 13 G, .227 (10-for-44), 2 HR, 4 RBI, 7 BB, 16 K, 2 SB (Frisco - AA); 113 G, .322 (137-for-426), 12 HR, 57 RBI, 43 BB, 138 K, 13 SB (Round Rock - AAA)
Leonys Martin (6-2, 190, 24)
2012 stats: 29 G, .348 (39-for-112), 4 HR, 24 RBI, 15 BB, 8 K, 10 SB (Frisco - AA); 40 G, .263 (46-for-175), 0 HR, 17 RBI, 11 BB, 24 K, 9 SB (Round Rock - AAA); 8 G, .375 (3-for-8), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 SB (Texas Rangers)
Yangervis Solarte (5-11, 195, 24)
2012 stats: 121 G, .329 (151-for-459), 7 HR, 49 RBI, 24 BB, 38 K, 5 SB (New Britain - AA)
DISABLED LIST (2)
LHP Neal Cotts (6-3, 200, 32)
2012 stats: DNP
RHP Justin Miller (6-3, 190, 24)
2012 stats: 9-1, 1.81 ERA, 13 SV, 69.2 IP, 24 BB, 77 K (Frisco - AA)
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