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SAL1 Hagerstown Suns

Suns Announce Opening Day Roster

March 31, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release


HAGERSTOWN, MD - A number of young, promising prospects including seven returning players from last season headline the 2008 Hagerstown Suns roster. The 2008 squad includes two of the Washington Nationals top prospects -- OF Michael Burgess and RHP Colton Willems.

Burgess, the 49th overall pick in the 2007 draft enters the '08 campaign rated as the No. 4 prospect in the Nationals farm system. In 2007, he led the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in OBP (.442), slugging percentage (.617) and OPS (1.059).

He finished tied for 4th in homers (8), ranked 6th in batting (.336) and 9th in RBI (32). The 19 year old took GCL Player of the Month honors for both July and August/September. In high school, the lefty was awarded the 2006 Aflac Player of the Year Award, given to the nation's top junior baseball player.

Willems, a first round selection in the 2006 draft, is rated as the No. 10 prospect in the Washington system by Baseball America in 2008. He spent last season with the Nationals short season team in Vermont, posting a 3-2 record to go along with a 1.84 ERA. Willems was rated by Baseball America's Annual Best Tools Survey as having the Best Fastball in the Nationals chain.

Expected to join Willems in the Suns rotation will be returning starter Erik Arnesen. The right-handed pitcher was named the Hagerstown Pitcher of The Month in May 2007, going 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA in 5 games.

Also returning from last years team is right-handed hurler Edulin Abreu. Although Abreu spent most of 2007 in Vermont, making 19 appearances in Winooski, he did log just over 20 innings on the mound with the Suns. Jeff Mandel also split time last year between Vermont and Hagerstown. Mandel made 14 appearances for the Suns, including 13 starts.

The Suns will add a promising arm to the bullpen in the form of Kyle Gunderson. A 48th round selection in the '07 draft, Gunderson was selected as the GCL Nationals Player of the month for August/September, hurling 4 saves in 13.1 scoreless innings of work.

The Suns opening day roster will include six other right-handers, Clint Everts, Martin Beno, Terrence Engles, Cole Kimball, Hassan Pena and Brad Peacock.

Everts, a first round selection in 2002, has made 31 starts over the last two years in Potomac.

The Suns open the year with two left-handed pitchers on the roster. Kai Tuomi comes to Hagerstown after 15 appearances in rookie league in 2007. The other southpaw, Atahualpa Severino, has been in the Dominican Summer League since 2004.

In the field, the Suns look to get an early jump on the 2008 season with young bats and solid defense. Joining Burgess in the Suns outfield will be Francisco Plasencia, Aaron Seuss and Stephen Englund.

Francisco Plasencia, a Venezuelan native, led Savannah in 2006 in hits, extra-base hits, steals, runs, walks, on-base percentage, and games played. The 23 year old left-handed hitter finished last season in Hagerstown, where he hit 14 home runs in 70 games for the Suns.

Aaron Seuss, a 27th round pick in 2007 out of California Baptist University, earned New-York Penn League All-Star honors last summer at Vermont hitting .293 in 69 games. In college the right-handed outfielder was named First-Team NAIA All-American in both 2006 and 2007.

Washington state native Stephen Englund, a 2nd round pick in 2006, will also patrol the outfield. The 19-year-old split time in 2007 with the GCL Nationals and Vermont; Englund averaged a .387 OBP and drew 36 walks in 41 games.

The Suns infield this season will start with Bill Rhinehart and Tim Pahuta seeing time at first base.

Rhinehart, a left-handed batter out of the University of Arizona, played for Vermont last season after being selected in the 11th round of the 2007 draft. The 23 year old was a New-York Penn League All-Star hitting .299 with 43 hits and 18 doubles.

Pahuta hit .307 with 21 homers and 139 RBI in his four seasons at Seton Hall. He did not play last season after spending 2006 with Savannah.

The middle infield looks strong for the Suns with standouts Stephen King, Jake Smolinski and Daniel Lyons.

A 2nd round pick in 2006, King begins the 2008 campaign as the No. 16 prospect in the Nationals system. The right-handed shortstop started last season in Hagerstown. The 20 year-old split time between the GCL Nationals and Vermont in the second half of 2007.

Smolinski, a 2nd round pick in 2007 was named Best Athlete and Best Pure Hitter among the Nationals' 2007 First-Year Player Draft signed picks, according to Baseball America. Before joining the Nationals organization, the 19 year-old won the Gatorade Illinois Baseball Player of the Year Award and was selected as Louisville Slugger Player of the Year for Illinois. Last season, Smolinski played with the GCL Nationals and hit .305 with .387 OBP in 28 games.

Lyons batted .208 in his first full season in professional baseball. The right-handed infielder was a 14th round pick in 2007 and a Third-Team All-Big Ten at Minnesota his senior season. His Uncle, Bill Lyons played for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Finishing up the infield at third base is Trevor Lawhorn. The North Carolina native was with Hagerstown for part of 2007 batting .267 in 105 games.

Sean Rooney and Jhonatan Solano will play behind home plate for Hagerstown in 2008.

Rooney, 20, was selected in the 8th round of the 2006 First Year Player Draft out of Saddleback (CA) Community College, where he hit .423 with 12 homers and 58 RBI in 41 games. This will be Rooney's third year in the Nationals system after seeing time last season with Potomac and Vermont.

Solano, a Columbia native, signed with the Nationals farm system in September 2005 and caught 83 games for Hagerstown in 2007 while racking up 74 hits, 42 walks and a .348 on-base-percentage.

2008 Hagerstown Suns Roster

Batters

Pos. - Name Hgt. Wgt. B T Born Obtained YR TEAM AVG AB H HR RBI SO BB

C - Jhonatan Solano 6'0" 180 R R 8/12/1985 Signed as FA in 2005 2007 Hagerstown .248 298 74 3 38 53 42

C - Sean Rooney 5'10" 205 S R 4/12/1986 8th round of 2006 Draft 2007 Vermont .281 167 47 1 20 22 16

1B - Bill Rhinehart 6'0" 202 L L 11/22/1984 11th round of 2007 Draft 2007 Vermont .299 214 64 5 43 32 22

1B - Tim Pahuta 6'4" 225 L R 5/3/1983 18th round of 2005 Draft 2007 Did Not Play

3B - Trevor Lawhorn 6'2" 182 R R 12/18/1982 Signed as FA in 2007 2007 Hagerstown .267 105 28 2 38 28 3

SS - Daniel Lyons 5'10" 185 R R 8/12/1984 14th round of 2007 Draft 2007 Vermont .208 236 49 0 21 59 32

SS - Stephen King 6'2" 195 R R 10/2/1987 3rd round of 2006 Draft 2007 Hagerstown .180 128 23 2 9 51 13

INF - Jake Smolinski 5'11" 185 R R 2/9/1989 2nd round of 2007 Draft 2007 GCL Nationals .305 105 32 1 16 24 13

OF - Aaron Seuss 6'1" 195 R R 3/5/1985 27th round of 2007 Draft 2007 Vermont .293 256 75 4 37 46 19

OF - Francisco Plasencia 6'2" 150 L L 6/19/1984 Signed as FA in 2004 2007 Hagerstown .260 269 70 14 38 57 34

OF - Michael Burgess 6'0" 185 L L 2/13/1987 33rd round of 2005 Draft 2007 Vermont .286 70 20 3 10 23 10

OF - Stephen Englund 6'3" 200 R R 6/6/1988 2nd round of 2006 Draft 2007 Vermont .220 59 13 1 7 22 8

Pitchers

Pos. - Name Hgt. Wgt. B T Born Obtained YR TEAM W-L ERA G IP H SO BB

LHP - Atahualpa Severino 5'9" 170 L L 11/6/1984 Signed as FA in 2004 2007 GCL Nationals 1-0 2.94 13 33.0 25 28 10

LHP - Kai Tuomi 6'1" 190 L L 7/26/1985 40th round of 2007 Draft 2007 GCL Nationals 1-1 7.50 15 18.0 28 17 4

RHP - Brad Peacock 6'1" 175 R R 2/2/1988 41st round of 2006 Draft 2007 GCL Nationals 1-1 3.89 13 39.1 38 34 15

RHP - Clint Everts 6'2" 170 R R 8/10/1984 1st round (5th overall) of 2002 Draft 2007 Potomac 4-10 4.81 38 97.1 102 78 56

RHP - Cole Kimball 6'3" 225 R R 8/1/1985 12th round of 2006 Draft 2007 Vermont 3-6 4.20 14 64.1 52 72 40

RHP - Colton Willems 6'4" 175 R R 7/30/1988 1st round (22nd overall) of 2006 Draft 2007 Vermont 3-2 1.84 12 58.2 55 31 26

RHP - Edulin Abreu 6'3" 160 R R 8/8/1984 Signed as FA in 2005 2007 Hagerstown 0-2 7.52 5 20.1 22 12 8

RHP - Erik Arnesen 6'3" 260 R R 3/19/1984 17th round of 2006 Draft 2007 Hagerstown 6-7 4.61 24 93.2 119 51 19

RHP - Hassan Pena 6'2" 210 R R 3/25/1985 13th round of 2006 Draft 2007 Vermont 4-5 4.25 13 59.1 55 36 33

RHP - Jeff Mandel 6'3" 190 S R 4/20/1985 19th round of 2007 Draft 2007 Hagerstown 4-7 6.71 14 61.2 87 49 17

RHP - Kyle Gunderson 6'3" 215 R R 1/31/1985 48th round of 2007 Draft 2007 GCL Nationals 0-1 0.48 14 18.2 14 9 6

RHP - Martin Beno 6'0" 180 R R 8/24/1986 36th round of 2007 Draft 2007 Vermont 2-1 4.15 16 21.2 9 38

RHP - Terrence Engles 6'4" 170 R R 11/12/1985 Singed as FA in 2004 2007 Did Not Play

The Hagerstown Suns play at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, MD and are a Class "A" affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Ticket packages and sponsorships are available by calling the Suns at 301-791-6266. Visit the Suns on the web at www.hagerstownsuns.com. The Suns are owned by Los Angeles based Mandalay Baseball Properties.

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