CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Warthogs announce Opening Day roster

Published on April 4, 2007 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


WINSTON-SALEM, NC- The Winston-Salem Warthogs, a Class-A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, announced their 2007 Opening Day roster. The roster is made up of 13 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders and five outfielders. Former major league catcher Tim Blackwell will manage the Warthogs, while Wes Clements will serve as the hitting coach and J.R. Perdew returns as the pitching coach.

Of the players on the Opening Day roster, 13 spent time in a Warthogs uniform during the 2006 season. Returning to the mound for Winston-Salem will be Garry Bakker, Justin Cassel, Kyle McCulloch, Clayton Richard, Derek Rodriguez, Carlos Torres and Matt Zaleski. McCulloch, the 2006 first round draft pick of the White Sox, looks to anchor a solid starting pitching staff, which was one of the best in the Carolina League a season ago.

Among the new faces on the mound at Ernie Shore Field this season will be 32-year-old knuckleballer Joe Gannon. The former bullpen catcher turned pitcher is expected to see time in the starting rotation. Brian Omogrosso, a 6th round pick of the White Sox in the 2006 draft, will add depth to a bullpen that includes Zaleski, Bakker, John Lujan, Joe Torres, Isreal Chirino and Jason Rice. Lujan was acquired by the White Sox in a trade this offseason that sent catcher Chris Stewart to the Texas Rangers.

In the field, Cole Armstrong, Adam Ricks, Victor Mercedes, Rod Allen Jr., David Cook and Daron Roberts spent part or all of last season in Winston-Salem and should combine to create an explosive Warthogs offensive attack this year. Among the new faces, speedster Paulo Orlando is expected to generate excitement on the base paths. Recently named the fastest base runner in the White Sox organization by Baseball America, Orlando led Kannapolis with 29 stolen bases in 2006. Micah Schnurstein, a former Warthog in 2005 who played for Birmingham last year, returns to Winston-Salem and should provide a significant presence at the plate. He will be joined by fellow infielders Javier Castillo, C.J. Lang, Brandon Johnson, Ryan McCarthy and assuming the final outfield position will be Aaron Cunningham.

The Winston-Salem Warthogs open to 2007 season on Thursday, April 5 at 7 PM as they welcome the Carolina League Champion Kinston Indians to Ernie Shore Field for a three-game series.

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