West Virginia Power Game Notes (April 5, 2018)
April 5, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
LEADING OFF: West Virginia opens up the 2018 season tonight at Appalachian Power Park as the Power welcome the defending South Atlantic League champion Greenville Drive to Charleston for the first game of a four-game series. The Power finished the 2017 campaign at 69-67, missing a spot in the South Atlantic League playoffs by .002 percentage points. West Virginia continues its homestand with a three-game set against the Lakewood BlueClaws from April 9-11 before hitting the road for a seven-game stretch through Hickory, N.C. and Charleston, S.C.
THE COACHING STAFF: A pair of familiar faces headline the Power coaching staff in 2018, as Wyatt Toregas returns to the helm in Charleston for his second season as the club's manager. Matt DenBleyker also returns as the team's Athletic Trainer, while the Power welcome a new pitching coach, hitting coach and strength coach to the Kanawha Valley. Joel Hanrahan takes over for Drew Benes as the pitching coach, while Chris Petersen handles the hitters in place of Ryan Long, who moved to Triple-A Indianapolis. Nick Pressley is the new Strength and Conditioning Coach. THE ROSTER: Six top-30 MLB.com Pirates prospects headline one of the most talent-laden rosters in Power history, led by 10th-ranked prospect outfielder Lolo Sanchez. Joining Lolo in Charleston are #14 INF Oneil Cruz, #16 OF Cal Mitchell, #25 RHP Travis MacGregor, #26 OF Mason Martin and #29 LHP Braeden Ogle. Cruz is one of three returning players in Charleston this season, along with right-handers Blake Cederlind and Dylan Prohoroff. The Opening Day roster features 13 pitchers, nine right-handers and four southpaws, along with 12 batters.
DRIVE SCOUTING REPORT: The Drive Opening Day roster brings two of Boston's top five draft picks in 2017 to Greenville in outfielder Cole Brannen and RHP Alex Scherff. Also of note is the fact that eight players are returning from last year's championship squad, including SS C.J. Chatham, LHP Jhonathan Diaz, who will get the Opening Day nod for the Drive, RHP Juan Florentino and OF Jagger Rusconi. Greenville claimed the South Atlantic League crown a year ago by defeating the Kannapolis Intimidators three games to one in the SAL Championship Series.
OPENING DAY: West Virginia is 4-10 on Opening Day dating back to the 2005 season after dropping both games of a doubleheader on April 7, 2017, to the Rome Braves. The Power's original Opening Day contest was washed out on April 6, forcing the play of two seven-inning contests. The club's last season-opening triumph came on April 9, 2015, in a 7-6, 10-inning win over Savannah, which snapped a six-year stretch of Opening Day defeats.
THE PITCHING MATCHUP: LHP Domingo Robles gets the Opening Day start for the Power against Drive southpaw Jhonathan Diaz. The 19-year-old went 4-8 with a 4.83 ERA for the Bristol Pirates in 2017. The Dominican Republic native will make his second consecutive Opening Day start of his career, as the 2014 free agent signee toed the slab on June 22 for Bristol's 2017 season opener. Robles spun five innings and allowed just two hits in the no-decision. Diaz is embarking on his second season in South Carolina after going 6-6 with a 4.57 ERA over 18 starts a year ago.
A LOOK BACK AT 2017: The Power started the year with two top-30 prospects in SS Stephen Alemais and RHP Luis Escobar. The first half of the season did not start well, as the team dropped seven of their first eight games and finished the first half with a 30-36 record. Four players were tabbed as Midseason All-Stars: INF Trae Arbet, OF Ty Moore and LHPs Jordan Jess and Cam Vieaux. Meanwhile, Escobar represented the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 15 at the SiriusXM Futures Game. The Power turned things around in the second half, going 39-31 thanks to a torrid 19-10 August stretch, but missed the playoffs due to a .002 differential in winning percentage. 1B Albert Baur led the team with a .298 batting average, while 3Bs Hunter Owen and Adrian Valerio paced the club with 11 homers. On the mound, RHP Eduardo Vera topped the Power staff with a 3.33 ERA, while Escobar set a new Power single-season strikeout record with 168, eclipsing Tyler Glasnow's 2013 mark of 164.
POWER POINTS: The Power and Drive will face each other on Opening Day for the first time in team history... West Virginia last opened up their home schedule against Greenville in 2012, when the Power swept a four-game series... 2018 is the second consecutive year the club will open their season at home... Thursday's game features a magnet schedule giveaway to the first 1,000 fans, while all fans can enjoy our Thirsty Thursday specials and postgame fireworks.
ON THE AIR: West Virginia Power games can be heard on The Jock 1300 & 1340 AM in the Kanawha Valley, online at wvpower.com and on the TuneIn Radio App. David Kahn and John Kocsis will handle play-by-play duties in 2018.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 5, 2018
- Dibrell Leads Columbia to Opening Night Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Puckett Pitches Hoppers to Opening Night Win - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Power Silenced by Drive on Opening Night - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Matias Leads Legends to Opening Night Victory - Lexington Legends
- Suns Fall 5-2 in Season Opener on Thursday - Hagerstown Suns
- Drive Cruise Past Power in Season Opener - Greenville Drive
- Hess Homers, But Dogs Drop Opener in Lexington - Charleston RiverDogs
- Baumann, 'Birds Blank Tourists on Opening Night - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Three Run Third Gives Rome 5-2 Win - Rome Emperors
- Hoppers to Make First Marks on Clean Slate - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Santos with Strong Debut in Opening Day Defeat - Asheville Tourists
- BlueClaws Fall in Walk-Off Fashion 4-3 in Opener - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- West Virginia Power Game Notes (April 5, 2018) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Fireflies Opening Day Game Notes: April 5 vs. Augusta (Game 1) - Columbia Fireflies
- Fill the Frans on Opening Night - Hickory Crawdads
- Columbia Fireflies Homestand Highlights (April 5-11) - Columbia Fireflies
- Rome Braves Release Roster - Rome Emperors
- RiverDogs Game Notes: April 5, 2018 (Game 1) - Charleston RiverDogs
- Power Announce Prospect-Laden 2018 Opening Day Roster - Charleston Dirty Birds
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