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PCL1 New Orleans Baby Cakes

Zephyrs Unveil Tentative 2011 Opening Day Roster

April 5, 2011 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
New Orleans Baby Cakes News Release


Metairie, LA - The New Orleans Zephyrs released the team's preliminary Opening Day roster for the 2011 season on Tuesday, which includes both the reigning Minor League Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in the Florida Marlins organization.

Ozzie Martinez, a shortstop ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the system, hit .302 at Jacksonville last season, earning a spot on the World Team in the Futures Game during Major League Baseball's All-Star weekend. He then batted .326 with the Marlins in a September call-up, and punctuated his season by being named the organization's Player of the Year.

Other Zephyr infielders will include veterans Mike Cervenak, Ruben Gotay, Josh Kroeger and Joe Thurston. Matt Dominguez, a third baseman named by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Marlins system, was to begin the year with New Orleans before suffering a fractured elbow late in spring training that will force him to miss four to six weeks.

The outfield will feature familiar faces, as Chris Aguila returns to New Orleans, where he will begin pursuit of the franchise career record for home runs. After belting 29 homers in 2008, the third-highest single-season total in team history, Aguila hit two more after rejoining the club late last year, leaving him 25 shy of the record held by J.R. Phillips.

Another returning outfielder is Bryan Petersen, who enjoyed three stints with the Marlins in 2010 while batting .255 in 91 games with New Orleans. Also seeing time in the outfield will be Aaron Mathews and Vinny Rottino.

Headlining the starting pitching rotation will be a pair of right-handers who dominated the Southern League last year, combining for 30 victories. Tom Koehler, the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher, and Elih Villanueva, the Marlins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year, will start alongside left-handers Sean West and Mark McLemore, and right-hander Adalberto Mendez.

The bullpen includes Burke Badenhop, Jay Buente, Jose Ceda, Steve Cishek, Todd Doolittle, Victor Garate, Frank Mata and Dustin Richardson, with all but Doolittle having seen Major League time. The battery mates for the pitching staff will be catchers Brad Davis and Clint Sammons.

The Zephyrs' home opener is Friday, April 15 against division rival Round Rock. Tickets are available by calling (504) 734-5155, by visiting the Zephyr Field box office or any Ticketmaster location, or by visiting www.zephyrsbaseball.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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