New Team, Season for Kingsport Mets in 2017

KINGSPORT, Tenn.-The 2017 Appalachian League season is finally here as the Kingsport Mets are off to Burlington, N.C. to face off against the Royals to jump start this new year.
Contrary to the 2016 campaign where the K-Mets experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, the 2017 version of the squad looks to regain the positive consistency the team in the Model City showcased during both the 2013 and 2015 seasons.
Both of those campaigns ended with a playoff run while 2016's short season ended with a walk-off victory in the regular season finale. The Mets lost their first four games and six of-the-first seven to begin that season just a year ago, but rebounded throughout to end on a high-note of five-straight wins that brought the 68-game slate to a halt.
The good play down the stretch enabled the K-Mets to leapfrog the Bristol Pirates into a fourth-place finish in the Appalachian League West.
2017 showcases an abundant of new talent as the roster released Wednesday afternoon foreshadowed a club compiled of 18 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and five outfielders on the active roster. With 34 players to begin the season for Kingsport, the club is also expected a 35^th member in the coming days.
Highlighting the slew of newcomers for the K-Mets this season are 10 players from the 2017 June Armature Draft that took place on June 13-15. Former Kansas hurler Stephen Villines leads the pack as the highest-drafted player on this year's squad. The Jayhawks' all-time saves leader was selected in the 10^th round.
Other notable selections include pitchers Josh Payne, Joe Cavallaro, William Oxford, Ryan Slemer, Mac Lozer and Aaron Ford. Ford, a former member of nearby Tennessee Wesleyan, has pitched at Hunter Wright Stadium before a part of the NAIA World Series. Other 2017 draftees include infielders Gavin Garay and Jeremy Vasquez.
More players who comprise the roster for the 2017 Kingsport Mets include a number of international talent that have been stationed in either the Gulf Coast League or Dominican Summer Leagues in years prior.    
Players such as short stop Edgardo Fermine, outfielder Dionis Paulino and catcher Juan Uriarte have received high praise from the coaching staff in preseason.
Following a three-game road series in Burlington to begin the campaign, the K-Mets return to town on Sunday, June 25 for the home opener at Hunter Wright Stadium against the defending Appalachian League champions, Johnson City Cardinals, at 4 p.m. The game is set to serve as Centennial Day at the ballpark as the K-Mets join the City of Kingsport in celebrating the 100^th year anniversary of the re-chartering of Kingsport.
A special pregame ceremony is set to take place on the field at 3:20 p.m. to recognize a plethora of former Kingsport mayors and alderman's who will be in attendance. The Mets will also showcase a special, one-time-only, jersey for the game that sports many images from around the city. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase their favorite jersey for $100 beginning in the third inning.
Kingsport will stay in town on June 28 by welcoming Elizabethton to the friendly confines before hitting the road for six-straight days in Greeneville and Bristol. In all, Kingsport splits its home and road series at an even 34 games apiece with a three-game home slate against the Twins once more to bring the season to a close from August 29-31.
Season and individual game ticket prices are available at kmets.com, as well as the seasonal promotion schedule that includes three firework nights, a Joe Lasher Jr. concert and of course Dollar Thursdays. Follow the K-Mets on social media by liking the Facebook page and following the handle Kingsport_Mets on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
The Kingsport Mets Baseball Network will make its season debut on Sunday, June 25 with Eric Cain bringing the play-by-play action behind the mic for the second-straight season. Broadcasts are available at kmets.com 15 minutes prior to first pitch and on the TuneIn and MiLB First Pitch applications.
Join us for another great season of Appalachian League baseball.