2011 Opening Day Roster

By Chris Mehring

April 3, 2011

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The roster for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, has been announced for the start of the 2011 season. There are seven players on Wisconsin's Opening Day roster who were rated as Top 30 prospects in the Brewers minor league system by Baseball America.

The top three Brewers prospects with the Timber Rattlers listed by Baseball America to begin the season are pitchers and draft picks from the first five rounds of the 2010 first year player draft. Jimmy Nelson (2nd round, University of Alabama), Tyler Thornburg (3rd round, Charleston Southern), and Matt Miller (5th round, University of Michigan) were all members of the Helena Brewers, Milwaukee's Pioneer League affiliate, last season and helped that team win a Pioneer League Championship.

First baseman Cody Hawn (6th round, University of Tennessee) is Baseball America's top ranked position player on the Opening Day roster for the Rattlers. Hawn hit 13 homers and drove in 61 runs for Helena last season.

Other Brewers prospects as ranked by Baseball America on the Rattlers roster include: Catchers Cameron Garfield and Tyler Roberts and pitcher Austin Ross.

Garfield is one of five players to spend time with Wisconsin during the 2010 season who return at the start of 2011. Pitchers Del Howell and Damon Krestalude; infielder Carlos George; and outfielder Franklin Romero are the other four.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers open the season with a home game at Time Warner Cable Field on Thursday, April 7 against the Kane County Cougars. Game time is 6:35pm. Tickets for Opening Day or for any of the 70 home games during 2011 are available on line at www.timberrattlers.com, in person at the box office, or over the phone at 800-WI-TIMBER.

The full Wisconsin Timber Rattlers roster for Opening Day, 2011: ,p>

PITCHERS
#    Player              B/T    HT/WT   Acquired
10   Charly Bashara      L/L    6'1"/200 NDFA '10
36   Daniel Britt        R/R    6'4"/190 29^th round '10
25   Tyler Cravy         R/R    6'3"/196 17^th round '09
1   Brian Garman        L/L    5'11"/203 17^th round '10
16   Greg Holle          R/R    6'8"/240 11^th round '10
26   Del Howell          L/L    6'4"/200 15^th round '09
18   Thomas Keeling      L/L    6'2"/188 18^th round '10
39   Damon Krestalude    R/R    6'4"/185 17^th round '08
22   Eric Marzec         R/R    5'11/217 30^th round '10
23   Matt Milller        R/R    6'6"/220 5^th round '10
20   Jimmy Nelson        R/R    6'6"/245 2^nd round '10
12   Austin Ross         R/R    6'2"/194   8^th round '10
30   Tyler Thornburg     R/R    6'0"/188   3^rd round '10
40   Stosh Wawrzasek     R/R    6'0"/249 16^th round '08

CATCHERS
#    Player              B/T    HT/WT     Acquired
17   Cameron Garfield    R/R    6'1"/195   2^nd round '09
19   Tony Pechek         B/R    6'2"/201 NDFA '10
28   Tyler Roberts       R/R    6'1"/228 10^th round '09

INFIELDERS
#    Player              B/T    HT/WT     Acquired
7 Carlos George       R/R    6'2"/160 46^th round '08
15   Cody Hawn           L/R    6'1"/215   6^th round '10
5 Greg Hopkins        R/R    6'1"/195 24^th round '10
6 TJ Mittelstaedt     L/R    5'10"/185 44^th round '10
9 Jason Rogers        R/R    6'2"/267 32^nd round '10
3 Nick Shaw           L/R    6'0"/161 25^th round '10
33   Mike Walker         L/R    6'4"/206 14^th round '10

OUTFIELDERS
#    Player              B/T    HT/WT     Acquired
2 Robbie Garvey       L/L    5'9"/170 NDFA '09
11   Reggie Keen         R/R    5'11/176 NDFA '10
21   Franklin Romero     R/R    5'11/180 20^th round '09

COACHING STAFF:
Manager: Matt Erickson
Pitching Coach: Chris Hook
Hitting Coach: Dusty Rhodes
Athletic Trainer: Jeff Paxson
Strength & Conditioning: Tim Gifford