2019 Opening Night Roster Revealed

(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) -- A mix of highly touted prospects and major league veterans highlight the 2019 Opening Night roster for the Charlotte Knights, who open their sixth season in Uptown Charlotte tonight against the Durham Bulls at 7:04 p.m. from BB&T Ballpark.

RHP Donny Roach, who returns to the Knights for his second straight season, will get the start tonight for the club. Roach, 29, posted a 9-2 record with a 2.65 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) last season with the Knights. He was selected to the International League All-Star Team, but was released on July 5, 2018 to pursue opportunities in Japan. At the time of his departure, he led the International League in wins, ranked second in innings pitched, and ranked third in ERA.

Joining Roach in Charlotte's rotation are LHP Jordan Guerrero , RHP Jordan Stephens , RHP Spencer Adams , and RHP Dylan Cease , who enters the 2019 campaign as the third-best prospect in the Chicago White Sox system as rated by Baseball America. Cease, 23, combined to post a 12-2 record with a 2.40 ERA in 23 starts between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham in 2018. He was named MLB Pipeline Pitcher of the Year and was a Carolina League mid-season All-Star last season.

In the bullpen, the Knights will feature RHP Carson Fulmer , RHP Ian Hamilton , RHP Evan Marshall , RHP Juan Minaya , LHP Josh Osich , RHP Zach Thompson , LHP Colton Turner , and RHP Thyago Vieira. Fulmer, Hamilton, Osich, and Vieira are all members of Chicago's 40-man roster.

Behind the plate, the Knights will feature two of the organization's top prospects -- catchers Zack Collins and Seby Zavala . Collins, 24, enters the season ranked as the 12^th-best prospect, while Zavala is ranked as the 15^th-best prospect. Collins was selected by the White Sox in the first round (10^th overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft and hit 15 home runs last season with Double-A Birmingham.

Around the diamond, the Knights will feature 2015 American League All-Star and Rawlings Gold Glove Award-winner, Alcides Escobar . The 32-year-old was signed by the White Sox as a free agent on March 25, 2019 and has spent the past 11 seasons in the majors. Ryan Goins , Danny Mendick , D.J. Peterson , and Matt Skole, round out a solid infield for the Knights. Mendick was the 2018 Birmingham Barons Player of the Year, while Skole was Charlotte's team leader in a number of offensive categories last season.

In the outfield, the Knights will feature Nicky Delmonico , Brandon Guyer , Charlie Tilson , and Preston Tucker . Delmonico, a member of Chicago's 40-man roster, appeared in 88 games last season with the White Sox. Tilson split the 2018 campaign between the Knights (67 games) and White Sox (41 games). Both Guyer and Tucker are new to the organization this season.

The 2019 Charlotte Knights will be led by manager Mark Grudzielanek, who returns for his third season as the club's skipper. Grudzielanek's staff features Frank Menechino (hitting coach), Steve McCatty (pitching coach), Guillermo Quirόz (assistant coach), Josh Fallin (head athletic trainer), Bart Jameson (assistant athletic trainer) and Shawn Powell (strength and conditioning coach).

Single-game tickets for the 2019 season, as well as season memberships, are on sale now. For more information on tickets for all games, please visit the Charlotte Knights official website at www.charlotteknights.com or contact the Charlotte Knights by phone at 704-274-8282.