2019 Preview: Biloxi Shuckers

In 2018 the Biloxi Shuckers bulldozed their way through the regular season only to fall short in the Southern League Championship Series. Will 2019 mark the year Biloxi breaks through and claims their first title?
2018 RECORD: 81-59, 1^st in the Southern League's South Division
2018 PLAYOFFS: Lost in Southern League Championship Series to Jackson, 3-1
OPENING DAY: Thursday, April 4 vs Birmingham (CWS)

WHAT'S NEW?

• The Biloxi Shuckers will be hosting the 2019 Southern League All-Star Game, marking the first time the league's midseason showcase will be played in the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
   
• The Shuckers have also expanded their "Shuck Nation" memberships to include both full season and "weekender" packages.

TOP 100:

• INF Keston Hiura - MLB Pipeline's top second base prospect proved why he is worthy of the hype by posting a .339 OBP with six home runs and 20 RBIs across his first 73 Southern League games last season. Now 22, the UC-Irvine product will begin the 2019 with Triple-A San Antonio and likely be in the big leagues before long.

NEXT UP:

• RHP Braden Webb - Webb was able to display his dazzling fastball-curveball combo at the end of the 2018 season, recording a 1-0 record with a 1.80 ERA across four appearances (three starts) for the Shuckers. He should be back with Biloxi to start the 2019 season.
   
• C Mario Feliciano - Although he had a disappointing 2018 campaign and underwent arthroscopic surgery this past offseason, Feliciano is unlikely to spend the entire 2019 season with Hi-A Carolina. Expect a bounce-back season from the 2017 Brewers Organization All-Star.
   
• RHP Marcos Diplan - A key piece during Biloxi's playoff push, Diplan was optioned back to the Shuckers earlier this month. Entering his age 22 season, he will look to refine his control and build upon a string of strong starts that closed the 2018 season in the hopes of remaining a starter for the rest of his career.
   
• INF Jake Gatewood - A torn ACL robbed Gatewood of the second half of his 2018 season, but the former first-round pick was nonetheless named a Southern League midseason All-Star as well as a Brewers Organization All-Star for the second straight season. He could be back in Biloxi to pick up where he left off; mashing home runs, cutting down on his strikeout rate, and playing multiple positions.
   
• OF Trent Grisham - A holdover from last year's South Division championship team, Grisham is entering a make-or-break year despite being just 22-years-old. A former first round pick, he will continue to get on base (.356 OBP in 107 AA games last year) while looking to add more extra-base hits and stolen bases to his skillset.