Cardinals announce 2015 Preliminary Roster

Springfield, MO - The St. Louis Cardinals and the Springfield Cardinals have announced the Preliminary Roster for the 2015 Springfield squad. The Cardinals 2015 Opening Day Roster will be finalized when Springfield starts the season at home this Thursday, April 9 against the Corpus Christi Hooks at 7:10pm.

Full of familiar faces, the Preliminary Roster features 20 players who have spent time in Springfield before. Nineteen of the 20 were a part of the 2014 Springfield Cardinals at varying times last season, including 2014 Texas League Midseason All-Stars RHP Joey Donofrio, LHP Kyle Hald and 1B Jonathan Rodriguez. Hald's .733 winning percentage (11-4 record) with Springfield last season tied Lance Lynn's mark from 2009 as the 3rd-best single season winning percentage in Springfield Cardinals history.

Fellow returning hurlers LHP Jonathan Cornelius and LHP Justin Wright also rank among Springfield's all-time leaders. No pitcher in Springfield history has won more games than Cornelius, who has tallied 17 victories through 44 outings in Double-A. Wright, a bullpen stalwart, also sits atop a statistical category as Springfield's all-time leader with 131 games appeared in, 81 of which have come in just the last two seasons.

Seven of the returning Springfield Cardinals enter the season ranked by Baseball America as some of the top prospects in the Cardinals system, including OF Charlie Tilson (ranked #9), SS Aledmys Diaz (#11), INF Jacob Wilson (#18), 3B Patrick Wisdom (#20), RHP Mike Mayers (#25) and INF Breyvic Valera (#26). Former Missouri State Bears standout and 2012 Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Player of the Year RHP Nick Petree is among this group as well, ranked as the Cardinals #31 prospect by Baseball America. Petree started the final game of 2014 for Springfield in Tulsa, but will make his Cardinals Hammons Field debut this season.

Also getting ready to make his Springfield debut is RHP Andrew Morales, who is ranked as the Cardinals #29 prospect. The 2nd round pick in the 2014 June Draft out of the University of California - Irvine led the Anteaters to the 2014 College World Series, earning American Baseball Coaches Association and Baseball America First Team All-America honors as well as the Big West Pitcher of the Year Award along the way.

Joining Morales as first-time Springfield Cardinals on the Preliminary Roster is an entirely new catching corps. A former Baltimore Orioles top prospect, C Michael Ohlman was acquired by St. Louis on Feb. 3, 2015 and joins SS Aledmys Diaz as the two Springfield Cardinals on St. Louis's 40-Man Roster. In addition to Ohlman, the Cardinals new backstops include veteran C Alberto Rosario, the former top defensive catcher in the Los Angeles Angels system, and C Adam Ehrlich, the Cardinals 6th round pick in the 2011 June Draft out of high school in California. Rounding out the group of first-time Springfield Cardinals are OF Anthony Garcia, RHP Thomas Lee and INF David Washington, each of whom spent 2014 with Palm Beach in High-A.

Balancing the new additions will be returning sidearm reliever, RHP Heath Wyatt, who spent the entire 2014 campaign with the Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A) after suiting up for Springfield in 2013. Wyatt will be accompanied by fellow returning pitchers RHP Corey Baker, RHP Kurt Heyer, LHP Ryan Sherriff and RHP Chris Thomas, adding invaluable experience to the staff.

A trio of position players who played partial seasons in Springfield in 2014 make their return to Hammons Field to start 2015 - OF Nick Martini, INF Alex Mejia and OF Starlin Rodriguez.

The Cardinals begin the 2015 season with Opening Night on Thursday, April 9 vs. the Corpus Christi Hooks at 7:10pm. Don't miss the Great Southern Bank Magnet Schedule/Key Tag Giveaway (3,500), Klement's "Buck a Brat" Night with $1 bratwursts and the 2015 Fireworks Kickoff all on Thursday. For more information or to order your tickets right now, visit SpringfieldCardinals.com or call (417) 863-2143.

Click here to view the complete 2015 Preliminary Roster.

Individual Game Tickets are on sale right now; Guarantee your Promo Items with the Promo Club

With Opening Night of Season 11 coming up on Thursday, April 9, Individual Game Tickets for all 70 home games this season are available right now on SpringfieldCardinals.com or by calling the Ticket Office at (417) 863-2143.

Although space is filling up quickly, it's not too late to sign up for the Promo Club - the only way to guarantee one of every Promotional Item on the 2015 Schedule. Reserved Section Season Ticket Holders have the exclusive option to join the Promo Club for the membership fee of just $95. You can now have your bobbleheads, caps, shirts and more guaranteed by enrolling in this club!

Space in the Promo Club is limited, so sign up for the club and a 2015 Reserved Section Season Ticket Plan today. Reserved Section Ticket Plans in 18, 35 and 70-game varieties are available right now and start at just $140.

For information about 2015 Season Ticket Plans, click below or call the Front Office at (417) 863-0395.

Click here to view the Springfield Cardinals 2015 Ticket Plans.

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