Great Falls Announces Opening Day Roster
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (June 17, 2015) - The Chicago White Sox announced the Opening Day roster for the Great Falls Voyagers Wednesday, with 31 players beginning the 2015 Pioneer League season in the Electric City, including four members of the 2014 team.
Chris Freudenberg is one of two starting pitchers from last year's club to return to Great Falls. The southpaw made nine starts for the Voyagers in 2014, posting a 3.17 ERA over those nine outings, before he was promoted to Low-A Kannapolis where he finished the season. Joining Freudenberg from the 2014 rotation is right-hander Matt Ball. Ball spent all of 2014 with the Voyagers, working 57.0 innings across 14 appearances, 13 of which were starts.
The other two players to return from last year's squad are position players Zach Fish and Ryan Jones. Fish spent the entire 2014 campaign with the Voyagers, hitting five home runs and adding 22 RBIs. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy was an outfielder last year, but will be spending most of his time behind the plate in 2015, after changing positions during the fall instructional league. Jones is back for a second year in the Pioneer League as well, after hitting three homers and driving in 16 runs in his first professional season after he was selected in the 27th round of last June's draft.
Of the 38 players that made up the White Sox 2015 draft class, 13 of them will be making their professional debuts with the Voyagers over the first few days of the season. Leading the way for the 2015 draft class in Great Falls will be left-hander Zack Erwin, a fourth round selection out of Clemson. The southpaw was second on the Tigers staff in innings pitched this spring, tossing 106.2 innings while posting a 3.04 ERA.
Joining Erwin among day two selections from the 2015 draft are catcher Casey Schroeder and left-hander Ryan Hinchley. An eighth round pick out of Coastal Carolina, Schroeder is one of three catchers on the opening day roster, joining Fish and Venezuelan Joxelier Garcia. Hinchley, the White Sox ninth round pick, was selected out of Illinois-Chicago after leading the Flames with 10 saves during his senior season this spring. The White Sox tenth round pick, outfielder Jackson Glines, will fit in as one of five outfielders on the roster, after hitting .349 with the University of Michigan this spring.
Other players from this year's draft that will make their professional debuts in Great Falls include: Danny Dopico (11th Round, Florida International), Sikes Orvis (17th Round, Ole Miss), Dante Flores (18th Round, USC), Frank Califano (19th Round, Youngstown St.), Landon Lassiter (21st Round, North Carolina), Dylan Barrow (23rd Round, University of Tampa), Brandon Magallones (24th Round, Northwestern), Grant Massey (26th Round, Lipscomb), and Drew Hasler (34th Round, Valparaiso).
The Voyagers will be managed this year by Cole Armstrong, who is entering his first season as a manager in the minors. This will be Armstrong's second year as a coach in the White Sox organization, after serving as the hitting coach for the AZL White Sox in 2014. Joining Armstrong on the staff will be pitching coach Brian Drahman who is back for his seventh season with Great Falls, and first year hitting coach Justin Jirschele, who returns to Great Falls after playing for the Voyagers in 2012 and 2013.
Great Falls begins the 2015 Pioneer League season Thursday night at Dehler Park in Billings as they take on the Billings Mustangs at 7:05 p.m. The Voyagers then return to Great Falls for their home opener on Saturday at Centene Stadium as they take on the Helena Brewers at 7:00 p.m. For tickets, call (406) 452-5311, visit gfvoyagers.com, or stop by the Centene Stadium box office.