Former Zephyrs litter postseason rosters

The New Orleans Zephyrs will be represented on six of the eight teams vying for a world championship when Major League Baseball's Division Series begin on Thursday.

Counting relief pitcher Arquimedes Caminero, whose Pittsburgh Pirates were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs in Wednesday's National League Wild Card game, five members of the 2014 Zephyrs were included on postseason rosters.

Joining Caminero are Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Chris Hatcher and utility man Kike Hernandez, Texas Rangers reliever Sam Dyson and Houston Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick.

When the arch rival Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals meet up, former Marlins teammates Steve Cishek and Chris Coghlan will find themselves in opposing dugouts. Cishek pitched for the Zephyrs in 2011 before recording 91 saves with Miami over his first four big league seasons, while Coghlan opened his 2009 National League Rookie of the Year campaign by hitting .344 in 25 games with the Z's.

In the other National League match-up, Hatcher, the Zephyrs' career saves leader, figures to play a prominent role in the Dodgers' bullpen, while Hernandez recently returned from the disabled list to hit a home run off Madison Bumgarner in the team's division title-clinching win over the Giants on September 29.

A pair of 2008 Zephyrs will reside in the New York Mets' dugout. Left-hander Jon Niese went 5-1 in seven starts for New Orleans, and infielder Daniel Murphy had a one-game stay with the Z's prior to making his Mets debut the following day. Another member of the 2008 Zephyrs, Bobby Parnell, has been sent to the Mets' training facility in Florida to stay in shape for possible inclusion on the roster for the next round, should the Mets advance.

Marisnick ranked among Pacific Coast League leaders with 24 stolen bases for the Zephyrs last year before being shipped to Houston at the trade deadline, then equaled that steal total in his first full season in the majors in 2015. His Astros teammate, reliever Chad Qualls, pitched in 32 games for New Orleans in 2004.

The Lone Star State's other postseason entry, the Texas Rangers, have thrived with Dyson as primary set-up man for closer Shawn Tolleson. After being acquired from the Marlins on July 31, Dyson pitched to a 1.15 ERA in 31 games with two saves and 12 holds.

Only the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays do not feature a former Zephyr on their playoff rosters.