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MLB

Opening Day roster set for RoughRiders

Rangers no. 2 prospect Lewis Brinson highlights talent-packed roster
By Nathan Barnett
April 7, 2016

SPRINGDALE, ARK. (April 7, 2016) - The Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, announced on Thursday the team's Opening Day roster for the 2016 season. The club opens the season tonight night at Arvest Ballpark to take on the Royals-affiliated Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Left-handed pitcher Frank Lopez makes the Opening Day start.

The roster includes the following players:

Pitchers: RHPs Cody Buckel (#11), Matt Bush (#10), Reed Garret (#32), Jose Leclerc (#30), Adam Parks (#38), Richelson Pena (#16), Connor Sadzeck (#19), Jose Valdespina (#35), and Sam Wolff (#14); LHPs Juan Grullon (#36), Frank Lopez (#29), Victor Payano (#43), and Ryne Slack (#28).

Catchers: Alex Burg (#9) and Kellin Deglan (#6).

Infielders: Ronald Guzman (#31), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (#4), Luis Marte (#15), Luis Mendez (#1), and Alberto Triunfel (#7).

Outfielders: Preston Beck (#5), Lewis Brinson (#25), Zach Cone (#22), Ryan Cordell (#20), and Joe Jackson (#17).

Highlighting the roster is Lewis Brinson, the Rangers No.2-ranked prospect by both MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America. Also in MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America's Top 30 Rangers prospects are OF Ryan Cordell (15 in MLB, 11 in BA), IF Ronald Guzman (23, 29), RHP Jose Leclerc (25, 21), RHP Sam Wolff (26, NR), and RHP Connor Sadzeck (27, 26).

The majority of the roster is made up of homegrown Rangers farmhands with just two players acquired by Texas via minor league free agency (Bush and Burg) and none from trades.

Additional notes from this year's Opening Day Roster:

  • 17 players return from last year's RoughRiders roster.
  • Five players played for the South Atlantic League Champion Hickory Crawdads (Class-A)
  • RHP Cody Buckel is the longest-tenured RoughRiders pitcher, having spent time in Frisco in 2012, 2013, and 2015.
  • RHP Reed Garrett, RHP Richelson Pena, RHP Sam Wolff, Guzman, IF Isiah Kiner-Falefa, IF Alberto Triunfel, and OF Joe Jackson are all looking to make their Double-A debut.
  • The majority of the roster hails from the United States (14). Eight players are from the Dominican Republic, two are from Venezuela, and one, C Kellin Deglan, is from Canada. Of the American born players, more come from California (3) than any other state.
  • IF Preston Beck is the lone Texas native, having been born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He played his high school baseball at private Bishop Lynch High School before staying in the area for college at the University of Texas at Arlington.
  • Kiner-Falefa is the youngest player on the roster (21 years, 1 month), while Matt Bush (30 years, two months) is the oldest. The average age on the RoughRiders roster is 24-years-old.

The roster is currently at 25 players, which is the Texas League limit. Catcher Pat Cantwell, who was on the initial roster announced last week, opens the season with Triple-A Round Rock.

Left-hander Frank Lopez (0-0, -.-- ERA) will square off for the Riders against Naturals right-hander Alec Mills (0-0, -.-- ERA) in the first game of the Texas League slate at 6:25 p.m. from Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas tonight. Coverage of the contest can be heard on the Frisco RoughRiders Radio Network, on the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App. Dr Pepper Pregame Show coverage begins at 5:50 p.m.

The RoughRiders will open their 2016 home schedule at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Thursday, April 14 and host 70 home dates through Labor Day, September 5. Tickets are available now online at RidersBaseball.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (972) 731-9200, or in-person at the RoughRiders box office.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 11 seasons (2005-2015). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg and Scott Sonju. The new ownership group has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements, from a completely new team identity to massive additions and upgrades to Dr Pepper Ballpark, including a giant new video board, sound system, sports bar, team store, improved food service and menu, and a complete overhaul of in-game entertainment. The improvements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco "Best Ballpark Renovation" of 2015 by Ballpark Digest in the under $6 million category. More than 130 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Gonzalez and Ian Kinsler. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Nathan Barnett at (972) 334-1976 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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