New crop abloom in Pioneer League

Slugger Cody Hawn helped lift Helena to a two-game sweep of Ogden in the final series of the 2010 Pioneer League playoffs, giving the Brewers' their first league championship since 1996.

But Hawn has moved on, as have a number of top prospects from last year. That clears the way for a new crop of potential stars in the eight-team league, which MiLB.com breaks down for the 2011 season, which beings Monday, June 20.

Billings Mustangs
MLB Parent Club: Cincinnati Reds
2010 record: 38-37
2011 manager: Pat Kelly (first season)
Outlook: Several current Reds players began their careers in Billings (Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs and reigning National League MVP Joey Votto are among them), but wins have come at more of a premium in recent years. Pat Kelly is the Mustangs' third manager in the last three seasons, replacing Delino DeShields (now in Lexington of the South Atlantic League). Kelly looks to reverse a trend of mediocrity that's seen the club accumulate a .462 winning percentage with only one playoff appearance in that span. The Mustangs, who have won more championships than any club in Pioneer League history (14), have missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. Still, the team annually breaks the 100,000 mark in attendance. Kelly managed the Lynchburg Hillcats last season, which was then Cincinnati's Class A Advanced affiliate in the Carolina League.

Casper Ghosts
MLB Parent Club: Colorado Rockies
2010 record: 37-39
2011 manager: Tony Diaz (sixth season)
Outlook: Rockies first baseman Todd Helton gave the Casper faithful a thrill when he made a short rehab stint with the Ghosts last July. But fans had a lot else to cheer about while the team stayed in the thick of the playoff race until the final week of the 2010 campaign. Casper hopes to take the next step in this the 10th anniversary season of Mike Lansing Field. If so, they'll do it with youth. Rockies director of player development Marc Gustafson said he expects as many as a dozen of the organization's 2011 draft picks in Casper this season. Longtime manager Tony Diaz said he expects to see some roster shifts within the first two weeks of the season.

Great Falls Voyagers
MLB Parent Club: Chicago White Sox
2010 record: 47-28
2011 manager: Ryan Newman (first season)
Outlook: The Voyagers finished with the best overall record in the Pioneer League in 2010 but fell to Helena in three games in the first round of the playoffs. New manager Ryan Newman takes the helm after spending two seasons with the Bristol White Sox in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He'll command a squad that expects to return several veterans, including first baseman Leighton Pangilinan, outfielder Michael Earley and 6-foot-6, 240-pound reliever Pete Gehle. The left-handed Gehle posted a 3.91 ERA in 19 appearances in '10. Pangilinan batted .289 last season, while Earley hit .263 with five home runs and 37 RBIs. Great Falls finished third in team batting at .278, but it led the league in walks (313) and had a league-high 36 sacrifice flies.

Helena Brewers
MLB Parent Club: Milwaukee Brewers
2010 record: 41-34
2011 manager: Joe Ayrault (second season)
Outlook: Helena boasted one of the most powerful offenses in the Pioneer League last season, and it paved the way to the Brewers' first league championship in 14 years. But without the services of Cody Hawn, the league's reigning RBI champ, who is now with Class A Wisconsin of the Midwest League, Helena must find other sources of production. Catcher Brent Dean and outfielder John Dishon are expected back in the lineup this season. The duo combined to drive in 58 runs last season. Pitcher Eric Arnett, a first-round Draft choice out of Indiana in 2009, is also expected back. Arnett went 1-9 with a 6.70 ERA in 20 games at Wisconsin last season but has spent time at the Brewers' training facility in Arizona rehabbing a shoulder injury.

Idaho Falls Chukars
MLB Parent Club: Kansas City Royals
2010 record: 27-49
2011 manager: Brian Buchanan (second season)
Outlook: The Chukars had the worst record in the Pioneer League last season, a result of league-low rankings in hitting and pitching. Idaho Falls hit just .260 and scored 376 runs, the third-fewest in the league. Its ERA was a league-worst 5.30. The rotation could get a boost this year from Kellen Moen, a seventh-round pick in the June Draft out of Oregon. Rich Espy, chosen in the 15th round from UCLA, was also named to the Opening Day roster. Espy led the Bruins with a .320 batting average, and drove in 40 runs. Brian Buchanan is back for his second season as manager. He will again be joined by second-year pitching coach Jerry Nyman, as well as first-year hitting coach Omar Ramirez.

Missoula Osprey
MLB Parent Club: Arizona Diamondbacks
2010 record: 28-47
2011 manager: Hector De La Cruz (second season)
Outlook: As many as 10 veterans are expected to return for manager Hector De La Cruz, who is in his 11th season with the organization and his second as manager in Missoula. Pitcher Robby Rowland, a second-round Draft choice by the Diamondbacks in 2010, expects to headline the rotation and is already penciled in to be the starter for the season opener versus Helena. The 6-foot-6 Rowland went 4-6 with a 5.67 ERA in 14 starts last year. Fans should also be eager to again see infielder Eric Groff, who hit .281 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs with the Osprey. Groff was called up to Triple-A Reno late last season. He is the only player in team history to hit three home runs in a game.

Ogden Raptors
MLB Parent Club: Los Angeles Dodgers
2010 record: 44-31
2011 manager: Damon Berryhill (third season)
Outlook: The Raptors won the South division in both halves of the 2010 season, and they finished with the second-best record in the Pioneer League at 44-31. They couldn't cap it with a title, though, losing in two games to Helena in the best-of-three championship series after beating rival Orem in the first round. Ogden's roster for 2011 is already ripe with high Draft picks. Fifth-round choice Scott McGough, a pitcher from Oregon, is the highest selection on the team. Infielder Scott Woodward, a seventh-round selection out of Coastal Carolina, is with the Raptors, as are pitcher Rick Anton (eighth round, Utah) and outfielder James Baldwin (fourth round 2010, Pinehurst High School, N.C.). Baldwin hit .274 in the Arizona League last summer.

Orem Owlz
MLB Parent Club: Los Angeles Angels
2010 record: 39-36
2011 manager: Tom Kotchman (seventh season)
Outlook: Tom Kotchman is a fixture in the Angels organization: 2011 marks his 28th season as a manager in its farm system. Kotchman has delivered three Pioneer League titles in six years with the Owlz, and the team has finished no worse than second in the second-half portion of any season in that span. Kotchman has guided the team to six consecutive playoff appearances. Outfielder Andrew Ray, a fifth-round Draft choice out of Northeast Texas Community College, is an intriguing prospect. He is said to hit for average (he hit .381 the past season) and power (he can put the ball in either gap) and has a good arm. Ray was an infielder in college, but he projects to play left field with the Owlz.