San Jose Giants Announce 2012 Roster
Panik and Susac, drafted in the first and second rounds respectively last year by the San Francisco Giants, headline the group of position players that will start the season in San Jose. Panik, a shortstop, won the Northwest League Most Valuable Player award last year with the Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes after hitting .341 with six home runs and 54 RBI's in 69 games. He led the league in batting average, RBI's, runs scored, hits and on-base percentage. Panik also starred in the Arizona Fall League at the conclusion of last season participating in the AFL Rising Stars Game. Susac, a catcher, will be making his professional debut this season after a standout collegiate career at Oregon State University. Susac earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 recognition last spring after leading OSU in home runs. Both Panik and Susac received non-roster invitations to major league spring training this year.
San Jose's talented lineup also includes third baseman Adam Duvall and first baseman Ricky Oropesa. Duvall slugged 22 home runs and hit .285 with the Low-A Augusta GreenJackets last season en route to garnering midseason and postseason South Atlantic League All-Star honors. He ranked tied for third in the league in RBI's (87) and tied for fifth in home runs. Oropesa, a third round selection in last year's draft, led the University of Southern California in home runs during all three years of his collegiate career. Oropesa will make his professional debut this year with the San Jose Giants.
Seven hitters that played for San Jose last season have returned to the club this year. Jarrett Parker and Ryan Lollis are expected to play leading roles in the Giants outfield. Parker, a second round pick in 2010, was among the team leaders in home runs (13), RBI's (61) and stolen bases (20) a season ago. Lollis led Augusta in hitting with a .314 batting average last year after playing briefly in San Jose early in the season.
First baseman Luke Anders, second baseman Carter Jurica and utility player Alex Burg will enter this year with substantial California League experience. Anders hit 13 home runs last season as the Giants' primary first baseman while Jurica, a former third round draft pick, is expected to shift to second base after serving as San Jose's opening day starter at shortstop in 2011. Burg, who made starts at catcher, first base, third base and in the outfield last year, was tied for second on the team with 14 home runs to go with a .298 batting average. Reserve infielders Juan Ciriaco and Bobby Haney have also returned to the Giants.
Outfielders Devin Harris and Chris Lofton have joined San Jose after spending all of last season with Augusta. The power-hitting Harris belted 15 home runs last year while Lofton ranked second on the club with 22 stolen bases. Catchers Jeff Arnold and Dan Burkhart have also joined the Giants.
San Jose's starting rotation is expected to be led by newcomers Shawn Sanford and Taylor Rogers. Sanford was named the South Atlantic League Most Outstanding Pitcher last season while serving as the ace of Augusta's staff. The right-hander ranked second in the league in ERA (2.55) and fourth in wins (10) while possessing a nearly 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Rogers also starred with the GreenJackets last year as he won a league-best 12 games and fashioned a 2.91 ERA.
Ryan Bradley, Justin Schumer and Jack Snodgrass round out the Giants starting rotation. Bradley was a key member of Augusta's staff last season posting a 3.17 ERA after the All-Star break, primarily as a starter, while Schumer pitched for both the GreenJackets and Double-A Richmond in 2011. Snodgrass was one of Salem-Keizer's top pitchers last summer notching a 3.59 ERA in his rookie professional season.
Returnee Stephen Harrold and newcomers Seth Rosin and Josh Osich should anchor the San Jose bullpen. Harrold was a dominant closer with Augusta last year racking up 16 saves and a 1.54 ERA to earn midseason All-Star honors. He finished the season with San Jose before a successful stint in the Arizona Fall League. Rosin owned a 3.34 ERA and averaged over a strikeout per inning with the GreenJackets. Osich was one of the top hurlers in the Pac-10 last spring while pitching for Oregon State and will be making his professional debut this year.
Other newcomers to the pitching staff include Drew Bowlin, Edward Concepcion, Phil McCormick and Luis Rojas. Jose Valdez and Chris Wilson also return after both pitched out of the Giants bullpen last season.
The 25 active player roster will be determined on April 5 from this preliminary roster.
Andy Skeels returns to manage the San Jose Giants after leading the club during the 2009 and 2011 seasons. Skeels has won two league championships in four years as a manager, claiming the 2008 South Atlantic League title as skipper of the Augusta GreenJackets and the 2009 California League crown with San Jose. Under Skeels' leadership, the Giants have enjoyed two of the finest seasons in franchise history. The 2009 squad set a team record with 93 victories en route to the championship before a 90-win campaign last year that resulted in a playoff berth. MiLB.com honored the 2011 club as the Class A Advanced Team of the Year. Skeels' two-year managerial record with San Jose is a remarkable 183-97 (.654). The former catcher spent 12 years playing professional baseball with the Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees organizations advancing as high as Triple-A.
Hitting coach Gary Davenport, pitching coach Steve Kline, athletic trainer Dave Getsoff and strength and conditioning coach Dustin Brooks round out the San Jose staff.
Fans can meet the 2012 players and coaches at the 4th Annual San Jose Giants FanFest on Tuesday, April 3 at Municipal Stadium from 5:30-8:30 PM. Skeels and all of his players and coaches will be available to sign autographs, pose for pictures and answer questions as part of a "Meet-and-Greet." Fans will also have the opportunity to watch the team practice beginning at 7:00 PM, enjoy their first bite of Turkey Mike's BBQ this season, purchase new merchandise and play in the Family Fun Zone. Admission and parking are free. Those interested in becoming new season ticket holders are invited to come down to Municipal Stadium during FanFest to select their seat locations.
The 11-time California League champion San Jose Giants begin their 2012 season on Thursday, April 5 at Modesto. The home opener at Municipal Stadium is scheduled for Thursday, April 12 against the Bakersfield Blaze. The Opening Night extravaganza will include a postgame fireworks display presented by State Farm, 2012 magnet schedule giveaway, Alaska Airlines Thundersticks for the first 1,000 fans and the return of Gigante. For more information on tickets, please call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com