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MLB

JetHawks Announce 2012 Roster

Team includes two former first round picks and 11 returning players
By
April 4, 2012

(LANCASTER, CA) - The Houston Astros have assigned 26 players to the Lancaster JetHawks to start the 2012 season. Top outfield prospects George Springer and Domingo Santana highlight a roster that features 11 returning JetHawks players.

Springer, the Astros first round pick in 2011 (11th overall), is ranked by Baseball America as the second best prospect in the Astros organization. The former University of Connecticut star was tabbed as one of the most athletic outfielders in last year's draft. The Astros acquired Santana last summer in the trade that sent outfielder Hunter Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Astros 2009 first round pick Jiovanni Mier and 2009 third round pick Jonathan Meyer return to the JetHawks left side of the infield. Mier, who was born in Pomona, batted .233 in 57 games for Lancaster last season after being called up from Lexington. Meyer, a Simi Valley native, played in 130 games for the JetHawks last season. Other infielders include San Diego State product Erik Castro and University of Arizona product Rafael Valenzuela.

The pitching staff will feature a bullpen that includes Kirk Clark and Jorge De Leon. Clark recorded 19 saves and appeared in 53 games as the JetHawks closer in 2011. De Leon, a right-hander from the Dominican Republic, had 16 saves and a 3.42 ERA for Lexington last season. The 2012 pitching staff also includes returnees Bobby Doran, Zach Grimmett, Wes Musick, Jose Trinidad, and Andrew Robinson. Robinson comes back to Lancaster after finishing the 2011 season at Double-A Corpus Christi. Left-hander Patrick Urckfitz returns after ending 2011 with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Catchers Rene Garcia and Ben Heath both return to handle the JetHawks pitching rotation. Both players split time behind the plate for the JetHawks last season. They are joined by Ryan McCurdy who batted .324 in 32 games with Tri-City in the short-season New York Penn League in 2011.

New manager Rodney Linares will lead a roster that includes 11 players that finished the season with him in Lexington in 2011. Darryl Robinson returns for his fourth year as JetHawks hitting coach and Don Alexander is back as the team's pitching coach after spending 2011 as the pitching coach in Corpus Christi.

The JetHawks open the 2012 season on Thursday at High Desert. They return to Lancaster for the home opener on Thursday, April 12 against the Lake Elsinore Storm.

Great JetHawks ticket packages and single game tickets are on sale now. Special group discounts are also available. For more information please visit www.jethawks.com or call the JetHawks box office at (661) 726-5400.