Drillers Opening Day roster set

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa Drillers 24-man roster for the start of the 2008 Texas League season has been set for manager Stu Cole. The squad has an average age of 23.7 and includes 11 players that have played previously for the Drillers.

The roster is highlighted by five players that made Baseball America's list of Top 10 Prospects for the Colorado Rockies' Minor League system: outfielder Dexter Fowler (#3), shortstop Chris Nelson (#7), starting pitcher Brandon Hynick (#8) and relief pitchers Casey Weathers (#6) and Pedro Strop (#9).

The players returning to Tulsa include pitchers Adam Bright, Matt Daley, Jarrett Grube, Alan Johnson, Ching-Lung Lo and Ryan Mattheus. Returning position players are infielders Jeff Dragicevich, Duke Sardinha and Corey Wimberly and outfielder Matt Miller.

On paper, speed appears to be a common characteristic for the squad. Fowler, Nelson and Wimberly all stole at least 20 bases last season, while second baseman Eric Young Jr. tallied a California League-leading 73 steals for Class A Advanced Modesto. Young is the son of former Major Leaguer Eric Young.

First baseman Jeff Kindel completes the group of infielders, while Daniel Carte and Justin Nelson fill the other two outfield slots.

Catching duties will be handled by Neil Wilson and Brian Esposito.

Hynick, Johnson and Lo will be joined in the starting pitching rotation by Xavier Cedeno and Tomas Santiago. Hynick led the California League last season with 16 wins and a 2.52 ERA, while Johnson was a combined 16-7 between Modesto and Tulsa. The right-hander did not allow a run in two starts for the Drillers.

Mattheus moves to the bullpen this season after making 26 starts for Tulsa in 2007, while Bright returns to his role has a left-hander reliever.

Strop is a hard-throwing former infielder who collected 75 strikeouts in 55 innings for Modesto last year.

Weathers was Colorado's first-round pick (8th overall) last summer out of Vanderbilt.

Completing the bullpen will be Luis Gonzalez, who split time between Double A Jacksonville and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2007. The lefthander has made 53 appearances in Triple-A over the last three seasons.

The Drillers defeated Birmingham on Friday in Tucson, Ariz. in their next-to-last exhibition game this spring. On Saturday, they will face Triple-A Colorado Springs before departing for Tulsa.

The Drillers are slated to open the 2008 regular season on Thursday, April 3 in Corpus Christi against the Hooks. Following a six-game road trip, Tulsa will play its home opener at Drillers Stadium on Thursday, April 10 against the Hooks.