Tennessee Smokies release roster

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Smokies have released their 24 man roster for the 2005 season. The young roster consists of 12 pitcher and 12 position players, only one of whom is older than 25. Manager Tony Perezchica and the Smokies open Southern League play Thursday at 5:05 p.m. eastern at Mobile.

Highlighting the roster are three of the Diamondbacks top prospects, one pitcher with big league experience, and four members of Arizona's 40-man roster.

Pitcher Casey Daigle, 24, was on the Diamondbacks opening day roster last season and made ten starts (2-3, 7.16) before being sent to Triple A Tucson. Daigle and pitcher Mike Schultz are the only Smokies that played at Triple A in 2004.

All of the players are new to Smokies Park, and mostly new to the Southern League, as none of them played in the circuit last year. Fourteen played at the Double A level last year with the El Paso Diablos of the Texas League.

Pitchers Enrique Gonzales, Tony Pena, and Justin Wechsler are on Arizona's 40-man, along with outfielder Marland Williams.

The Smokies roster features three of the Diamondbacks Top 10 prospects, as rated by Baseball America. Outfielder Jon Zeringue (#4), third baseman Jamie D'Antona (#8), Tony Pena (#9) are all in the top ten. Pitcher Enrique Gonzalez (#15), outfielders Williams (#21), and Jared Ball (#23), and catcher Phil Avlas (#24) round out the remainder of the top prospects.

The Smokies open the 2005 season in a rematch of the Championship Series that never happened, Thursday at 5:00 p.m. eastern against the Mobile BayBears. Mobile and Tennessee were slated to meet for the Southern League championship last September, but the series was cancelled due to Hurricane Ivan.

Tony Perezchica will put his team through light workouts Tuesday afternoon (5:30-7:00) and Wednesday morning (10-11) before departing for Mobile. Both workouts are open to the public.

The Smokies home opener is Friday, April 15 against Mobile at Smokies Park. For tickets, call 865-286-2300.