Appalachian League preview

Bluefield Orioles
2007 Results: 32-36
2008 Manager: Orlando Gomez
Things to look forward to: Orlando Gomez enters his first season as manager in Bluefield. Gomez managed the Gulf Coast League Orioles last season and has managing experience dating back to 1977 in several different leagues, including the Northwest League, the Texas League and the South Atlantic League. ... The Orioles will celebrate Military Appreciation Night and Little League Night back to back on June 24-25 against Elizabethton. ... Second baseman Buck Britton and pitcher Conrad Orman may be in their first season in Bluefield, but the experience isn't that unfamiliar for them. Britton's older brother and Orman's uncle previously suited up for the Orioles.

Bristol Sox
2007 Results: 25-43
2008 Manager: Bobby Thigpen
Things to look forward to: Bobby Thigpen returns for his second season in the Bristol dugout. ... The Sox will host Fireworks Night July 5 against Elizabethton. ... Bristol will hold a 60's/70's Music and Dress Contest during the August 15 game with Princeton. ... The Sox will also celebrate E.M.T. Night (June 23), Veterans Night (July 4), Health Care Workers Night (July 17), Fire Fighters Night (August 4) and Law Enforcement Night (August 12) during the season. ... Garrett Johnson, a 6-foot-10 southpaw, returns to the Bristol rotation. ... Justin Greene, a 20th-round pick out of Francis Marion University, will lead the Sox outfield. Greene hit .384 for the Division II Patriots and graduated as the school's all-time leader in runs scored.

Burlington Royals
2007 Results: 38-30
2008 Manager: Tony Tijerina
Things to look forward to: Tony Tijerina takes the helm in Burlington after managing the Texas League's Wichita Wranglers (now the Northwest Arkansas Naturals) last season. Wichita finished in last place under Tijerina, who also has experience managing in the South Atlantic League, New York-Penn League and Florida State League. ... The Royals will host the Hillbilly Olympics June 30 when they battle Elizabethton. ... Burlington will celebrate July 4 with fireworks after the game against Johnson City. ... Outfielders Allen Caldwell, a 12th-round selection from Spartanburg Methodist Junior College, and Carlo Testa, an 18th-round pick from Belmont, lead Burlington's roster. Both had experience as pitchers in college but are focusing full-time as hitters for the Royals. ... O.D. Gonzalez is Burlington's elder statesman. The 23-year-old is in his fourth season of professional ball, but his first as a pitcher after converting from the outfield.

Danville Braves
2007 Results: 48-20
2008 Manager: Paul Runge
Things to look forward to: Paul Runge will be in the Danville dugout for the fourth straight season and fifth overall. Runge, a former Braves' infielder, has also managed Braves affiliates in the Pioneer League, Carolina League and Southern League. ... The Braves are looking to win their fifth consecutive East Division title. They have won one Appalachian League Championship in the last three years, losing twice to Elizabethton in the playoffs. ... Danville will host its Fireworks Extravaganza July 3 following a game against Burlington. ... The Danville rotation will boast Casey Hodges, a 23rd-round pick who started and won the Division II national championship game for Mount Olive. Hodges, the son of former New York Met Ron Hodges, went 10-1 with a 2.53 ERA for the Trojans in his senior season.

Elizabethton Twins
2007 Results: 50-18
2008 Manager: Ray Smith
Things to look forward to: Six-time Appalachian League manager Ray Smith returns to Elizabethton for his 14th season with the club. Smith has won 540 games and six championships with the Twins dating back to 1987. ... The Twins will look to win their third Appalachian League title in four seasons after sweeping Danville in the championship series last season. ... Elizabethton is trying for its 19th consecutive winning season. ... Right-handed fireballer Bobby Lanigan, a third-round pick out of Adelphi University, headlines the Twins' 2008 roster. The 6-foot-5 Lanigan went 4-4 with a 1.93 ERA as a junior for the Division II Panthers. ... Lanigan will be joined in the rotation by southpaw Blake Martin, a 17th-round selection out of LSU, and Steve Blevins, a 21st-round pick out of Marshall.

Greeneville Astros
2007 Results: 17-51
2008 Manager: Rodney Linares
Things to look forward to: Rodney Linares returns for his second season as Greeneville's manager. ... The Astros will launch fireworks following every Friday home game, starting with the home opener June 20. They'll celebrate Independence Day a night early with fireworks July 3 following a contest with Elizabethton. In all, Pioneer Park will have seven fireworks shows, tops in the Appalachian League. ... Greeneville will have a Ripley's Believe it or Not display at its June 24 game with Johnson City. ... The Astros will continue their 11E series with Johnson City. Greeneville has won the season-long, nine-game series three of the four years it has been played. ... The Astros' roster could boast three top Draft picks. First-round pick Jason Castro, a catcher from Stanford, may arrive in Greeneville fresh from Omaha when the Cardinals complete play at the College World Series. Second-round picks Jordan Lyles, a pitcher out of Hartsville, S.C., and Jay Austin, an outfielder from Atlanta, are on Greeneville's Opening Day roster.

Johnson City Cardinals
2007 Results: 28-40
2008 Manager: Joe Almaraz
Things to look forward to: Joe Almaraz is back for a second season as Johnson City manager. Almaraz won an Appalachian League title with Bluefield in 2001 and a Pioneer League championship with the Missoula Osprey in 1999. ... The first 200 fans at the Cardinals' June 20 home opener against Kingsport will receive T-shirts that bear the team's 2008 slogan: "Get Real. Go Red!" ... Howard Johnson Field will host a Little League Home Run Derby June 22 before the game with the K-Mets. ... The Cardinals and Greeneville Astros will continue their 11E series for the fifth straight year. The series consists of nine regular-season tilts between these eastern Tennessee rivals. Johnson City won six of nine last season to take the series for the first time. ... Pitcher Matt Frevert, a 28th-round pick out of Missouri State, will help lead the Cardinals' bullpen. Frevert had eight saves in his junior season for the Bears to go along with a 6-1 record.

Kingsport Mets
2007 Results: 35-33
2008 Manager: Nick Leyva
Things to look forward to: Nick Leyva takes over for Donovan Mitchell as the manager in Kingsport. Leyva managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989-1991 and served as the Milwaukee Brewers' third-base coach last season. Leyva also has experience in the Appalachian League, having led the Bristol Sox to the 2002 league championship... The Mets' roster is headlined by catcher Charles "Dock" Doyle, a fifth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina. Doyle's team-leading .370 average and 72 RBIs helped lead the Chanticleers to the College World Series. ... Also heading to Kingsport is outfielder Seth Williams, a 40th-round pick. Williams' North Carolina Tar Heels knocked Doyle and Coastal Carolina out of the College World Series, thanks in part to a home run by Williams in Game One.

Princeton Devil Rays
2007 Results: 33-35
2008 Manager: Joe Szekely
Things to look forward to: Joe Szekely takes the reigns of the P-Rays after one season at Vero Beach of the Florida State League. ... The Devil Rays will hold four separate bobblehead nights to celebrate former Princeton stars Jonny Gomes (June 27), Josh Hamilton (July 10), Jason Pridie (July 22) and General Manager Jim Holland (August 7). ... Princeton will also give away Carl Crawford action figures (June 18) and Rocco Baldelli figurines (June 23). ... Admission to the P-Rays' home opener will be free of charge. ... Princeton returns 14 players from last year's squad, including Eli Sonoqui and Justin Reynolds. ... Jeremy Beckham, the brother of top overall pick Tim Beckham and an 18th-round pick, will man second base for the Devil Rays. ... Outfielder Brian Bryles, a 12th-round pick out of high school in Arkansas, will also start in Princeton.

Pulaski Mariners
2007 Results: N/A
2008 Manager: Rob Mummau
Things to look forward to: Rob Mummau will lead the Mariners. It will be the first managing job for Mummau, a long-time Minor Leaguer in the Toronto system. ... After a one-year hiatus, Pulaski returns to the Appalachian League, boasting a new affiliation with the Seattle Mariners. ... Outfielder Jacob Shaffer, taken in the 15th round out of Northern Kentucky, pitcher Jordan Alvis, selected in the 21st round from Middle Tennessee State, and left-hander Nick Czyz, chosen in the 35th round from Kansas, highlight the Mariners' inaugural roster. Shaffer hit .331 with 39 RBIs and 15 stolen bases for the Division II Norse. Alvis, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, went 6-2 for the Blue Raiders as a junior in 2008. The southpaw Czyz finished 2-7 for the Jayhawks his junior season.