Huntsville Stars Preliminary 2013 Roster Announced
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Milwaukee Brewers released the Huntsville Stars 2013 Opening Day preliminary roster this past weekend, just a few days prior to the Stars season opener on April 4 in Chattanooga. There are 9 returning players from 2012, including Brewers top 10 prospect (per MLB.com) and University of Alabama standout hurler Jimmy Nelson (#8). Along with Nelson, two other Brewers top 20 prospects will be in Huntsville, including pitchers Taylor Jungmann (#2) and Ariel Pena (#20).
The only returning member infield from last year is T.J Mittelstaedt. He'll be joined by first basemen Jason Rogers, shortstop Nick Shaw, third basemen Mike Walker and utility infielders Ozzie Chavez and Shea Vucinich. This will be the third stint in Huntsville for Chavez, as he played for the Stars in both 2006 and 2008. Walker, who participated in the 2013 World Baseball Classic for Australia, spent all of last year with Brevard County. In 2012, the 23-year-old finished among the top 5 in the Brewers system with 15 home runs and 72 runs batted in. Rogers, who split his time last year with Wisconsin (A-) and Brevard County (A+), was a Brewers Organizational All-Star in 2012 after he ranked fifth in the system with a .301 batting average. Vucinich and Shaw both played all of 2012 with Brevard County (A+).
Kentrail Davis and Brock Kjeldgaard will be back patrolling the outfield along with Rene Tosoni. Davis, one of two supplemental first round draft picks for the Brewers in 2009, hit .274 with a team-leading seven triples in 122 games with the Stars last season. Kjeldgaard spent much of the last year on the disabled list with various ailments that included a broken thumb, hit .234 with eight home runs and 29 runs batted in during his 38 games with the Stars in 2012. The lone newcomer, Tosoni, a former Twins farmhand who played briefly in the big leagues with Minnesota in 2011, posted a .203 batting average with five home runs in 60 career MLB games. The starting outfielder for Team Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic spent last year splitting time between New Britain (AA) and Rochester (AAA).
To start the season, the Stars will carry three catchers. Returning behind the dish will be Adam Weisenburger, who will be joined by Robinson Diaz and Shawn Zarraga. Diaz, most recently in the Rangers organization, has played 41 big league games for two teams as he enters the 10th year of his professional baseball career.
With the previously mentioned Nelson and Pena, Brian Garman, Johnnie Lowe, Santo Manzanillo and R.J Seidel will return to the pitching staff in 2012. Along with Jungmann, Greg Holle, Thomas Keeling, Arcenio Leon, Casey Medlen, Andy Moye and Alan Williams will join the Stars pitching staff this season. Leon is the lone new hurler not to come from Brevard County (A+), as he spent 2012 in the Astors organzation, going 3-2 with a 4.38 ERA in 44 appearances with Corpus Christi (AA). The Stars active roster currently sits at 25 players, which is the Southern League maximum.
Before Thursday's opener, the Stars will send an official roster out to the Southern League and media. The Stars begin the 2013 campaign on the road on for five games, but return to "The Joe" on Wednesday, April 10 to open up their home slate against the Jacksonville Suns for a five-game series immediately followed by a five games against the Tennessee Smokies! For more information on the Huntsville Stars, visit huntsvillestars.com or call (256) 882-2562.