R-Phils Open the 2011 Season Tonight in Portland

The Reading Phillies open the 2011 season tonight in Portland, ME, as they face the Portland Sea Dogs in an exciting four-game series. Last season, the Sea Dogs won 10 of the 14 meetings against the R-Phils and posted an 8-1 mark against the R-Phils at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Tonight, R-Phils RHP Josh Zeid (NR) looks to get the R-Phils in the win column on Opening Night. Zeid, 24, spent the entire 2010 campaign in Lakewood and posted an 8-4 record with a 2.93 ERA in 43 games (12 starts). A native of New Haven, CT, Zeid is ranked as the 23rd-best prospect in the Phillies organization by Baseball America.

Last season Zeid was 2-2 with a 2.83 ERA as a starter (12 games) and 6-2 with a 3.06 ERA as a reliever (31 games). He earned Phillies Minor League Player of the Month honors in April after posting an impressive 2-0 mark with a 0.00 ERA in 9 games. He’ll look to get Reading in the win column tonight in Portland.

On the hill for the Sea Dogs tonight will be RHP Alex Wilson (NR), who will make the Opening Night start. Wilson, a product of Texas A&M, went 4-5 with a 6.66 ERA last season for the Sea Dogs. He began the 2010 season with Salem and went 2-1 with a 3.40 ERA in 11 starts. Ranked as the 19-best prospect in the Red Sox organization, Wilson, 24, was a Carolina League All-Star last season.

Matt Rizzotti, who will begin the season with Reading, enjoyed hitting against the Sea Dogs last season. Rizzotti, 25, hit .321 with three home runs and 10 RBIs over seven games last season against Portland. R-Phils OF Michael Spidale also enjoyed success against the Sea Dogs in 2010. Spidale hit .463 in 11 games.

Join R-Phils play-by-play broadcaster Brian Seltzer beginning at 5:30 p.m. for the R-Phisl pre-game show on ESPN Radio 1240 AM WIOV for all of tonight’s action. Fans can also listen live online at www.readingphillies.com.