Shorebirds "Break Camp Roster" for 2013
Salisbury, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds, class "A" affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are excited to announce the "Break Camp Roster" for the 2013 season. The roster is highlighted by the Orioles' second round pick from 2012, Branden Kline, and the third round pick from a year ago, Adrian Marin.
Seven players on the Break Camp Roster are ranked in Baseball America's top 30 prospects in the Orioles farm system. The seven are Branden Kline (9th), Adrian Marin (10th), Christian Walker (12th), Torsten Boss (15th), Josh Hader (19th), Parker Bridwell (23rd) and Gregory Lorenzo (29th).
The Break Camp Roster includes 14 players that have appeared in at least one game for the Shorebirds in past years: Parker Bridwell, Miguel Chalas, Mychal Givens, Juan Guzman, Matt Hobgood, Williams Louico, Jose Nivar, Matt Taylor, Wynston Sawyer, Anthony Caronia, Adrian Marin, Roderick Bernadina and Gregory Lorenzo.
The roster, which currently has 28 players listed, will be cut to the South Atlantic League maximum of 25 by the Shorebirds home opener on Thursday, April 4 against the Hagerstown Suns.
Below is a position-by-position look at the 2013 Shorebirds "Break Camp Roster".
PITCHERS
The current roster features 15 pitchers, seven of which have made at least one appearance for the Shorebirds. The top prospect among them is University of Virginia standout Branden Kline, the ninth best prospect in the system according to Baseball America. Kline made four starts for the Aberdeen Ironbirds last season after being drafted by the Orioles in the second round (65th overall). He went 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in the New-York Penn League. A former All-Met pitcher at Govenor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Maryland, Kline went 7-3 with a 3.56 ERA in 15 starts for Virginia last year. Another top prospect and local product on the staff is Josh Hader, 18th in the system according to Baseball America. Hader, 18, was selected in the 19th round of the 2012 draft out of Old Mill High School in Millersville, Maryland. He posted a 10-0 record with a 0.39 ERA in his senior season. In his first professional season with the Orioles, Hader went 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in 17 appearances between the GCL Orioles and Aberdeen.
The staff also features two other top ten round picks from 2012, right-hander Matt Price and right-hander Brady Wager. Price, who won back-to-back national titles at South Carolina in 2010 and 2011, was selected in the seventh round last season. A four-year player at South Carolina, Price accumulated 43 career saves and finished with a 2.76 career ERA in 102 appearances. He did not make his professional debut in 2012 due to shoulder tightness. Wager, 22, was drafted in the ninth round last year. In his first professional season, he went 0-4 with a 4.81 ERA in 12 outings between the GCL Orioles and Aberdeen. Wager, a Glendale, Arizona native, played his college baseball at Grand Canyon University. He was a two-time Second Team All-Pacific West Conference member.
After being drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft and pitching for the Shorebirds in 2010, Matt Hobgood returns to the club in 2013. Hobgood did not pitch in 2012 due to injury. In 2010 with the Shorebirds, Hobgood went 3-7 with a 4.40 ERA in 21 starts. In 2011, he split time between the Aberdeen and the GCL Orioles.
Two former Shorebirds position players will pitch for the Shorebirds this season. Tommy Winegardner was converted to a pitcher last season after playing 28 games as a second baseman and shortstop for the Shorebirds. He made his professional pitching debut on June 19 in Aberdeen. In 19 appearances, he went 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA and converted ten of 11 save opportunities. In 20 total innings for the Ironbirds, he allowed only 10 hits. Mychal Givens, who has played in 164 games as a position player for the Shorebirds over parts of three seasons, will make his professional pitching debut for the Shorebirds this year. The 22-year old was drafted as a shortstop in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. Givens does have significant pitching experience. In his final year at Plant HS, he struck out 113 batters in just 78 innings pitched.
The staff will also include six pitchers that made appearances for the Shorebirds in 2012. Parker Bridwell, who will be the opening day starter for the Shorebirds this year, made 22 starts for the Shorebirds in 2012 and went 5-9 with a 5.98 ERA. The Hereford, Texas native was drafted in the ninth round of the 2010 draft. Left-hander Matt Taylor will also return to the Shorebirds in 2013. In 2012, he went 5-7 with a 4.33 ERA in 23 appearances. Taylor, a fifth round pick in 2011, missed the final month of the season due to injury. Miguel Chalas, a full-time starter from a year ago, returns for a second season with the Shorebirds. In 21 starts, he went 9-8 with a 5.02 ERA. Williams Louico, 22, returns for a second season on Delmarva. In 12 starts and 23 outings last year, he went 0-7 with a 6.06 ERA. Juan Guzman and Jose Nivar will also return to the Shorebirds this season.
Kevin Jacob, a Baltimore, Md. product and Parkview High School graduate, signed with the Orioles in 2013 and will pitch for the Shorebirds this season. He played his college baseball at Georgia Tech and then played two seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. The final pitcher is Mark Blackmar, the Orioles 16th round pick in 2011. The 20-year old went 4-3 with a 3.57 ERA in Aberdeen last season.
CATCHERS
The Shorebirds "Break Camp Roster" will carry three catchers. Wynston Sawyer, the Orioles eighth round pick in 2010, returns for a second season. The 21-year old batted .221 in 86 games for the Shorebirds last season. The San Diego native will enter his fourth professional season this year. Chase Weems, who signed with the Orioles in 2012, will catch for the Shorebirds this season. Weems was selected in the sixth round of the 2007 draft by the Yankees out of Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia. He played two seasons in the South Atlantic League for the Charleston RiverDogs (2008 & 2009). Weems hit .190 in 11 games for Aberdeen last year. Pedro Perez, an international free agent signee in 2008, will also serve as a catcher for the Shorebirds this year. He batted .107 in eight games for the Ironbirds last season.
INFIELDERS
The Shorebirds infield could be the strong suit of the club in 2013. Six of the seven infielders were drafted last year and three of the seven rank in the top 30 Orioles prospects according to Baseball America. Adrian Marin, who played in six games for the Shorebirds at the end of 2012, will start 2013 on Delmarva. He held his own as an 18-year old going 6-for-21 (.286) in the six games. He did not commit an error at shortstop in 22 chances. Marin played in 47 games with the GCL Orioles prior to joining Delmarva. Christian Walker, a college teammate of Matt Price at South Carolina, was the Orioles fourth round pick in 2012. Walker, the 12th best prospect in the system, batted .284 in Aberdeen last season. At South Carolina, Walker earned second team ABCA All-America honors in 2012. He led the Gamecocks with a .321 batting average and also blasted 11 home runs with a .450 on-base percentage. Torsten Boss, the Orioles 8th round pick in 2012 out of Michigan State, is the 15th best prospect in the system according to Baseball America. Boss batted .257 with five home runs and 27 RBIs in 65 games last season in Aberdeen. Last year, Boss become the first Michigan State third baseman to be receive All-Big Ten honors three times. Over three season with Michigan State, Boss hit .338 with 18 home runs.
Joel Hutter, the Orioles tenth round pick in 2012 out of Dallas Baptist, will make his South Atlantic League debut this season. Hutter batted .257 in Aberdeen last year which included a 13-game hit streak. The New-York Penn League All Star was named the Ironbirds team MVP.
Creede Simpson, the Orioles 25th rounder in 2012 out of Auburn University, joins the Shorebirds infield. Simpson, 23, batted .234 with five homers for the Ironbirds last season. In 2012 at Auburn, he batted .315 with three home runs and 40 runs-batted-in. Simpson ranked second in the SEC with 25 stolen bases.
Anthony Caronia, who played in seven games for the Shorebirds last season, will start the season with the Shorebirds in 2013. Caronia, who was drafted in the 27th round in 2012 out of Central Florida, played across three levels last season. In 33 games in Aberdeen, he hit .233.
Nik Balog, who signed a free agent deal with the Orioles in 2012 out of the University of San Francisco, is the final infielder. The 23-year old tore apart the New-York Penn League last season, batting .376 in 28 for the Ironbirds.
OUTFIELD
The Shorebirds outfield features three players, two of whom played for the Shorebirds towards the end of 2012. Gregory Lorenzo, the 29th best prospect in the chain, batted .333 in 19 games for the Shorebirds last season. Roderick Bernadina, the 31st ranked prospect in the Orioles system, batted .298 in 31 games for the Shorebirds last season.
The newcomer in the outfield is Anthony Vega, the Orioles 30th round pick in 2012 from Manhattan College. Vega hit .194 in his professional debut last with the Ironbirds. In 2012 at Manhattan College, Vega led the Jaspers to a second straight MAAC Championship. He batted .326 with five home runs and 41 RBIs and was named First Team All-MAAC.
The Shorebirds open the 2013 season with an exhibition game against Salisbury University on April 2 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm. The home opener is Thursday, April 4 at 7:05pm against the Hagerstown Suns.