Live from Opening Night...

(photo by John Lembo)

The black and yellow B painted behind home plate means only one thing:

McKechnie Field once again belongs to the Marauders.

This is John Lembo, blogging live from the locals' home-opener tonight against the St. Lucie Mets.

Here are the lineups:

METS

Daniel Muno, 2b

Darrell Ceciliani, cf

Cory Vaughn, lf

Wilmer Flores, 3b

Richard Lucas, 1b

Cesar Puello, rf

Rafael Fernandez, dh

Francisco Pena, c

Wilfredo Tovar, ss

Cory Mazzoni, p

MARAUDERS

Gift Ngoepe, ss

Drew Maggi, 2b

Evan Chambers, cf

Alex Dickerson, 1b

Stefan Welch, 3b

Mel Rojas Jr. rf

Daniel Grovatt, lf

Carlos Paulino, c

Wes Freeman, dh

Colton Cain, p

Double-A Altoona's roster packed with 2011 Marauders

(photo by John Lembo) Outfielder Robbie Grossman is one of 12 players now with Double-A Altoona who spent at least part of last season with the Marauders.
The rest are listed below:

PITCHERS
Nathan Baker
Ryan Beckman
Vic Black
Brandon Cumpton
Matt McSwain
Duke Welker

INFIELDERS
Kelson Brown
Jarek Cunningham
Elevys Gonzalez

OUTFIELDERS
Robbie Grossman
Aldaberto Santos

CATCHERS
Ramon Cabrera

2012 Bradenton Marauders roster

PITCHERS
Name No. Last year’s team Acquired
Colton Cain 48 West Virginia 8th-round pick in ‘09
Gerrit Cole 28 UCLA 1st-round pick in ‘11
Zach Foster 17 West Virginia/Bradenton 49th-round pick in ‘08
Porfirio Lopez 34 West Virginia/Bradenton free agent
Quinton Miller 45 Bradenton 20th-round pick in ‘08
Elecier Navarro 23 West Virginia/Bradenton free agent
Jhonathan Ramos 44 West Virginia/Bradenton free agent
Casey Sadler 36 West Virginia 25th-round pick in ‘10
Hunter Strickland 27 Injured 18th-round pick in ‘07
Jameson Taillon 19 West Virginia 1st-round pick in ‘10
Jason Townsend 47 West Virginia 31st-round pick in ‘10
Tyler Walrdon 25 West Virginia/Bradenton 5th-round pick in ‘10
CATCHERS
Fransisco Diaz 26 Williamsport Rule 5 pick in ‘11
Carlos Paulino 24 Bradenton via trade in ‘11
INFIELDERS
Alex Dickerson 32 State College 3rd-round pick in ‘11
Benji Gonzalez 7 West Virginia/Bradenton 7th-round pick in ‘08
Justin Howard 18 West Virginia 24th-round pick in ‘10
Drew Maggi 15 West Virginia/Bradenton 15th-round pick in ‘10
Gift Ngoepe 5 West Virginia/GCL Pirates free agent
Andy Vasquez 2 West Virginia free agent
Stefan Welch 16 St. Lucie free agent
OUTFIELDERS
Evan Chambers 53 Bradenton 3rd-round pick in ‘09
Wes Freeman 39 State College/West Virginia 16th-round pick in ‘08
Daniel Grovatt 14 West Virginia 11th-round pick in ‘10
Mel Rojas Jr. 3 West Virginia 3rd-round pick in ‘10

Colton Cain to start Thursday's opener

Colton Cain will start Opening Night against the St. Lucie Mets on Thursday at McKechnie Field.
Cain, 21, was drafted in the eighth round by the Pirates in 2009. He went 6-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 24 games (19 start) last year with the Pirates' low Single-A team in West Virginia, striking out 81 and walking 31 in 106 1/3 innings.
Cain allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his starts last year.
Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett, who is working his way back from eye surgery, will make a rehab start Friday against the Mets at McKechnie Field and will be relieved by Tyler Waldron.

A.J. Burnett to start Friday for the Marauders

(photo by John Lembo)

Pitcher A.J. Burnett will make his first rehab start of the season for the Marauders on Friday against the St. Lucie Mets at McKechnie Field.

Game time is 6:30 p.m.

The Pirates acquired Burnett in a February a trade with the New York Yankees. But the 35-year-old righty fractured a bone near his right eye while participating in a bunting tournament later that month and underwent surgery in early March.

He didn't make a start for the Pirates during Grapefruit League play, but threw a simulated game and bullpen sessions.

Burnett has a record of 121-111 and a 4.10 ERA in his career. He won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009 and threw a no-hitter in 2001 while with the Florida Marlins.

The Marauders open their third season 6:30 p.m. Thursday at McKechnie Field against the Mets.

Baker provides a blast from the past

(photo by John Lembo)Remember Aaron Baker?
He patrolled first base most of last season for the Bradenton Marauders before he was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles for the Derrek Lee.
Well, Baker returned to McKechnie Field on Saturday and promptly hit his first home run of the spring, a no-doubter over the wall in right to tie the score at 6 during the top of the eighth.
Baker his .282 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs in 103 games in Bradenton last season before the trade. He hit .386 in 12 games with the Orioles' high Single-A team in Frederick last year before he was bumped to Double-A Bowie, where he hit .196 in 15 games.

Four of the Pirates' top prospects expected to be Marauders

Four of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top-20 prospects are expected to be on the Marauders' roster, according to this story on MLB.com.
Pitchers Jameson Taillon and Gerritt Cole, the team's No. 1 and 2 prospects, respecitvely, are expected to front the starting rotation. Pitcher Colton Cain (17th) and first baseman Alex Dickerson (14th) are also slated to start the year in Bradenton.
Taillon, 20, was the Pirates' first pick in 2010. He went 2-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 23 starts last season with the Pirates' low Single-A team in West Virginia.
The Pirates made Cole, 21, the first overall pick of last year's draft after his three seasons at UCLA. Cole was a first-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2008, but he didn't sign.
Cain, 21, was the Pirates' eighth-round pick in '09. He went 6-8 with a 3.64 ERA last year in West Virginia and is 7-10 with a 3.96 ERA in 39 professional games and 32 starts.
Dickerson, 21, was picked by the Pirates last year in the third round, and batted .313 in 41 games last year with the Pirates' New York-Penn League team in State College.
Dickerson was orginally drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 48th round in '08.
The story also says that Robbie Grossman (8th), named the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year last year while with the Marauders, and second baseman Jarek Cunningham (20th) will begin the year with Double-A Altoona.
The entire Marauders roster will be unveiled Tuesday morning at Pirate City.