Lineups: Marauders vs. Miracle

Bradenton's boys of summer are back in town.
The Marauders play their fourth home-opener 6:30 p.m. tonight against the Fort Myers Miracle, who won last night's season-opener, 4-3, Thursday night in Fort Myers.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Miracle 3B Miguel Sano is the top-ranked prospect in Minnesota's organization, according to MLB.com, which ranks him 12th overall. Sano is ranked ninth overall by Baseball America. Sano hit 28 home runs and knocked in 100 runs last season with the Twins' low-A team in Beloit, and was named the Midwest League's Player of the Year...Miracle 2B Eddie Rosario is ranked eighth in Twins' chain by MLB...Marauders' CF Gregory Polanco was the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year with low Single-A West Virginia last season and is ranked the team's fourth-best prospect. Ranked 65th overall by MLB and 51st by Baseball America, Polanco hit .325 with 85 RBIs last season...SS Alen Hanson is ranked third in the Pirates' organization, 54th by MLB and 61st by Baseball America...Pitcher Nick Kingham is ranked 17th in the Pirates' system.

LINEUPS
MIRACLE
Angel Morales, cf
Eddie Rosario, 2b
Miguel Sano, 3b
Michael Gonzalez, 1b
Kenny Vargas, dh
Lance Ray, rf
Jhon Goncalves, lf
Kyle Knudson, c
A.J. Petterson, ss
Jason Wheeler, p

MARAUDERS
Alen Hanson, ss
Taylor Lewis, lf
Gregory Polanco, cf
Jose Osuna, 1b
Dan Gamache, 2b
Willy Garcia, rf
Jacob Stallings, c
Eric Avila, 3b
Carlos Mesa, dh
Nick Kingham, p

2013 Bradenton Marauders

Here are the 2013 Bradenton Marauders, who were formally introduced this morning at Pirate City:

#     PITCHERS
23   Matthew Benedict
34   Zac Fuesser
35   Robbie Kilcrease
31   Nick Kingham
45   Quinton Miller
43    Joan Montero
26    Elecier Navarro
37    Jhonathan Ramos
50    Robby Rowland
39    Adrian Sampson
30    Zachary Thornton
32    Zack Von Rosenberg

#     CATCHERS
29   Elias Diaz
3     Jacob Stallings

#     INFIELDERS
15   Eric Avila
10   Dan Gamache
7     Benji Gonzalez
22   Alen Hanson
27   Chris Lashmet
36   Jose Osuna

#    OUTFIELDERS
24  Willy Garcia
14   Dan Grovatt
2     Taylor Lewis
41   Carlos Mesa
25   Gregory Polanco

MANAGER - Frank Kremblas
PITCHING COACH - Justin Meccage
HITTING COACH - Edgar Varela
 

Schedule for Marauders Opening Week

The roster for the Bradenton Marauders will be officially announced 7:30 a.m. Tuesday during the Manatee County Chamber's breakfast at Pirate City, and will be one of a number of events the team has scheduled for Opening Week.
The high Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marauders open their fourth season Thursday when they head to Fort Myers to play the Miracle.
Following the roster unveiling, the entire team will be at the Walmart Supercenter, 5810 Ranch Lake Blvd., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 for a meet-and-greet with fans.
The home-opener is scheduled for Friday, when the Marauders play the Miracle at McKechnie Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and fans who bring their Bright House Networks statement receive free admission to the grandstand, left-field bleachers or boardwalk.
There will be a happy hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., sponsored by Pier 22 Restaurant, which will feature 500 free hot dogs at the outfield concession stand as well as drink specials at the Kona Bar, located on the boardwalk.
A fireworks show is scheduled for after the game, presented by Bright House and Budweiser, and groups of 10 or more who book a group outing at least 72 hours before the game will receive a wristband to watch the show on the field. Wristbands are also available with the Marauders Fireworks Package, which includes admission to all five Marauders games featuring a fireworks show. The cost is $35.
An Easter egg hunt is scheduled for Sunday, April 7 before the Marauders play the Miracle at 1 p.m. The hunt will go from 12:15 to 12:30 and is for children ages 13 and younger.
All Sundays games are Wendy's Family Fun Sundays, which feature $1 tickets and hot dogs. Children ages 13 and younger can run the bases after the game.

At a glance: Potential 2013 Marauders

With just three home games remaining, the Pittsburgh Pirates are about to head north to begin the 2013 baseball season, while the Bradenton Marauders are set to begin their fourth season as the organization's high Single-A affiliate.
While the team's roster hasn't been announced, here is a look at some guys who may be here when Bradenton opens its Florida State League schedule Thursday, April 4 at  Fort Myers.
Again, this is purely speculative

Gregory Polanco, cf: The 20-year-old was named the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year and is considered the franchise's fourth-best prospect by MLB.com, which ranks Polanco 65th overall. He spent all last season with Pirates' low Single-A team in West Virginia, where hit hit for average (.325), served as a run producer (85 RBIs in 116 games), flashed speed (40 steals), put the ball in play (64 strikeouts in 437 at-bats) and committed three errors in 98 games.
MLB.com says: "He has a chance to be a true five-tooler on the field...His plus speed will make him a long-term basestealing threat and an outstanding defensive outfielder."

Alen Hanson, if: Only Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon were ranked higher in the Pirates' system by MLB.com, which ranks Hanson 54th overall and eighth among shortstop prospects. After beginning the year with the Pirates' New York-Penn League team in State College, Hanson was bumped to West Virginia and led the South Atlantic League in total bases (258), triples (13) and runs scored (99) while finishing second in hits (151). Hanson, 20, hit 16 home runs, batted .309 and also swiped 35 bases. He needs to improve defensively after committing 40 errors in 103 games at short, but MLB.com said an erratic arm was Hanson's main problem, and he has the range and hands to be a good shortstop.
MLB.com says: "Hanson makes consistent contact and can drive the ball to all fields...An outstanding bunter, he has the strength to show occasional home run power."

Josh Bell, of: The 20-year-old Bell was ranked as baseball's 69th-best prospect heading into last year before a left meniscus tear ended his season after only 15 games at West Virginia. The Pirates' second-round pick in 2011, Bell is ranked sixth in the organization by MLB.com after hitting .274 with 11 RBIs with the Power. Bell spent the offseason working with Pirates Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen at IMG, and his health with dictate where he winds up in '13.
MLB.com says: "...he has the tools to be an above-average defender with a strong arm, not to mention the offensive tools, to profile well (in right field)."

Nicholas Kingham, p: Drafted out of high school in 2010, Kingham, 21, has already logged 201 1/3 innings as a professional after spending all of 2011 in State College and all of last year in West Virginia. MLB.com considers Kingham the Pirates' 13th-best prospect after the righty went 6-8 with a 4.29 ERA in 27 starts. But the Las Vegas native got better as the year went on, posting a 1.68 ERA over his final nine starts, and he is averaging 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings as a pro.
MLB.com says: "The Pirates were very aggressive in going after high-ceiling high school arms in recent drafts and Kingham has a chance to be one of the best from that effort."

Stefan Welch on Australia's World Baseball Classic roster

photo by Paul Videla

Stefan Welch, who spent half of last season with the Bradenton Marauders, is on Australia's roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Welch is listed as a shortstop.
The 24-year-old is a native of Adelaide, South Australia. He hit .265 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs in 61 games with Bradenton before he was promoted to Double-A Altoona.
Australia is in Pool B of the WBC and begins play Saturday, March 2 against Chinese Taipei.

Remembering Quincy Latimore

Quincy Latimore's pursuit to become a Pittsburgh Pirate ended Wednesday evening when the outfielder was dealt to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Jeanmar Gomez.
Latimore, however, will go down as a memorable Bradenton Marauder who made the best of his one full season in the Friendly City.
Latimore was 21 in 2010, when the Marauders made their debut at McKechnie Field. He hit the first home run in team history during that season's opener against the Fort Myers Miracle and rode that power throughout the summer.
He spent all year with high Single-A Bradenton and drove in 100 runs, winning the Florida State League's RBI title, hit 19 home runs and slugged .444.
The affable Latimore was a hit with fans and  a key reason the Marauders won the South Division's second half and made the FSL playoffs.
Latimore spent the last two seasons in Double-A Altoona, where his 71 RBIs were eighth-best in the Eastern League, but never cracked the franchise's Triple-A roster in Indianapolis.
Now he's off to another team to chase another dream, and it may benefit Latimore that the Indians are in a bit of rebuilding mode following last year's disastrous second-half slide.
We'll see if Latimore finds a major-league home with the Indians.
But few will ever forget his one special summer at McKechnie Field.

Pirates add five former Marauders to 40-man roster

photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie
Catcher Tony Sanchez is a member of the Pirate's 40-man roster

The Pittsburghg Pirates added five former Bradenton Marauders to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
They are:

Victor Black, P: Black, 24, appeared in just five games with Bradenton in 2011 before his breakthrough last year at Double-A Altoona. Black led the Eastern League with 51 appearances in 2012, posting a 1.65 ERA and 13 saves. Black struck out 85 and walked 28 in 60 innings and was a mid-season Eastern League All-Star. Black was picked for the Rising Stars game while pitching in the Arizona Fall Leage.
Ramon Cabrera, C: The 23-year-old Cabrera won the Florida State League's batting title in 2011 when he hit .343 with the Marauders before spending all of last season in Altoona. Cabera hit .276 with with 50 RBIs in 112 games with the Curve before he was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sept. 2. Cabera appeared in one game with the Indians, going 2-for-5 with a double.
Phil Irwin, P: The 25-year-old righty went 5-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 10 starts with the Marauders in 2011 and won his lone start with the team last year. Irwin spent most of the last year in Altoona, where he went 4-7 despite a 2.93 ERA in 18 games (16 starts) while walking just 17 in 104 1/3 innings. He was the named the Curve's Pitcher of the Year, and found similar success in Indianapolis, where Irwin went 3-0 with 2.57 ERA in four starts.
Tony Sanchez, C: The Pirates' top catching prospect and the organization's first pick of the 2009 draft, the 24-year-old Miami native was a fan favoritete in Bradenton in 2010, when he hit .314 in 59 games before a pitch to the jaw ended his season. Sanchez hit .277 in 42 games last year with Altoona before a promotion to Triple-A, where Sanchez batted .233 with eight home runs in 60 games.
Hunter Strickland, P: After missing all of 2011 recovering from rotator cuff surgery, Strickland was 2-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 10 starts with the Marauders before a bump to Altoona. Strickland pitched out of the bullpen, making 23 relief appearances, going 2-2 with a 4.65 ERA.