Tourists Announce 2012 Opening Day Roster

March 30, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL) Asheville Tourists The Colorado Rockies have assigned 25 players, including 13 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders and four outfielders, to Asheville to open the 2012 South Atlantic League season. The players along with manager Joe Mikulik, pitching coach Joey Eischen and hitting coach Mike Devereaux are scheduled to break camp in spring training in Arizona this weekend before meeting the media in Asheville at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3, and participating in their first practice at McCormick Field, beginning at 4 p.m.

Mikulik will open his 13th consecutive season at the Tourists' dugout helm, which is the longest current string for a skipper with the same full-season minor league team. He will be guiding five players who have played with Asheville in recent seasons. The returners include relief pitchers Craig Benningson, Taylor Reid and Rafael Suarez, outfielder/first baseman Tyler Massey and outfielder Delta Cleary, Jr.

The tentative Asheville starting rotation is projected to consist of all righthanders in Daniel Winkler, Ben Alsup, Chris Jensen, Alex Gillingham and Vianney Mayo. The Tourists' bullpen will feature closer Nelson Gonzalez as well as fellow righties Russell Brewer, Jefri Hernandez, Geoffrey Parker, Reid and Suarez. Benningson and Kenneth Roberts are the lone southpaws on the Opening Day roster. The hurlers will be working with Will Swanner, the projected starting catcher, and Ryan Casteel.

The projected starting infield has Harold Riggins at first base, Taylor Featherston at second base, Sam Mende at third base and Trevor Story, the Rockies' first-round draft pick in 2011, at shortstop. Rosell Herrera will also see plenty of activity at shortstop, second base and designated hitter, while Massey will divide his time between first base, the outfield corners and DH.

In the outfield, the Tourists are led by Cleary, who will patrol center field and lead off in the batting order. Cleary was with Asheville in 2009 and 2010 before spending last season at Class A Modesto. Australian native David Kandilas is projected to start in left field, with Jared Simon manning right field. Brian Humphries will be a reserve in the garden while also seeing some duty at DH.

Three of the Tourists were ranked among the Rockies' Top 30 prospects over the winter by Baseball America magazine. Story was ranked sixth, followed by Herrera at No. 16 and Swanner at No. 21.

The Tourists open the 2012 season at McCormick Field on Thursday, April 5, against the Delmarva Shorebirds, the first part of a seven-game homestand to christen the campaign. Single-game and season tickets are available at the McCormick Field box office. For more information, contact the Tourists front office at (828) 258-0428.

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Tourists Announce 2012 Opening Day Roster