Full Roster
Excitement for the new season reached a new level at Recreation Park on
Sunday, as the Visalia Rawhide announced their 2009 roster.
As expected, the Arizona Diamondbacks have assigned a hugely promising pitching
staff to
their High-A affiliate, punctuated by the arrival of Jarrod Parker.
A right-handed flamethrower from Ossian, Indiana, Parker was the 9th overall
pick in the first round of the 2007 draft. He ranks as the 17th best prospect in
baseball in the 2009
Scout.com minor league rankings and is the consensus best prospect in
Arizona's system. With a fastball that can reach 98 miles per
hour and a devastating slider, Parker figures to anchor Visalia’s starting
pitching core.
Offensively, the Rawhide will feature the aptly-named Collin Cowgill, who is
another top
Arizona prospect. Cowgill has advanced rapidly since his selection in last
year’s draft. He was a standout left fielder at Kentucky University, and proceeded to hit
11 home
runs in 20 games with Rookie-level Yakima last year, which would lead the
Northwest League. He was immediately promoted
to
Low-A South Bend, where he was a part of the SilverHawks’ run to the Midwest
League
finals.
Meanwhile, Ollie Linton, an outfielder from UC Irvine, will provide excitement
at the top
of Visalia’s lineup. Linton has tremendous speed and posted excellent on-base
percentage
at Missoula and South Bend last year. Rawhide fans will also enjoy watching
Linton run
down fly balls in Recreation Park’s spacious power alleys; he has developed a
reputation as
a spectacular center fielder and drew frequent standing ovations for his plays
last year.
Besides the influx of new talent, Visalia fans can look forward to some familiar
faces as
well. Seven players return from last year, including starting pitcher Wes Roemer, relievers
Leyson Septimo and Jorge Perez, infielder Manny Ferrer, touted catching
prospect Ed Easley, fan-favorite Konrad Schmidt, and dependable outfielder Greg Thomson.
The squad will be led by Mike Bell, who returns for a second season in Visalia.
Bell
guided last year’s team through host of injuries and promotions and kept them in
contention for the playoffs until the final weekend of the season.
With a new nickname, new colors, and a newly renovated ballpark, the Rawhide
finally
have a fresh set of players to represent Tulare and Kings counties.
Be sure you have your tickets for 2009! Visit RawhideBaseball.com for more nformation.
Full Roster
Are you a full member of
FutureBacks.com? If not, then you are missing out on the top
Diamondbacks coverage we provide to our premium members, as well as full
access to over 400 other Scout.com sites.
Join us today!