2008 Roster Unveiled05/21/2008 7:10 AM
 Pitching was the strength for the ThunderBolts in 2007, as the team posted the Frontier League’s lowest ERA and led the second place team by the largest margin in the Frontier League’s 15 seasons. Hurlers Erik Fussell and Brock Hunton will return to anchor the rotation this season. Fussell, a native of Crestwood and graduate of Marist High School, led the team with a 12-2 record to go with a 3.26 ERA. Hunton was a Frontier League All-Star in 2007, finishing with a 10-6 record, 2.96 ERA (sixth in the FL), and 98 strikeouts (fourth in the FL). Joining them are Ross Stout, Charles O’Neal, and Stephen Flake. A former Arizona Diamondback farmhand, Stout was the Pitcher of the Year in the South Coast League last season, going 11-4 with a 2.38 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 102 innings for the Macon Music. O’Neal spent two seasons in the Cincinnati Reds system and another with the Florida Marlins. He split 2007 between the El Paso Diablos and Macon Music, combining for a 5-4 record in 23 games. Flake also comes out of the Marlins’ organization, where he went 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 innings. All-Star closer Matt Petty, the Frontier League’s Reliever of the Year, returns to the bullpen for the ThunderBolts. Petty set a FL record with 26 saves to go with a 2.66 ERA in 43 games. Set-up men Isaac Hess and Anthony Rebyanski will return as well. Lefty Hess, the MVP of the 2007 Frontier League Championship Series, will also be back. Hess went 10-2 with a 3.28 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. Right-hander Rebyanski was another All-Star, as he went 3-0 with a 3.50 ERA in 41 games. Amos Ramon, who saw action on the pitching mound and in the infield in 2007, will provide another experienced arm. Ramon held opponents to a .177 average last season, the lowest mark on the staff, to go with a 5-2 record and 2.35 ERA in 46 innings. Desmond Jones and Jason Lowey round out the bullpen. Jones was a 11th round draft pick by the Washington Nationals in 2006, spending the past two campaigns in their organization, and Lowey had the lowest ERA among relievers in the South Coast League last season with a 1.55 mark. Another strength for the ThunderBolts will be their infield play, as all four starters return, three of whom made the All-Star Team in 2007. First baseman Philip Hawke led the team in home runs (10) and RBI (78) last season while hitting .290. Second baseman Gilberto Mejia enters his seventh season of professional baseball, coming off a season where he hit .264 with three home runs, 25 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Shortstop Wes Long was runner-up in the Frontier League’s MVP voting last year, when he led the team in batting average (.334), doubles (34), and stolen bases (31). Third baseman Josh Horn hit .302 with 19 doubles, seven home runs, and 53 RBI. New to the squad is Kevin Noles, who finished fifth in the South Coast League with a .325 batting average for the Anderson Joes. All-Star outfielder Mike Coles returns to anchor the outfield, where he finished second on the ThunderBolts in batting average (.330), home runs (nine), RBI (69), and stolen bases (27). He will be joined by Brett Amyx and Phil Grau in the starting line-up. Amyx comes out of the Kansas City Royals’ system, where he hit .260 with three home runs and 26 RBI for the Burlington Royals of the Appalachian League, while Grau hit .243 over the past two seasons for the Reno Silver Sox and the Coastal Bend Aviators. Also in the outfield are returner Scott Billak, who hit .265 with four home runs, 40 RBI, and 12 stolen bases last year and LaFringe Hayes, a graduate of Walther Lutheran High School who spent time with the Traverse City Beach Bums last season. Two new catchers will take the field this season, led by Ben Barrone, the NCAA Division II Player of the Year for Winona State in 2007. Barrone was drafted by the Oakland Athletics and finished with a .244 average in 25 games for their Arizona League affiliate. Danny Sawyer, a former All-Conference catcher at Alabama-Birmingham, will make his professional debut. The biggest changes come on the coaching staff, where the success of last season led to former field manager Andy Haines taking a job with the Florida Marlins and former hitting coach Ronnie Deck joining the Baltimore Orioles. The only returning member of the staff is Mike Kashirsky, back for his fifth season as bench coach. Kashirsky was recently appointed the new head coach for Robert Morris College. New field manager Brian Nelson followed Haines path to Crestwood, as he was the hitting coach for the Northern League champion Gary RailCats in 2007. New pitching coach Jim Miksis worked with the Florida Marlins last year, while hitting coach Kevin Wilson played for five seasons before serving as the hitting coach for the Cotuit Kettelers of the Cape Cod League last year. The 2008 ThunderBolts begin the season on the road in Wednesday, May 23 before returning home on Tuesday, May 27. Tuesday’s game will feature the championship ring ceremony and banner unveiling, a magnetic schedule giveaway compliments of National City Bank, and post-game fireworks. The ThunderBolts remain at home through Sunday, June 1. Wednesday’s game features a special 11:05 am start time and free backpacks for the first 1,000 kids compliments of Olive Garden. Thursday and Friday are both $1.00 draft beer and fountain soda nights while Saturday features a Standard Bank Stadium replica giveaway and postgame fireworks compliments of Standard Bank. Sunday is a Standard Bank Sunday, with discounted admission for Standard Bank customers. For fans unable to make it to the ballgame, all 96 regular season contests will be available for free at www.sportsjuice.com, with Jesse Goldberg-Strassler and Nick Kovatch calling the action. |
Browse by Year »
2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
Browse by Month »
November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 January 2024 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 September 2020 June 2020 April 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 |
