Greensboro, N.C. – Two of the Florida Marlins’ top 10 Minor League prospects, according to Baseball America, headline a Greensboro Grasshoppers Opening Day roster of 25 that prepare to open the 2008 season Thursday (April 3) on the road against Augusta.

The roster, which includes 12 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and four outfielders, features Matt Dominguez and Mike Stanton, the Marlins’ first and second draft picks from 2007.

TOP PROSPECTS: Dominguez, the Marlins’ top pick in the 2007 draft (12th overall), is the highest touted third-baseman on the Marlins’ prospect list printed in Baseball America and enters his first full season of professional baseball after playing five games with the Gulf Coast Marlins and 10 games with Jamestown. In the same article, BA named Dominguez the Marlins’ best Minor League defensive infielder.

Stanton, the Marlins’ second draftee in the 2007 draft, also split time between the Gulf Coast Marlins (8 games) and Jamestown (9 games) last season. Entering the season, Stanton ranks ninth on Baseball America’s top 10 prospects for the Marlins and was tabbed the organization’s best power hitter and best athlete in the minors.

CLASS OF 2007: Greensboro’s opening day roster also includes the Marlins’ third through fifth picks from the 2007 draft. Following 3B Dominguez and OF Stanton, the Marlins drafted C Jameson Smith, OF Bryan Petersen and RHP Steven Cishek (pronounced SEA-schek).

Rounding out the list of 2007 draftees that appear on the Grasshoppers 2008 roster are LHP Jay Voss, the lone southpaw of the pitching staff, RHP Garrett Parcell, INF Ryan Anetsberger and INF Ryan Curry.

WELCOME BACK: The Opening Day roster also includes seven players that have suited up in a Greensboro Grasshopper uniform before. RHP Hector Correa (pronounced Core-AY-uh) returns to the starting line up where he began the 2007 season; he is joined by RHP Corey Madden, RHP Cristhian Martinez, RHP Brad Stone, INF Danny Garcia, INF Adam Howard and OF Hunter Mense.

 

DOUBLE-A TESTED: Acquired as a free agent earlier this year, RHP Colby Miller returns to affiliated baseball after pitching for Independent Shreveport of the American Association in 2007. Miller was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2000 and reached as high as Double-A New Britain on three separate occasions. Miller is the only member of the Grasshoppers roster to have played beyond Single-A.

FOR THE AGES: At age 18, Matt Dominguez is the youngest player on Greensboro’s Opening Day roster while Cristhian Martinez, 26, is the oldest.

GEOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING: Greensboro’s 2008 roster includes 21 players from the United State and four international players from three countries.

California – 7 (Alexander, Parcell, Smith, Dominguez, Garcia, Petersen, Stanton)

Illinois – 3 (Voss, Anetsberger, Curry)

Missouri – 3 (Stone, Howard, Mense)

Alaska – 1 (Madden)

Arkansas – 1 (Haar)

Delaware – 1 (Phillips)

Georgia – 1 (Hickman)

Kansas – 1 (Czyz)

Massachusetts – 1 (Cishek)

Oklahoma – 1 (Miller)

Virginia – 1 (Belcher)

Puerto Rico – 2 (Correa, O. Martinez)

Dominican Republic – 1 (C. Martinez)

Venezuela – 1 (Ontiveros)

 

MANAGER: Grasshoppers skipper Edwin Rodriguez returns for his second season at the helm. In 2007, Rodriguez directed his Greensboro squad to a 71-69 record including a second-place finish in the North Division’s first half standings. Prior to taking over in Greensboro, Rodriguez spent two seasons as the manager for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Marlins and has previously served as the hitting coach for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats.

Rodriguez also has managerial experience with the Princeton Devil Rays (2000-02) and the Hudson Valley Renegades (1999). He began his professional career in 1980 when he was drafted by the New York Yankees and spent some time in Greensboro early in his career, playing roughly 100 games at War Memorial Stadium with the Greensboro Hornets.

SUPPORT STAFF: John Duffy returns for his second season as the Grasshoppers pitching coach. His 2007 staff work efficiently, walking the fewest batters in the South Atlantic League, and was in the top half of the league in ERA (4.28) and strikeouts (1,046). Rounding out the 2008 staff is hitting coach Jorge (pronounced George) Hernandez and athletic trainer Julio Hernandez.

The Hoppers open their season April 3 on the road before hosting the Hickory Crawdads in their 2008 home-opener on April 7 at 7 p.m. For ticket information, please contact the Grasshoppers Box Office at 336.268.2255 or online at www.gsohoppers.com.

The Grasshoppers have welcomed over 1,250,000 fans to NewBridge Bank Park, becoming the only Class A team in the history of Minor League Baseball to draw over 400,000 fans and grow its attendance for three straight years in a new ballpark.  They are the proud recipients of both the South Atlantic League's Club Merit Award and the General Manager of the Year Award for the past three years.