Dayton Dragons set Opening Day roster

The Dragons will begin their minor-league baseball season this week with a roster that features 12 returning Dayton players and one of the Cincinnati Reds’ highest-rated prospects.

Among the returning players is James Vasquez, the Dragons’ leader in home runs and RBI’s last season. Also making his Dayton debut will be Taylor Trammell, the Reds’ top outfield prospect.

The Dragons open the Midwest League (Class A) season by hosting the Lake County Captains at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fifth Third Field. Minor-league rosters traditionally are not released until after the parent clubs play their openers.

Among the players returning to the Dragons from last season are catcher Tyler Stephenson, a first-round draft pick out of high school last June, right-handed power pitcher Tony Santillan and starting infielders Brantley Bell and Luis Gonzalez.

Six new Dragons hit .300 or better in rookie ball for the Billings (Mont.) Mustangs last season. Stephenson will be backed by Cassidy Brown, the 2013 Ohio high school player of the year at Cuyahoga Falls. Third baseman John Sansone was the No. 1 hitter at Florida State last season, traditionally among the nation’s best collegiate programs.

Joining Santillan in the starting rotation are right-handers Ryan Olson and Andrew Jordan and left-handers Scott Moss and Wennington Romero. Olson was 15-0 over the last two seasons at Cal Poly Pomona University.

Right-hander Ryan Hendrix is the top reliever. He was a reason why Texas A&M was ranked No. 1 much of last season.

Luis Bolivar has succeeded Dick Schofield as the Dragons manager. Bolivar is the first former Dragons player to become a coach. Derrin Ebert returns for his second season as the team’s pitching coach. Daryle Ward succeeds Bolivar as the hitting coach and Kevin Mahar will fill the newly created position of bench coach.

Schofield will be a bench coach at Class AA Pensacola. Corky Miller, a fixture at most Dragons home games the last two seasons, is a roving catcher instructor at all Reds’ minor-league levels.

This will be the 18th season of Dayton Dragons baseball, all as a Reds’ affiliate.


DRAGONS ROSTER

Starting pitchers: Tony Santillan, Scott Moss, Wennington Romero, Ryan Olson, Andrew Jordan.

Relief pitchers: Jesse Adams, Lucas Benenati, Andy Cox, Aaron Fossas, Ryan Hendrix, Joel Kuhnel, Patrick Riehl, Jesse Stallings.

Catchers: Cassidy Brown, Tyler Stephenson.

Infielders: Brantley Bell, Luis Gonzalez, Avain Rachal, John Sansone, Hector Vargas, James Vasquez.

Outfielders: Michael Beltre, T.J. Friedl, Jose Siri, Taylor Trammell.

OPENING GAME

Lake County at Dayton, 7 p.m. Thursday

WONE-AM (980), CW Ch. 26.1, Spectrum Ch. 13 and 1013, Direct TV and DISH Ch. 26

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