SAND GNATS ANNOUNCE INITIAL 2015 ROSTER

Fresh faces join new Manager Jose Leger

Savannah, GA - The Savannah Sand Gnats, in conjunction with the New York Mets, announced the initial roster for the 2015 season. The Sand Gnats will look to continue their recent success under new Manager Jose Leger, after having qualified for the post-season in four of the past five seasons, including a South Atlantic League Championship in 2013.

Savannah’s recent history includes pitching staffs with team ERAs hovering around 3.00. Ten pitchers from the 2014 Brooklyn Cyclones, who led the New York-Penn League with a 2.74 ERA, will be heading to Savannah to start the 2015 season.

“It’s always exciting to get your hands on the new roster to see which veterans will return and which rookies will be taking the field this season,” said Sand Gnats team President John Katz. “Last year’s Brooklyn pitching staff was fantastic, and I know these guys will love to pitch in such a pitcher-friendly ballpark.”

Casey Meisner will make his full-season debut this season, after a breakout season last year with the Cyclones. The 6’7” right-hander earned a 2.26 ERA over 11 starts with 67 strikeouts, second in the league behind Cyclones teammate Marcos Molina. Meisner was drafted in the Third Round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Cypress Woods High School in Cypress, Texas. MLB.com has the 19-year-old ranked as the 19^th best prospect in the Mets organization.

Josh Prevost was drafted by the Mets in the Fifth Round of last year’s Draft out of Seton Hall University. Prevost pitched to a 1-2 record with a 1.83 ERA in 11 games with the Cyclones in his first professional season. The 6’8” New Jersey native was the 2014 Big East Pitcher of the Year as a senior at Seton Hall.

Canyon, Texas native Brad Weick joins the Gnats after being drafted by the Mets in the Seventh Round of last year’s Draft. The Oklahoma City University product threw 16 games for the Cyclones in 2014 with a 1.40 ERA and 39 strikeouts. Weick led the NAIA in strikeouts per nine innings while at Oklahoma City University.

Shane Bay converted all 15 of his save opportunities in 2014 with the Cyclones. Bay finished in the top five for games finished in the New York-Penn League and was selected to the NYP All-Star Game. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native was signed by the Mets in 2011 out of Spencer HS.

Meisner should be joined in the rotation by former Brooklyn starters Corey Oswalt, Martires Arias, and Alberto Baldonado. Oswalt finished in the NYP top five for WHIP (1.03), AVG (.218), and lowest batting average among starters (.209). Returning to the pitching staff are right-handersChris Flexen and Darwin Frias as well as left-handers John Mincone and Paul Paez.

Pedro Perez and JC Rodriguez will join the infield after spending 2014 in Kingsport and Brooklyn, respectively. They will join returners Luis Guillorme, Jonathan Johnson, and Jon Leroux.

The outfield tandem of Patrick Biondi and Stefan Sabol has returned for 2015 being joined by Wuilmer Becerra, who MLB.com ranks as the 30^th best prospect in the Mets organization. Vicente Lupe will join Becerra as a fellow Kingsport outfielder.

Behind the plate for the Gnats in 2015 will be the Mets sixth round pick of the 2014 Draft, Tyler Moore. Moore finished last season with a .240 batting average and 18 RBIs in his 63 games with Brooklyn.