B-Mets Announce 2013 Opening Day Roster

B-Mets Announce 2013 Opening Day Roster

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Mets have announced their 2013 Opening Day roster in preparation of their 22^nd season in the Southern Tier. The roster is loaded with new faces, as 16 players will wear the B-Mets jersey for the first time in their careers. Binghamton is happy to welcome back nine players who took the field last season for the New York Mets Double-A affiliate.

Starting Rotation: Four newcomers will highlight Binghamton’s five-man rotation, including Opening Night starter RHP Rafael Montero. The 22-year-old Dominican went 11-5 with a 2.36 ERA between the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low-A) and St. Lucie Mets (High-A) last year. He will be followed by returning righty Cory Mazzoni and newcomers RHP Logan Verrett, RHP Tyler Pill and RHP Erik Goeddell.

Bullpen: Much like the rotation, there will be plenty of new names ready to go in the B-Mets bullpen. Strikeout machine RHP Jack Leathersich highlights the pack. In 47 career games over the last two seasons, the Massachusetts native has compiled a 14.8 K/9 IP average. Leathersich will be joined by last year’s B-Mets Pitcher of the Year and former starter LHP Mark Cohoon, who will work out of the bullpen for the first in his career. LHP Adam Kolarek and RHP Adrian Rosario return to Binghamton after spending limited time in the Southern Tier last year. RHP John Church, LHP Chase Huchingson and RHP Jeff Walters will all make their B-Met debuts.

Catchers: B-Mets manager Pedro Lopez, a former catcher himself, will juggle three players behind the plate. Fresh off winning the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic, Francisco Pena returns for another year with the B-Mets. Juan Centeno is back after a career-year at Double-A in 2012 and Blake Forsythe arrives after catching 88 games in St. Lucie (High-A) last year.

Infield: The B-Mets infield will have a perfect mix of newcomers and veterans. Shortstop Wilfredo Tovar comes back to Binghamton after being added to the New York Mets 40-man roster during the offseason. Tovar will be joined by newcomers Danny Muno and Richard Lucas. Allan Dykstra is back with the B-Mets for the third straight season and Josh Rodriguez returns for his second. Rhyne Hughes, acquired during Spring Training, slugged 13 home runs with the Bowie Baysox (BAL: AA) last year.

Outfield: Four fresh faces comprise Binghamton’s Opening Day outfield. Alonzo Harris, a 39^th-round pick in 2007, leads the pack after a career-year in 2012. He hit .287 and led the team with 40 stolen bases with St. Lucie (High-A). Cory Vaughn, a Mid-Season Florida State League All-Star, launched a career-best 23 home runs. Cesar Puello and Darrell Ceciliani, both members of the 2012 St. Lucie Mets, round out the outfield.

Management: The B-Mets will be led by the same staff for the second straight year. Manager Pedro Lopez will be joined by hitting coach Luis Natera and pitching coach Glenn Abbott. Athletic trainer Matt Hunter and strength and conditioning coach Dustin Clarke complete the staff.

The Binghamton Mets begin their 142-game journey Thursday night at 6:35 PM on the road against the Akron Aeros. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pre-Game Show begins at 6:20 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.

The B-Mets home schedule begins on Thursday, April 11^th against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Individual tickets for all 71 Binghamton Mets 2013 home games are on sale now. Visit the NYSEG Stadium box office during regular operating hours, purchase them online at www.bmets.com or call the office at (607)723-METS.

Be sure to follow the B-Mets on Facebook, Twitter and at the team’s official website: www.bmets.com for more team information