Prospects and Experience Hightlight Tourists Opening Day Roster

The 2016 Asheville Tourists Opening Day Roster has been announced by the Colorado Rockies. The roster consists of 25 players and six coaches who will represent the city of Asheville and the Rockies in the South Atlantic League this season.

The Tourists open on the road this Thursday, April 7, in Greenville, SC and will welcome the Rome Braves on April 14 at 7:05pm for the McCormick Field opener.

Headlining the roster are four players who were drafted in the first five rounds of the 2015 first-year player draft. Shortstop Brendan Rodgers, selected 3rd overall in the first round, batted .273 last year in the Pioneer League. Rodgers is ranked by MLB.com as the number one Rockies prospect. Pitchers Peter Lambert (2nd Round), David Hill, (4th Round), and Parker French (5th Round) along with Jack Wynkoop (6th Round) and Trey Killian (9th Round) are expected to round out Asheville’s starting pitching rotation. The Tourists pitching staff has finished in the top half of the South Atlantic League in ERA in each of the last two seasons.

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The 2016 Asheville Tourists will feature players from all across the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. The make-up includes 13 pitchers, four outfielders, six infielders, and two catchers.

The six coaches, all returning from last year’s staff, are Manager Warren Schaeffer (2nd season), Hitting Coach Mike Devereaux (5th season), Pitching Coach Mark Brewer (3rd season), Development Supervisor Marv Foley (4th season), Athletic Therapist Casey Papas (2nd season), and Strength & Conditioning Coach Jason Simpson (2nd season).

Three key members of the 2015 South Atlantic League runner-up Tourists team are returning to the Blue Ridge for further development and will look to assume a leadership role among their peers. Corner Infielder Josh Fuentes, who batted .252 in 93 games with Asheville last year, will help lead the young infield this season. Fuentes finished second on last year’s Tourists group in doubles with 24. Infielder Max George will also begin the 2016 campaign in Asheville after his 2015 stint was cut short due to an injury. George appeared in 36 games with the Tourists last year. Yonathan Daza is the lone returning outfielder. Daza, over two stretches with Asheville last year, batted .301 with one Home Run in 70 games.

“We are pleased to welcome these young men to the Asheville community and the Tourists family,” said Tourists president Brian DeWine. “Based on first impressions, this is a clearly a group of individuals who will represent the city of Asheville, the Colorado Rockies, and the Asheville Tourists with class, hard work, and community leadership.”

Season ticket packages, flex ticket packages, and individual game tickets are currently available at the McCormick Field ServPro Box Office. For more information, contact the Tourists’ front office at (828) 258-0428.

2016 Asheville Tourists Roster: