Cal League Condensed: 4/15 Preview

Bakersfield Blaze v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Michael Main v. Craig Westcott
Notes: Bakersfield was swept in a rain shortened series and San Jose won their series against Visalia... Francisco Peguero is hitting .348 in the early going... Brandon Belt reached based ten times in the series against Visalia... Game will be available on www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com...

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. Lancaster JetHawks 7:00 PM PT
Will Smith v. Dallas Keuchel
Notes: Rancho Cucamonga lost their series against Modesto and Lancaster got their first win of the season on a walkoff home run by Brandon Barnes... Rancho Cucamonga walked in two runs with the bases loaded and also hit three batters... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster as well as www.rcquakes.com and www.milb.com...

Lake Elsinore Storm v. High Desert Mavericks 7:05 PM PT
Chris Fetter v. Maikel Cleto
Notes: Each team won their previous series, against Lancaster and Inland Empire respectively... Home opener for High Desert... Last night was the first game Daniel Robertson did not record a hit... High Desert blew one run lead with two outs in the 9th... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in High Desert as well as www.milb.com...

Modesto Nuts v. Inland Empire 66ers 7:05 PM PT
Rob Scahill v. Hong-Chih Kuo
Notes: Modesto won their series against Rancho Cucamonga and Inland Empire lost theirs against High Desert... Hong-Chih Kuo expected to make about 20 pitches in a rehab appearance tonight... I expect he'll be followed up by Ethan Martin... Inland Empire won last night's game on a wild pitch... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto and 1050 AM in Inland Empire as well as www.milb.com and www.kcaaradio.com...

Visalia Rawhide v. Stockton Ports 7:05 PM PT
Taylor Sinclair v. Murphy Smith
Notes: Visalia lost their series against San Jose and Stockton swept Bakersfield... Stockton's home opener... Stephen Parker drove in all four Stockton runs last night on two home runs... Taylor Sinclair and Murphy Smith walked five and three batters in their first start... Game will be available on 1270 AM in Visalia and 1280 AM in Stockton as well as www.milb.com

CAL North
San Jose 4-2 .667
Stockton 4-2 .667
Bakersfield 3-2 .600 .5 GB
Modesto 3-3 .500 1 GB
Visalia 3-4 .429 1.5 GB

CAL South
High Desert 4-3 .571
Inland Empire 4-3 .571
Lake Elsinore 4-3 .571
Rancho Cucamonga 2-5 .286 2 GB
Lancaster 1-5 .167 2.5 GB

Transactions
STO: Dusty Napoleon placed on DL
VIS: Pat McAnaney assigned to AA Mobile
IE: Hong-Chih Kuo assigned from Dodgers
LE: Jackson Quezada assigned from Padres
LE: Colt Hynes assigned to AA San Antonio

Cal League Condensed: 4/14 Review

Lancaster 7, Lake Elsinore 6
Recap | Box
W:Brian Wabick (1-1)
L: Colt Hynes (1-1)
BS: Colt Hynes (1)
HR: Brandon Barnes (2)
Notes: Lancaster gets their first win of the season and avoids a sweep... Lake Elsinore only managed four hits... Lancaster held a 5-1 lead early in the game... JetHawks tied the game in the 8th and won in the 9th on a Brandon Barnes walkoff home run... Starters combined to allow eight runs... Attendance was 1,407... Lake Elsinore will continue onto High Desert while Lancaster welcomes Rancho Cucamonga...

San Jose 6, Visalia 4
Recap | Box
W: Eric Surkamp (1-0)
L: Trevor Harden (0-2)
S: Jason Stoffel (2)
HR: Juan Ciriaco (1) Charlie Culberson (1)
Notes: San Jose wins the series with two straight wins... San Jose scored in the first four innings... Visalia only scored in the last two... Visalia left ten runners on base... Eric Surkamp threw six shutout innings with six strikeouts, only allowing four hits and two walks... Attendance was 3,305... Visalia finishes the road trip in Stockton while San Jose takes on Bakersfield at home...

Inland Empire 2, High Desert 1
Recap | Box
W: Paul Koss (1-0)
L: Steven Richard (0-1)
BS: Cheyne Hann (1)
Notes: Game was won in the 10th on a wild pitch... Inland Empire avoids sweep... 66ers tied game up in the 9th inning... Inland Empire bullpen threw four shutout innings... High Desert stole three bases... Attendance was 852... High Desert returns home for the first time in 2010 against Lake Elsinore while Inland Empire finishes the homestand against Modesto...

Modesto 3, Rancho Cucamonga 1
Recap | Box
W: Ethan Hollingsworth (1-0)
L: Tyler Chatwood (0-1)
S: Adam Jorgenson (3)
HR: Jon Townsend (1)
Notes: Modesto wins the series 2-1... Game not quite as long as last night's... Rancho Cucamonga's only run was a home run by Jon Townsend... Alexi Amarista has now been caught stealing three times... Modesto's three pitchers struck out nine and walked none... Attendance was 1,057... Modesto continues their road trip at Inland Empire while Stockton is on the road for the first time at Lancaster...

Stockton 4, Bakersfield 1
Recap | Box
W: Shawn Haviland (1-0)
L: Wilfredo Boscan (0-1)
S: Daniel Thomas (1)
HR: Stephen Parker 2 (2)
Notes: Stockton sweeps abbreviated two game series... Stephen Parker hit two home runs... Bakersfield only had four hits... Attendance was 320... Stockton returns home for their home opener and a four game series against Visalia while Bakersfield hits the road for the first time in San Jose...

Cal League Condensed: 4/14 Preview

Lake Elsinore v. Lancaster JetHawks 7:00 PM PT
Nick Schmidt v. Ross Seaton
Notes: Lake Elsinore looking for the series sweep... Storm win would make manager Carlos Lezcano franchise leader in wins... Lancaster looking for their first win... Game was Lancaster's 1000th home game... Neither starter allowed a run in their first outing... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster, as well as jethawks.com and milb.com...

Visalia Rawhide v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Trevor Harden v. Eric Surkamp
Notes: Rubber game of series... Francisco Peguero has hit safely in every game this season... San Jose has stolen two bases in every game so far... Giants bullpen has allowed only one run over 11 innings against Visalia... Game will be available on 1270 AM in Visalia, as well as sjgiants.com and milb.com...

High Desert Mavericks v. Inland Empire 66ers 7:05 PM PT
Kenn Kasparek v. Aaron Miller
Notes: High Desert looking for a sweep... Starting pitchers are former Big 12 rivals... Aaron Miller struck out 10 in his first game against the rehabbing Scott Kazmir when Kasparek struck out none... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in High Desert and 1050 AM in Inland Empire, as well as milb.com and kcaaradio.com...

Modesto Nuts v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Ethan Hollingsworth v. Tyler Chatwood
Notes: Last night's game went 13 innings... Rancho Cucamonga used seven pitchers... Four players went 0/5 between the two teams... Tyler Chatwood only allowed one hit but walked four in his first start... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto, as well as rcquakes.com and milb.com...

Stockton Ports v. Bakersfield Blaze 7:15 PM PT
Shawn Haviland v. Wilfredo Boscan
Notes: Stockton scored five runs in the final three innings... This is the second game of a rain shortened series... Bakersfield lost for the first time this season last night... Shawn Haviland did not allow a run in his first start but didn't pitch long enough to earn a win... Game will be available on 1280 AM in Stockton, as well as milb.com...

CAL North
Bakersfield 3-1 .750
San Jose 3-2 .600 .5 GB
Stockton 3-2 .600 .5 GB
Visalia 3-3 .500 1 GB
Modesto 2-3 .400 1.5 GB

CAL South
High Desert 4-2 .667
Lake Elsinore 4-2 .667
Inland Empire 3-3 .500 1 GB
Rancho Cucamonga 2-4 .333 2 GB
Lancaster 0-5 .000 3.5 GB

Transactions
None

Cal League Condensed: 4/13 Review

Lake Elsinore 5, Lancaster 4
Recap | Box
W:Colt Hynes (1-0)
L: Patrick Urckfitz (0-2)
S: Aaron Breit (1)
BS: Leandro Cespedes (1) Patrick Urckfitz (2)
HR: Michael Collins (2) Drew Cumberland (2)
Notes: Drew Cumberland's two run home run gave the Storm a one run lead in the 9th... Michael Collins has hit home runs in consecutive games... He also hit two doubles... Lancaster now has three one run losses and still hasn't won a game... Tonight was Lancaster's 1000th home game... Attendance was 4,626...

San Jose 7, Visalia 2
Recap | Box
W: Aaron King (1-0)
L: Wade Miley (0-2)
HR: Paul Goldschimdt (2) Marc Krauss (1) Juan Perez (1)
Notes: San Jose put up a 5 spot in the first inning... Visalia's offense was two solo home runs... Rawhide only had one AB with a runner in scoring position... Paul Goldschmidt had a 3 hit game... Brandon Belt stole two bases... All 5 first inning runs were scored without an out... Attendance was 2,444...

High Desert 4, Inland Empire 3
Recap | Box
W: Jake Wild (1-0)
L: Jon Michael Redding (0-1)
S: Blake Nation (1)
Notes: Tonight was High Desert's second consecutive 4-3 win over Inland Empire... Kyle Seager and manager Jim Horner were each ejected by a different umpire in separate innings... Blake Nation pitched 3 shutout innings to earn the save... Jon Michael Redding walked 5 and only struck out 1... Attendance was 1,171...

Rancho Cucamonga 4, Modesto 3
Recap | Box
W: Jeremy Haynes (1-0)
L: Jonnathan Aristil (0-1)
BS: Mike Kenney (1)
HR: Gabe Jacobo (1)
Notes: Gabe Jacobo's walkoff single won the game in the 13th inning... Longest game of the Cal League season to this point... Modesto failed squeeze plays in the 11th and 12th innings... Nuts hit into a very unusual double play in the 8th inning... Modesto stole 5 bases... Rancho Cucamonga issued 11 walks while Modesto only had 2... Teams combined for 28 strikeouts... Stephen Dodson struck out 5 and only allowed 1 hit in 3 innings of work... Attendance was 1,027...

Stockton 5, Bakersfield 1
Recap | Box
W: Justin Murray (1-0)
L: Mark Hamburger (0-1)
BS: Mark Hamburger (1)
HR: Ryan Ortiz (1)
Notes: Mark Hamburger could only eat up two-thirds of an inning... Bakersfield committed four errors... Bakersfield's starter Jacob Brigham left with a 1-0 lead... Shane Keough was caught stealing and picked off... David Paisano went 3/4 to improve his average to .533... Attendance was 288...

Cal League Condensed: 4/13 Preview

Lake Elsinore v. Lancaster JetHawks 7:00 PM PT
Anthony Bass? v. ?
Notes: Lancaster searching for their first win of the season... Parent club Houston has also not won... No reason for Anthony Bass to not get the ball again, but no official starter is listed yet... Bass allowed just 1 run in 5 IP on Opening Day... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster, as well as jethawks.com and milb.com...

Visalia Rawhide v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Wade Miley v. Aaron King
Notes: Visalia is now riding a three game winning streak... Miley was a tough luck loser on Opening Day... Tough to get a read on San Jose's rotation so far since six different pitchers have been listed as starters... Aaron King was effective yet a little wild at times in 2009 at Augusta... Game will be available on 1270 AM in Visalia, as well as sjgiants.com and milb.com...

High Desert Mavericks v. Inland Empire 66ers 7:05 PM PT
Jake Wild v. Jon Michael Redding
Notes: Neither starter completed 5 innings on Opening Day... Jake Wild can likely earn a promotion with a strong April for High Desert... Jon Michael Redding walked more than he struck out in his first start... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in High Desert and 1050 AM in Inland Empire, as well as milb.com and kcaaradio.com...

Modesto Nuts v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Juan Nicasio v. Manuarys Correa
Notes: Reggie Willits is expected to be done rehabbing after going 1/3 yesterday... Juan Nicasio was effective in 5.2 IP to earn the win in Modesto's first game this season... Manuarys Correa struck out only 3.8 per 9 IP last year in the Midwest League... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto, as well as rcquakes.com and milb.com...

Stockton Ports v. Bakersfield Blaze 7:15 PM PT
Justin Murray v. Jacob Brigham
Notes: First game of this series was rained out... Bakersfield's last two games were suspended and postponed... Justin Murray only made 3 starts in 2009 and spent most of the season working out of the bullpen... Jacob Brigham was taken out of high school in 2006 but missed 2008 with an injury... Game will be available on 1280 AM in Stockton, as well as milb.com...

CAL North
Bakersfield 3-0 1.000
Visalia 3-2 .600 1 GB
Modesto 2-2 .500 1.5 GB
San Jose 2-2 .500 1.5 GB
Stockton 2-2 .500 1.5 GB

CAL South
High Desert 3-2 .600
Inland Empire 3-2 .600
Lake Elsinore 3-2 .600
Rancho Cucamonga 1-4 .200 2 GB
Lancaster 0-4 .000 2.5 GB

Transactions
SJ: Justin Fitzgerald assigned to XST
LE: Alexis Lara assigned to AAA Portland
LE: Jonathan Berger assigned from A- Eugene
HD: Luis Munoz assigned to AAA Tacoma
HD: Ryan Moorer assigned from A- Everett
VIS: Jake Hale assigned from A- Missoula
SJ: Juan Ciriaco assigned from AAA Fresno
STO: David Thomas assigned from AA Midland
SJ: Aaron King activated from DL
SJ: Josh Mazzola placed on DL

Cal League Condensed: 4/12 Review

Lake Elsinore 4, Lancaster 2
Recap | Box
W: Jorge Reyes (1-0)
L: Shane Wolf (0-1)
S: Brad Brach (3)
HR: Michael Collins (1)
Notes: Lancaster is still looking for their first win... Cody Decker and Albert Cartwright each had 3 hit games... Lancaster was 0 for 8 w/ RISP... Lake Elsinore starter Jorge Reyes recorded 17 of his 20 outs by strikeout or groundout... Two Lancaster runners were picked off... Attendance was 2,097...

Visalia 9, San Jose 7
Recap | Box
W: Josh Collmenter (1-0)
L: Kyle Nicholson (0-1)
S: T.J. Hose (1)
HR: Brandon Belt (1)
Notes: Visalia led this game 8-0 after the third inning... Kyle Nicholson pitched to 5 batters in the 3rd without recording an out... Visalia only needed three extra base hits to score their 9 runs... Five players on each team had multi hit games... San Jose left 10 runners on base... Attendance was 3,325...

High Desert 4, Inland Empire 3
Recap | Box
W: Bobby LaFromboise (1-0)
L: Bobby Blevins (0-1)
S: Steven Richard (2)
HR: Johermyn Chavez (1)
Notes: High Desert scored all 4 of their runs in the first 3 innings... Two 66ers struck out with the tying run on third in the 9th to end the game... Both teams combined for 25 strikeouts and just 3 walks... Maximo Mendez was caught stealing twice... High Desert pitcher Ryan Feierabend hasn't appeared in a game since 9/23/08 with Seattle... Attendance was 2,859...

Modesto 5, Rancho Cucamonga 2
Recap | Box
W: Dan Houston (1-0)
L: Manny Flores (0-1)
S: Adam Jorgenson (2)
HR: Brian Rike (1)
Notes: Rancho Cucamonga held the lead in this game twice but allowed Modesto to tie the half inning after both times... 15 of Manny Flores' outs were strikeouts or groundouts... Three triples were hit between both teams... Brian Rike had a three hit game including the home run that gave Modesto the lead for good... Attendance was 1,021...

Stockton Ports v. Bakersfield Blaze
Notes: Game was postponed due to rain... Will be made up on on 5/9 as part of a doubleheader...

Cal League Condensed: 4/12 Preview

Lake Elsinore v. Lancaster JetHawks 7:00 PM PT
? v. ?
Notes: Lake Elsinore is coming off a series split against High Desert and Lancaster is looking for their first win... Home opener for Lancaster... Probables not posted and I don't see any starters left for either team... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster, as well as jethawks.com and milb.com...

Visalia Rawhide v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Josh Collmenter v. Kyle Nicholson
Notes: Visalia earned a series split with Stockton... San Jose was poised to take a 3-1 series victory over Modesto but game was suspended... Home opener for San Jose... Josh Collmenter was one of league's most effective starters in 2009 but is back for another season... Kyle Nicholson also made some Cal League starts in 2009... Both pitchers were chosen in the 2007 draft... Game will be available on 1270 AM in Visalia, as well as sjgiants.com and milb.com...

High Desert Mavericks v. Inland Empire 66ers 7:05 PM PT
Bobby LaFromboise v. Bobby Blevins
Notes: High Desert coming off a series split with Lake Elsinore and Inland Empire won their 4 game series with Rancho Cucamonga... Both pitchers spent last year in the Midwest League, which was Bobby Blevins' second season in the league... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in High Desert and 1050 AM in Inland Empire, as well as milb.com and kcaaradio.com...

Modesto Nuts v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Dan Houston v. Manuel Flores
Notes: Each team lost their opening series, v. San Jose and v. Inland Empire respectively... Reggie Willits may still be rehabbing... Dan Houston has pitched better as a pro than he did in college... Manuel Flores made 7 starts with Rancho Cucamonga last year... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto, as well as rcquakes.com and milb.com...

Stockton Ports v. Bakersfield Blaze 7:15 PM PT
Justin Murray v. Jacob Brigham
Notes: Stockton is coming off a series split with Visalia and Bakersfield was leading their series against Lancaster 3-0 before high winds suspended yesterday's game... Justin Murray only made 3 starts in 2009 and spent most of the season working out of the bullpen... Jacob Brigham was taken out of high school in 2006 but missed 2008 with an injury... Game will be available on 1280 AM in Stockton, as well as milb.com...

CAL North
Bakersfield 3-0 1.000
San Jose 2-1 .667 1 GB
Stockton 2-2 .500 1.5 GB
Visalia 2-2 .500 1.5 GB
Modesto 1-2 .333 2 GB

CAL South
Inland Empire 3-1 .750
High Desert 2-2 .500 1 GB
Lake Elsinore 2-2 .500 1 GB
Rancho Cucamonga 1-3 .250 2 GB
Lancaster 0-3 .000 2.5 GB

Transactions
Correction: Warren Schaeffer was sent to Colorado Springs, not from Colorado Springs
VIS: Billy Spottiswood assigned to AAA Reno
STO: Tyler Ladendorf assigned from AAA Sacramento
LE: Andrew Parrino assigned to AA San Antonio
HD: Luis Nunez assigned to A Clinton

Cal League Condensed: 4/11 Review

San Jose Giants v. Modesto Nuts
Notes: Game was suspended in the second inning with San Jose winning 7-2 due to inclement weather... Game will resume on 5/21 as a 9 inning game, followed by the regularly scheduled game, which will be 7 innings long... San Jose heads home tomorrow to face Visalia while Modesto begins a 7 game road trip in Rancho Cucamonga...

Lancaster JetHawks v. Bakersfield Blaze
Notes: Game was suspended in the second inning with Lancaster winning 2-1 due to high winds... Not yet known when game will be resumed, if ever... Lancaster begins a 7 game homestand tomorrow against Lake Elsinore while Bakersfield remains home against Stockton...

Visalia 6, Stockton 5
Recap | Box
W:Pat McAnaney (1-0)
L: Anvioris Ramirez (0-1)
S: Bryan Woodall (1)
HR: Michael Spina (1) Paul Goldschmidt (1)
Notes: Visalia put up a 4 spot in the 5th inning... Only one Visalia player struck out... Scott Deal pitched to 4 batters in the 6th without recording an out... Bryan Woodall inherited the bases loaded and allowed 2 runners to score... Tying and winning runners were left on base for Stockton... Attendance was 1,888... Stockton travels to Bakersfield to finish the road trip while Visalia is off to San Jose...

Lake Elsinore 3, High Desert 2
Recap | Box
W: Alexis Lara (1-1)
L: Cheyne Hann (0-1)
S: Brad Brach (2)
Notes: Winning run was scored on a controversial call at first when it was ruled pitcher Cheyne Hann didn't touch first base while covering... Hann only allowed one baserunner in three innings of work... Drew Cumberland did not commit any errors... Attendance was 2,837... High Desert continues their road trip in Inland Empire while Lake Elsinore travels to Lancaster...

Inland Empire 8, Rancho Cucamonga 7
Recap | Box
W: Robert Boothe (1-0)
L: Matt Shoemaker (0-1)
S: Paul Koss (1)
HR: Steven Cesares (1) Dillon Baird (1)
Notes: Reggie Willits played CF and went 1/1 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored... Steven Cesares' home run was a first inning grand slam... Dillon Baird was the first Quake to hit a home run this season... Double steal put tying and winning runs in scoring position for Rancho Cucamonga in the 9th inning... Attendance was 2,325... Inland Empire returns home to face High Desert tomorrow while Rancho Cucamonga stays put to play Stockton...

Cal League Condensed: 4/11 Preview

San Jose Giants v. Modesto Nuts 1:05 PM PT
Justin Fitzgerald v. Kenny Durst
Notes: Series currently 2-1 in San Jose's favor... Each game in series has been decided by 2 or fewer runs... Justin Fitzgerald will be making his first professional start... Kenny Durst is in his second go-around with Modesto... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto, as well as sjgiants.com and milb.com...

Lancaster JetHawks v. Bakersfield Blaze 1:15 PM PT
Brad Dydalewicz v. Kennil Gomez
Notes: Lancaster looking for their first win of the season... Brad Dydalewicz will be making High A Debut... Kennil Gomez is returning to Bakersfield after a lackluster 2009... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster, as well as milb.com...

Stockton Ports v. Visalia Rawhide 2:00 PM PT
Anvioris Ramirez v. Pat McAnaney
Notes: Visalia looking to win two games in a row after 9th inning comeback... Anvioris Ramirez has pitched only 122 professional innings... Pat McAnaney has 147 innings just in High A... Game will be available on 1280 AM in Stockton and 1270 AM in Visalia, as well as milb.com...

High Desert Mavericks v. Lake Elsinore Storm 2:05 PM PT
Andrew Carraway v. Erik Davis
Notes: High Desert has won two games in a row... Andrew Carraway was dominant in his 2009 pro debut, with a 2.10 ERA in 64.2 IP... Erik Davis has only allowed 7.8 H/9 in his pro career... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in Lake Elsinore, as well as milb.com...

Inland Empire 66ers v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 2:05 PM PT
Geison Aguasviva v. Matt Shoemaker
Notes: Reggie Willits hitting just .182 in his rehab with the Quakes... Rancho Cucamonga can split the series with a win... Geison Aguasviva pitched most of 2009 out of the bullpen... Matt Shoemaker was an undrafted free agent signing... Game will be available on KCAA Radio in Inland Empire, as well as the Quakes website...

CAL North
Bakersfield 3-0 1.000
San Jose 2-1 .667 1 GB
Stockton 2-1 .667 1 GB
Modesto 1-2 .333 2 GB
Visalia 1-2 .333 2 GB

CAL South
High Desert 2-1 .667
Inland Empire 2-1 .667
Lake Elsinore 1-2 .333 1 GB
Rancho Cucamonga 1-2 .333 1 GB
Lancaster 0-3 .000 2 GB

Transactions
SJ: 3B Drew Biery placed on DL
SJ: SS Joel Weeks activated from DL
MOD: OF Mike Mitchell placed on DL

Cal League Condensed: 4/10 Review

Visalia 5, Stockton 4
Recap | Box
W: Justin Mace (1-0)
L: Daniel Sattler (0-1)
BS: Trey Barham (1) Daniel Sattler (1) T.J. Hose (1)
Notes: Tying and winning runs were scored on a Ryan Wheeler double... Stockton previously took the lead in the top of the 9th on a Jeremy Barfield single... Three pitchers were credited with blown saves... Grant Green made his 4th error of the season... Attendance was 1,843...

High Desert 4, Lake Elsinore 3
Recap | Box
W: Maikel Cleto (1-0)
L: Chris Fetter (0-1)
S: Steven Richard (1)
Notes: Tying and winning runs left in scoring position in 9th inning... Drew Cumberland had second consecutive three error game... Jacob Shaffer had a stolen base and was caught stealing... Rich Poythress had a three strikeout game... Maikel Cleto struck out 7 in 5 IP... Attendance was 3,848...

Inland Empire 9, Rancho Cucamonga 5
Recap | Box
W: Ethan Martin (1-0)
L: Will Smith (0-1)
HR: Preston Mattingly (1) Kyle Russell (2)
Notes: Reggie Willits played LF tonight and went 0/5 with 1 K... Inland Empire scored all 9 runs in innings 5-7... Four RBI game for Kyle Russell... Ethan Martin struck out 9 in 5 IP, only allowing 3 hits and no runs... Will Smith was perfect through 4 innings... Attendance was 4,800...

San Jose Giants 3, Modesto Nuts 1
Recap | Box
W: Oliver Odle (1-0)
L: Rex Brothers (0-1)
S: Edwin Quirarte (1)
BS: Rex Brothers (1)
HR: Tim Wheeler (2)
Notes: Josh Mazzola was replaced late in the game with an apparent shoulder injury from sliding into second base... San Jose scored all 3 runs in the last 2 innings... Four runners were picked off... Attendance was 3,304...

Bakersfield 8, Lancaster 5
Recap | Box
W: Carlos Pimentel (1-0)
L: Dallas Keuchel (0-1)
S: Cody Eppley (2)
Notes: Bakersfield is the last undefeated team... Lancaster is the last winless team... Bakersfield hit 4 doubles in 5 run 4th inning... Andres James had a 3 hit game including 2 doubles... Attendance was 1,018...

Cal League Condensed: 4/10 Preview

Stockton Ports v. Visalia Rawhide 7:00 PM PT
Kenny Smalley v. Taylor Sinclair
Notes: Visalia is hitting .074 w/ RISP to start the season... Stockton hasn't started 2-0 since 2005... Jordan Norberto became the first Rawhide player to reach the majors... Game will be available on 1280 AM in Stockton and 1270 AM in Visalia, as well as milb.com...

High Desert Mavericks v. Lake Elsinore Storm 7:05 PM PT
Maikel Cleto v. Chris Fetter
Notes: Nick Schmidt left the game due to pitch count limit... Storm reliever Alexis Lara felt he was squeezed in High Desert's big inning... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in Lake Elsinore, as well as milb.com...

Inland Empire 66ers v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Ethan Martin v. Will Smith
Notes: Reggie Willits to likely continue rehab with Quakes tonight... Ethan Martin was LA's first round pick two years ago... Dillon Baird's walkoff hit was his first hit in the league... Game will be available on KCAA Radio in Inland Empire, as well as the Quakes website...

San Jose Giants v. Modesto Nuts 7:05 PM PT
Ari Ronick v. Rob Scahill
Notes: Tying run left on 3rd base in 9th inning after Scott Robinson stole second and third... Teams combined for 10 steals and 18 strikeouts... Modesto thought they had the game tied up but it was ruled that Ryan Peisel tagged up too soon and was out... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto, as well as sjgiants.com and milb.com...

Lancaster JetHawks v. Bakersfield Blaze 7:15 PM PT
Dallas Keuchel v. Carlos Pimentel
Notes: Jared Bolden now has the game winning hit in both games for Bakersfield... This morning, Lancaster gave away every ticket for the team's 1000th game at the current stadium scheduled for Tuesday... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster, as well as milb.com...


CAL North
Bakersfield 2-0 1.000
Stockton 2-0 1.000
Modesto 1-1 .500 1 GB
San Jose 1-1 .500 1 GB
Visalia 0-2 .000 2 GB

CAL South
High Desert 1-1 .500
Inland Empire 1-1 .500
Lake Elsinore 1-1 .500
Rancho Cucamonga 1-1 .500
Lancaster 0-2 .000 1 GB

Transactions
MOD: 3B Ryan Peisel activiated from DL
MOD: SS Warren Schaeffer sent from Colorado Springs

Note: Transactions are what I see from the last time I posted them. Obviously Peisel was activated yesterday and played in yesterday's game.

Cal League Condensed: 4/9 Review

Stockton 7, Visalia 4
Recap | Box
W: Murphy Smith (1-0)
L: Trevor Harden (0-1)
HR: Kala Ka'aihue 2 (2) Jeremy Barfield (1)
Notes: Kala Ka'aihue had the first two HR game of the Cal League season... Stockton scored the first 7 runs unanswered... Grant Green now has 3 errors... Visalia was 2 for 14 w/ RISP... Billy Spottiswood struck out the side in 1 inning of relief... Attendance was 2,019...

High Desert 8, Lake Elsinore 2
Recap | Box
W: Luis Munoz (1-0)
L: Alexis Lara (0-1)
BS: Alexis Lara (1)
HR: Rich Poythress (1)
Notes: High Desert scored 7 runs in the 8th inning without making an out... High Desert was 6 for 11 w/ RISP... Drew Cumberland made 3 errors... Nate Tenbrink and Denny Almonte had 3 hit games... Alexis Lara allowed 4 hits and 5 runs without recording an out... Neither starter allowed an earned run... Attendance was 4,123...

Rancho Cucamonga 4, Inland Empire 3
Recap | Box
W: Robert Fish (1-0)
L: Kyle Smit (0-1)
BS: Paul Koss (1)
Notes: Kazmir started out effective and wore down, allowing 3 ER in 6.1 IP on 8 H, 0 BB and 6 K.... Reggie Willits played RF, going 2/3 with a 2B and run scored... Game ended in the bottom of the 10th on a Dillon Baird double... Rancho Cucamonga tied the game in the 9th on a Rian Kiniry single... Aaron Miller struck out 10 in his High A Debut... First extra innings game of the Cal League season... Attendance was 2,554...

San Jose Giants 4, Modesto Nuts 3
Recap | Box
W: Andy Reichard (1-0)
L: Ethan Hollingsworth (0-1)
S: Jason Stoffel (1)
Notes: San Jose scored first four runs of game... Aaron Lowenstein made two errors... Modesto stole 5 bases... Ryan Lormand and Jordan Pacheco had 3 hit games... Attendance was 3,511...

Bakersfield 3, Lancaster 2
Recap | Box
W: Adalberto Flores (1-0)
L: Patrick Urckfitz (0-1)
BS: Patrick Urckfitz (1)
HR: Albert Cartwright (1) Ebert Rosario (1)
Notes: Game ended in the bottom of the 9th on a Jared Bolden two run single... Patrick Urckfitz allowed 3 hits and 2 runs without recording an out after replacing Kyle Godfrey with 1 out in the 9th... Davis Stoneburner had a 3 hit game... Ross Seaton allowed no runs in his High A debut... Attendance was 1,003...

Scott Kazmir Rehab

Top 1

Nick Buss
Pitch 1: Called strike
Pitch 2: 6-3 Groundout

Cesar Suarez
Pitch 1: Ball
Pitch 2: Ball low and away
Pitch 3: Flyout to RF

Alfredo Silverio
Pitch 1: Called strike
Pitch 2: Ground ball foul
Pitch 3: Called strike 3

First inning: 8 pitches, 6 strikes, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout

Top 2

Kyle Russell
Pitch 1: Foul ball
Pitch 2: Single to CF

Tony Delmonico
Pitch 1: Ball outside (slider)
Pitch 2: Single to RF (soft line drive)

Austin Gallagher
Pitch 1: Ball inside
Pitch 2: Swinging strike
Pitch 3: Popped foul
Pitch 4: 3-6 FC, runners on the corners

Chris Gutierrez
Pitch 1: Ball outside
Pitch 2: Strike
Pitch 3: 3-1 FC, runners on first and second

Preston Mattingly
Pitch 1: Ball outside
Pitch 2: Fouled back to the screen
Pitch 3: Swinging strike
Pitch 4: 6-3 groundout

Second inning: 14 pitches, 11 strikes, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts

Top 3

Johan Garcia
Pitch 1: Called strike
Pitch 2: 3 Unassisted

Nick Buss
Pitch 1?: 6-3 groundout

Cesar Suarez
Pitch 1: Ball low
Pitch 2: Called strike
Pitch 3: 5-3 groundout


Third inning: 6 pitches, 5 strikes, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts

Details sketchy on the third inning because there is a guest in the Rancho Cucamonga booth. Trainer went out to check on Kazmir after the second out, but he remained in the game.

Top 4

Alfredo Silverio
Pitch 1: Strike
Pitch 2: Strike
Pitch 3: Strikeout

Kyle Russell
Pitch 1: Called strike
Pitch 2: Ball in dirt (slider)
Pitch 3: Called strike
Pitch 4: Swinging strikeout

Tony Delmonico
Pitch 1: Ball
Pitch 2: Foul ball
Pitch 3: Ball
Pitch 4: Fouled to the screen
Pitch 5: Line drive single to LF

Austin Gallagher
Pitch 1: Ball inside
Pitch 2: Ball outside (slider)
Pitch 3: Called strike
Pitch 4: Swinging strike (high fastball)
Pitch 5: Lineout to LF (sliding catch by Castillo)


Fourth inning: 17 pitches, 12 strikes, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

Top 5

Chris Gutierrez
Pitch 1: Called strike
Pitch 2: Foul tip
Pitch 3: Line drive single to RF

Preston Mattingly
Pitch 1: Called strike
Pitch 2: Swinging strike (slider)
Pitch 3: Fouled to the screen
Pitch 4: Swinging strikeout (fastball)

Johan Garcia
Pitch 1: Ball
Pitch 2: Passed ball (runner advances to second)
Pitch 3: Foul ball
Pitch 4: Foul ball
Pitch 5: Strikeout looking (slider)

Nick Buss
Pitch 1: Ball outside
Pitch 2: Popout to catcher

Fifth inning: 14 pitches, 11 strikes, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

Top 6

Cesar Suarez
Pitch 1: Called strike
Pitch 2: Strike
Pitch 3: Swinging strike (fastball)

Alfredo Silverio
Pitch 1: Infield single

Kyle Russell
Pitch 1: Wild pitch (runner advances to second)
Pitch 2: Foul ball
Pitch 3: Flyout to deep CF (runner advances to third)

Tony Delmonico
Pitch 1: Ball outside
Pitch 2: Strike (slider)
Pitch 3: Ball down and inside
Pitch 4: Called strike
Pitch 5: Flyout to RF

Sixth inning: 12 pitches, 9 strikes, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeouts

Top 7

Austin Gallagher
Pitch ?: 3 unassisted

Chris Gutierrez
Pitch 1-5: Full count
Pitch 6: Foul ball
Pitch 7: Foul ball
Pitch 8: Foul ball
Pitch 9: Foul ball
Pitch 10: Single to CF

Preston Mattingly
Pitch 1: Foul ball
Pitch 2: Foul ball
Pitch 3: Foul ball
Pitch 4: Single

Johan Garcia
Pitch 1: Single to RF (run scores)

That'll do it for Kazmir.

In this inning, the RC radio feed stopped working, so I had to switch to the IE one and missed Gallagher's AB.

Seventh inning: 15+ pitches, 12+ strikes, 2 runs (2 inherited runners came around), 3 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts

Final line: 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 6 K, about 86-90 pitches, about 66 strikes

I don't know if the Quakes' stadium just doesn't have it or if neither PBP guy mentioned it, but I have nothing on his velocity. If I had to guess, he spent the majority of games throwing fastballs because of the swinging earlier in the count at the beginning of the game and the ineffectiveness the third time through the lineup. Maybe he just got tired later due to not having enough work in spring training, but he should be ready as long as his hamstring feels okay.

Cak League Condensed: 4/9 Preview

Stockton Ports v. Visalia Rawhide 7:00 PM PT
Murphy Smith v. Trevor Harden
Notes: Visalia's only run last night was unearned... This is Murphy Smith's first full year of pro ball, and Trevor Harden's second season starting with the Rawhide... Game will be available on 1280 AM in Stockton and 1270 AM in Visalia, as well as milb.com...

High Desert Mavericks v. Lake Elsinore Storm 7:05 PM PT
Kenn Kasparek v. Nick Schmidt
Notes: Drew Cumberland only hit two home runs last season... Kenn Kasparek was a College World Series champion with Texas... Nick Schmidt is a former first round pick and top 10 prospect... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in Lake Elsinore, as well as milb.com...

Inland Empire 66ers v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Aaron Miller v. Scott Kazmir
Notes: Scott Kazmir rehabbing with the Quakes and expects to be ready for his next start with Anaheim... Reggie Willits will continue his rehab with the Quakes... Last Night was Rancho Cucamonga's first game under new owners George and Bobby Brett...

San Jose Giants v. Modesto Nuts 7:05 PM PT
Craig Westcott v. Ethan Hollingsworth
Notes: Last night's crowd was the second largest home opener in Modest history... Mike Mitchell has a swollen hand after being hit by a pitch but should play... San Jose hadn't lost an opener since 2005... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto, as well as sjgiants.com and milb.com...

Lancaster JetHawks v. Bakersfield Blaze 7:15 PM PT
Ross Seaton v. Michael Main
Notes: There were three lead changes in last night's game... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster, as well as milb.com...


Standings
CAL North
Bakersfield 1-0 1.000
Modesto 1-0 1.000
Stockton 1-0 1.000
San Jose 0-1 .000 1 GB
Visalia 0-1 .000 1 GB

CAL South
Inland Empire 1-0 1.000
Lake Elsinore 1-0 1.000
High Desert 0-1 .000 1 GB
Lancaster 0-1 .000 1 GB
Rancho Cucamonga 0-1 .000 1 GB

Transactions
LAN: Jose Lopez placed on DL

Cal League Condensed: 4/8 Review

Stockton 5, Visalia 1
Recap | Box
W: Trey Barham (1-0)
L: Wade Miley (0-1)
Notes: Each team's shortstop made two errors... Visalia pitchers picked off two runners... 12 of Wade Miley's 15 outs were groundouts... Visalia was 0/13 w/ RISP and left 13 runners on base... Hall of Famer Doug Harvey threw out the first pitch... Attendance was 2,669...

Lake Elsinore 4, High Desert 3
Recap | Box
W: Aaron Breit (1-0)
L: Travis Mortimore (0-1)
S: Brad Brach (1)
BS: Aaron Breit (1)
HR: Travis Scott (1) Cody Decker (1) Drew Cumberland (1)
Notes: Jake Wild threw a wild pitch... Drew Cumberland stole two bases... Neither starter reached the 6th inning... Three Lake Elsinore players were hit by pitches... Alexis Lara struck out the side in one inning of relief... Attendance was 7,910...

Inland Empire 6, Rancho Cucamonga 3
Recap | Box
W: Brandon Mann (1-0)
L: Nick Pugliese (0-1)
S: Cole St. Clair (1)
BS: Nick Pugliese (1)
HR: Kyle Russell (1)
Notes: Rehabbing Angel Reggie Willits batted leadoff and played centerfield, going 0/3 with a walk, strikeout and RBI sac fly and error... Rancho Cucamonga players stole five bases... Game featured a 15 minute delay... Attendance was 3,673...

Modesto 4, San Jose 2
Recap | Box
W: Juan Nicasio (1-0)
L: Eric Stolp (0-1)
S: Adam Jorgenson (1)
HR: Tim Wheeler (1)
Notes: Three Nuts players had 2 hits... Ehire Adrianza had San Jose's only RBI... 14 of Juan Nicasio's 17 outs were strikeouts or groundouts... Rex Brothers will be pitching in relief... James Simmons had two outfield assists... Attendance was 4,427...

Bakersfield 4, Lancaster 3
Recap | Box
W: Wilfedo Boscan (1-0)
L: Brian Wabick (0-1)
S: Cody Eppley (1)
BS: Brian Wabick (1)
HR: Brandon Barnes (1)
Notes: Brandon Barnes' home run was the first of the Cal League season... Kyle Greenwalt was effective in 5 innings, striking out 5 while allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs... Tommy Mendonca and Jared Bolden each hit two doubles... Attendance was 2,262...

2010 Opening Day Roster: Lancaster JetHawks

Pitchers
David Berner, 22 (10.50/2.67 in 7 Short Season IP)
Leandro Cespedes, 23 (5.06/1.55 in 132.1 High A IP)
Brad Dydalewicz, 20 (3.93/1.31 in 110 Low A IP)
Kyle Godfrey, 24 (1.88/1.02 in 38.1 Low A IP)
Kyle Greenwalt, 21 (4.20/1.31 in 139.1 Low A IP)
Dallas Keuchel, 22 (2.70/1.08 in 56.2 Short Season IP)
Ashton Mowdy, 24 (9.30/2.11 in 20.1 High A IP)
Ross Seaton, 20 (3.29/1.29 in 136.2 Low A IP)
Patrick Urckfitz, 21 (4.15/1.62 in 8.2 High A IP)
Brian Wabick, 22 (3.96/1.25 in 86.1 Low A IP)
Edwin Walker, 26 (.78/.78 in 23 Low A IP)
Shane Wolf, 23 (5.34/1.42 in 121.1 High A IP)

Catchers
Federico Hernandez, 22 (.231/.268/.329 in 347 Low A AB)
Jose Lopez, 25 (.273/.333/.364 in 11 Rookie AB)

Infielders
Barry Butera, 22 (.267/.351/.322 in 202 Short Season AB)
Albert Cartwright, 22 (.236/.330/.368 in 348 Low A AB)
Rayner Contreras, 23 (.077/.314/.192 in 26 DSL AB)
David Flores, 23 (.242/.288/.371 in 264 High A AB)
Mark Ori, 26 (.262/.334/.336 in 423 AA AB)
Ebert Rosario, 22 (.250/.312/.331 in 172 High A AB)
Brandon Wikoff, 22 (.276/.317/.314 in 156 Low A AB)

Outfielders
Jay Austin, 19 (.257/.320/.360 in 397 Low A AB)
Brandon Barnes, 23 (.095/.208/.238 in 21 AA AB)
Josh Flores, 24 (.239/.307/.344 in 163 AA AB)
Freddy Parejo, 25 (.229/.274/.310 in 258 AA AB)

Possible Rotation
Kyle Greenwalt
Ross Seaton
Dallas Keuchel
Brad Dydalewicz
David Berner

C Federico Hernandez
1B Brandon Wikoff
2B Albert Cartwright
SS Barry Butera
3B Rayner Contreras
DH Ebert Rosario
OF Jay Austin
OF Brandon Barnes
OF Josh Flores

Play ball.

2010 Opening Day Roster: Bakersfield Blaze

Since the Blaze and JetHawks got rosters up, I'll be fair to them and post them.

Pitchers
Wilfredo Boscan, 20 (3.59/1.18 in 105.1 Low A IP)*
Jacob Brigham, 22 (5.52/1.58 in 89.2 Low A IP)*
Fabio Castillo, 21 (4.05/1.40 in 80 Low A IP)
Cody Eppley, 24 (2.93/1.05 in 67.2 Low A IP)
Adalberto Flores, 23 (3.40/1.29 in 55.2 High A IP)
Kennil Gomez, 22 (5.27/1.59 in 135 High A IP)*
Mark Hamburger, 23 (4.75/1.57 in 66.1 Low A IP)
Michael Main, 21 (6.83/1.88 58 High A IP)*
Justin Miller, 23 (2.35/1.24 in 15.1 High A IP)
Tim Murphy, 23 (6.80/1.80 in 135 High A IP)*
Carlos Pimentel, 20 (2.93/1.26 in 123 Low A IP)*
Tyler Tufts, 23 (3.86/1.14 in 7 High A IP)
Corey Young, 23 (7.71/1.86 in 21 AA IP)

Catchers
Jose Felix, 21 (.241/.282/.294 in 320 High A AB)
Doug Hogan, 25 (.156/.250/.281 in 32 High A AB)

Infielders
Jared Bolden, 23 (.238/.308/.293 in 369 Low A AB)
Mitch Hilligoss, 24 (.233/.282/.301 in 163 High A AB)
Andres James, 22 (.269/.283/.353 in 156 Low A AB)
Jacob Kaase, 23 (.266/.285/.367 in 177 High A AB)
Tommy Mendonca, 21 (.209/.261/.279 in 43 High A AB)
Erik Morrison, 24 (.323/.400/.516 in 31 High A AB)
Davis Stoneburner, 25 (.273/.333/.404 in 418 High A AB)

Outfielders
Engel Beltre, 20 (.227/.281/.317 in 357 High A AB)
Eric Fry, 22 (.258/.338/.425 in 252 Low A AB)
David Paisano, 22 (.253/.341/.380 in 158 High A AB)

Possible Rotation
Wilfredo Boscan
Carlos Pimentel
Michael Main
Jacob Brigham
Kennil Gomez

Possible Lineup
C Jose Felix
1B Erik Morrison
2B Andres James
SS Jacob Kaase
3B Tommy Mendonca
OF Engel Beltre
OF Eric Fry
OF David Paisano
DH Jared Bolden

Cal League Condensed: 4/8 Preview

The day is here. Minor league season begins across the country today, and there is a full slate of Cal League action.

Stockton Ports v. Visalia Rawhide 7:00 PM PT
Shawn Haviland v. Wade Miley
Notes: Home opener for Visalia... Both teams missed the postseason in 2010... Game will be available on 1280 AM in Stockton and 1270 AM in Visalia, as well as milb.com...

High Desert Mavericks v. Lake Elsinore Storm 7:05 PT
Jake Wild v. Anthony Bass
Notes: Home opener for Lake Elsinore... Lake Elsinore reporting a sellout... Game will be available on 92.9 FM in Lake Elsinore, as well as milb.com...

Inland Empire 66ers v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PT
Jon Michael Redding v. Tyler Chatwood
Notes: Home opener for Rancho Cucamonga... Reggie Willits rehabbing with Rancho Cucamonga today... Scott Kazmir scheduled to rehab tomorrow...

San Jose Giants v. Modesto Nuts 7:05 PT
Eric Surkamp v. Juan Nicasio
Notes: Home opener for Modesto... Game will be available on 970 AM in Modesto, as well as sjgiants.com and milb.com...

Lancaster JetHawks v. Bakersfield Blaze 7:15 PT
Kyle Greenwalt v. Wilfredo Boscan
Home opener for Bakersfield... Game will be available on 1380 AM in Lancaster, as well as milb.com...

Standings
Obviously everyone is 0-0

Transactions
In future previews, I'll list the day's transactions, but not today when the page lists every player being assigned.
IE: Garett Green retired
IE: Andres Perez placed on DL
IE: Fumi Ishibashi placed on DL
IE: Brandon Mann signed as free agent
IE: Chris Gutierrez signed as free agent

That's pretty much how this will look. The notes will be a bit better once games are played.

Uninformed Predictions

With incomplete or 2009 rosters posted on their websites as I write this, Lancaster and Bakersfield will go previewless unless they correct it sometime tomorrow. In the Cal League, the first half winners get byes to the Division Finals, so keep that in mind as you continue.

CAL North
Modesto
Stockton
San Jose
Visalia
Bakersfield

CAL South
Lake Elsinore
Inland Empire
High Desert
Lancaster
Rancho Cucamonga

Division Semi-Finals
San Jose defeats Stockton
Lake Elsinore defeats High Desert

Division Finals
Modesto defeats San Jose
Lake Elsinore defeats Inland Empire

Finals
Lake Elsinore defeats Modesto

And with that, opening day is almost upon us. Tomorrow, I'll get a day preview up and hopefully Lancaster and Bakersfield get rosters up so I can get a closer look at them.

2010 Opening Day Roster: Lake Elsinore Storm

Pitchers
Anthony Bass, 22 (3.51/1.41 in 33.1 High A IP)
Brad Brach, 24 (1.27/.74 in 63.2 Low A IP)
Aaron Breit, 24 (3.51/1.37 in 107.2 High A IP)
Erik Davis, 23 (3.64/1.25 in 123.2 Low A IP)
Chris Fetter, 24 (2.22/1.32 in 24.1 Low A IP)
Zach Herr, 23 (4.13/1.24 in 56.2 High A IP)
Colt Hynes, 25 (2.90/1.31 in 59 High A IP)
Alexis Lara, 23 (3.03/1.03 in 65.1 Low A IP)
Jorge Reyes, 22 (1.38/.85 in 13 Short Season IP)
Nick Schmidt, 24 (7.88/1.98 in 48 High A IP)
Nick Schumaker, 24 (1.11/1.08 in 56.2 Low A IP)
Nick Vincent, 23 (3.08/1.31 in 64.1 High A IP)

Catchers
Michael Collins, 25 (.240/.375/.360 in 150 AA AB)
Robert Lara, 23 (.219/.291/.313 in 201 Low A AB)

Infielders
Vincent Belnome, 22 (.500/.556/.656 in 32 Low A AB)
Drew Cumberland, 21 (.293/.386/.410 in 290 Low A AB)
Cody Decker, 23 (.354/.421/.717 in 198 Rookie AB)
Allan Dykstra, 22 (.226/.397/.375 in 411 Low A AB)
Cole Figueroa, 22 (.319/.408/.403 in 238 Low A AB)
Kevin Hansen, 24 (.254/.306/.292 in 339 Low A AB)
Andrew Parrino, 24 (.235/.346/.312 in 311 High A AB)

Outfielders
Yefri Carvajal, 21 (.253/.307/.337 in 249 Low A AB)
Danny Payne, 24 (.245/.381/.387 in 364 High A AB)
Dan Robertson, 24 (.296/.380/.398 in 432 Low A AB)
Blake Tekotte, 22 (.258/.345/.396 in Low A AB)

Possible Rotation
Anthony Bass
Aaron Breit
Erik Davis
Chris Fetter
Jorge Reyes

Possible Lineup
C Michael Collins
1B Allan Dykstra
2B Cole Figueroa
SS Drew Cumberland
3B Vincent Belnome
OF Danny Payne
OF Blake Tekotte
OF Dan Robertson
DH Cody Decker

With Jaff Decker starting the season on the DL, the lineup is missing maybe their best hitter, but they're still a pretty good group. This looks to be a a very good team depending on how many players stay with the Storm for the duration of the year. The pitching is somewhat experienced in the rotation and they should be able to score runs.

2010 Opening Day Roster: High Desert Mavericks

Pitchers
Andrew Carraway, 23 (2.50/1.03 in 39.2 Low A IP)
Maikel Cleto, 22 (5.33/1.82 in 25.1 Low A IP)
Ryan Feierabend, 24 (7.71/1.84 in 39.2 ML IP, 2008)
Cheyne Hann, 25 (1.32/.82 in 68.1 Low A IP)
Kenn Kasparek, 24 (2.41/1.12 in 141.2 Low A IP)
Bobby LaFromboise, 24 (4.03/1.28 in 138.1 Low A IP)
Travis Mortimore, 25 (7.07/1.93 in 63.2 High A IP)
Luis Munoz, 28 (6.75/1.82 in 18.2 AAA IP)
Blake Nation, 23 (3.16/1.23 in 82.2 Low A IP)
Stephen Penney, 23 (4.85/1.49 in 39 Low A IP)
Steve Richard, 25 (5.03/1.68 in 59 High A IP)
Marwin Vega, 23 (5.27/1.72 in 27.1 AA IP)
Jake Wild, 25 (4.09/1.39 in 132 High A IP)

Catchers
Trevor Coleman, 22 (.184/.306/.289 in 114 Short Season AB)
Travis Scott, 24 (.285/.356/.521 in 351 High A AB)

Infielders
Edilio Colina, 21 (.270/.337/.342 in 444 High A AB)
Juan Diaz, 21 (.311/.356/.446 in 325 High A AB)
Luis Nunez, 23 (.284/.317/.324 in 429 Low A AB) (7 Day DL)
Rich Poythress, 23 (.230/.337/.287 in 87 AA AB)
Scott Stavastano, 23 (.300/.390/.404 in 413 Low A AB)
Kyle Seager, 22 (.275/.360/.346 in 153 Low A AB)
Nate Tenbrink, 23 (.283/.357/.431 in 457 Low A AB)

Outfielders
Denny Almonte, 21 (.232/.277/.408 in 409 Low A AB)
Johermyn Chavez, 21 (.283/.346/.474 in 508 Low A AB)
Maximo Mendez, 23 (.213/.327/.322 in 211 Low A AB)
Jacob Shaffer, 22 (.285/.318/.420 in 355 Low A AB)

Possible Rotation
Ryan Feierabend
Andrew Carraway
Kenn Kasparek
Maikel Cleto
Jake Wild

Possible Lineup
C Travis Scott
2B Edilio Colina
SS Juan Diaz
1B Scott Savastano
3B Kyle Seager
OF Denny Almonte
OF Johermyn Chavez
OF Jacob Shaffer
DH Nate Tenbrink

It's probably a safe bet that High Desert will have strong hitting and subpar pitching due to their home stadium, but the Mavericks seem to have a solid rotation despite that. Ryan Feierabend missed 2009 with an injury, and he's trying to work his way back to the majors. His experience could help younger players like Carraway and Kasparek.

2010 Opening Day Roster: Visalia Rawhide

Pitchers
Cristian Beltre, 25 (6.37/1.62 in 123 High A IP)
Victor Capellan, 20 (9.53/2.65 in 5.2 High A IP)
Josh Collmenter, 24 (4.15/1.25 in 145.1 High A IP)
Trevor Harden, 22 (4.43/1.51 in 91.1 High A IP)
T.J. Hose, 24 (2.78/1.19 in 22.2 High A IP)
Justin Mace, 24 (1.90/1.00 in 52 Low A IP)
Pat McAnaney, 24 (4.41/1.42 in 147 High A IP)
Wade Miley, 23 (4.80/1.47 in 15 High A IP)
Brett Moorhouse, 23 (4.52/1.45 in 131.1 Low A IP)
Ryan Robowski, 22 (4.20/1.33 in 30 Rookie IP)
Taylor Sinclair, 24 (3.22/1.29 in 89.1 Low A IP)
Billy Spottiswood, 25 (4.54/1.39 in 39.2 High A IP)
Bryan Woodall, 23 (3.24/1.35 in 66.2 Low A IP)

Catchers
Chris Davis, 23 (.173/.253/.304 in 168 Low A AB)
Rossmel Perez, 20 (.272/.343/.317 in 353 Low A AB)

Infielders
Andrew Fie, 22 (.207/.253/.293 in 174 High A AB) (7 Day DL)
Josh Ford, 27 (.265/.349/.350 in 257 AA AB, 2007)
Paul Goldschmidt, 22 (.334/.408/.638 in 287 Rookie AB)
Kyle Greene, 23 (.237/.313/.376 in 460 High A AB)
Brent Greer, 22 (.300/.357/.436 in 273 Short Season AB)
Rey Navarro, 20 (.262/.308/.339 in 451 Low A AB)
Ryan Wheeler, 21 (.345/.472/.552 in 29 Low A AB)

Outfielders
Daniel Kraczrowski, 22 (.266/.345/.343 in 272 Short Season AB)
Marc Krauss, 22 (.304/.377/.478 in 115 Low A AB)
Alfredo Marte, 21 (.251/.294/.364 in 475 Low A AB)
Tim Sherlock, 23 (.238/.342/.332 in 193 Short Season AB)

Possible Rotation
Josh Collmenter
Pat McAnaney
Trevor Harden
Brett Moorhouse
Taylor Sinclair

Possible Lineup
C Rossmel Perez
1B Paul Goldschmidt
SS Brent Greer
3B Kyle Greene
2B Rey Navarro
OF Marc Krauss
OF Daniel Kraczrowski
OF Alfredo Marte
DH Ryan Wheeler

This Visalia team has a lot of depth offensively. A number of players that could be on the bench would be starters on a number of teams in this league, and that'll help them improve on last season. Much of the pitching staff is actually back from last season, and if those guys make adjustments on what caused them to struggle in 2009, Visalia could have a formidable roster.

2010 Opening Day Roster: Stockton Ports

Pitchers
Trey Barham, 24 (1.24/.85 in 43.2 Low A IP)
Scott Deal, 23 (3.56/1.20 in 73.1 Low A IP)
Shawn Haviland, 24 (4.71/1.46 in 153 Low A IP)
Scott Hodsdon, 25 (5.22/1.49 in 127.2 High A IP)
Justin Murray, 23 (6.04/1.66 in 25.1 High A IP)
Jose Pina, 24 (4.19/1.67 in 58 High A IP)
Anvioris Ramirez, 22 (3.29/1.31 in 52 Low A IP)
Dan Sattler, 26 (9.00/2.75 in 4 High A IP)
Lance Sewell, 24 (4.36/1.55 in 43.1 High A IP)
Kenny Smalley, 22 (2.73/1.28 in 131.2 Low A IP)
Murphy Smith, 22 (4.75/1.58 in 36 Low A IP)
Paul Smyth, 23 (0.00/.29 in 7 Low A IP)
Daniel Thomas, 24 (13.50/3.00 in 3.1 High A IP)

Catchers
Dusty Napoleon, 23 (.218/.367/.271 in 229 Low A AB)
Ryan Ortiz, 22 (.258/.388/.430 in 151 Short Season AB)
Petey Paramore, 23 (.230/.344/.294 in 326 Low A AB)

Infielders
Jason Christian, 22 (.261/.341/.385 in 330 Low A AB)
Grant Green, 22 (.316/.350/.368 in 19 High A AB)
Kala Ka'aihue, 25 (.131/.254/.377 in 61 High A AB)
Tyler Ladendorf, 22 (.231/.301/.338 in 130 Low A AB)
Stephen Parker, 22 (.244/.312/.362 in 254 Low A AB)
Michael Spina, 23 (.255/.352/.424 in 184 Low A AB)

Outfielders
Jeremy Barfield, 21 (.262/.343/.389 in 404 Low A AB)
Shane Keough, 23 (.235/.302/.303 in 446 High A AB)
Jermaine Mitchell, 25 (.247/.350/.327 in 450 High A AB)

Possible Rotation
Kenny Smalley
Anvioris Ramirez
Shawn Haviland
Murphy Smith
Scott Hodsdon

Possible Lineup
C Ryan Ortiz
1B Stephen Parker
2B Tyler Ladendorf
SS Grant Green
3B Jason Christian
OF Jeremy Barfield
OF Shane Keough
OF Jermaine Mitchell
DH Michael Spina

Like I mentioned in the preview, the A's are a bit of a tough organization to read, so I missed on a couple guys I predicted to start with Stockton. The pitching staff is pretty old and experienced which should help out since a number of them had less than memorable stints with the Ports in 2009. On the other hand, the lineup is mostly younger players who will be getting a new experience in 2010.

2010 Opening Day Roster: San Jose Giants

Pitchers
Justin Fitzgerald, 24 (3.70/1.54 in 56 Low A IP)
Aaron King, 21 (3.70/1.36 in 104.2 Low A IP)
Scott Nestor, 25 (5.83/1.58 in 46.1 AA IP)
Kyle Nicholson, 24 (2.93/1.43 in 40 High A IP)
Oliver Odle, 24 (5.37/1.56 in 117.1 High A IP)
David Quinowski, 24 (1.77/1.18 in 40.2 Short Season IP)
Edwin Quirarte, 23 (4.57/1.48 in 21.2 High A IP)
Andy Reichard, 25 (2.29/.93 in 66.2 Low A IP)
Ari Ronick, 24 (2.65/1.07 in 136 Low A IP)
Jason Stoffel, 21 (0.00/.68 in 10.1 Short Season IP)
Eric Stolp, 25 (4.17/1.55 in 77.2 Low A IP)
Eric Surkamp, 22 (3.30/1.28 in 131 Low A IP)
Craig Westcott, 24 (3.26/1.22 in 30.1 Short Season IP)
Ben Wilshile, 25 (2.13/.95 in 25.1 Rookie IP)

Catchers
Aaron Lowenstein, 24 (.243/.309/.284 in 74 Short Season AB)
Johnny Monell, 24 (.273/.355/.427 in 293 Low A AB)

Infielders
Ehire Adrianza, 20 (.258/.333/.327 in 388 Low A AB)
Brandon Belt, 21 (Has not played professionally)
Drew Biery, 23 (.326/.406/.484 in 215 Short Season AB)
Charlie Culberson, 20 (.246/.303/.306 in 509 Low A AB)
Ryan Lormand, 24 (.233/.299/.352 in 159 High A AB)
Josh Mazzola, 23 (.284/.347/.455 in 490 Low A AB)
Joel Weeks, 25 (.294/..365/.451 in 102 Short Season AB)

Outfielders
Wendell Fairly, 22 (.243/.323/.333 in 345 Low A AB)
Francisco Peguero, 21 (.340/.359/.437 in 281 Low A AB)
Juan Perez, 23 (.244/.283/.383 in 447 Low A AB)
James Simmons, 24 (.252/.339/.367 in 286 Low A AB)

Possible Rotation
Eric Surkamp
Craig Westcott
Ari Ronick
Kyle Nicholson
Oliver Odle

Possible Lineup
C Johnny Monell
1B Josh Mazzola
2B Ryan Lormand
SS Ehire Adrianza
3B Charlie Culberson
OF Francisco Peguero
OF James Simmons
OF Brandon Belts
DH Drew Biery

San Jose is highlighted by some older pitchers with a number of players able to step into the starting rotation. This team is not as good as last year with much less starpower, but they should still be competitive. Brandon Belts is a player that hasn't made his pro debut, but his college experience should allow him to hold his own in the Cal League.

2010 Opening Day Roster: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Pitchers
Tyler Chatwood, 20 (4.02/1.42 in 116.1 Low A IP)
Manaurys Correa, 21 (4.47/1.34 in 163 Low A IP)
Robert Fish, 22 (6.39/1.77 in 69 High A IP)
Manuel Flores, 23 (4.32/1.41 in 33.1 High A IP)
Jeremy Haynes, 24 (4.36/1.74 in 66 High A IP)
Michael Kenney, 23 (5.54/1.62 in 87.2 High A IP)
Eddie McKiernan, 21 (3.81/1.45 56.2 High A IP)
Jose Perez, 22 (3.46/.92 in 13 Rookie IP)
Nick Pugliese, 24 (7.04/1.70 in 7.2 High A IP)
Chris Scholl, 22 (3.42/1.20 in 84.1 Low A IP)
Matt Shoemaker, 23 (3.12/.87 in 17.1 High A IP)
Will Smith, 20 (3.76/1.16 in 115 Low A IP)
Andrew Taylor, 23 (9.53/2.82 in 5.2 High A IP)

Catchers
Beau Brooks, 22 (.248/.378/.366 in 322 Low A AB)
Anel De Los Santos, 21 (.212/.243/.297 in 273 Low A AB)

Infielders
Alexi Amarista, 21 (.319/.390/.468 in 477 Low A AB)
Dillon Baird, 22 (.372/.452/.567 in 215 Rookie AB)
Ivan Contreras, 23 (.261/.312/.303 in 142 AA AB)
Gabriel Jacobo, 22 (.257/.317/.427 in 440 Low A AB)
Darwin Perez, 20 (.261/.352/.341 in 352 Low A AB)
Jon Townsend, 25 (.229/.291/.335 in 225 Low A AB)

Outfielders
Tyler Auer, 24 (.277/.344/.346 in 491 Low A AB)
Angel Castillo, 20 (.242/.315/.389 in 393 Low A AB)
Rian Kiniry, 23 (.236/.313/.303 in 89 High A AB)
Robert Lopez, 24 (.271/.365/.415 in 354 Low A AB)

Possible Rotation
Will Smith
Tyler Chatwood
Manaurys Correa
Jose Perez
Manuel Flores

Possible Lineup
C Beau Brooks
1B Dillon Baird
2B Alexi Amarista
SS Darwin Perez
3B Ivan Contreras
OF Angel Castillo
OF Roberto Lopez
OF Rian Kiniry
DH Gabriel Jacobo

The Quakes are an interesting team. The pitching has a lot of experience with a number of older players that have already pitched with Rancho Cucamonga. The position players are almost the exact opposite, with most of the hitters never playing above the Midwest League, with one notable exception in Ivan Contreras.

2010 Opening Day Roster: Modesto Nuts

I'll try and do this for every team. Hopefully they all post 2010 rosters soon. There are still a couple teams that haven't checked in.

Pitchers
Jonnathan Aristil, 23 (5.06/1.56 in 112 Low A IP)
Rex Brothers, 22 (3.37/.84 in 10.2 Low A IP)
Stephen Dodson, 24 (2.45/1.24 in 40.1 Low A IP)
Kenny Durst, 24 (5.25/1.45 in 152.2 High A IP)
Isaiah Froneberger, 21 (4.58/1.53 in 59 Low A IP)
Ethan Hollingsworth, 23 (4.83/1.56 in 59.2 High A IP)
Dan Houston, 23 (3.63/1.37 in 148.2 Low A IP)
Adam Jorgenson, 24 (3.37/1.18 in 58.2 Low A IP)
Chris Malone, 27 (9.13/2.03 in 22.2 High A IP) (7 Day DL)
Michael Marbry, 25 (3.46/1.26 in 65 Low A IP)
Juan Nicasio, 23 (2.41/1.19 in 112 Low A IP)
Rob Scahill, 23 (3.14/1.24 in 63 Short Season IP)
Kurt Yacko, 22 (3.52/1.28 in 69 Low A IP)

Catchers
Jordan Pacheco, 24 (.322/.379/.492 in 451 Low A AB)
Beau Seabury, 24 (.238/.320/.300 in 227 Low A AB)

Infielders
James Cesario, 24 (.285/.333/.418 in 488 Low A AB)
Thomas Field, 23 (.257/.335/.332 in 304 Low A AB)
Maikol Gonzalez, 24 (.282/.360/.377 in 369 High A AB)
Ben Paulsen, 22 (.280/.325/.377 in 175 Short Season AB)
Ryan Peisel, 23 (.271/.330/.380 in 329 Low A AB)
Warren Schaeffer, 25 (.218/.263/.297 in 165 High A AB)
Erik Wetzel, 23 (.300/.417/.300 in 40 Low A AB)

Outfielders
David Christensen, 22 (.234/.293/.452 in 431 Low A AB)
Michael Mitchell, 24 (.226/.303/.271 in 340 Low A AB)
Brian Rike, 24 (.196/.271/.361 in 368 High A AB)
Scott Robinson, 21 (.309/.349/.415 in 501 Low A AB)
Tim Wheeler, 22 (.256/.332/.381 in 273 Low A AB)

Possible Rotation
Rex Brothers
Juan Nicasio
Dan Houston
Kenny Durst
Rob Scahill

Possible Lineup
C Jordan Pacheco
1B Ben Paulsen
2B James Cesario
SS Maikol Gonzalez
3B Ryan Peisel
OF David Christensen
OF Scott Robinson
OF Tim Wheeler
DH Brian Rike

Modesto has a couple players that skipped the SAL, so their roster is probably a little stronger than I initially expected. A couple players are back from last year, but this is largely a team that will be experiencing the Cal League for the first time. This team should be able to score some runs in 2010.

2010 Opening Day Roster: Inland Empire

Now that actual rosters are being posted, I'll take one last look at the players set to begin 2010 in the Cal League. I'll try and make guesses on who will be in the rotation, bullpen and lineup but like the team previews, inaccuracies are guaranteed. For pitchers, I'll use ERA/WHIP and for hitters, I'll use BA/OBP/SLG from

Pitchers
Geison Aguasviva, 22 (1.58/1.16 in 62.2 Low A IP)
Brian Akin, 28 (12.86/2.57 in 7 High A IP)
Clayton Allison, 24 (4.50/2.17 in 6 Double A IP, 2008)
Bobby Blevins, 25 (4.16/1.24 in 153.2 Low A IP)
Robert Boothe, 24 (4.95/1.49 in 56.1 Low A IP)
Blake Brannon, 25 (4.54/1.49 in 35.2 High A IP)
Jhonny Caraballo, 24 (4.43/1.39 in 22.1 Rookie IP, 2007)
Nathan Eovaldi, 20 (3.27/1.41 in 96.1 Low A IP)
Kenley Jansen, 22 (4.63/2.14 in 11.2 High A IP)
Ethan Martin, 21 (3.87/1.46 in 100 Low A IP)
Jake McCarter, 25 (3.33/1.24 in 46 High A IP)
Aaron Miller, 22 (2.08/1.05 in 30.1 Low A IP)
Marcel Prado, 22 (4.06/1.71 in 44.1 Low A IP)
Jon Michael Redding, 22 (4.60/1.41 in 133 Low A IP)
Miguel Sanfler, 25 (5.48/1.64 in 69 High A IP)
Kyle Smit, 22 (7.84/1.60 in 20.2 High A IP)
Matthew Smith, 23 (12.86/3.57 in 7 High A IP)
Cole St. Clair, 23 (2.48/1.18 in 36.1 Low A IP)

Catchers
Tony Delmonico, 23 (.285/.383/.430 in 365 Low A AB)
Fumi Ishibashi, 26 (.000/.000/.000 in 2 High A AB, 2008)

Infielders
Pedro Baez, 22 (.286/.326/.445 in 308 High A AB)
Steven Caseres, 23 (.260/.360/.468 in 393 High A AB)
Steve Cilladi, 23 (.122/.217/.171 in 41 Rookie AB)
Austin Gallagher, 21 (.257/.319/.345 in 226 Low A AB)
Johan Garcia, 23 (.162/.238/.171 in 111 High A AB)
Adolfo Gonzalez, 24 (.271/.312/.377 in 236 High A AB)
Garett Green, 25 (.219/.297/.318 in 151 High A AB)
Jaime Ortiz, 21 (.245/.330/.388 in 188 High A AB)
Matt Wallach, 24 (.251/.327/.348 in 351 Low A AB)

Outfielders
Nick Buss, 23 (.260/.298/.392 in 416 Low A AB)
Bridger Hunt, 23 (.292/.369/.351 in 353 High A AB, 2008)
Preston Mattingly, 22 (.238/.296/.350 in 454 Low A AB)
Jovanny Rosario, 24 (.240/.269/.320 in 75 High A AB)
Kyle Russell, 23 (.272/.371/.545 in 481 Low A AB)
Alfredo Silverio, 22 (.284/.320/.457 in 490 Low A AB)

Possible Rotation
Aaron Miller
Ethan Martin
Nathan Eovaldi
Geison Aguasviva
Jon Michael Redding

Possible Lineup
C Tony Delmonico
1B Steven Caseres
2B Adolfo Gonzalez
SS Garett Green
3B Pedro Baez
OF Kyle Russell
OF Alfredo Silverio
OF Bridger Hunt
DH Jaime Ortiz

The most surprising thing is probably Dee Gordon skipping Inland Empire and going right to AA. There's some experience on this roster, with guys like Baez and Caseres coming back, as well as some relievers. The rotation should be pretty good, with a number of good prospects and other younger pitchers with some potential. The 66ers also feature a number of interesting players, from guys who have missed a year or even two due to an injury, guys who converted from position players to pitchers and Fumi Ishibashi has experience playing in Japan. The 66ers should compete for the postseason this year, but some of their players will likely advance to AA during the season, and holes will need to be filled.

2010 Preview: Visalia Rawhide

2009 Recap
Standings- 64-76, 4th out of 5 in CAL North
Team Runs- 629, 10th out of 10
Team ERA- 4.25, 4th out of 10

Statistical Leaders:
BA (min. 200 AB)- Konrad Schmidt, .304
R- Ollie Linton, 81
HR- Taylor Harbin, 14
RBI- Kyle Greene, 77
SB- Ollie Linton, 28
OPS (min. 200 AB)- Collin Cowgill, .819

W- Patrick McAnaney, 10
ERA (min. 50 IP)- Tom Layne, 2.86
IP- Patrick McAnaney, 147
K- Joshua Collmenter, 152
WHIP (min. 50 IP)- Jeff Dietz, 1.12
S- Billy Spottiswood, 8

Visalia got the pitching teams need to compete in the Cal League, but unfortunately the Rawhide clearly had the worst offense in the league and couldn't back the pitching up. Patrick McAnaney had a solid season, leading the team in wins and innings, and Joshua Collmenter had a very effective season with the team stirkeout lead and a 4.15 ERA. A few regular players managed to have decent seasons; Collin Cowgill posted a .819 OPS, but he was joined by only one other regular over .800, Konrad Schmidt. Both Taylor Harbin and Kyle Greene had over 11 home runs.

Potential Baseball America top 10 prospects
3. OF A.J. Pollock
8. OF Mark Krauss
9. 1B Ryan Wheeler

Other potential additions and returnees
3B Justin Parker
2B Jake Elmore
SP Ryan Cook
SP Wade Miley
P Taylor Sinclair

If A affiliate South Bend is any indication, it doesn't look like Visalia will be scoring more runs in 2010. No player had more than 8 home runs, so the Rawhide will need to find power from somewhere. Three of Arizona's top 10 prospects appeared to be headed to California, and they'll need them to spark the lineup and maintain their prospect status. The best of the bunch, A.J. Pollock, did not have a great pro debut in his return to South Bend, but a stint in the Cal League could turn that around. The players transitioning from South Bend to Visalia will need to improve on their basestealing as well.

Visalia could struggle to maintain the standard their pitching set in 2009, but one or two guys could work to keep it. Ryan Cook will probably be their best starter after posting a 3.66 ERA with South Bend last season. Unfortunately, he was the only pitcher on the staff with over 100 strikeouts, and pitching to contact isn't always the best approach in the Cal League. At the very least, the Rawhide should keep the free passes down, which is very important in preventing multi-run innings.

And that concludes my season previews. Now, teams should be starting to release their actual rosters which will make these pretty meaningless.

Minor Housekeeping

As you can see on the right, this blog now has a Twitter feed. It's the first time I've used the site, so I'll try and figure out what needs to be posted there, here and on both places early in the season. Follow me on there and I'll try and post up to date news.

I'm probably going to change the standard timezone to accommodate what will likely be a majority of the readers here. That's definitely as unimportant as it gets.

Tomorrow, official team rosters usually start getting posted, so I'll keep an eye out for those and post links when I see that they're available. I'll try and do some more previewing once we see who actually is in the league this year. We're just a few days away until MILB's Opening Day, when things here can finally pick up.

2010 Preview: Stockton Ports

2009 Recap
Standings- 61-79, 5th out of 5 in CAL North
Team Runs- 638, 9th out of 10
Team ERA- 4.15, 3rd out of 10

Statistical Leaders:
BA (min. 200 AB)- Steve Kleen, .342
R- Jermaine Mitchell, 63
HR- Grant Desme, 20
RBI- Todd Johnson, 54
SB- Michael Richard, 24
OPS (min. 200 AB)- Grant Desme, 1.054

W- Carlos Hernandez, 9
ERA (min. 50 IP)- Justin Friend, 2.87
IP- Scott Hodsdon, 127.2
K- Craig Italiano, 119
WHIP (min. 50 IP)- Derrick Gordon, 1.20
S- Mickey Storey, 9

Despite strong pitching and good seasons from position players like Grant Desme, Steve Kleen and Jemile Weeks, Stockton finished last in the North Division. However, none of those guys played the entire season with the team, and the highest OPS among players with over 100 games was just .707. They didn't have much power, struck out a lot and made very little contact, so the lineup failed to support one of the league's best pitching teams. Overall, the team had a lot of roster turnover during the season, so many of the players that had good partial seasons spent parts of the year at other levels.

Likely key departures
OF Grant Desme
1B Steve Kleen
C Yusuf Carter
P Derrick Gordon
SP Pedro Figueroa

Potential Baseball America top 10 prospects
3. SS Grant Green

Other potential additions and returnees
2B Connor Crumbliss
3B Mike Spina
SS Dusty Coleman
SP Kenny Smalley
SP Mathieu LeBlanc-Porter
RP Jamie Richmond

It's a bit difficult to tell who's going to be starting where in the Oakland organization because they tend to promote players very aggressively and challenge them at new levels, so it's possible half of those players are in AA on Opening Day. It looks like Stockton will have the same kind of offense as 2009, which doesn't bode well for their playoff chances. A affiliate Kane County did not hit for much power and struck out a lot, but one feather in their cap is they were able to draw a lot of walks. They should have a solid infield until those players get promoted to AA after a hot start.

Kenny Smalley will likely lead Stockton's rotation in 2010. The Ports should have good pitching again with a staff that showed decent stuff in the Midwest League. The Cougars didn't allow too many hits and had decent strikeout numbers. There should be a holdover or two from last year's team, such as reliever Jamie Richmond who saw some action at the end of the season. Those players will use their experience to improve on their 2009 campaigns and help Stockton reach the playoffs again, one year removed from a league championship.

2010 Preview: San Jose Giants

2009 Recap
Standings- 93-47, won Championship in 3 games over High Desert
Team Runs- 803, 2nd out of 10
Team ERA- 3.27, 1st out of 10

Statistical Leaders:
BA (min. 200 AB)- Thomas Neal, .337
R- Thomas Neal, 102
HR- Roger Kieschnick, 23
RBI- Roger Kieschnick, 110
SB- Darren Ford, 35
OPS (min. 200 AB)- Thomas Neal, 1.010

W- Craig Clark, 16
ERA (min. 50 IP)- Daniel Turpen, 1.24
IP- Craig Clark, 147.2
K- Craig Clark, 135
WHIP (min. 50 IP)- Garrett Broshuis, .90
S- Rafael Cova, 8

The Giants are one of baseball's deepest and most talented organizations, and San Jose clearly benefited from that in 2009. Using a number of the organization's best prospects including Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Roger Kieshnick and several other high picks, the Giants dominated the Cal League wire to wire and came away with the championship. San Jose's pitching was by far the best in the league, and that allowed them to cruise through the playoffs and shut down High Desert's powerful offense. With their 93-47 record, they proved to be one of the best teams in the entire minors.

Likely key departures
OF Thomas Neal
OF Roger Kieschnick
OF Darren Ford
SP Craig Clark
SP Clayton Tanner
SP Paul Oseguera

Potential Baseball America top 10 prospects
8. SS Ehire Adrianza
10. Francisco Peguero

Other potential additions and returnees
1B Josh Mazzola
OF Ben Woodbury
C Johnny Monell
SP Ari Ronick
P Andy Reichard

As it stands right now, San Jose won't be able to win 93 games again, but they should still have a competitive team in 2010. A affiliate Augusta was clearly one of the betters teams in the SAL last year, but they were victims of the league's first half/second half champion system and did not make the playoffs. The lineup should be solid, especially if #8 prospect Ehire Adrianza converts his tools into production. 1B Josh Mazzola was Augusta's only double digit home run hitter, but Ben Woodbury, Johnny Monell and Francisco Peguero showed they'll be good contributors.

Despite not featuring any really good prospects in 2009, pitching was San Jose's strength, and it looks like that will be the case in 2010 too, again without the team's top prospects. The Green Jackets were among the SAL's best pitching teams, and starters such as Ari Ronick should carry that over to lead a solid rotation. Eric Surkamp had a strong full season debut in 2009, and he's still young enough where a good 2010 season could put him on the prospect map. His high strikeout total was a bit unusual for Augusta, who was near the bottom of the SAL in team K's.

2010 Preview: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

2009 Recap
Standings- 61-79, lost in 5 games to High Desert in Division Finals
Team Runs- 664, 7th out of 10
Team ERA- 4.69, 7th out of 10

Statistical Leaders:
BA (min. 200 AB)- Matt Sweeney .299
R- Clay Fuller, 89
HR- Jeremy Moore, 11
RBI- Efren Navarro, 61
SB- Clay Fuller, 30
OPS (min. 200 AB)- Matt Sweeney, .896

W- Alex Torres, 10
ERA (min. 50 IP)- Alex Torres, 2.74
IP- Jayson Miller, 141.1
K- Alex Torres, 124
WHIP (min. 50 IP)- Taylor Wilding, 1.18
S- Ismael Carmona, 20

Likely key departures
C Chris Rosenbaum
OF Jeremy Moore
3B Carlos Colmenares
RP Jeremy Haynes
RP Steve Geltz
RP Taylor Wilding

Rancho Cucamonga was the ultimate underdog in 2009. Despite being 18 games under .500, the Quakes managed to make the playoffs thanks to the league's six-team format. They managed to sweep Lake Elsinore in the Division semis and eventually lost to explosive High Desert in the Division Finals, but not before taking the Mavericks to the brink in a 5 game series. They may have been lucky last season, but once they made the playoffs, the Quakes certainly made it count.

Potential Baseball America top 10 prospects
None to start the season

Potential additions and returnees
2B Alexi Amarista
DH Roberto Lopez
1B Gabe Jacobo
SP Manauarys Correa
SP Manuel Flores
SP Will Smith

It doesn't seem like Rancho Cucamonga is looking at any of the organization's top prospects this year, at least to start the season. However despite not making the playoffs, A affiliate Cedar Rapids turned in a solid 2009, so the Quakes could be receiving some talent. If Rancho Cucamonga is going to score more runs in 2010, it'll likely be done with speed on the bases. Cedar Rapids had a pretty mediocre offense across the board except in stolen bases, where they were led by Tyson Auer, 43, Alexi Amarista, 38 and Matthew Crawford with 24.

Manuel Flores spent a little time with the Quakes in 2009, but his stint was short enough that he'll probably be back to start 2010. The rotation will need to be better in 2010; besides Alex Torres, sent to Tampa Bay for Scott Kazmir, no Quake with more than 10 starts had an ERA better than 4.44, and quite a few were much worse. Cedar Rapids had middle of the pack pitching, but Correa and Smith should be capable of putting up solid 2010 campaigns. The Quakes could use a boost from some of the talent at lower levels in the Angels' organization, but it remains to be seen if they'll be promoted quickly enough to make an impact in this league in the upcoming year.