Source: Vermont Lake Monsters Release
Contact: Paul Stanfield (802) 363-8586
BURLINGTON, VT --- A 2006 first-round, 2007 second-round and 10 returning players highlight the roster for the Vermont Lake Monsters, the team announced today as 29 players begin mini-camp in preparation for the 2007 season opener on Tuesday, June 19th against the Tri-City ValleyCats at historic Centennial Field.
Pitcher Colten Willems, who the Washington Nationals selected in the first-round (22nd overall pick) of the 2006 draft, joins the Lake Monsters after pitching for John Carroll (FL) High School last spring and for the Gulf Coast Nationals last summer. Willems is the third-ranked prospect in the Nationals organization according to Baseball America.
Pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is the highest selection of the Nationals from the 2007 draft to begin the season at Vermont. Zimmermann, who was taken in the second round in last week’s draft, was 10-0 with two saves, a 2.08 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 78.0 innings for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He was also named the Most Outstanding Pitcher in leading Stevens Point to a third-place finish in the Division 3 World Series.
10 players on the roster have seen previous action with the Lake Monsters. Those include pitcher Cole Kimball, infielder Ricky Caputo and outfielder Ryan Delaughter, who all spent the entire 2006 season at Vermont. Also returning to the Lake Monsters are pitcher Glenn Gibson, pitcher Ryan Harrison, catcher Agustin German, catcher Sean Rooney, infielder Jonathan Martinez and outfielder Jorge de La Cruz, who all spent some time with Vermont last season. In addition is infielder Jean Carlos Alvarez, who was with Vermont at the end of the 2005 season.
Other newcomers to the Lake Monsters from this year’s draft are pitcher Adrian Alaniz (8th round) from the University of Texas, outfielder Mark Gildea (9th round) from Florida State University, infielder Bill Rhinehart (11th round) from the University of Arizona and infielder Dan Lyons (14th round) from the University of Minnesota.
Catcher Craig Stinson (12th round) comes to Vermont from Texas A&M University. In 1996, Stinson hit a home run in the U.S. Championship game and in the Little League World Series championship game against Taiwan as a member of the Cranston, Rhode Island Little League team that advanced to Williamsport.
Pitcher Hassan Pena, a 13th round selection in the 2006 draft out of Palm Beach Community College, attended Palm Beach CC after defecting from Cuba. Outfielder Garrett Bass, selected in the 42nd round of this year’s draft out of Jacksonville State University, is the son of former Major League outfielder Kevin Bass (a 14-year ML veteran from 1982 to 1995 with five teams).
The complete Vermont Lake Monsters mini-camp roster can be found on the team website at www.vermontlakemonsters.com.
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