2012 Princeton Rays roster - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports

Pitchers (14)

Kevin Brandt

• Left Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Right, Throws: Left
• Born: 11/24/1989 Fuquay Varina, NC
• 6'2'' 192 lbs
• Acquired: 18^th Round of the 2012 June Draft
• Played for East Carolina University

Daniel Bream

• Right Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 8/16/1988 Magnolia, AR
• 6'6'' 185 lbs
• Acquired: 33^rd round of the 2011 June draft
• Spent 2011 in the GCL where he went 0-2 posted an ERA of 3.91 with 23 innings of work.

Zach Butler

• Right Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 7/28/1989 Sugarland, TX
• 6'3'' 200 lbs
• Acquired: Selected in the 34^th round of the 2011 June draft
• Spent 2011 in the GCL, he went 2-1 with an ERA of 1.69 in 16 appearances

Randy Davis

• Right Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 10/11/1989  Sacramento, CA
• 6'3'' 230 lbs
• Acquired: 20^th round of the 2012 June Draft
• Played for California State-Sacramento

- Is capable of reaching 100 MPH on the gun. He has played for three different institutions. Most recently at Cal State Sacramento, previously at ___ and ___.

Hugo Duarte

• Right Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 1/7/1990 Higuerote, VEN
• 6'1'' 170 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent February 26, 2007
• Spent 2007-2010 in the VCL, Spent 2011 in the GCL where he went 3-5 with an ERA of 3.33 in 12 appearances.

Ely Echarry- RHP

• Right Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 7/1/1992 La Guaria, VEN
• Resides La Guaria, VEN
• 6'1'' 150 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent on July 3, 2008
• Spent 2009 & 2010 in the VSL, 2011 in the GCL

Jacob Faria- RHP

DOB: July 30, 1993—Gahr H.S. (Cerritos, California)

Acquired: TBR in the 10^th round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 175lbs

T/B: Right/Right

Scouting Report: According to PerfectGame.com Faria  has a "Taller body, thin lean build, projectable body, 3/4 arm slot, long arm action, arm speed, loose arm, occasional armside run on FB, some down plane, online delivery, some late effort, sink FB, 11/5 CB, sink CH, can stay back longer, projects."

Additionally, since high school, Faria has increased his FB velocity, capable of reaching 93 MPH on the gun. He prefers a two-seam fast-ball with great drop. Groundballs are his signature method of outing hitters.

2011: Pitched 15.2 innings for the GCL Rays in 6 appearances. Posted a 2.87 ERA with a 0-1 win-loss record. Walked only one batter and struck out 14 hitters. Good for 8 K's per 9 innings. Posted a WHIP of 1.02.

Faria attended Gahr H.S. It is considered one of the most ethnically diverse high school's in the nation with a minority rate of 70%. Same high school as Jim Zorn.

At Gahr, his ERA was 1.75 in three varsity seasons. 18-3 record in 21 total starts.

After his senior year before signing with Tampa Bay, he was committed to BWC powerhouse Cal. State Fullerton.

 Willie Gabay- RHP

2012 Draft: Round 15: 482^nd Overall: Herkimer County Community College (N.Y.)

6'1"-180lbs Throws: R

 Willie Gabay is a solid presence on the mound. Having pitched at Herkimer County Community College in New York, he tossed 58 + plus innings allowing only 38 hits while striking out a whopping 91 batters. He also finished his spring campaign with a shining 6-1 record and a 2.62 ERA.

2012 All Mountain Valley Conference Baseball Team and named a First Team All-Division III performer

Head Scout of Prospect Nation cites Gabay as "Very athletic…with a good arm." Gabay brings a solid low-90 MPH fastball to his arsenal that also includes a changeup and slider. Gabay is at times wild on the mount, a negative trait that the Rays may play to his advantage after bringing him into the minor league system.

Gabay was originally at Austin Peay and was a track and field athlete. In fact he was a First-Team All-Northern County in 55-meter hurdles in high school and posted nation's 17th best time of 2009 in 200-meter hurdles (28.34) according to MileSplit US.

***SIGNED ON JUNE 12^TH***

Guerrero, Joan- LHP

Born: 1/22/91-- San Pedro de Macorís, DR

Acquired: Signed as a free agent on July 4^th, 2007

Throws: Left

Weight: 170  

Height: 6' 2"

Scouting Report: Having played three plus years in the Rays DSL, the road to the official minor league system for Guerrero was not taken without ultimate caution. He posted a 4.34 ERA with a 7-15 record from 2008-2011, including a 1-5 win/loss split with a 6.68 ERA in the GCL last season, that included 12 total appearances in 31.0 innings. Baseball News Network notes that Guerrero has an 89-90 MPH fastball and his superior category is movement coupled with the advantage of throwing left-handed. His location is seen as questionable although he has totaled 89 walks in almost 200 innings pitched for his career. Additionally, Guerrero has produced 48% of his outs via the groundball signaling an ability to keep the ball low in the hitting zone. His most notable pitches are a cut-fastball, fastball, and changeup and he has three option years left on his contract.

Kevin James- LHP

• Left Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Left, Throws: Left
• Born: 10/1/1990 Milwaukee, WI
• Resides: Whitefish Bay, WI
• 6'4'' 190 lbs
• Acquired: 9^th Round of the 2009 June Draft
• Spent 2009 & 2010 in the GCL, 2011 with the Princeton Rays

Pedro Silvestre- RHP

• Right Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 10/23/1989 San Pedro de Macoris, DR
• 6'2'' 185 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent on November 26, 2008
• Spent 2009 in the DSL, 2010 in the GCL, 2011 with the Princeton Rays (4-0, 4.01 ERA)

Blake Snell- LHP

• Left Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Left, Throws: Left
• Born: Seattle, WA
• 6'4'' 180 lbs
• Acquired: First Round of the 2011 June Draft
• Spent 2011 in the GCL

Bruedlin Suero- LHP

• Left Handed Pitcher
• Bats: Left, Throws: Left
• Born: 2/28/1990 Santa Domingo, DR
• 6'4'' 170 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent November 19, 2008
• Spent 2009, 2010 and parts of 2011 in the DSL, part of 2011 in the GCL

Jonathan Weaver- RHP

Round 21: 662^nd Overall: Central Michigan University: Franklin Park, Illinois (East Leyden (Ill.) H.S.)

6'3": 216lbs

Throws R

DOB: 5/20/1990

A 17^th Round selection by the Chicago White Sox in the 2008 Major League Draft, Jon Weaver is a tall and lanky bullpen arm that bounced back from a rocky 2011 to become one of the premier relief pitchers in the Mid-American Conference for the 2012 campaign.

Weaver led the Chippewas pitching staff with 26 appearances this season, including only one run allowed for the final half of those outings. He notched seven saves as a shut down closer and completed his final season in the collegiate ranks with a 2.66 ERA, all the while improving his location and velocity as another relief arm in the Rays minor league ranks.

Rays Digest Interview: (Weaver on his Pitch Arsenal)

"I throw four pitches: a sinker that generally sits 91-93 and can get up to 94. I also throw a modified circle changeup that has good depth and run at times and that I can keep down in the zone. I throw both a slider and a curveball, with the slider being the better of the two and the curveball as more of a show-me pitch."

Catchers (2)

Oscar Hernandez

n  Right handed Catcher

n  Bats/Throws: Right/Right

n  Born: 07/09/93 in Punto de Fijo, VEN

n  Height: 6'0"

n  Weight: 195

n  Acquired: Signed as a free agent on August 14, 2009

Scouting report:

n  The most dominant player in the VSL last season. In 69 games Hernandez hit an astounding .402 batting average and hat 96 hits in 239 at bats. His power numbers were also extraordinary as Hernandez had 21 home runs and 66 RBI. His combined average in two VSL seasons was .348 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI.

n  He received many accolades for his great 2011 campaign. Hernandez was the VSL MVP and named to the VSL All-Star team. He won the VSL triple crown and set records in the league for home runs and RBI in a season. Hernandez also led the VSL in on-base percentage (.503) and slugging (.732).

Omar Narvaez

• Catcher
• Bats: Switch, Throws: Right
• Born: 2/10/1992 Maracay, VEN
• Resides: Maracay, VEN
• 5'10'' 170 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent on July 4, 2008
• Spent 2009 & 2010 in the VSL, 2011 in the GCL

Infielders (7)

John Alexander

• First Base
• Bats: Left, Throws: Left
• Born 2/25/1993 Glendora, Ca
• Resides: Glendora, Ca
• 6'6'' 200 lbs
• Acquired: 8^th Round of the 2011 June Draft
• Spent 2011 in the GCL
• In just 12 GCL contests, Alexander proved to be a reliable hitter, good for a .314 average and .321 on-base percentage, coupled with sixteen hits, seven of them for extra bases.
• In his junior year of high school at Glendora High School in California, Alexander guided his team to a Div. II State Title, and compiled an impressive set of hitting statistics. He hit .395 with 27 RBI and five home runs.
• His senior season, Alexander hit .385 and upped his season RBI total to 31, while scoring 27 runs.

Daniel Duran

• Infielder
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 9/8/1988
• Resides: Alhambra, CA
• Acquired: 24^th round of the 2012 June draft
• Played college ball at California State-Los Angeles
• Considered one of the best Div. II Collegiate hitters, Daniel Duran as the offensive focal point at Cal. State- Los Angeles. He finished his 2012 season hitting for a whopping .451 average and a .737 slugging percentage. Duran was also on-base 53.3 percent of the time.
• Duran was a converted pitcher from high school and spent his college career at third base. Questions surround his power ability and defensive prowess, but his ridiculous numbers overall at the dish make Duran worth a selection in this year's draft.

Darryl George

• Infielder
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 3/14/1993 Carlton, Australia
• Acquired: Free Agent May 25^th, 2010
• 6'1'' 213 lbs
• Spent 2011 in the GCL
• One of the most valued prospects and up and coming talents from the Australian Baseball Academy. Product of the Werribee Giants Baseball Club associated with Australia's Victorian Baseball Association.
•  

Brandon Martin- SS

DOB: 08/24/1993—Anaheim, California

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 185

B/T: R/R

Santiago H.S.—Corona, California

38^th Overall Pick in the June 2011 Amateur Draft

2011: Played for the GCL Rays and hit .255. But his on-base percentage was .386. He totaled 57 plate appearances in his short Florida stint. He is still just 18 years old as he transitions to the Appalachian League this season.

Julian Morillo

• Infielder
• Bats: Switch, Throws: Right
• Born 12/10/1991 San Pedro de Macoris, DR
• Resides: San Pedro de Macoris, DR
• 5'11'' 160 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent on August 14, 2008
• Spent 2009 in the DSL, 2010 & 2011 in the GCL

Redman, Reid- 3B

Round 23: 722^nd Overall: 2B Reid Redman: Texas Tech: Midland, TX

6'1": 190lbs

-Scrappy and productive are two adjectives that apply to the game brought by Big-12 third baseman Reid Redman. With father Dale Redman, a four-year letterman and career .325 hitter as his mentor, the path to Texas Tech was more difficult than most for Redman who transferred from Midland College after his sophomore season.

Redman's game improved dramatically from high school at Midland as he compiled a .360 batting average in his sophomore season before transferring to the Div. I level.

In Lubbock, Redman has appeared in 92 total contests, batting a combined .322 in two seasons with a noteworthy .389 OBP. In his junior season he committed only one error defensively. Redman came back for another great season his senior year after breaking a bone in his left foot in March. In his senior season, Redman finished at a .325 batting average clip, including 41 hits in just 34 total games.

Ariel Soriano

• Infielder
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 11/24/1991 La Romana, DR
• Resides: La Romana, DR
• 5'11'' 160 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent on March 12, 2009
• Spent 2009 & 2010 in the DSL, 2011 in the GCL

Outfielders (4)

William (Willie) Argo

• Outfield
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 10/15/1989 Davenport, Iowa
• 6'1'' 220 lbs
• Acquired: 22^nd Round of the 2012 June Draft
• Played for the University of Illinois
• A decorated collegiate player at the Big Ten level, Argo was selected in the 43^rd Round last season by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Argo has appeared in all of the Fighting Illini's 106 games over the past two season in center field and was All Big Ten—Third Team in 2011 en route to being named on the All-Big Ten Tournament Team.
• Argo has also posted a successful senior season in which he batted. .318. He led the Illini with a .430 on-base percentage and stolen bases. Argo notched 22 stolen bases in 26 tries. Argo also received first-team All-Big Ten honors.
• Argo leaves Big Ten and University of Illinois with some notable records. He is fifth in conference history with 98 career steals and tied for first in triples in Big Ten play with eight. He also was in the top ten in Big Ten conference play history in games started (208) and RBI (70).

Ismel Antunez

• Outfielder
• Bats: Left, Throws: Right
• Born: 6/17/1991 Caja Seca, Zulia, Venezuela
• 5'7'' 166 lbs
• Acquired: Signed as free agent on March 9, 2009
• Spent 2009, 2010 and parts of 2011 in the VSL. In 2011 in half a season of work in the GCL, Antunez hit .235 in 46 games.

Granden Goetzman

• Outfield
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: Palmetto, FL
• Resides: Palmetto, FL
• 6'4'' 200 lbs
• Acquired: 2^nd Round of the 2011 June Draft (Palmetto High School)
• Played 2011 season in the GCL
• He hit .173 in just 25 games. Goetzman had six stolen bases with eight walks and seventeen strikeouts.
• He was originally a shortstop and recently moved to his outfield position. He worked tirelessly in the offseason at the prestigious IMG Baseball Academy with former Major League player, Coach Ken Bolek, and hopes to become a complete "five tool player."
• His senior year at Palmetto H.S. he hit .413 with 8 home runs and 32 RBI. 20 of his 32 total hits were of the extra base variety.

James Harris Jr.

• Outfield
• Bats: Right, Throws: Right
• Born: 8/7/1993 Hayward, CA
• Resides: Hayward, CA
• 6'1'' 180 lbs
• Acquired: 1^st Round of the 2011 June Draft
• Spent 2011 in the GCL
• Harris played in 45 games with the 2011 GCL Rays, notching 13 stolen bases and 17 runs. He hit .165 with 0 HR's and 8 RBI.
• Harris is described as a prospect that will take time to develop, but shines with athleticism and skill level. He is quick on the bases and in the outfield and has a tremendous vertical leap that was measured at 37 inches after his senior year of high school.
• Baseball writer Keith Law noted that Harris could become an "…above-average regular" player and needs to improve his arm strength the most during his tenure in the minor leagues.