Twenty former local products prepare to begin professional baseball seasons, including former Belmont Abbey standout Alex Castellanos
GASTONIA - As the 2017 professional baseball season gets underway, 20 former local products are beginning or preparing to begin their respective seasons.
One of those players, former Belmont Abbey standout Alex Castellanos, will open his season at Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark as a member of the Norfolk Tides.
Castellanos, who in 2012 became the Abbey's first major leaguer since 1933 when he played 16 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers, joined his eighth major league team if the offseason when he signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Norfolk, the Orioles' top minor league franchise, visits the Charlotte Knights for a four-game series that begins Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. and continues Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 2:05 p.m.
Here's where the area's other 19 players have been assigned:
Jake Buchanan, who in 2014 became the first North Gaston High product to play professional sports, has been assigned to Class AAA Iowa of the Pacific Coast League by the Chicago Cubs.
Buchanan, who made two appearances for the Cubs late last season when the franchise won its first World Series in 108 years, is a 2007 North Gaston High graduate and begins his eighth professional season after being an eighth-round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2010 out of N.C. State.
Mitch Harris (South Point 2004) has been assigned to Class AAA Memphis of the Pacific Coast League by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Harris will look to make his first appearance since 2015 after undergoing elbow surgery last year. A four-year Navy veteran, Harris in 2015 became the first Navy graduate to play in the major leagues since 1921.
Tyler White, a former Gastonia Post 23 and Gastonia Grizzlies standout, has been assigned to Class AAA Fresno of the Pacific Coast League by the Houston Astros.
White, a 2009 Chase High graduate who became the fourth Rutherford County major leaguer in 2016, returns to Fresno for a third straight season. White, who helped the Grizzlies win the 2011 Coastal Plain League championship, was 2015 Minor League baseball player of the year in his first season with Fresno.
Jordan Edgerton (South Point 2011) will begin his first season with the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association of Independent Baseball. Released after last season by the Atlanta Braves after three years with that organization, Edgerton is currently an assistant coach at Holbrook Middle School and has rehabilitated a shoulder injury that diminished his offensive skills last season.
Mason McCullough (Crest 2011) has been assigned to the Class A Midwest League Kane County Cougars by the Arizona Diamondbacks for a third straight season. McCullough pitched at North Carolina and Lander before being a fifth-round selection in the 2014 draft.
Garrett Davila (South Point 2015) has been assigned to the Lexington, Ky., Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League by the Kansas City Royals. Davila went 6-0 with a 3.05 ERA in 11 starts for Burlington in his rookie pro season after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2015.
Reilly Hovis (Forestview 2012) is in extended spring training with the Miami Marlins and is expected to be assigned to Class A Batavia of the New York-Penn League, Class A Greensboro of the South Atlantic League or Class A Jupiter of the Florida State League. A ninth-round draft pick of the Marlins in 2015, Hovis made 15 appearances last season after undergoing elbow surgery in April 2015.
Andrew Jordan (Hunter Huss 2015) has been assigned to the Dayton Dragons of the Class A Midwest League by the Cincinnati Reds. Jordan has pitched at the rookie level and Class A level, respectively, in his first two seasons since being a 13th-round draft pick in 2015.
Bradley Keller (Crest 2015) has yet to be assigned by the Atlanta Braves organization after spending time in the rookie and Class A levels in his first two seasons since being a 15th-round pick in the 2015 draft.
Jeffrey Springs (South Point 2011) has been assigned to the Kinston-based Down East Wood Ducks of the Class A Carolina League by the Texas Rangers. Also a former Appalachian State standout, Springs was an All-Star for Class A Hickory of the South Atlantic League last season.
Zach Daly (Forestview 2012) is in extended spring training with the Miami Marlins and is expected to be assigned to Class A Batavia of the New York-Penn League or Class A Greensboro of the South Atlantic League.
Former Gardner-Webb and Belmont Abbey standout Emilio Pagan has been assigned to the Tacoma Rainiers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League by the Seattle Mariners. Pagan, who pitched for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic last month, has been an All-Star in the Class A Midwest League and Class AA Southern League.
Former Belmont Abbey standout Cody Stull has been assigned to the Midland RockHounds of the Class AA Texas League by the Oakland Athletics. Stull pitched at the Class A, AA and AAA levels last season.
Former Belmont Abbey and Gastonia Grizzlies standout Anthony Dimino has been assigned to the Columbia Fireflies of the Class A South Atlantic League. Dimino has been promoted from the rookie leagues to Class A in his first two seasons.
Former Belmont Abbey standout Kyle Halbohn has yet to be assigned by the New York Yankees. Halbohn pitched for the Yankees rookie league team last season after signing as a free agent.
Former Gardner-Webb standout Blake Lalli has been assigned to the Gwinnett Braves of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. Lalli, who became Gardner-Webb's first major leaguer in 2012, has spent parts of three seasons in the majors, including late last season with the Atlanta Braves.
Former Gardner-Webb standouts Jeremy Walker (Atlanta Braves), Brad Haymes (Chicago White Sox) and Ryan Boelter (Chicago White Sox) have yet to be assigned by their respective teams. All three began their pro careers a year ago.
Coming up: June 8 - 2017 college softball review, June 15 - 2017 college baseball review.
Richard Walker: 704-869-1841; twitter.com/jrwalk22
