Steve Cox, the Staunton Braves General Manager, forwarded the Braves' 2008 preseason roster my way last week, which brings the number of rosters available to six. As usual, preseason rosters are a work in process, as some players will get drafted and turn pro, some will be injured, and some will take another opportunity.
The Braves have three players returning for another year in the Valley. They are Tyler Truxell, a lefthander from William and Mary, Luke Padgett, a utility player from Virginia Tech, and K.J. Sobolewski, a catcher from Bluefield. They also have Teddy Kaufman, a lefthander from South Florida, who not only changed college teams (from Miami to South Florida), but also Valley League teams (he pitched for Luray in 2007).
Staunton also has some locals coming to play. Donovan Huffer, a shortstop from Concord, played for Buffalo Gap in high school. Adam Kruitoff, a righthander from VMI, played high school ball at Western Albemarle.
Many colleges have fall "World Series," and two future Braves were MVPs of their respective teams. Matt Hamlet, freshman infielder at Boston College, won BC's MVP of the fall, while Luke Padgett won the MVP at Virginia Tech.
As these rosters trickle in, I'm more and more interested in the upcoming season: everyone looks strong so far! I can't imagine writing a preseason "prediction" post at this point (alliteration!).
Staunton is currently working on their website, so to download the roster, click 2008_preseason_roster.doc (word file).
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