St. Paul Saints to Open 2018 Season in Friday Road Tilt against Railcats

(photo credit: Stevie Larson)

The St. Paul Saints will open the 2018 season Friday night when they face the Gary Southshore Railcats in Gary, Ind. This will be the third straight season that the Saints open against the Railcats, but the first time it will be a road opener since they moved into CHS Field in 2015.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

It is a new-look Saints team this year, as well as a new look for the American Association as a whole. Among those Saints who will not be returning, at least at the start of the season is fan favorite Mark Hamburger. The Shoreview native was traded over the offseason to the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League.

Shortstop Tony Thomas also will not be returning, as he was signed over the offseason by the newly-formed Chicago Dogs, and later traded to the Wichita Wingnuts.

There are several Saints who are returning, including JJ Gould and Brady Shoemaker along with Kes Carter, who was a late acquisition last season from the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks. LHP Ken Frosch also returns to St. Paul for another season. He will be joined on the pitching staff by former big leaguer Tom Wilhelmsen.

Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Reliever Vinny Nittoli is also on the roster but will start the season on the disabled list.

The Saints were busy over the winter adding new faces to the team, including some players who have American Association experience. Noah Perio was signed after spending the 2016 season with the Sioux City Explorers where he batted .338 with three home runs.

He spent last season with the San Antonio Missions, the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

Richard Prigatano is another new face who has been around the league, having spent the last two seasons with the Wichita Wingnuts. Prigatano batted .289 in his two seasons with the Wingnuts, with 13 home runs and 38 doubles.

He is joined on the team by Eddie Medina, who is also a former Wingnut. Medina spent part of the 2015 season and all of 2016 with the Wingnuts. In 2016, he was 6-6 with a 5.56 ERA in 100 innings pitched. He recorded 63 strikeouts while walking 40 batters.

Saints announce the name of 2018 ball pig

At their annual block party on Thursday afternoon the Saints announced the name of the 2018 ball pig. Named after the current popular video game Fortnite, the 2018 ball pig will be named Porknite. The ball pig is a tradition for the Saints.

Previous names have been Little Red Porkette and Alternative Fats.

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American Association makes major changes

Those who have followed the American Association for a while will see some major changes this season. The first, and arguably the most important is the addition of the Chicago Dogs, who will be led in their inaugural season by Butch Hobson, who is a longtime baseball manager.

The Dogs will play their home games at Impact Field in Rosemont, Ill.

The league also realigned, eliminating the three-division format and changing to two divisions each made up of six teams. The playoff format will remain the same, with the top two teams in each division advancing into the postseason.

The North Division will consist of the Saints, the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks, the Winnipeg Goldeyes, the Dogs, the Sioux Falls Canaries and the Gary Southshore Railcats.

The South Division will consist of the Sioux City Explorers, the Wichita Wingnuts, the Kansas City T-Bones, the Lincoln Saltdogs, the Cleburne Railroaders and the Texas Airhogs.

The Airhogs made news over the offseason when it was announced that they will feature 30 players from the Chinese National Team. They will have 13 in uniform each night and will be allowed to travel 20 players.

They will also be exempt from the transaction limits imposed on other teams.

The Railroaders also made a large splash in the last few weeks when they announced the signing of Rafael Palmero, the former big leaguer who had over 500 home runs and 300 hits during his time in Major League Baseball. Veteran league observers predict that he will only play for the team when they are at home, and will not travel with the team.

The Sioux City Explorers made a minor move in the broadcast booth when longtime broadcaster Dave Nitz announced his retirement. He will be replaced by Connor Ryan, who will easily have big shoes to fill. The Explorers are not the only team with a new voice, as Denning Gehrig will be the voice of the Wingnuts while Matt Rigby will be the first voice of the Chicago Dogs.


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(photo credit: Stevie Larson)

The Gary Southshore Railcats entered Friday night’s game against the St. Paul Saints with their backs up against the wall. They were down 2-0 in the best-of-five […]

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