AquaSox notebook: New pros excited to start

Published 6:52 pm Thursday, June 18, 2015

EVERETT — The season opener is always an exciting time for the Everett AquaSox.

That’s particularly the case for those from this year’s amateur draft, who are experiencing professional baseball for the first time. Everett has 16 players from this year’s draft currently on the roster, four of whom were in Thursday’s starting lineup to make their pro debuts.

“It’s exciting,” outfielder Braden Bishop said. “Most of the college guys I’ve played with or against, so it’s nice to all get in the same uniform and share stories to help us in the experience of professional baseball.”

Chief among those players from this year’s draft are Bishop and pitcher Andrew Moore. Moore was the Seattle Mariners’ second pick in the draft, being taken in the compensation section of the second round out of Oregon State University. Bishop was the Mariners’ third-round pick out of the University of Washington.

“It feels real good,” Moore said about starting his pro career. “It’s something everyone dreams of, kind of has been waiting their whole life for.

“We’re all just getting our feet wet for the first time,” Moore added. “We have some veteran guys who have gone through it a little bit, so they’ve helped us out with the first few days, the new signs and systems and all that stuff. It’s been a pretty smooth transition so far.”

Bishop was able to get his pro debut out of the way Thursday as he started in center field. Moore, meanwhile, has to wait for his turn. He’s not scheduled to make his debut until he starts Monday’s series finale against Eugene.

“I have a bullpen tomorrow, so I have that to look forward to,” Moore said with a grin. “But it’s been close to three weeks since I’ve thrown in a game, it feels like forever. I’m just ready to get out there and excited to watch these next four days.”

Rotation set

The Sox have set their pitching rotation, at least for the first time through.

Returning left-hander Luiz Gohara started Thursday’s season opener. Following him lefty Taylor Byrd starts Friday, right-hander Jose Santiago will go Saturday following Seattle Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma’s rehabilitation appearance, lefty Lane Ratliff starts Sunday and the right-handed Moore gets the nod Monday.

Everett was originally reported to be using a six-man rotation. The plan is still to use six pitchers as starters, but in just five positions as Moore and lefty Anthony Misiewicz, who both pitched extensively this spring in college, will alternate starts in the five hole. Whichever of the two doesn’t start that day will piggyback behind the starter.

Late arrivals

There are five players on Everett’s roster who had yet to join the team prior to the pregame for Thursday’s opener. Pitchers Logan James and Lance Thonvold arrived at Everett Memorial Stadium just after batting practice concluded Thursday, while pitchers Joe Pistorese and Art Warren were expected to arrive in the coming days. Meanwhile, infielder Conner Hale will be unavailable until his college team, LSU, is finished at the College World Series. LSU played TCU in a loser-out game Thursday evening. All five were college players selected in this year’s draft.