2019 Futures Weekend Roster Set

CORPUS CHRISTI - The 25-man roster for the Corpus Christi Hooks is set for Futures Weekend at Whataburger Field and Dell Diamond, the Houston Astros announced today.
Sixteen players who spent time with 2018's squad will return to the Hooks after the club finished with the third-best record in franchise history. The roster includes eight pitchers and eight position players rejoining the Hooks.

The familiarity on the mound includes LHP Brett Adcock , RHP Brandon Bailey , RHP Brandon Bielak , RHP Ronel Blanco , RHP J.B. Bukauskas , RHP Justin Ferrell , RHP Erasmo Pinales , and LHP Kit Scheetz .
The outfield features four returners: Carmen Benedetti , Ronnie Dawson , Chas McCormick , and Stephen Wrenn . Moving inward, Josh Rojas, Anibal Sierra , and Abraham Toro return to the dirt while Lorenzo Quintana will be available behind the plate.
Eight of the nine newcomers ended their season as Carolina League champions with the Buies Creek Astros - now the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Those new Hooks include INF Osvaldo Duarte , RHP Jose Hernandez , RHP Tyler Ivey , RHP Carson LaRue , INF J.J. Matijevic , RHP Colin McKee , C Chuckie Robinson , and RHP Gabriel Valdez .
OF Granden Goetzman will join the Hooks after he was acquired by the Astros in July of 2018 and closed the season in short-season Tri-City. 
Bukauskas leads the staff as the No.6 prospect in the Houston system, according to both Baseball America and MLB.com. 
Furthermore, five players are also listed on both rankings (BA / MLB.com), including Dawson (13/13), Bielak (20/15), Ivey (21/17), Matijevic (24/22), and Toro (16/23). 
The 2019 Corpus Christi Hooks will be managed by Omar Lopez for his second season by the bay. Lopez became the fourth Hooks skipper to earn Texas League Manager of the Year honors in 2018 after leading the club to an 82-56 record and ran the table by winning both halves of the season.
The staff also includes Graham Johnson as the pitching coach, Tim LaMonte as the hitting coach, and Ryan Engels as the performance coach.
Futures Weekend kicks off at Whataburger Field on Saturday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:15 P.M. The Hooks will play host to the Round Rock Express, who return to the Astros organization this season as AAA Pacific Coast League affiliates. The teams will then head to Dell Diamond on Sunday for a 2:05 P.M. matinee.
The Texas League regular season opens on Thursday, April 4th as the Hooks will host the newest team in the circuit, the Amarillo Sod Poodles.