Sky Carp announce Opening Day roster

Beloit -- The Beloit Sky Carp, in conjunction with the Miami Marlins, have announced the team’s 2023 opening day roster.

The roster includes a pair of former first-round picks, several exciting young arms on the pitching staff and a handful of top prospects in the Marlins organization.

Jacob Berry heads the team’s list of prospects. Considered the Marlins’ number two prospect by MLB.com, the third baseman was the sixth overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft out of LSU.

Joining Berry on the infield will be shortstop Kahlil Watson, the 15th overall selection in the 2021 MLB draft by Miami. Watson spent last season with the Jupiter Hammerheads, and is ranked 13th on the MLB.com Marlins prospect list.

Second baseman Yiddi Cappe, the seventh-ranked prospect, had a terrific season for the Hammerheads last season, and is highly regarded for his skills at the plate and in the field.

First baseman Zach Zubia led the Sky Carp last season in on-base percentage, getting on base at an even .400 clip.

The Sky Carp outfield has a nice mix of returnees and newcomers. Brady Allen, Davis Bradshaw, Osiris Johnson and Dalvy Rosario all contributed to the 2022 Sky Carp, while Jake Thompson will be putting on a Beloit uniform for the first time.

Catcher Joe Mack, the sixth-best prospect in the Marlins system, anchors a backstop group that also includes holdover Bennett Hostetler and Andrew Fernandez, son of former Major League hurler Alex Fernandez.

The pitching staff features a strong starting rotation that includes Edgar Sanchez, Gabe Bierman, Holt Jones, Evan Fitterer and Alex Williams. The bullpen will be anchored by Chandler Jozwiak, who was outstanding for both the Sky Carp and the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos in 2022.

Other contributing arms out of the pen include 2022 Sky Carp members Matt Givin, Tyler Eckberg, Josan Mendez, Jake Schrand and Caleb Wurster.

The Sky Carp’s Opening Day is set for Friday, April 7 at 6:35 p.m against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.