Wild Things begin with experienced group
Mark Marietta/For the O-R
Outfielder Anthony Brocato is one of 11 returning players on the Wild Things’ opening day roster.
Courtesy Washington Wild Things
Second baseman Scotty Dubrule has a .337 batting average over two seasons with the Wild Things.
After its annual winter hibernation, Wild Things baseball is back as the Frontier League team has started its spring training in preparation for the May 12 season opener at Evansville. Washington will play six exhibition games in as many days, beginning Wednesday night at home against Florence.
The Wild Things’ roster includes 14 returning players – 7 pitchers and 7 hitters – from the team that won the West Division regular-season title a year ago with a 62-34 record.
In independent baseball, where rosters turn over as quickly as omelets, 14 returning players is uncommon, though being back in Washington for 2023 is not what some players originally had in mind.
When the Wild Things acquired Anthony Brocato last August in a trade that ultimately sent center fielder Cole Brannen to Florence as a player to be named, the Y’alls were willing to deal the outfielder to an intradivision foe, in part because Brocato had indicated that he wanted to play in the Atlantic League in 2023.
Brocato, however, is back in the Frontier League and with the Wild Things. He played in only 12 games with Washington – 10 in the regular season and two in the playoffs – because of a hamstring injury.
“Second game here, I hit a double and blew out a right tire,” Brocato recalled. “I was out two weeks. That was disappointing.”
Brocato said Washington manager Tom Vaeth helped him get invited to an Arizona Diamondbacks workout in the offseason but nothing developed from that. Atlantic League teams also did not show enough interest in Brocato, who batted .300 with 24 home runs last year, to work out a trade, so he’s back in Washington.
“I wanted the best opportunity to get a shot in affiliated ball,” Brocato said. “I said I might as well play here. As long as I play the way I’m capable of, then they’ll like me. This is a good spot here. Tom has a few winning seasons under his belt, we had the best record in the league last year …”
Another player who wasn’t sure he was returning is second baseman Scotty Dubrule. He felt like his career had come to an end after a loss to Schaumburg in the 2022 playoffs. Two seasons of pro baseball seemed like enough for Dubrule, who won a national championship at Mississippi State before signing with the Wild Things.
A little time away from the game in the offseason changed Dubrule’s plans.
“I found out that I didn’t want to give it up,” Dubrule said. “At the end of a long pro season, you’ve played a lot of games and you’re ready for a break. I was still thinking that way in December. I even completed an EMT class that I needed to have to be a firefighter. But then the weather gets warmer, and I found out that I have to get back out here. I can’t get baseball out of my system.”
The other returning hitters on the roster are outfielders Hector Roa and Wagner Lagrange, third baseman Ian Walters, first baseman Andrew Czech and first baseman/outfielder Tristan Peterson. Roa is in his seventh season in Washington while Czech and Peterson are back for their third stints. Lagrange finished fifth in the Frontier League in hitting last year with a .346 batting average.
The returning pitchers are starters Kobe Foster, Stephen Knapp and Justin Showalter, along with relievers Lukas Young, Christian James, Kenny Pierson and Nick Beardsley. Foster was the Frontier League Rookie of the Year last season with an 8-1 record and 1.00 ERA. Young was second in saves with 20.
Notes
There are eight former Wild Things currently in the affiliated minor leagues. They include pitchers Spencer Bivens (San Francisco), Ryan Hennen (Baltimore), Sean Kealey (St. Louis), Austin Kitchen (Colorado), James Meeker (Milwaukee), John Murphy (Cincinnati) and Jake Pilarski (Los Angeles Dodgers) along with infielder Nick Ward. Infielder Joe Campagna retired earlier this month. He was in the Colorado Rockies’ farm system. Pilarski and Ward both played for Washington last season. … There is free admission for the home exhibition games Wednesday and Sunday, May 7 against Lake Erie.