Astrosportal.com | Houston Astros News, astros Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Ronald Bourquin, 1B </div>Age: 23 Size: 6-3, 210 Bat/throw: L/R College: Ohio State Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the second round of the 2006 draft. Fast fact: Bourquin, who played in a career-high minor league 118 games last year, batted .235 with three homers. Joe Bowen, C Age: 21 Size: 6-1, 190 Bat/throw: S/R College: None Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 12th round of the 2006 draft. College: None Fast fact: Bowen started the season with West Michigan, batting .176 in 22 games, and finished the year with Oneonta, batting .192. Erik Crichton, P Age: 23 Size: 5-10, 190 Bat/throw: R/R College: Oral Roberts Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 20th round of the 2007 draft. Fast fact: Crichton did not pitch in 2008 after having elbow surgery. In 2007, he was 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in 26 games as a reliever with Oneonta. Casey Crosby, P Age: 20 Size: 6-5, 200 Bat/throw: R/L College: None Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 2007 draft. Fast fact: Crosby pitched in three games in the Gulf Coast League in 2007, going 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He sat out last season after left elbow reconstruction surgery. He was named the fourth-best prospect in the Tigers' organization by Baseball America in '07. Brandon Douglas, SS Age: 23 Size: 6-0, 185 Bat/throw: R/R College: Northern Iowa Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 11th round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Douglas played at four levels in the Tigers minor league system in 2008. His most successful stop was with the Whitecaps, batting .436 in nine games with one home run and eight RBIs. Jared Gayhart, P Age: 22 Size: 6-3, 195 Bat/throw: L/R College: Rice Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 13th round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Gayhart pitched in 13 games last season, 10 with the Gulf Coast League Tigers (1-0, 4.82 ERA) and three with Oneonta (0-1, 11.57 ERA). Benjamin Guez, OF Age: 22 Size: 5-10, 170 Bat/throw: R/R College: William & Mary Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 19th round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Guez tied for the lead among all New York-Penn League outfielders with eight assists. Brandon Hamilton, P Age: 20 Size: 6-3, 200 Bat/throw: R/R College: None Acquired: Selected in the first round by the Tigers (60th overall) in the 2007 draft. Fast fact: Hamilton was 0-5 with a 5.01 ERA with the Whitecaps but was sent down to the Gulf Coast League Tigers, where he was 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 13 starts. He recorded 42 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings. Matt Hoffman, P Age: 20 Size: 6-2, 195 Bat/throw: L/L College: None Acquired: Selected in the 26th round by the Tigers in the 2007 draft. Fast fact: Hoffman pitched with Oneonta (3-5 record) and West Michigan (0-2) last season. Victor Larez, P Age: 21 Size: 6-3, 160 Bat/throw: R/R College: None Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2005. Fast fact: Larez was 5-3 with the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2008. In his third minor league season, he pitched in a career-high 56 1/3 innings and posted a 3.67 ERA. Jordan Lennerton, 1B Age: 23 Size: 6-2, 230 Bat/throw: L/L College: Oregon State Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 33rd round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Lennerton jumped from the Gulf Coast League, where he batted .243 in 36 games, to Lakeland, where he batted .179 in 18 games in 2008. Jordan Newton, C Age: 23 Size: 5-10, 195 Bat/throw: R/R College: Western Kentucky Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. Fast fact: After playing in the outfield most of 2008, the Tigers are making Newton a full-time catcher this season. William Nowlin, DH Age: 22 Size: 6-1, 210 Bat/throw: R/R College: Golden West College (Calif.) Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 25th round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Nowlin batted .236 in 49 games last season with Oneonta. He hit six home runs and finished with 26 RBIs. Gustavo Nunez, SS Age: 21 Size: 5-10, 148 Bat/throw: S/R College: None Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2007. Fast fact: Nunez spent the majority of 2008 with Lakeland (45 games), batting .245 with 15 RBIs. Luis Palacios, 2B Age: 19 Size: 5-11, 150 Bat/throw: R/R College: None Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2006. Fast fact: This will be Palacios' fourth season in the Tigers organization, playing with the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2008. Bryan Pounds, 3B Age: 23 Size: 6-0, 195 Bat/throw: R/R College: Houston Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 34th round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Pounds batted .217 with 28 RBIs in 61 games with the Oneonta Tigers last season. Luke Putkonen, P Age: 21 Size: 6-6, 200 Bat/throw: R/R College: North Carolina Acquired: Selected in the third round by the Tigers in 2007. Fast fact: Putkonen was 2-1 with a 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 innings with Oneonta last season. Mauricio Robles, P Age: 20 Size: 5-10, 160 Bat/throw: L/L College: None Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2006. Fast fact: Robles was 5-3 in 23 appearances with an ERA of 2.66 with the Whitecaps last season. He started 16 times. Luis Salas, OF Age: 20 Size: 6-0, 172 Bat/throw: R/R College: None Acquired: Signed as a free agent with the Tigers in 2005. Fast fact: Salas batted .267 with four RBIs in six games with Lakeland, and .253 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 45 games in the Gulf Coast League last season. Anthony Shawler, P Age: 21 Size: 6-3, 192 Bat/throw: R/R College: Old Dominion Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the ninth round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Shawler was 2-3 with a 1.76 ERA at Oneonta last season. Pitching in 22 games, one as a starter, he was named Oneonta's Pitcher of the Year. Tyler Stohr, P Age: 22 Size: 6-2, 210 Bat/throw: L/R College: North Florida Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: Stohr recorded 12 saves last season with Oneonta. Chao-Ting Tang, OF Age: 21 Size: 5-11, 176 Bat/throw: L/R College: National Taiwan Sport University Acquired: Signed as a free agent in 2008. Fast fact: Tang, of Taiwan, batted .222 with a home run and 15 RBIs with the Gulf Coast League Tigers last season. Jade Todd, P Age: 24 Size: 6-2, 200 Bat/throw: R/R College: None Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the ninth round of the 2004 draft. Fast fact: Todd was a hitter and a pitcher last season at Lakeland, compiling a 0-0 record in three games (2 1/3 innings) as a relief pitcher. He batted .239 with four home runs and 30 RBIs. Brayan Villarreal, P Age: 21 Size: 6-0, 170 Bat/throw: R/R College: None Acquired: Signed as a free agent by the Tigers in 2005. Fast fact: Villarreal went 1-5 with a 3.65 ERA in the Gulf Coast League and 0-1 with a 16.20 ERA in one outing with the Whitecaps last season. Brett Wyatt, SS Age: 24 Ht: 5-10, 185 Bat/throw: R/S College: Lewis and Clark State College (Wash.) Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 26th round of the 2008 draft. Fast fact: In 55 games last season with Oneonta, Wyatt batted .305 with 14 RBIs and was second in the New York-Penn League with a .403 on-base percentage. Coaching staff Joe DePastino Position: Manager Tenure: Second season Age: 35 Resides: Sarasota, Fla. Scouting report: Led the club to 72-65 overall record and a Midwest League playoff berth in 2008. Career highlights: DePastino played 13 seasons in the minor leagues after being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh round of the 1992 draft as a catcher. He played in the majors for two games in 2003 with the New York Mets. Benny Distefano Position: Hitting coach Tenure: Third season Age: 47 Resides: Missouri City, Texas Scouting report: Last season, West Michigan was the fifth-best hitting team in the MWL with a .257 average. Career highlights: Selected as a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1982, reached the major leagues in 1984, played five seasons in the majors with Pittsburgh ('84, '86, '88-89) and the Houston Astros ('92), appearing in 240 games. Mark Johnson Position: Pitching coach Tenure: Second season Age: 32 Resides: Erie, Pa. Scouting report: Johnson led the Whitecaps to a 3.29 team ERA, good for second best in the Midwest League Career highlights: Was a first-round draft selection of the Houston Astros in 1996, spent nine seasons in the majors with the Astros (1997), Florida Marlins (1998), New York Yankees (1999), Detroit Tigers (2000-2003), Milwaukee Brewers (2002) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2004).

Ronald Bourquin, 1B

Age: 23

Size: 6-3, 210

Bat/throw: L/R

College: Ohio State

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the second round of the 2006 draft.

Fast fact: Bourquin, who played in a career-high minor league 118 games last year, batted .235 with three homers.

Joe Bowen, C

Age: 21

Size: 6-1, 190

Bat/throw: S/R

College: None

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 12th round of the 2006 draft.

College: None

Fast fact: Bowen started the season with West Michigan, batting .176 in 22 games, and finished the year with Oneonta, batting .192.

Erik Crichton, P

Age: 23

Size: 5-10, 190

Bat/throw: R/R

College: Oral Roberts

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 20th round of the 2007 draft.

Fast fact: Crichton did not pitch in 2008 after having elbow surgery. In 2007, he was 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in 26 games as a reliever with Oneonta.

Casey Crosby, P

Age: 20

Size: 6-5, 200

Bat/throw: R/L

College: None

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 2007 draft.

Fast fact: Crosby pitched in three games in the Gulf Coast League in 2007, going 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He sat out last season after left elbow reconstruction surgery. He was named the fourth-best prospect in the Tigers' organization by Baseball America in '07.

Brandon Douglas, SS

Age: 23

Size: 6-0, 185

Bat/throw: R/R

College: Northern Iowa

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 11th round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Douglas played at four levels in the Tigers minor league system in 2008. His most successful stop was with the Whitecaps, batting .436 in nine games with one home run and eight RBIs.

Jared Gayhart, P

Age: 22

Size: 6-3, 195

Bat/throw: L/R

College: Rice

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 13th round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Gayhart pitched in 13 games last season, 10 with the Gulf Coast League Tigers (1-0, 4.82 ERA) and three with Oneonta (0-1, 11.57 ERA).

Benjamin Guez, OF

Age: 22

Size: 5-10, 170

Bat/throw: R/R

College: William & Mary

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 19th round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Guez tied for the lead among all New York-Penn League outfielders with eight assists.

Brandon Hamilton, P

Age: 20

Size: 6-3, 200

Bat/throw: R/R

College: None

Acquired: Selected in the first round by the Tigers (60th overall) in the 2007 draft.

Fast fact: Hamilton was 0-5 with a 5.01 ERA with the Whitecaps but was sent down to the Gulf Coast League Tigers, where he was 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 13 starts. He recorded 42 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings.

Matt Hoffman, P

Age: 20

Size: 6-2, 195

Bat/throw: L/L

College: None

Acquired: Selected in the 26th round by the Tigers in the 2007 draft.

Fast fact: Hoffman pitched with Oneonta (3-5 record) and West Michigan (0-2) last season.

Victor Larez, P

Age: 21

Size: 6-3, 160

Bat/throw: R/R

College: None

Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2005.

Fast fact: Larez was 5-3 with the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2008. In his third minor league season, he pitched in a career-high 56 1/3 innings and posted a 3.67 ERA.

Jordan Lennerton, 1B

Age: 23

Size: 6-2, 230

Bat/throw: L/L

College: Oregon State

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 33rd round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Lennerton jumped from the Gulf Coast League, where he batted .243 in 36 games, to Lakeland, where he batted .179 in 18 games in 2008.

Jordan Newton, C

Age: 23

Size: 5-10, 195

Bat/throw: R/R

College: Western Kentucky

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the sixth round of the 2006 draft.

Fast fact: After playing in the outfield most of 2008, the Tigers are making Newton a full-time catcher this season.

William Nowlin, DH

Age: 22

Size: 6-1, 210

Bat/throw: R/R

College: Golden West College (Calif.)

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 25th round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Nowlin batted .236 in 49 games last season with Oneonta. He hit six home runs and finished with 26 RBIs.

Gustavo Nunez, SS

Age: 21

Size: 5-10, 148

Bat/throw: S/R

College: None

Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2007.

Fast fact: Nunez spent the majority of 2008 with Lakeland (45 games), batting .245 with 15 RBIs.

Luis Palacios, 2B

Age: 19

Size: 5-11, 150

Bat/throw: R/R

College: None

Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2006.

Fast fact: This will be Palacios' fourth season in the Tigers organization, playing with the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2008.

Bryan Pounds, 3B

Age: 23

Size: 6-0, 195

Bat/throw: R/R

College: Houston

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 34th round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Pounds batted .217 with 28 RBIs in 61 games with the Oneonta Tigers last season.

Luke Putkonen, P

Age: 21

Size: 6-6, 200

Bat/throw: R/R

College: North Carolina

Acquired: Selected in the third round by the Tigers in 2007.

Fast fact: Putkonen was 2-1 with a 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 innings with Oneonta last season.

Mauricio Robles, P

Age: 20

Size: 5-10, 160

Bat/throw: L/L

College: None

Acquired: Signed with the Tigers as a free agent in 2006.

Fast fact: Robles was 5-3 in 23 appearances with an ERA of 2.66 with the Whitecaps last season. He started 16 times.

Luis Salas, OF

Age: 20

Size: 6-0, 172

Bat/throw: R/R

College: None

Acquired: Signed as a free agent with the Tigers in 2005.

Fast fact: Salas batted .267 with four RBIs in six games with Lakeland, and .253 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 45 games in the Gulf Coast League last season.

Anthony Shawler, P

Age: 21

Size: 6-3, 192

Bat/throw: R/R

College: Old Dominion

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the ninth round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Shawler was 2-3 with a 1.76 ERA at Oneonta last season. Pitching in 22 games, one as a starter, he was named Oneonta's Pitcher of the Year.

Tyler Stohr, P

Age: 22

Size: 6-2, 210

Bat/throw: L/R

College: North Florida

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the sixth round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: Stohr recorded 12 saves last season with Oneonta.

Chao-Ting Tang, OF

Age: 21

Size: 5-11, 176

Bat/throw: L/R

College: National Taiwan Sport University

Acquired: Signed as a free agent in 2008.

Fast fact: Tang, of Taiwan, batted .222 with a home run and 15 RBIs with the Gulf Coast League Tigers last season.

Jade Todd, P

Age: 24

Size: 6-2, 200

Bat/throw: R/R

College: None

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the ninth round of the 2004 draft.

Fast fact: Todd was a hitter and a pitcher last season at Lakeland, compiling a 0-0 record in three games (2 1/3 innings) as a relief pitcher. He batted .239 with four home runs and 30 RBIs.

Brayan Villarreal, P

Age: 21

Size: 6-0, 170

Bat/throw: R/R

College: None

Acquired: Signed as a free agent by the Tigers in 2005.

Fast fact: Villarreal went 1-5 with a 3.65 ERA in the Gulf Coast League and 0-1 with a 16.20 ERA in one outing with the Whitecaps last season.

Brett Wyatt, SS

Age: 24

Ht: 5-10, 185

Bat/throw: R/S

College: Lewis and Clark State College (Wash.)

Acquired: Selected by the Tigers in the 26th round of the 2008 draft.

Fast fact: In 55 games last season with Oneonta, Wyatt batted .305 with 14 RBIs and was second in the New York-Penn League with a .403 on-base percentage.

Coaching staff

Joe DePastino

Position: Manager

Tenure: Second season

Age: 35

Resides: Sarasota, Fla.

Scouting report: Led the club to 72-65 overall record and a Midwest League playoff berth in 2008.

Career highlights: DePastino played 13 seasons in the minor leagues after being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh round of the 1992 draft as a catcher. He played in the majors for two games in 2003 with the New York Mets.

Benny Distefano

Position: Hitting coach

Tenure: Third season

Age: 47

Resides: Missouri City, Texas

Scouting report: Last season, West Michigan was the fifth-best hitting team in the MWL with a .257 average.

Career highlights: Selected as a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1982, reached the major leagues in 1984, played five seasons in the majors with Pittsburgh ('84, '86, '88-89) and the Houston Astros ('92), appearing in 240 games.

Mark Johnson

Position: Pitching coach

Tenure: Second season

Age: 32

Resides: Erie, Pa.

Scouting report: Johnson led the Whitecaps to a 3.29 team ERA, good for second best in the Midwest League

Career highlights: Was a first-round draft selection of the Houston Astros in 1996, spent nine seasons in the majors with the Astros (1997), Florida Marlins (1998), New York Yankees (1999), Detroit Tigers (2000-2003), Milwaukee Brewers (2002) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2004).