Burlington Sock Puppets release 2022 roster

BURLINGTON, N.C. -- It’s time to meet your 2022 Sock Puppets! It’s been just more than a year since the rebrand of the club, and this squad of 35 fits the new mold perfectly. The below .500 finish last season was not ideal, but change is on the way. The Sock Puppets now have 10 Power 5 players rostered for the 2022 season, up from only one Power 5 player on the inaugural season roster last year.

This includes players from powerhouses like NC State and Missouri. The newcomers will bring experience from the highest levels of college baseball. In total, the new look roster of the Sock Puppets will feature 27 Division I players compared to only 11 Division I players last year.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to get these guys here this summer." Sock Puppets general manager Anderson Rathbun said. "Our fans showed up at historic rates for this franchise last season and unfortunately we weren't able to quite match the energy on the field as those fans did off of it... but we are pumped to have that opportunity this year with this crew."

With Opening Night just over 100 days away, the season is going to be here before you know it. Exciting things are happening in Burlington, N.C., and the makeup of the roster is just another addition to that list. Now, let's dive into players.

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The Sock Puppets bring in 18 arms on the pitching staff this season. The group consists of a great mix of young guns and players with college innings on their resume. Cooper King will be a driving force this season. In a tough ACC conference, King comes out of the bullpen for NC State. He made nine appearances in 2021 and is expected to fill the same role in the 2022 season.

Fellow Wolfpack member Trey Cooper will add more Power 5 experience. The redshirt freshman has not made his college debut yet due to injury but is expected to get innings in the red and black this spring. Ethan Abbott is the oldest player on the Sock Puppets roster. He stands as a junior at Houston Baptist in the Southland Conference. He has been limited the past two seasons but is serving in the starting rotation this spring.

As for the young guns, Shea Sprague will be a player to watch. Ranked as the No. 4 pitcher in Massachusetts by Perfect Game, he is set to make is debut at Elon this spring. Ethan Garcia out of Reedley Community College has thrown nine scoreless innings so far in 2022.

Behind the dish, there is nothing less than talent. Ryan McCrystal coming out of ECU was named the third most impactful freshman in The American by D1Baseball. He’s expected to record a good number of innings for the Pirates this spring. Tony Castonguay, a sophomore from Kansas, will be a veteran presence as a catcher tallying double digit appearances in his freshman campaign and more this spring. He was selected by Perfect Game as the No. 1 catcher in Colorado in 2020.

Looking around the infield, there is power at the plate and consistency on the dirt. DeAngelo Giles comes from NC State as a multi-tool player. He’s started games for the Pack at first base, third and as a designated hitter. He will man down the corners along with Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, Perfect Game’s No. 2 first baseman in North Carolina. Up the middle will be Tyler Gerety who was a standout athlete in multiple sprots in high school and now suits up as a Jayhawk. Justin Colon will be another name to watch with his experience in tough high school ball and now at Missouri.

Heading out to the green, the Sock Puppets will have another Mizzou Tiger in Carlos Peña. The true freshman has already earned three starts in as many games for the Tigers this spring. Kole Myers is a veteran with a high number of collegiate starts at LSU Eunice. He will be a big impact player.

The rest of the Sock Puppets roster is rounded out with high-energy, high-level players. The 2022 season will not be one to miss.

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Pitchers

Ethan Abbott, RHP, Houston Baptist
Age: 22 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 210 | Year: Junior
Abbott brings a veteran presence to the pitching staff as a junior. Missed the 2020 season with an injury and made one appearance in 2021 during recovery. Currently throwing in the starting rotation for the Huskies.

Trey Cooper, LHP, NC State
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Left | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 200 | Year: Redshirt Freshman
Cooper has not yet appeared in a game for NC State. He did not compete in his freshman season due to injury. The pitcher however was a standout at Randleman High School helping his team finish runner up at the 2019 2A State Championship. Cooper recorded 114 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched, finishing with a 2.75 ERA.

Jordan Davis, RHP, Catawba Valley CC
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 205 | Year: Sophomore
Davis has made three appearances so far in 2022, with a 3.24 ERA in 8.1 innings pitched. Played in 50 games at Elida High School recording 87 strikeouts and a 1.66 ERA.

Sam DiLella, LHP, Elon
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 | Year: Freshman
In his freshman season, DiLella has made one appearance so far. Was a standout athlete in high school at Radnor, earning eight varsity letters in baseball, football, basketball and cross country.

Brenton Fisher, RHP, Bethune Cookman
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 195 | Year: Sophomore
In 2021, Fisher made nine appearances for North Carolina Central University out of the bullpen, collecting 12 strikeouts. Earned two all-conference selections at Voyager Academy. Finished his junior season with a 2.33 ERA.

Daniel Frontera, RHP, Seton Hall
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 200 | Year: Freshman
Frontera has made one appearance in 2022 for the Pirates, throwing two innings. No. 32 high school pitcher in New Jersey in 2021 by Perfect Game.

Justin Honeycutt, LHP, UNC Asheville
Age: 20 | Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 | Year: Sophomore
Honeycutt joins the roster coming off a good 2021 freshman season at UNC Asheville. He recorded a 6.23 ERA in 43.1 innings, with 35 strikeouts. He held opponents to a .264 batting average, the lowest among Bulldog pitchers. Finished his high school career in Fayetteville with a 2.12 ERA and 143 strikeouts.

Cooper King, RHP, NC State
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 | Year: Sophomore
King now in his second year at NC State, serves in relief for the Pack. He made nine appearances in 2021, throwing 8.0 innings. The North Carolina native gave up five hits and four runs, good for a 4.50 ERA. King struck out four batters and earned one win in his freshman campaign. The 2020 graduate ranked in the top 500 of Perfect Game’s high school player rankings. He earned an all-state nod in 2019 while finishing 2nd in the state in total strikeouts with 91.

Jake Martin, RHP, Georgia Southern
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 215 | Year: Sophomore
In his third season now for the Eagles. Struck out three batters in two innings in 2021. Collected one win in three games with one strikeout in his Freshman campaign.

Xavier Meachem, RHP, North Carolina A&T
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 210 | Year: Sophomore
Meachem threw 26.0 innings in 2021 striking out 32 batters and recorded two wins. Ranked as the No. 5 third baseman in North Carolina by Perfect Game.

Shea Sprague, LHP, Elon
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Left | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 185 | Year: Freshman
Perfect game ranked Sprague the No. 4 left-handed pitcher in Massachusetts. Also named a pre-season All-American his senior year at Boston College High School. Earned a 0.75 ERA in 28.0 innings during the 2020 summer ball season.

Catchers

Tony Castonguay, C, Kansas
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 210 | Year: Sophomore
Castonguay appeared in 16 games in 2021 for the Jayhawks. He hit .167 with one double, one home run and three RBI. The 2020 graduate was Perfect Game’s No. 1 catcher in Colorado and No. 4 overall prospect. Castonguay slashed a .311 average with 26 RBI and 41 hits during his career at Grandview High School.

Ryan McCrystal, C, East Carolina
Age: 19 | Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 210 | Year: Freshman
Heading into the 2022 season at ECU, McCrystal is listed as the third-best impact Freshman in The American by D1Baseball. McCrystal helped lead his team to the 2021 4A NC State Championship as a captain. He recorded a career average of .406 at Fuquay-Varina High School. The 2021 graduate also had 19 extra base hits and 36 RBI.

Infielders

Evan Appelwick, INF, Indiana
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 190 | Year: Freshman
Appelwick was ranked the No. 3 overall prospect and No. 1 shortstop in South Dakota by Perfect Game. In his senior season with IMG Academy, the 2021 graduate hit .414 with a .941 fielding percentage.

Justin Colon, INF, Missouri
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 180 | Year: Freshman
Out of Montverde Academy in Florida, Colon was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 5 shortstop in the Class of 2021. The Puerto Rico native earned four Perfect Game Preseason All-American nods.

Tyler Gerety, INF, Kansas
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 195 | Year: Freshman
Prep Baseball Report ranked Gerety the No. 3 shortstop and No. 10 overall player in Kansas. He was a standout athlete at Nemaha Central High School in basketball, baseball and in football. Gerety also won the 2019 2A Kansas Football Championship.

DeAngelo Giles, INF, NC State
Age: 21 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 194 | Year: Sophomore
Giles made 12 appearances and six starts for the Pack in 2021. He can be used in multiple positions including first base, third base and as a designated hitter. The 2019 graduate earned all-conference honors in all four years at High Point Central.

Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, INF, East Carolina
Age: 19 | Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6'6" | Weight: 220 | Year: Freshman
Perfect Game ranked Jenkins-Cowart the No. 2 first baseman and No. 29 overall prospect in North Carolina. Hit .433 with five home runs in his senior season at Southeast Guilford High School. The North Carolina native earned all-conference honors twice.

Sam McNulty, INF, Boston College
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 190 | Year: Freshman
Coming out of Milton Academy, McNulty ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 at third base by Perfect Game. In his senior campaign, he hit .550 to help his team complete an undefeated season.

Brayden Merrick, INF, Bluefield State College
Age: 20 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 210 | Year: Sophomore
Merrick batted .349 with 20 RBI and eight extra base hits in his career at Franklin County High School. Perfect Game ranked him in the top 300 shortstops in the class of 2020 and No. 10 in Virginia.

Ryan Meyer, INF, Fordham
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 | Year: Freshman
Fordham was a multi-sport athlete at Shrewsbury high School playing baseball, basketball and soccer. Helped lead his baseball team to the Massachusetts Division I State Runner Up title in 2019.

Outfielders

Isaiah Adams, OF, Southern
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 170 | Year: Sophomore
Adams started 31 games for the Jags in 2021 batting .266 with 17 RBI and two home runs. He finished the season with just two errors good for a .973 fielding percentage.

Vince DiLeonardo, OF, Elon
Age: 19 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 | Year: Freshman
DiLeonardo helped The Miller School of Albemarle to a 2019 State Championship. He earned the 2020 Northeast PG Qualifier Tournament MVP award after his travel ball club took first. Perfect Game ranked the 2021 graduate the No. 126 outfielder in the nation and No.20 overall prospect in Virginia.

Ethan Lizama, OF, Gulf Coast State College
Age: 19 | Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 | Year: Freshman
Lizama has played in 16 games so far in 2022 batting .250 with 14 RBI and five extra-base hits. He has recorded 23 putouts and four assists from the outfield.

Kole Myers, OF, LSU Eunice
Age: 21 | Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 | Year: Sophomore
In 2021, Myers started 23 games for the Bengals batting .296 with three home runs and 21 RBI. The outfielder fielded .960 with five assists. He played in 18 games during the shortened 2020 season recording seven hits and two home runs.

Carlos Peña, OF, Missouri
Age: 18 | Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 | Year: Freshman
Peña has already earned three starts in 2022, batting .250 with five RBI and one stolen base so far in his freshman season. Peña was invited to participate in the MLB Prospect Development Pipeline Invitational in 2020. He was selected as the No. 10 incoming freshman in the SEC.