The 2021 Schaumburg Boomers are set to open the season on Thursday with a 23-man active roster and two more on the injured list as announced by Manager Jamie Bennett.
The roster features 10 players who were part of the team in 2019 and one more who previously suited up for the club. Schaumburg finished 47-49 in 2019 and is looking to return to the playoffs in a new-look Frontier League.
Highlighting the returners is Quincy Nieporte. Nieporte hit .315 in 2019 to lead the league, becoming the first league batting champion in team history. The Florida State graduate also set a team record with 71 RBIs while hitting 13 homers. Nieporte set a Frontier League record by driving home 10 runs in a game against Gateway late in the 2019 season.
Nick Oddo also returns as a two-year All-Star and will begin his fourth year with the organization behind the plate. Oddo had the opportunity to play 13 games in the American Association last summer. The California native played a career high 83 games for the Boomers in 2019, batting .274 with five homers and 34 RBIs.
Clint Hardy returns for his third season with the team after making 82 appearances in 2019, hitting eight homers with 38 RBIs while adding 15 doubles and seven steals.
Other returning position players include Gian Martellini and Chase Dawson who are back for their second year with the organization. Dawson will make the switch to the outfield this year while Martellini returns behind the plate after making nine appearances in 2019.
Jake Joyce returns to the Boomers following a one-season hiatus to anchor the back end of the bullpen. Joyce is entering his fifth season with the team, tied for the longest tenure in team history. Joyce is Schaumburg’s career leader in appearances and strikeout per nine innings. The Virginia native spent 2019 with the Milwaukee Milkmen in the American Association following a spurt in the Atlantic League with the Somerset Patriots.
Darrell Thompson is back for a third year with the team in the bullpen. Thompson owns a career record of 18-3 and ranks third in franchise history in appearances. Dylan Stutsman also returns for a third year in the pen but will open the year on the 14-day injured list. Stutsman owns 111 career strikeouts in 100.2 innings and pitched in 44 games in 2019, second most in single season history. Thomas Nicholl came over in a late trade from Gateway in 2019 and struck out 13 in 7.2 scoreless innings spanning six outings.
Aaron Rozek will once again be a staple in Jamie Bennett’s starting rotation. Rozek tied the franchise record by making 20 starts in 2019, leading the team with seven wins. Orlando Rodriguez made his professional debut for the Boomers in 2019, starting just two games before he was signed away by the Reds. Rodriguez struck out 12 batters in 13.1 innings with a 2.03 ERA before heading to Billings, where he made eight starts for the Pioneer League affiliate of the Reds.
Willy Garcia highlights the newcomers with a middle of the order presence. Garcia becomes the first Schaumburg player to have previously played in the Major Leagues, spending 44 games with the White Sox in 2017. Garcia is an 11-year professional who recorded five doubles, three triples and two homers in 105 at bats for the Sox in 2017. Garcia comes to the Boomers after playing for Winnipeg in 2019 and posting monster numbers, hitting .310 with 17 homers, 73 RBIs, 23 doubles and three triples.
Angelo Gumbs was a second round pick by the Yankees out of high school and is a 10th year professional. Gumbs reached Double-A with the Reds after hitting .298 with 11 homers, 18 doubles, five triples and 55 RBIs in High-A. The infielder played for the Cleburne Railroaders in 2018 and hit .276 over 59 games.
Nick Ames is a left-handed bat who hit 19 homers with 35 doubles and 86 RBIs over two seasons spanning 167 games within the Detroit Tigers organization. Ames also hit 18 homers in 2018 at UNLV to rank among the national leaders.
Other new position players include Luke Becker, who played six different positions over 100 games in the Padres system after making 147 career starts at the University of Kentucky. Alec Craig hit .483 in the United Shore League in 2019 before being signed by the Twins and was a four-time all-conference choice at Chestnut Hill College. Matt McGarry stole 23 bases as a senior at Belmont Abbey College and spent two years in the affiliated ranks with the Yankees and A’s. Brett Milazzo is a local product and appeared in 14 games over two years with the Chicago Dogs following his college career at Minnesota-Duluth.
On the mound, Kyle Arjona will receive the ball on opening night. Arjona opened the 2019 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley with the Phillies before spending most of the year at High-A Clearwater. The righty made 29 appearances with one start in his two years with the Phillies.
Andrew Dean will start the second game of the season against Evansville. The left-hander set the career record for wins at the University of Illinois-Springfield, finishing 22-1 and was the first All-American in program history. Dean posted a 1.80 ERA in the Arizona League for the Padres before making three appearances in Ft. Wayne.
Other newcomers on the pitching staff include 2021 First Round Frontier League draft choice Ryan Middendorf. Middendorf set a program record for games started at Lake Erie College and was an All-Star in the Northwoods League. Dallas Bryan notched an impressive 20.25 strikeouts per nine in college after fanning 51 in 22.2 innings at Motlow State Community College. Andrew Cartier pitched for three different clubs in 2019 including 10 for the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Stephen Chamblee was an NAIA All-American at Bryan College, finishing 11-1 with a school record 131 strikeouts in 2018. Anthony Guardado will open the year on the 14-day injured list. Guardado was a third round selection by the Atlanta Braves in 2015 and pitched in nine games over two years with the organization.
There will be plenty of new rules in the Frontier League this season after becoming an MLB Partner League this winter.