Stover Starts Pro Career in North Carolina
BURLINGTON, NC — Trey Stover, first Central Mountain baseball player ever taken in the Major League draft, is now a Burlington, North Carolina Royal.
The 22-year-old Stover has completed a week of training in Arizona and is prsently in Burlington working with the 28-member Royals’ farm team in the Appalachian Rookie League.
A shortstop through high school and four years as a starter at the University of Hartford, Stover told therecord-online he is part of a rotation at second and third with Burlington. He described his time in at the Arizona minicamp as positive: “I had a chance to acclimate myself with the organization and coaches. Practice was very instructional in the morning with simulated games and scrimmages in the evening.” He said he “hit pretty well” and had a chance to show his fielding ability.
Stover said he is excited to get his rookie season in pro ball started. He said Burlington has a good reputation for its fan support. He called the start of his pro career in North Carolina “a good opportunity.”
Stover was taken in the 35th round by Kansas City. At Burlington he will be one of two newcomers in the Royals’ infield. He is one of six players listed on the Burlington roster as infielders.
Two others besides Stover are listed as newcomers: 21st round pick Austin Bailey and 31st round pick Brian Bien. Bailey was drafted from the University of San Diego, Bien from Bowling Green State University.
Three 2014 team members return to the infield: Jose Martinez, Brandon Dulin and Angelo Castellano. Martinez is primarily a middle infielder, while Dulin plays first and Castellano is versatile. Martinez hit .229 in 2014 with eight doubles, a triple and a home run, to go with 23 RBI and nine steals. Dulin showed flashes of power in 2014, tying for the team lead with seven home runs. Castellano had six doubles and eight RBI in 42 games for Burlington.
The Royals open their 2015 season with an exhibition game on Sunday at 6 p.m. against the Kernersville Bulldogs. The regular season opens on Tuesday, June 23 with a 7 p.m. game at the Princeton Rays in Princeton, W. Va., and the Royals play their first regular season home game on Monday, June 29 at 7 p.m. against the Bluefield Blue Jays.
To learn more about the Burlington Royals you can visit: http://www.milb.com
