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Snappers counting on strong defense, starting rotation

Beloit Snappers’ outfielder Aaron Hicks hands a baseball he just autographed to Vincent Mancini, 6, of Elkhorn during the annual Meet the Snappers event April 6 at Beloit Memorial High School. Rick West/staff.

BELOIT — This year’s opening-day roster for the Beloit Snappers minor league baseball team is a testament to the international appeal of America’s pastime.

The roster for the Minnesota Twins’ class A affiliate includes players from Australia, Taiwan, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands.

For nine of the 25 Snappers players, 2010 means a return to Beloit and the Midwest League. Among them is center fielder Aaron Hicks, the Twins’ 2008 first-round draft pick.

“It’s not where you start, it’s where you end up,” said Hicks, the Twins No. 1 prospect. “Coming back here will be a learning experience to help me fully develop.”

Last season Hicks batted .251 with four home runs and 29 RBIs in 67 games for the Snappers.

“I know what to expect pitching-wise (in the Midwest League),” Hicks said. “Guys throw more strikes here, there’s not a big change in velocity, but mainly control.”

Angel Morales, who batted .266 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs, also returns in the outfield for Beloit.

“They’re good prospects in our organization,” said Snappers Manager Nelson Prada. “They’re not coming back because we weren’t winning games last year; they’re coming back because they’re not ready for the next step.”

Other top hitters this season should be Daniel Rams who had six home runs at Elizabethton, the Twins’ rookie team in Tennessee, and Steven Liddle, a .360 hitter at Elizabethton. The duo helped the rookie-league team win 45 of 68 games in 2009 and capture the West Division crown in the Appalachian League.

Prada, however, doesn’t place a lot of stock in rookie-level hitting statistics.

“The Midwest League is a big step,” he said. “It’s when they start to see the way they pitch in the higher levels.”

Read the full story in the April 18 e-edition of Walworth County Sunday, PAGE 21A.