Four Rebels on MLB Opening Day Rosters

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) – With the 2013 Major League Baseball season underway on Monday, four former Ole Miss baseball players started the season on the opening day rosters and three of them saw action with one waiting to make his debut today.

(AP Photo)
Pitcher Lance Lynn is one of four former Rebels on MLB Opening Day rosters to begin the 2013 season.

Chris Coghlan (Miami Marlins), Zack Cozart (Cincinnati Reds) and Seth Smith (Oakland A’s) all took the field on Monday in opening day for their respective organizations, while Lance Lynn (St. Louis Cardinals) is slated to take the mound in his first start of the season on Wednesday.

Waiting in the wings to join the quartet with the big league clubs are Drew Pomeranz (Colorado Rockies) and Alex Presley (Pittsburgh Pirates). Both players are no the 40-man rosters for their respective organizations and are expected to be called up after playing with the Major League organizations a year ago.

Coghlan is in his fifth season in the Major Leagues, all of them with the Marlins, and started his career off with a bang after being named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2009. The Marlins dropped an opening-day contest with the Washington Nationals on Monday, and will take the field for game two of the series on Wednesday at 6:05 pm. CT.

Cozart is in his third season in the Major Leagues, all of them with the Reds, and is coming off a solid 2012 campaign. Last season, the shortstop hit 15 home runs with 35 RBI and 72 runs scored. The Reds dropped the opening-day contest with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but will play game two of the series at 6:10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Smith is in his seventh season in the Major Leagues, his second with the Oakland Athletics, and had a productive opening day for the A’s as the designated hitter. The former Rebel, who was drafted in 2004, went 2-for-3 at the plate and accounted for two of his team’s three hits on the afternoon in a series-opening loss to the Seattle Mariners. Smith and the A’s will take the field for game two of the series at 9:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday.

Lynn makes his first start of the season for the Cardinals on Wednesday when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks at 8:40 p.m. CT. The right-hander is in his third season with the Cardinals after helping the squad claim the 2011 World Series in his first year of competition with the organization. Last season, Lynn posted an 18-7 record with 180 strikeouts and 64 walks with a 3.78 ERA through 176.0 innings of work.