Pirates continue to protect pitchers

Guy Cipriano

UNIVERSITY PARK — The pitchers on the current State College Spikes roster should receive ample work during the season’s opening stages.

CDT/Christopher Weddle

2009 State College Spikes team photo on Thursday, June 18, 2009. CDT/Christopher Weddle

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The Spikes only have 13 pitchers, a total that includes 2006 second-round draft pick Mike Felix, who joined the team Thursday. The team begins its season tonight against Williamsport at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The number of pitchers might sound exorbitant. But the Pittsburgh Pirates place rigid restrictions on New York-Penn League pitchers, which quickly shrinks a bullpen.

The team will give the ball to left-hander Tyler Cox tonight. Cox, 23, started the year at full-season West Virginia and received time to build his arm strength.

Still, he will likely throw well under 100 pitches.

Pitching coach Mike Steele said he expects the staff to grow. The Pirates selected 19 college pitchers during last week’s Major League Baseball Draft. Only two — Jason Erickson (24th round, Washington) and Marc Baca (42nd, UNLV) — participated in the minicamp.

To save their bullpen and help players receive innings, the Spikes will use multiple piggybacks, beginning Saturday at Williamsport when Diego Moreno follows 19-year-old Quinton Miller. Nelson Pereira and Ricardo Paulino will share innings in Sunday’s series finale. All four pitchers participated in the Pirates’ extended spring training program.

“They are built up,” Steele said. “The piggyback guys are never going to go for more than four innings or 65 pitches.”

Steele said a mature bullpen will help the team endure the season’s early stages. Brandon Holden, 20, is the only member of the bullpen under 22. The bullpen also includes 2008 Spikes Alan Knotts and Mike Williams.

“We are going to have two or three pitchers that are going to get regular starts, but then we are going to have a more mature and full bullpen than what they usually have in the past,” Steele said. “With the maturity we have on the pitching staff, it lends us to be able to extend guys a little longer.”

Butch’s back

Outfielder Butch Biela went from Bradenton to West Virginia and back to Bradenton this spring. And he’s still only 20.

Biela started the year with full-season West Virginia, but went 0-for-12 in four April games and the Pirates sent him to extended spring training. Biela is the lone position player who played for West Virginia manager Gary Green’s team this spring.

“West Virginia was pretty good,” he said. “I didn’t play that much. But when I was there, I learned a lot from the coaches and went back down to Florida and learned a lot there.”

Biela is a NY-PL veteran at a tender age. He joined Quincy Latimore to give the Spikes two teenagers in their 2008 outfield. Biela hit .249 with a respectable 42-to-26 walk-strikeout ratio against older competition.

“I know what to expect in this league,” said Biela, a 2007 13th-round draft pick from Algonquin (Ill.) High School. “Last year was the first time I played in front of a crowd, so I’m completely fine with everything now. I know what the pitching is like, I know what the competition is like. I should be pretty well prepared this year.”

Biela is one of nine players who spent the majority of last season playing for an 18-56 Spikes team.

“After last year, there’s a lot to prove,” he said. “We want to prove this team can play and win.”

Opening Day festivities

The Spikes are hosting a variety of events today, beginning with a live broadcast of the 3WZ morning show from 6 to 9 a.m. The team will provide free breakfast sandwiches and the first 50 fans in attendance will enter a prize pool.

The pregame events continue with an Opening Day Carnival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Porter Gadens. The gates then open at 5:30 p.m. for the 7:05 p.m. start.

Former Penn State offensive lineman and current Pittsburgh Steeler A.Q. Shipley will sign autographs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

General manager Jason Dambach said tickets are available for the game. The team had sold more than 4,000 tickets as of Thursday night.

Big crowds are common on Opening Day. The Spikes have attracted more than 5,500 fans to all three home openers.

The team is 0-3 in those games. The Spikes are also 18-18 all-time against Williamsport.