HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- The Tri-State Coal Cats 2025 roster is set, and it features both a West Virginia flavor and some familiar faces.
The Coal Cats open their second Appalachian League season at Elizabethton on June 5 at 6:30 pm. The home opener is June 9 vs. Pulaski at 7 p.m. at Marshall University’s Jack Cook Field.
Three players who call Jack Cook Field home as Marshall players -- pitchers Kenyon Collins and Branson McCloud and catcher Jackson Golden -- are on the Coal Cats roster, as are West Virginia pitcher Tucker DeLisle and infielder Ryan Maggy.
Potomac State pitcher Aiden Sites is another Tri-State player with Mountain State ties.
There are six Coal Cats players who are back after being part of the the ballclub’s inaugural group -- Collins, outfielder and 2024 Appalachian League All-Star Michael Rodriguez, infielder Jorge Gonzalez-Febo and pitchers Ryan Brown (from Boyd County, Ky.), Kenneth Jackson and Joe Gomez.
Collins went 2-2 for Tri-State last summer with a 3.68 ERA. Brown sported a 1.72 ERA. Rodriguez had a solid 2024 season with a .312 average, two home runs and 11 RBI. Gonzalez-Febo hit three home runs, drove in 15 runs while batting .261 last season for Tri-State.
Two Ohio State Buckeyes are also on the roster -- pitcher Noah Lafine and outfielder Sal Mineo.
Three catchers will split duties for the Coal Cats: Golden, Cesar Gonzalez from Boston College and Xavier Rivera from New Orleans.
Joining Mineo and Rodriguez in the outfield is Luke Kosko, a University of Cincinnati signee.
Two Kansas State Wildcats -- Chandler Murray and Ty Smolinski -- will be part of the Coal Cats infield as well as Boston College’s Julio Solier and Sam Winsett of Voorhees, N.J., (redshirted this season at Coastal Carolina) and Christian Recendez from West Los Angeles Junior College.
Additional pitching staff members include Oklahoma State hurlers Kash Ferris and Jett Hope, Mason Child and Jack Gibson from North Carolina-Wilmington as well as Carlos Jazmin from Bethune-Cookman, Brendin Oliver from Cincinnati, Brayden Thomas from Savannah State and a pair of pitchers from Bryant and Stratton Junior College in Virginia -- Casey Proctor and Braydon Thomas.
Manager Tommy Gregg is back to lead the Coal Cats this season, as are pitching coach Salomon Torres, hitting coach Roger Hill and bench coach Justin Gomez.
The Coal Cats were 22-26 in their initial campaign, finishing nine games behind Appy League East Division champion Danville.
For more information about the Tri-State Coal Cats, visit appyleague.com/tri-state or follow @TriStCoalCats on X and Instagram.
