Frontier League scouting report

Though the Wild Things and Florence Freedom opened the season last night -- a tough 6-5 walk-off loss for Washington -- the other 12 teams in the league begin tonight, so here's a preview of each club and a rundown on the league's biggest change for 2014, the playoff format:

The league
New playof format: The number of playoff teams have been increased from four to six. The teams that will qualify for the playoffs are the two division winners and the four remaining teams with the best records, regardless of division. The teams will be seeded 1 through 6 based on the regular-season records. The division winners will be the #1 and #2 seeds. The #3 seed will host the #6 seed and the #4 seed will host the #5 seed in a single-game playoff, with the winners advancing to a best-of-three Divisional Series. The highest-seeded division champion will host the lowest remaining seed while the other division champion will host the highest-remaining seed. The division champions will host Games 2 and 3. The championship series will be a best-of-five format. The highest remaining seed will have home-field advantage

East Division
Evansville Otters
Last year: 51-45, 4th in East
Manager: Andy McCauley
Familiar faces: First baseman Nick Schwaner hit .301 with 13 home runs for the Otters last year. He was recently traded back to Evansville from the Atlantic League. Former Wild Things relief pitchers Orlando Santos and Anthony Collazo (DL) are part of the pitching staff.
Impact newcomers: Left-handed pitcher Chad James was the 18th overall pick in the 2009 draft, taken by the Marlins one pick before the St. Louis Cardinals chose Shelby Miller. Third baseman Shayne Houck was a standout player in the PSAC with Kutztown before spending a couple of years in the San Francisco Giants system.

Florence Freedom
Last year: 53-43, 3rd in East
Manager: Fran Riordan
Familiar faces: Jacob Tanis, a former 13th round draft pick of the Oaland Athletics, was the Frontier League's MVP last year after hitting 17 home runs with 72 RBI. Closer Jorge Marban had 27 saves and struck out 61 in 44 innings. Riordan is the league's all-time winningest manager and will hit the 600-victory mark early this season.
Impact newcomers: Catcher Joe Staley is a former 8th round pick of the Giants. Pitcher Brad Allen was 3-0 in four starts for Class A South Bend of the Class A Midwest League this year before he was surprisingly released by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Outfielder Buddy Sosnoskie, signed earlier this week, could be steal. He once hit 13 home runs in a season at Virginia Tech and hit .339 in half a season in the indepdent American Association two years ago.

Frontier League Greys
Last year: 33-62, 7th in East
Manager: Kyle Haines
Familiar faces: Left-handed pitcher Devon Pearson is in his second season with the league's travel team. Now there's a guy who really loves baseball.
Impact newcomers: Pitcher Justin Jackson has a 12-3 career record in affiliated ball and pitcher Cameron Lamb is in his 8th season as a pro. Corner infielders Logan Pierce and Jon Minucci are one year removed from highly successful college careers. Pierce was the best player at Troy University for two seasons and was drafted by Philadelphia in the 15th round.

Lake Erie Crushers
Last year: 56-40, 1st in East, lost to Schaumburg in finals
Manager: Chris Mongiardo
Familiar faces: Joe Charboneau, the 1980 American League Rookie of the Year and the Wild Things' original hitting coach (2002-03) is back in the league coaching the Crushers' hitters. Third baseman Andrew Davis (DL), who has made a habit of killing the Wild Things, is back for his sixth season with the Crushers.
What's new: Mongiardo moves into the manager's role after being the Crushers' pitching coach last season.

Southern Illinois Miners
Last year: 50-46, 5th in East
Manager: Mike Pinto
Familiar faces: Pinto, who is in his seven seasons as manager of the Miners, has never had a losing season.
What's new? Almost the entire team. Only five players are listed as returnees.
Impact newcomers: Outfielder Jay Austin was the 2nd round pick of the Houston Astros in 2008. Infielder Ryab Cavan had three consecutive seasons in the Giants' system with double-digit home runs.

Traverse City Beach Bums
Last year: 55-41, 2nd in East
Manager: Dan Rohn
Familiar faces: Third baseman Jovan Rosa was acquired in an offseason trade with the Wild Things. Drew Rossi, who had a 20-game stint with Washington in 2011 as a backup infielder, is with the Bums. Infielder Jose Vargas returns after hitting 12 home runs and driving in 57 runs last year, though those numbers were a big drop from 2012 (29 HRs, 100 RBI). Former major league pitcher Greg Cadaret is in his first season as the Bums' pitching coach.
What's new? It's Rohn, who replaces highly successful Gregg Langbehn. Rohn is no stranger to success, having been named Manager of the Year four times, three times in Class AAA and once in Class AA.

Washington Wild Things
Last year: 41-55, 6th in East
Manager: Bart Zeller
What's new? It's the uniform colors, and they're not exactly new. Washington is going back to its original red-and-black color scheme after four years of wearing royal blue. Finally, that huge logo behind home plate at Consol Energy Park will be the same colors as the home team's uniforms.
Impact newcomers: Rigth-hander Scott Dunn was acquired in the offseason after going 15-1 with Traverse City and being named the league's Pitcher of the Year. Center fielder Danny Poma once hit .430 in college and stole 38 bases in the Prospect League, a college summer league. He was a 10th round pick of Arizona. First baseman William Beckwith is two years removed from hitting 15 home runs in Class A ball in the Atlanta Braves' system.

West Division
Gateway Grzzlies
Last year: 53-43, 2nd in West
Manager: Phil Warren
Familiar faces: Pitcher JaVaun West went 8-3, 3.01 last year, when the Grizzlies missed the playoffs by a half game, in large part because they were swept in a late-August series at Washington.
Impact newcomer: 1B Ben Waldrip. The 6-6 lefty hitter is a former 10th round draft pick of Colorado. He can take advantage of the short porch (301 feet) in right field at GCS Ballpark.

Joliet Slammers
Last year: 38-57, 6th in West
Manager: Jeff Isom
What's new? It's the manager. Isom, who was the Wild Things' original manager (2002-03), moves over from Lake Erie after leading the Crushers to the East Division title and a spot in the championship series last year. Isom has managed five full seasons in the Frontier League and his teams have made the playoffs four times. Outfielder Darian Sandford, who played parts of the last two seasons with the Wild Things, gives the Slammers the league's most dangerous basestealer.
Impact newcomers: Pitcher Santo Manzanillo pitched in 26 games in Double-A last season. Infielder Russell Moldenhauer hit 14 home runs for Lake Erie last year and followed Isom to Joliet.

Normal CornBelters
Last year: 46-50, 5th in West
Manager: Brooks Carey
Familiar name: Infielder Ozney Guillen is the son of former major league manager Ozzie Guillen.
Familiar faces: Shortstop Pat McKenna hit 18 home runs last year but will start the season on the DL.
Impact newcomer: Corner infielder Richard Lucas was a 4th-round draft pick of the New York Mets in 2007 and played in 99 games in Double-A last year.

River City Rascals
Last year: 50-46, 4th in West
Manager: Steve Brook
Familiar faces: Half the team. The Rascals bring back 12 players from a year ago. Pitcher Craig Goodman had a 7-3 record and closer Gabriel Shaw is back after saving 27 games.
Impact newcomer: Pitcher Eric Cendejas has pitched in 142 games in affiliated ball, including two starts last year for the Los Angeles Angels' Class AAA team.

Rockford Riverhawks
Last year: 36-60, 7th in West
Manager: James Frisbie
Familiar faces: Nick Cicio was a relief pitcher with the 2012 Wild Things. He had four wins and 11 saves for Rockford last year. Cicio will start the opener tonight. Outfielder Jeff Kremer was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal 2013 season, hitting .357
Impact newcomers: Pitcher Josh Smoker was a first round (31st overall) draft pick of the Washington Nationals in 2007. Outfielder Jose Martinez will be one of the most experienced players in the league, having played in 595 professional games including 290 at Class AA.
Best name: Utility player Kalaika Kahoohalahala. Can't wait to hear Bill DiFabio try to pronounce that one.

Schaumburg Boomers
Last year: 59-37, 1st in West, beat Lake Erie in finals
Manager: Jamie Bennett
Familiar faces: Boomers return 12 players from last year's championship team, including outfielder/pitcher Sean Mahley, who was the MVP of the 2013 all-star game held at Consol Energy Park. Pitcher Dexter Price was 6-1 with 16 saves.
Impact Newcomer: Pitcher Charle Rosario averaged more than one strikeout per inning in eight games at Class AA in 2012.

Windy City Thunderbolts
Last year: 50-46, 3rd in West
Manager: Ron Biga
Familiar faces: Pitcher Danile Cropper (8 wins) was a big reason why the T-Bolts went 27-13 after the all-star break last year. Six of the team's top eight run producers also return.
Familiar name: Catcher Matt Scioscia is the son of Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
Impact newcomer: Pitcher Victor Larez has eight years of prod experience and made 24 starts (winning nine) last year for Erie, the Detroit Tigers' Class AA affiliate.