"We've got a good nucleus for a solid ball club," GreenJackets manager Dave Machemer said. "There's a good combination of returning guys and young players."

Eight players from last year's South Atlantic League championship squad are back, including infielder Charlie Culberson and outfielder Francisco Peguero. Machemer, beginning his first year as GreenJackets manager and 18th in the minor leagues, said the high number of returnees should help his club get off to a fast start.

"It's going to help a lot," he said. "We've got those returning guys who can relate some things to the new players and help them out."

Machemer spent last season in rookie ball coaching the Arizona League Giants to a league championship. The 57-year-old skipper brought several prospects from that team with him, including outfielder Wendell Fairley, a 2007 first-round pick, and pitchers Kyle Nicholson and Aaron King, who were taken in the seventh round of the 2007 and 2008 drafts, respectively.

The right-handed Nicholson is scheduled to get the Opening Day start today. Ari Ronick, Kelvin Marte, Mike Loree, Eric Surkamp and King will fill out the team's six-man rotation.

"I'm real excited about our pitching," Machemer said. "The four lefties in the rotation is always a plus, and we've got (first-year pitching coach Steve) Kline who's just a blue-collar guy who knows what it takes to get there."

The Opening Day roster includes three teenagers.

King and Culberson will turn 20 later this month, and switch-hitting infielder Ehire Adrianza, the nephew of Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, will play most of this season as a 19-year-old.

On the other end of the experience spectrum, outfielder James Simmons will be returning to Augusta to wear a GreenJackets uniform for the third consecutive season.

The 24th-round pick in 2005 has a strong arm in right field, but he led the team with 132 strikeouts last season.

"I'll be able to play more here," Simmons said. "I'm just trying to work on getting a Double-A spot."

The same is true for Culber-son.

The 51st overall pick in the 2007 draft, Culberson missed the final month of the 2008 season with a hand injury and will spend the 2009 season working on his transition from shortstop to third base.

The GreenJackets will play four games in Savannah through the weekend and another two in Charleston, S.C., next week before returning for their home opener against the Sand Gnats a week from today.

Cal Ripken Jr. is scheduled to be on hand for the first home game of the season when the 2008 SAL championship banner will be raised at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

Reach Billy Byler at (706) 823-3216

or billy.byler@augustachronicle.com

2009 OPENING DAY ROSTER

No. Name Pos.

2 Aaron King P

5 Charlie Culberson IF

9 Matt Klimas C

10 Josh Mazzola IF

12 Joel Weeks C

14 Ben Woodbury OF

18 Wendell Fairley OF

19 C.J. Ziegler IF

20 Johnny Monell C

23 Francisco Peguero OF

25 James Simmons OF

26 Mike Loberg IF

28 Trey Webb P

29 Kyle Nicholson P

31 Justin Fitzgerald P

33 Juan Perez IF

36 Shane Kaufman P

37 Ehire Adrianza IF

38 Chris Wilson P

39 Eric Surkamp P

40 Eric Stolp P

41 Daniel Runzler P

45 Kelvin Marte P

46 Mike Loree P

47 Ari Ronick P

COACHING STAFF

Dave Machemer, manager

Steve Kline, pitching coach

Lipso Navs, hitting coach

Abe Gonzalez, strength coach

L.J. Petra, trainer