CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Hooks are back at Whataburger Field, training for the 20th anniversary season in 2025. 15 pitchers and 13 position players made the initial 28-man roster led by Hooks first-year manager Ricky Rivera.
Rivera is the 10th manager in franchise history and the youngest. The 31-year-old was named manager of the year in the Puerto Rican winter league after piloting San Juan to the championship series for the first time since 1997. His goal is to not only make the team feel like a family, but help players provide for their families by doing well on the field. He's excited for the 2025 roster.
"We're going to have a lot of our top pitching prospects here throughout the year," Rivera said. "Whether it's coming up or starting here. Super exciting to watch those guys pitch. I've had a lot of them when they were starting to develop. Then on the position players side we have a lot of guys that are going to be super versatile, so you're going to see guys starting at shortstop on a Friday night and then you might see them in centerfield."
Pascanel Ferreras is among the returning infielders. Ferreras, led Astros minor leaguers with 6 triples last season. In 2023 he was the last player selected in the MLB draft. He knows what it's like to have defy the odds and his versatility has paved the way.
"With this sport the main thing is staying on the field," Ferreras said. "The more positions you can play the better chance you can have to helping your team win. I pride myself in being able to play all positions and just staying in the lineup as much as I can."
The Hooks start their Minor League Baseball season with a road trip to Frisco on Friday, April 4. Then they're back in Corpus Christi for a six-game series against the Missons starting Tuesday, April 8 at 6:35 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here. The Hooks will play an exhibition game against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Wednesday, April 2 at Whataburger Field.
