ANDERSON, S.C. - The St. Louis Cardinals and Peoria Chiefs have announced the preliminary roster for the Chiefs' 34th season of professional baseball in the Midwest League, and Landon Beck, former standout hurler for the Trojans, is included.
The Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Cardinals, located in Peoria, Ill.
The initial opening-day roster includes 12 position players and 13 pitchers for Peoria manager Joe Kruzel. Of the 13 pitchers on the Chiefs' opening-day roster, six are starters, while the bullpen consists of seven arms, five righties.
Beck was in the Chiefs' starting rotation last August and will now transition to the bullpen. With State College and Peoria he was 2-6 last season in 13 games and 11 starts with one save. He was selected by the Cardinals in the 25th round of the 2014 draft.
After being drafted, the Hartwell, Ga., native began his professional career with the Johnson City Cardinals in the Coastal Plains League and worked his way up to the New York-Penn League's State College Spikes.
The Chiefs are slated to open the season Thursday in Burlington,
Iowa with the home opener set for Saturday
