Spring Training GameThread: FSC Mocs vs. Tigers

Florida Southern Mocs at Detroit Tigers

Time/Place: 1:05 p.m., Joker Marchant Stadium

Media: Florida Southern Athletics

Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. RHP Tim Melville (2-11, 5.50 ERA at Double A in 2014)

Back in February, we profiled Melville, who is a non-roster invitee in his first big league camp with the Tigers. Melville spent six years with the Kansas City Royals, where he allowed a 4.79 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 517 innings. I thought that Melville would be moved to the bullpen in order to take advantage of his mid-90s fastball, but the Tigers appear to be using him as a starter.

"He's one of the guys we kind of earmarked as a starter," Ausmus said about Melville...

"Big kid, big pitcher's frame," Ausmus said. "Tall, lean pitcher's frame."

Melville has a starter's repertoire. He throws both a two- and four-seam fastball, curveball, change-up and slider. He was ranked as the No. 93 prospect in the major leagues by Baseball America prior to the 2010 season.

The Tigers also have their starters lined up for the rest of the week.

Melville will get start for Monday. In order, the rest of starters for the week are: Lobstein, Sanchez, Simon, Price, Verlander, and Greene.

— Catherine Slonksnis (@CSlonksnis) March 1, 2015

Also scheduled to pitch (per Beck): LHP Kyle Ryan, RHP Buck Farmer, LHP Omar Duran, RHP Jose Valdez, RHP Angel Nesbitt, LHP Joe Mantiply

Tigers lineup: Kinsler 2B, Iglesias SS, J.D. Martinez RF, Cespedes LF, Davis CF, Castellanos 3B, Lennerton 1B, Holaday C, McCann DH

Mocs lineup: TBD

The Mocs have been an offensive juggernaut so far in 2015, scoring 137 runs in 14 games. They have scored at least 10 runs in half of their games so far, with a pair of 20-run outbursts already on their résumé. They have hit 14 home runs and are batting a combined .337/.432/.519. Seniors Kyle Richards and Chris Dennis are both hitting over .400 with on-base percentages north of .500. Junior outfielder Jhalan Jackson leads the team with five home runs and an .815 slugging average. Dennis leads a group of seven different Mocs players who have already scored 10 runs on the year, while Jackson is the team's RBI leader with 21.