Gilberto Mejia has been a key piece to the ThunderBolts roster since 2007. Gilberto, a resident of the Dominican Republic, was the 2009 league leader in stolen bases and triples, with 47 and 10 respectively. The switch-hitter advanced as high as AA with the Detroit Tigers organization in 2005.
J.T. Restko, the product of local Marist High School, will once again be covering the first base duties for the ThunderBolts for a second straight year. Restko was a 10th round selection by the Marlins in 2003. His best season was in 2005, where he had a .313 average with 15 home runs and 70 runs batted in for the Greensboro Grasshoppers. The 2009 Frontier League All-Star had a .334 batting average, which was 4th in the league. The 6’5” righty had big power numbers for the ThunderBolts last season with 18 home runs and 76 runs batted in. J.T. should be a reliable force in the middle of the lineup.
The third member of the trio is outfielder Mike Sullivan. Sullivan was selected in the 2006 draft by the Detroit Tigers. He spent two years in their organization before finding his way to the Frontier League. After starting the 2008 season with the Evansville Otters, the ThunderBolts acquired the lefty batter at the 2008 All-Star break as a free agent. He batted .363 and helped lead Windy City to a Championship in 2008. Sullivan’s 2009 season was shortened due to a shoulder injury. He only played in 14 games, but did bat .360 with 16 runs batted in. Sullivan looks to have a healthy and productive 2010 season in Crestwood.