Woodpeckers Set for Opening Night on April 3 at Segra Stadium, Roster Announced
Opening night is Friday, April 3, where the Woodpeckers will square off against the Wilson Warbirds at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, collaborating with the Houston Astros, unveiled their 2026 Opening Day roster, highlighting standout prospects ahead of the Carolina League opener. Opening night is Friday, April 3, where the Woodpeckers will square off against the Wilson Warbirds at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
Tickets for the opening weekend series are available here. Friday night features fireworks, while Saturday has a Woodpeckers replica jersey giveaway and Sunday has a postgame Easter Egg hunt.
The team includes a 30-player roster, split evenly with 15 position players and 15 pitchers. Among them, 18 are returning, while 12 are newcomers making their debut in Single-A.
This year, the Woodpeckers also feature the two top prospects from the Astros' organization.
Kevin Alvarez and Xavier Neyens are the leading prospects. Alvarez, originally from Cuba and 18 years old, rose to top prospect status on MLB.com after excelling in the Dominican Summer League. He has a .301 batting average, .419 on-base percentage, and .455 slugging percentage, along with 33 RBIs.
Neyens, a 19-year-old shortstop, was the Astros' first choice in the 2025 draft. Standing tall at 6-foot-4, his powerful swing hints at his potential. Neyens - who was drafted straight out of high school in Washington state - starts his career with the Woodpeckers.
Other important players include returning outfielder Anthony Huezo and pitchers Nick Potter and Gabel Pentecost, who rank within the Astros' top 30 prospects. Huezo's return ensures continuity following previous strong seasons.
Position players include Alvarez, Camilo Diaz, Brandon Forrester, Kenni Gomez, Nick Monistere, Neyens, Nehomar Ochoa Jr., German Ramirez, Hector Salas, Juan Sierra, and Josh Wakefield. The catchers are Arturo Flores, Keduar Trujillo, and Yosweld Vasquez.
The pitching lineup features Luis Aguilar, Jhoster Baez, Jagger Beck, Jesus Carrera, Curtis Hebert, Kellan Oakes, Pentecost, Javier Perez, Potter, Leomar Rosario, Jose Serrano, Aubrey Smith, Ryan Verdugo, Charlie Weber, and Jackson Wells.
Second-year manager Carlos Lugo leads the team into 2026. James Wiseman takes on the role of pitching coach, while Steve Serratore focuses on hitting.
