A quintet of former Bradley Baseball players started their pro seasons Thursday during Opening Day in the Minor Leagues.  Just one step away from Yankee Stadium, Dan Brewer headlines the group by starting the 2011 season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the Triple-A International League affiliate of the New York Yankees.

A trio of former Braves - Ryan Curry, Ryan Eigsti and Rob Scahill - are starting the season at the Double-A level, while former Bradley pitcher Patrick Cooper starts his first full pro season in the Class A Midwest League with the West Michigan Whitecaps, who are scheduled to visit the Peoria Chiefs at O'Brien Field June 7-9.

Brewer did not play in Thursday's season-opener for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a 7-2 loss at Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia Phillies).  He hit .270 with 34 doubles, 84 runs batted in and 29 stolen bases last season for the Trenton Thunder, New York's Double-A Eastern League affiliate.

Cooper's season-opener at Lansing (Toronto Blue Jays) was postponed due to unplayable field conditions and will be made up as part of a Friday doubleheader.

Curry was the starting second baseman in Jacksonville's season-opener Thursday night and was 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in a 4-1 home loss to Huntsville (Milwaukee Brewers).  Bradley's all-time hits leader batted .251 in 118 games for the Suns last season.

Eigsti, an older brother of current Bradley infielder Jerrod Eigsti, did not play in Thursday's season-opener for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.  He appeared in only 13 games last season for the Naturals, missing the bulk of the season after breaking his arm in early April.

Scahill is part of the starting rotation for the Tulsa Drillers and is expected to make his Double-A debut during the team's 6-game home stand to open the season.  In his first full pro season last year, Scahill was 10-7 with a 4.73 earned run average for the Modesto Nuts in the Class A Advanced California League and he was the league's Pitcher of the Week July 19, 2010.  He is roommates with fellow pitcher Christian Friedrich, who played for Bradley coaches Elvis Dominguez and John Corbin at Eastern Kentucky.

The Drillers are scheduled to visit Northwest Arkansas May 7-10 and will host the Naturals May 16-19.