The list of the Dodgers minor league participants at their Camelback Ranch spring training facility has been released, complete with the numbers assigned to each aspiring player.

I scanned through the list, relatively quickly, looking to see if first baseman Lars Anderson had again been signed to a minor league contract by the Dodgers. He has been a very serviceable first baseman with the AA Tulsa Drillers for the past two seasons. I was interested in an off-field – yet baseball connected – venture in which he was engaged. I found he had not been signed, or at least was not on the spring training list.

In scanning the list, I came across many familiar names of players returning to the fold. I also came across three names that I did not recognize as having – at least known to me – a Dodger connection. All three are 23-year-old pitchers and all three were signed as non-drafted free agents by the Dodgers following the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.

First on the list was right-hander Parker Curry. He grew up in Pelham, Alabama and graduated from Pelham High School with distinction. Around the diamond, he was named the 2011 Pelham High School Defensive Player of the Year and was awarded his high school’s Determination Award in both 2010 and 2012. Away from the diamond he was recognized as a member of the National Honor Society and the National English Honor Society.

Parker Curry

Following his graduation from high school, Curry embarked on a four-year program at Samford University which is a private, coeducational, Christian university located in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Samford is a Division 1 school in the Southern Conference of the NCAA.

In his senior year with the Bulldogs, the 5’9” / 155-pound Curry had a 7-2 record over 78 innings pitched while posting a 3.69 ERA along with 60 strikeouts and 23 walks.

He was not selected in the 2016 June Draft but was signed – perhaps unexpectedly – by the Dodgers on July 6. His message following his signing was a simple, but heartfelt, “Blessed. Thank you.”

Right-hander Patrick Duester also signed with the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent following the 2016 Amateur Draft. The native of Titusville, Florida began his pursuit of a baseball dream on July 11 when he signed on the dotted line.

Patrick Duester

Duester had starred for his hometown Astronaut High School War Eagles in Titusville, earning First-Team All-Cape Coast Conference honors during his junior and senior campaigns. As a senior, he went 9-2 with a 1.68 ERA in 72 innings along with 83 strikeouts. For good measure, he hit .328 during his senior campaign.

He registered at St. John’s River State College in Palatka, Florida in his freshman year and played two years with the Vikings. St. John’s most notable baseball alumnus is former Dodger, Howie Kendrick.

For his junior year, Duester transferred to Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He found more success as a junior than he did as a senior in his final college year. With the Green Wave – over his two years – he was 7-7 with a combined 3.62 ERA. He was part of seven shutouts during his career that spanned 104.1 innings while posting 94 strikeouts. He finished his college career tied for second in Tulane history in most combined shutouts with seven.

The Dodgers are one of only two teams that have never drafted a Tulane player. They have on another occasion, signed a Green Wave player as a non-drafted free agent, having done so with Scott Bell after the 1998 season.

The 6’6”/220-pound Duester did not get the call he had hoped for during the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. However, he did get a call from the Dodgers and the opportunity for which he had prepared. His coach at Tulane, David Pierce, in choosing a starter for their final game in 2015, expressed a confidence in Patrick Duester: ” Pierce said. “He handles adversity, he handles environments and elements and so I think he’s the right guy for us.”

The third member of the non-drafted group on the Dodgers Spring training list is a left-hander. Christian Stolo grew up in Reno, Nevada and attended McQueen High School in Reno.

Christian Stolo

Following his graduation from high school Stolo registered at Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nevada. Western Nevada is the same community college from which present highly touted Dodger prospect DJ Peters was drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.

In two years with the Wildcats Stolo went 13-5 with a combined ERA of 2.16 and a WHIP of 1.12. He struck out 129 and walked 50.

For his junior year in 2015, Stolo transferred to the University of Nevada in Reno. By the end of the season he was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Year after posting a stellar 8-2 record with a 2.83 ERA in 76.1 innings pitched. He led Nevada to its first Mountain West title in program history that season. He posted a perfect 5-0 record with a 2.89 ERA. Stolo closed the regular season with 11 straight appearances without a loss.

Stolo then logged 97.2 innings in his second year with the Wolf Pack while pitching a team-high 15 starts in 2016. Along with his teammates, he helped lead Nevada to the finals of the Mountain West tournament for the first time in program history as well.

The 6’0”/189-pound lefty was not selected in the June Draft following his senior year but on July 13, 2016 he became a Dodger.