BY MIKE LONDON
SALISBURY POST

KANNAPOLIS — Kannapolis first baseman Casey Rogowski’s name is always going to be a mouthful.

But Thursday night at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium, Rogowski was more than a mouthful.

He was a handful.

Rogowski, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound physical specimen, went 4-for-4 with a homer to spark the Intimidators to a season-opening 9-1 romp over the visiting Lakewood Blue Claws (formerly the Piedmont Boll Weevils) in front of 3,413 impressed fans.

“This was sort of amazing because I didn’t have a 4-for-4 game all last season,” said Rogowski. “I don’t know how I could have gotten off to a better start. Well — unless I’d hit four home runs.”

Rogowski, a 19-year-old lefty from Michigan, had to settle for one long one — an seventh-inning, two-run bomb to right that came on an inside fastball.

“They’d pitched me inside all night. I was looking there and saw it good,” he said.

Fans saw it leave the premises in a terrible hurry.

Rogowski also produced a single in the second for Kannapolis’ first hit of the season; a single in the fourth that triggered the Intimidators’ first runs of the season; and a run-scoring single in the sixth that staked his club to a 3-0 lead.

Rogowski came out of the blocks slowly last year at Burlington, hitting a disappointing six homers in 412 at-bats. But Kannapolis manager Razor Shines says Rogowski’s made great strides this spring while working with hitting coach Ken Dominguez.

The White Sox organization, which drafted “Rogo” on the 13th round in 1999, knows he has power potential. He rocketed a ball into the upper deck in right-center at Tiger Stadium when he was a high school junior.

Fans got a glimpse of another of their new cleanup hitter’s talents when he surprised the Claws with a sixth-inning steal of third base. Just because Rogowski weighs 230, don’t get the idea he lumbers. He can motor. He was an all-state linebacker and fullback in high school and was offered a scholarship by Central Michigan. But he broke his right leg on the gridiron his junior year, so he figured a career in baseball was a little safer.

Oh, yeah, Rogowski was also a two-time state champ as a heavyweight wrestler.

“I’ve got a few things in my bag of tricks,” laughed Rogowski, who swiped 11 bags last season. “I’ll steal a few. I got the sign and got a good jump.”

“Casey’s steal led to an important run,” said Shines. “That gave us a five-run lead and that means even a grand slam doesn’t tie it up.”

It was almost a shame that Rogowski exploded, because otherwise everyone would have driven home chatting about Intimidator starter and winner, Dennis Ulacia.

Ulacia was beaten to a 4-14 pulp at Burlington last season, but was in complete charge against the Claws, who are still managed by last year’s Weevil skipper, Greg Legg. Ulacia went six no-hit innings, fanning eight.

“All my stuff was working, especially my curve, and my location was good,” said Ulacia.

Shines embraced Ulacia when he walked from the mound after ending the sixth with a strikeout of Juan Richardson, then informed his pitcher that he was calling on the bullpen.

“I told Dennis, ‘Great job and you’re done,’ ” said Shines. “Obviously, he was special. It was a super job, an outstanding job, but he’d had enough even though he had a no-hitter. He threw 90-plus (pitches) and it’s early.”

“I wasn’t disappointed to come out,” said Ulacia. “I understood.”

Ulacia said he was cool and confident because of the way his teammates were swinging the bats and flashing the leather. Shortstop Guillermo Reyes was particularly impressive with the glove. He brought the crowd to its feet when he dove in the hole, made an impossible stop, then gunned down Dario Delgado for a big out to start the second when the game was still scoreless.

Reyes, John Lackaff and Mike Spidale helped out Kannapolis’ onslaught with two hits each. Nilson Teilon drew high ratings for his two RBIs, including the one that plated the icebreaker in the fourth. Derek Wigginton and Darren Ciraco pitched in with RBIs and Humberto Quintero scored a run.

“I was just very, very pleased with the way our kids played,” said Shines. “This was a good start.”

Especially for an almost too-good-to-be-true Rogowski, who serviced streams of autograph hounds long after the game. He even handed over one of his black bats to a wide-eyed young fan.

“If I was a kid, this is what I’d want, how I’d want to be treated,” he said. “It was a nice crowd. Good people came out and supported us. I wanted them to know we’re here to do the best we can for ’em.”

So far, so good.

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NOTES:The only Intimidator, who didn’t have a decent night was second baseman Chris Amador, who figures to be one of the team’s studs. Amador was 0-for-5 with three Ks and made the only error. ... The Claws boast many of last season’s Weevils. Familiar faces Carlos Acevedo, Juan Richardson, Julio Collazo and Ambiorix Reyes, combined to go 0-for-13 . ... Gregg Foster got the first Lakewood hit when he singled off Arnaldo Munoz with one out in the seventh. ... New mascot “Dub” was unveiled. Imagine a blue Phillie Phanatic. ... Game 2 in the four-game series is tonight.