A total of 20 (or 21) former Boise Hawks will be on MLB Opening Day rosters as the 2012 season opened tonight (not including the Seattle-Oakland series in Japan).

Included in the group are a pair of former teammates from the 2008 season who are poised to become the 91st and 92nd former Hawks to play in the Big Leagues.  Ryan Flaherty (pictured right) and Marwin Gonzalez (pictured below left) were the double play tandem on the ’08 team – as Gonzalez led the club in RBI, while Flaherty, a supplemental first-round pick, had seven home runs.  Both were Rule 5 draft picks this season – Flaherty landing with the Baltimore Orioles, with Gonzalez with the Houston Astros.

Four former Hawks will start the season on the disabled list – as Chris Carpenter, John Lackey, and Rich Hill are on the DL with the Boston Red Sox (Carpenter about to have surgery for an elbow issue – something he had issues with in college, while Lackey and Hill are coming back from Tommy John surgery and is expected back around the all-star break), and Al Alburquerque is on the DL with the Detroit Tigers (coming back from Tommy John surgery).

The 21st Hawk on the list is Tony Campana – who is officially on the Iowa Cubs roster, but is in Chicago, waiting to see if first-baseman (and former Everett Aquasox player) Bryan LaHair goes on the disabled list, and will be activated if the slugger is sent to the DL.

The Hawks in the Big Leagues – Ryan Flaherty (’08) – BAL; John Lackey (’99), Rich Hill (’02/’03), Chris Carpenter (’08) – BOS; Clay Rapada (’02/’03) – NYY; Joel Peralta (’00) – TB; Al Alburquerque (’07) – DET; Jerry Blevins (’04/’06), Josh Donaldson (’07) – OAK; Andrew Cashner (’08) – SD; Tyler Colvin (’06) – COL; Ronny Cedeno (’02) – NYM; Ricky Nolasco (’02) – MIA; Josh Harrison (’08) – PIT; Sean Marshall (’03) – CIN; Francisco Rodriguez (’99) – MIL; Marwin Gonzalez (’08) – HOU; Jeff Samardzija (’06), Steve Clevenger (’06/’07), Geovany Soto (’02), Tony Campana (’08) – CHC.

Look for an in-depth look at the former Hawks still in the minor league system in the coming days, once the minor league rosters are officially posted and set.