Hellickson, Phillies open spring slate against University of Tampa

The Philadelphia Phillies will open up their Spring Training schedule against the University of Tampa Spartans Sunday afternoon. Off-season pick-up Jeremy Hellickson will get the ball to start the game, as the Phillies attempt to avoid losing to the D-II school for the second consecutive season. 

Starting Pitcher:

Aaron Nola, who is competing to be the Opening Day starter with Hellickson (and Charlie Morton, to a lesser extent), is expected to pitch the second inning after Hellickson starts the game. 

Manager Pete Mackanin's lineup features a mix of some of the young talents expected to be in the Opening Day starting lineup and those competing for spots at both the triple-A and major league levels. 

Starting lineup:

Game Notes:

• As noted above, most reports have suggested that Aaron Nola will relieve Jeremy Hellickson in the second inning. 
• It's probably not worth reading too much into Ryan Howard not starting today. Neither of the team's platoon of catchers is starting, nor is Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis or Cesar Hernandez. 
• The Phillies aren't wasting much time getting a look at Jorge Alfaro behind the plate. If he can prove that his glove behind the plate can catch up with his strong arm and potentially powerful bat, Alfaro has a chance to be the Phillies' long-term catcher. 

Broadcast Information:

• Game-time: 1:05 p.m. EST
• Location:  Brighthouse Field; Clearwater, Florida
• Stream live on Phillies.com

Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.