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 Potomac Nationals

VanAllen, Zinicola promoted to Harrisburg

May 3, 2008 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


WOODBRIDGE, Va.- The Potomac Nationals announced today that pitchers Cory VanAllen and Zech Zinicola have been promoted to Double-A Harrisburg. In addition, Terrence Engles has been called up from Low-A Hagerstown and Craig Stammen has been sent down from Triple-A Columbus to replace the two on Potomac's 25-man roster.

VanAllen has been one of the most consistent pitchers this season in the Nationals organization, going 3-0 with Potomac and posting the Carolina League's lowest ERA (0.66). The left-hander was dominant throughout his five appearances allowing only two earned runs in 27 1/3 innings. VanAllen has not allowed a run over his last 13 innings on the mound.

The Baylor University product split the 2007 season with Potomac and Low-A Hagerstown. Prior to his call up to the Nationals last June, VanAllen made 11 starts with the Suns going 1-3 with a 3.62 ERA and was named a South Atlantic League All-Star. The Sugar Land, Texas, native went 3-7 with the P-Nats last season in 13 starts with a 5.49 ERA.

Zinicola has been Potomac's most dominant reliever, not allowing a run in 12 1/3 innings. The 2006 Washington Nationals Pitcher of the Year allowed just three hits to the 42 batters he faced while limiting opponents to a .079 batting average against. The 23-year-old struck out 15 and walked three.

The former Arizona State Sun Devil returns for his third stint in Double-A after spending the entire 2007 season in Harrisburg. Zinicola was 0-4 with a 5.46 ERA in 42 appearances with the Senators a year ago. The 2006 sixth-round pick played at three levels the same year he was drafted, pitching at Short-Season Vermont, Potomac, and Harrisburg.

Engles, signed by the Montreal Expos as a non-drafted free agent in 2004, was 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in six appearances, three starts, with Low-A Hagerstown at the time of his promotion. The Staten Island, N.Y., native is in his fourth season of professional baseball after missing the entire 2007 season due to injury and is 4-15 with a 5.73 ERA in 36 games, 27 starts, in his career. The 22-year-old, who is expected to join the Potomac rotation, is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA as a starter this season.

Stammen re-joins the Nationals after appearing in one game with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. The right-hander allowed one run on one hit in two innings against the Leigh Valley IronPigs on Thursday night at Cooper Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The 24-year-old made six relief appearances with the P-Nats prior to his promotion on Tuesday and posted a 2.25 ERA while striking out 14 and walking three in 16 innings on the mound. Like Engles, Stammen is expected to join the Nationals rotation.


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