Five AirHogs Named to 2010 League All-Star Game

Published on July 8, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


Grand Prairie, TX. Field Manager Pete Incaviglia and the Grand Prairie AirHogs are proud to announce the selection of five AirHogs players to the 2010 American Association South Division All-Star team.

The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball today announced the teams for the 2010 All-Star Game. The game will be held on Tuesday, July 27 in Wichita, KS and feature the South Division All-Stars against the North Division All-Stars. The starting lineups and pitchers were determined by the league's 10 field managers and media personnel. The reserves were selected by South Division All-Star manager Talmadge Nunnari and North Division All-Star manager Marty Scott.

SOUTH DIVISION ALL-STAR STARTERS [Stats through July 6]

(Manager: Talmadge Nunnari, Pensacola Pelicans)

Named 2009 American Association Player of the Year, Porter comes to the AirHogs from the Wichita Wingnuts. While with Wichita in 2009, Porter hit a career high .375 with 21 home runs and 83 RBIs.

Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 42nd round in the 2001 MLB draft, Porter spent his first seven professional years in the Angels minor league system. In 2008, Porter split time on both the Washington Nationals' and New York Yankee's AAA affiliates, hitting a combined .255 average with both teams.

Porter spent three years in Texas playing for the Arkansas Travelers of the AA Texas League. In 2006, Porter tallied his best offensive season for the Travelers, hitting .298 with 20 home runs and 28 doubles.

Porter played out his collegiate career at Texas A&M University from 1999-2001, where he was a standout two-sport athlete, also starring as a receiver on the Aggies' football team. He was also drafted by the Houston Texans of the National Football League in 2003 and attended training camp before opting to pursue his career in baseball.

1B: Greg Porter, Grand Prairie AirHogs - Hit .365, 9 HR, 44 RBIs, .574 Slugging %.

Greg Porter

2B: Hector Bernal, El Paso Diablos - Hit .329, 23 RBIs, 26 Runs Scored, 55 Hits.

SS: Bryan Frichter, Shreveport-Bossier Captains - Hit. 308, 37 Runs Scored, 56 Hits.

3B: David Espinosa, Grand Prairie AirHogs - Hit .378, 42 Runs Scored, 68 Hits, 3 Triples.

Shortstop David Espinosa returns to the AirHogs after spending the majority of the 2009 season with the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (Seattle Mariners) of the Southern League.

With the AirHogs in 2008-09, the switch-hitter batted over .300, with 142 hits in 119 games.

Originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1st Round (23rd overall) of the 2000 amateur entry draft, Espinosa spent seven seasons in the Reds organization reaching Triple-A with the Toledo MudHens of the International League.

Shortstop David Espinosa returns to the AirHogs after spending the majority of the 2009 season with the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (Seattle Mariners) of the Southern League.

With the AirHogs in 2008-09, the switch-hitter batted over .300, with 142 hits in 119 games.

Originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1st Round (23rd overall) of the 2000 amateur entry draft, Espinosa spent seven seasons in the Reds organization reaching Triple-A with the Toledo MudHens of the International League.

C: Lou Palmisano, Pensacola Pelicans - Hit. 314, 8 HR, 30 Runs Scored, 48 Hits.

DH: Chris Garcia, Shreveport-Bossier Captains - Hit .387, 49 RBIs, 67 Hits, .613 Slugging %.

OF: Palmer Karr, Shreveport-Bossier Captains - Hit .337, 9 HR, 42 RBIs, 64 Hits, 11 Doubles.

OF: Robert Perry, Grand Prairie AirHogs - Hit .338, 24 Runs Scored, 49 Hits.

Outfielder Robert Perry joins the AirHogs after spending the majority of his last three seasons in the San Diego Padres farm system, with the exception of a 61-game stint in the (Independent) Frontier League. Starting off 2009 with Windy City Thunderbolts, Perry batted .397 with 83 hits in 61 games, before being he was re-acquired by the Padres and the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League (Single A) for 26 games.

Perry played out his collegiate career at Long Beach State University, and was drafted by the Padres in the 16th round of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft.

OF: Bryan Sabatella, Shreveport-Bossier Captains - Hit .379, 78 Hits, 51 Runs Scored.

PITCHERS:

Dustin Cameron, Fort Worth Cats - 0-2, 3.15 ERA, 10 Saves, .208 Opponents Batting Avg.

Hector Carrasco, Shreveport-Bossier Captains - 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 8 Saves.

Shaun Ellis, El Paso Diablos - 7-1, 53 2/3 Innings Pitched.

Geivy Garcia, Grand Prairie AirHogs - 2-2, 1.96 ERA, 6 Saves, .200 Opponents Batting Avg.

Garcia returns for his second stint with the AirHogs after spending the 2009 season in the San Francisco Giants organization. Garcia ranks fifth all time for the AirHogs in games pitched with 30, pitching 34.2 innings in 2008. He finished with a 2-1 record with a 2.60 ERA and 2 saves.

Garcia played in 2009 for AA Connecticut of the Giant's organization going 2-3 with a 4.73 ERA in 70.1 innings pitched.

Garcia was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Padres in 2001, playing three seasons in the Padres organization and reaching Single-A level baseball.

Ron Hill, Pensacola Pelicans - 1-2, 2.05 ERA, 5 Saves.

Prihoda returns to the AirHogs in 2010, after a stint in the New York Yankees' organization last season. Prihoda pitched 38 innings for the AirHogs in 2009, going 3-1 with 3 saves and a 1.89 ERA. After being picked up by the Yankees, Prihoda made it to AAA Scranton where he pitched 5.1 innings with a 1.69 ERA.

The Weimar, TX native was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 24th Round (733rd overall) of 2007 MLB draft and played one season in the Diamondback's farm system.

Prihoda played college ball for Sam Houston State University, finishing in 2007. That season, the right-hander tallied 18 saves in 72.2 innings pitched with a 1.61 ERA. His efforts in '07 won him the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year Award as the top relief pitcher in the NCAA.

Luke Prihoda, Grand Prairie AirHogs - 4-3, 3.51 ERA, 59 Innings Pitched.

Osvaldo Rodriguez, Shreveport-Bossier Captains - 8-0, 3.43 ERA, .228 Opponents Batting Avg.

Richard Salazar, Shreveport-Bossier Captains - 4-3, 3.73 ERA, 62 2/3 Innings Pitched.

RESERVES:

C: Benji Johnson, El Paso Diablos - Hit .325, 6 HR, 22 RBIs, .663 Slugging %.

UTL: John Alonso, Pensacola Pelicans - Hit .386, 66 Hits, .556 Slugging %, .429 On-Base Pct.

NORTH DIVISION ALL-STAR STARTERS [Stats through July 6]

(Manager: Marty Scott, Lincoln Saltdogs)

1B: Brandon Sing, Sioux Falls Pheasants - Hit .380, 17 HR, 52 RBIs, .778 Slugging %, 65 Hits.

2B: Joe Anthonsen, Sioux Falls Pheasants - Hit .309, 42 Runs Scored, 63 Hits.

SS: Josh Horn, Wichita Wingnuts - Hit .367, 66 Hits, 26 Runs Scored, 12 Doubles.

3B: Trevor Lawhorn, Sioux Falls Pheasants - Hit .346, 10 HR, 36 RBIs, 63 Hits.

C: Shawn McGill, Lincoln Saltdogs - Hit .347, 8 HR, 33 RBIs, 50 Hits, 29 Runs Scored.

DH: Beau Torbert, Sioux Falls Pheasants - Hit .412, 11 HR, 50 RBIs, 80 Hits, .701 Slugging %.

OF: Reggie Abercrombie, Sioux Falls Pheasants - Hit .347, 14 HR, 54 RBIs, 20 SB, 69 Hits.

OF: Jason Cooper, St. Paul Saints - Hit .339, 62 Hits, 21 Doubles, .563 Slugging %.

OF: Gavin Dickey, Lincoln Saltdogs - Hit .301, 9 HR, 31 RBIs, 59 Hits, 13 SB.

PITCHERS:

Justin Dowdy, Wichita Wingnuts - 0-1, 1.26 ERA, 10 Saves, 24 SO.

Jae Jung, Sioux City Explorers - 5-3, 3.14 ERA, 12 BB, 57 1/3 Innings Pitched.

Jim Paduch, Lincoln Saltdogs - 4-4, 3.88 ERA, 68 SO, 65 Innings Pitched.

Chris Salberg, Sioux Falls Pheasants - 8-0, 2.68 ERA, 70 2/3 Innings Pitched.

Jacob Schmidt, St. Paul Saints - 6-3, 3.02 ERA, 55 SO, 65 2/3 Innings Pitched.

Ryan Shaver, Sioux Falls Pheasants - 5-0, 2.37 ERA, 57 Innings Pitched.

Nick Singleton, Wichita Wingnuts - 4-3, 2.29 ERA, .228 opponents batting average.

Chris Thompson, Lincoln Saltdogs - 2-1, 15 Saves, .167 opponents batting average.

RESERVES:

C: Ray Serrano, Sioux City Explorers - Hit .358, 63 Hits, 24 Runs Scored.

UTL: Brent Krause, St. Paul Saints - Hit .305, 54 Hits, 31 Runs Scored, 3 Triples.

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