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NYPL State College Spikes

Five Spikes Named to Play in NYPL All-Star Game

August 8, 2015 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


(STATE COLLEGE, PA) - Five State College Spikes players will be heading to the New York-Penn League All-Star Game in Aberdeen, MD on Tuesday, August 18, as announced by the league today. Infielders Casey Grayson and Leobaldo Pina, will join outfielder Mike Pritchard, along with pitchers Landon Beck and Juan Perez, on the South squad for the annual showcase of baseball's future stars.

The five All-Star berths tie a Spikes franchise record that was last set in 2013. Starters have not yet been determined for the game.

The league's Midsummer Classic will take place at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium, home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, for the second time in its history. Aberdeen last hosted the NYPL All-Star Game in 2006, the year the Spikes joined the league.

The quintet of Spikes will join players from Aberdeen, Brooklyn, Mahoning Valley, Staten Island, West Virginia and Williamsport on the South team. Players from Auburn, Batavia, Connecticut, Hudson Valley, Lowell, Tri-City and Vermont will form the North squad for the event. Williamsport leads all teams with nine players selected for the game.

Grayson has been at or near the top of the New York-Penn League batting race throughout the 2015 season. The Cypress, TX native's .331 average through August 8 is good for third place, just two points behind fellow All-Star Victor Padron of Connecticut for the lead. Grayson, a product of the University of Houston, has also produced 11 doubles and 27 runs batted in to go with a .429 on-base percentage.

Pina has played in 44 of the Spikes' first 46 games as the regular shortstop. The Turmero, Venezuela native is hitting .281 with two home runs and 25 runs batted in. Pina's 48 hits through August 8 are tied for fifth-most in the league.

Pritchard has been a spark early in the batting order for State College throughout the 2015 season. The Omaha, NE native and University of Nebraska product is hitting .273 with seven doubles and seven RBI through the season's first 46 games. Pritchard also leads the Spikes with 10 stolen bases.

Perez, who matched a Spikes record with 10 strikeouts in a single game against Batavia on July 18, is fourth in the league in earned run average as of August 8 with a 2.43 mark. The right-hander from San Felipe, Venezuela has made eight starts this year, and is 4-2 with 36 strikeouts over 40 2/3 innings.

Beck has produced 17 strikeouts over his last two starts spanning 11 1/3 innings. The right-hander from Anderson University in South Carolina is tenth in the NYPL in ERA through August 8 with a 2.79 mark, and has struck out a total of 44 batters while walking just eight over his first nine appearances. Perez and Beck also combined on a shutout of Hudson Valley on July 24.

Complete rosters for both teams can be found in an attached PDF. More information on the 2015 New York-Penn League All-Star Game can be found at the host Aberdeen IronBirds' official website, IronBirdsBaseball.com.

Fans can catch the Spikes' All-Stars in action when they return home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for a three-game series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers starting on Sunday.

Single-game tickets for each game from August 9-11, as well as every regular season home date through September 6, are currently on sale through the Spikes Box Office and online at State College Spikes.com. Fans can visit the Box Office in person weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or call (814) 272-1711. Fans purchasing online have the ability to print their tickets using a home computer and printer.

Groups of 20 or more can also purchase discounted tickets for any of the Spikes' remaining home dates. Additional benefits of booking a group for a Spikes home game include preferred seating and an exclusive early entrance. For more information, contact a Spikes group representative at (814) 272-1711, or log on to StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Value Plans, McDonald's Flex Books and an array of other hospitality options are also currently available and can be reserved by calling (814) 272-1711. All Spikes ticket options can be viewed at StateCollegeSpikes.com.

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