CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Hillcats Place League-High Six on All-Star Roster

Published on June 8, 2016 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


LYNCHBURG, Va. - Infielders Bobby Bradley, Yu-Cheng Chang and Daniel Salters join outfielder Greg Allen and pitchers Julian Merryweather and Justus Sheffield on the 2016 Carolina League All-Star roster.

This marks the sixth straight season the Hillcats have sent at least three players to the midsummer contest. Lynchburg is sending a league-high six players to this year's contest.

BOBBY BRADLEY

The 20-year-old slugger has been dominating many offensive categories in the Carolina League this season. Bobby Bradley is pacing the league with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs, which is eight more than any other player. Bradley is the lone player to hit two grand slams in the Carolina League this season, accomplishing the feat on May 2 against Potomac and June 6 against Salem. Through the Hillcats first 58 games Bradley is slugging .515 and has recorded 104 total bases, which is another category the first baseman is leading the league in. Bradley is batting .238 with an on-base percentage of .362 with the help of 36 walks, which is tied for the third most with fellow all-star Greg Allen.

GREG ALLEN

Greg Allen has been setting the table for the 'Cats offense out of the leadoff spot this season. Through June 7 he is tied for first in all of Minor League Baseball with 51 runs scored. The speedster is third in the league and fourth in MiLB with 29 stolen bases. Allen is pacing Lynchburg with a .402 on-base percentage, which is tied for third in the eight-team circuit. The San Diego State product has also been playing noteworthy defense in center field this season. He has tracked down fly balls using his speed and began the season on a 49-game streak without an error.

YU-CHENG CHANG

Named Carolina League Player of the Week for the seven-game stretch beginning Memorial Day, Yu-Cheng Chang is among the Carolina League leaders in several offensive categories. Chang ranks third in the league in both total bases (101) and extra-base hits (27). Through the team's first 58 games he also finds himself third in the Carolina League with a .495 slugging percentage and 16 doubles. The highly-touted free agent signee out of Taiwan has also been a key run producer for Lynchburg this season. He has 39 RBIs, which is the fourth most in the league, and has scored 39 runs to place fifth in that category.

DANIEL SALTERS

The Hillcats backstop is third on the team with a .271 batting average while handling the task of calling the game for the Carolina League's second most effective pitching in terms of ERA. He hit safely in 13 of his first 15 games this season, which included six multi-hit games. The lefty is more productive in matchups against other southpaws as he is batting .359 with an on-base percentage of .468. Salters played in the NY-Penn All-Star game last season as a member of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

JULIAN MERRYWEATHER

Lynchburg's ace has been near unbeatable on the mound this season. Merryweather is 7-1 with a 0.92 earned run average through his first nine starts. In 48 2/3 he has struck out 43 batters and only allowed 38 hits. His WHIP of 1.03 is the third best in the Carolina League and his batting average against is .211, which is the second best in the league. He began his Hillcats career with a scoreless innings pitched streak of 18 1/3 innings which spanned four starts. The right-hander has been a stopper for the 'Cats this season as he has started three games after the team suffered a loss and has a record of 3-0 in those contests.

JUSTUS SHEFFIELD

The 31st overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft has been very effective on the rubber this season for the Hillcats. The lefty is 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA through his first 58 innings pitched. At Calvin Falwell Field he is 4-0 with a 2.84 ERA. The Indians' fourth-ranked prospect has struck out 48 batters and only walked 20. Lynchburg is 7-4 in his 11 games started this season, which includes four quality starts.

ALL-STAR INFO

Wilmington manager, Jamie Quirk will manage the Carolina League All-Stars. He will be assisted by Myrtle Beach pitching coach Anderson Tavarez. Toby Williams (Myrtle Beach) will serves as the athletic trainer. The 2016 California-Carolina League All-Star Game will be held on June 21 in Lake Elsinore at The Diamond. Tickets and more information about the event can be found at stormbaseball.com.

Check out the Lynchburg Hillcats Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from June 8, 2016


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