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MWL1 Cedar Rapids Kernels

Kernels land four on Western Division All-Star squad

June 7, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


Kernels players Jordan Renz, Hainley Statia, Nick Adenhart, and Stephen Marek have been selected to participate in the June 20th Midwest League All-Star game as members of the Western Division squad. The rosters for both the East and West teams were announced by the Midwest League office Tuesday afternoon. The players were selected by the managers of teams in their respective divisions.

Renz was chosen by Western Division managers to start the game in the outfield while Statia, a slick-fielding shortstop, will be on the bench as a reserve. Adenhart and Marek are both members of the Kernels starting rotation and the starting pitchers for the two teams will be announced at a later date.

Renz, who tied a Midwest League record with 10 RBI in a single game May 15 at Clinton, starred in both baseball and football at Tulsa Union HS in Oklahoma and passed up an opportunity to play both sports at Ole Miss when he signed with the Angels as their 4th pick in the 2002 draft. He batted .198 while slugging 9 HR and collecting 55 RBI as a member of the Kernels in 2005. As of Tuesday afternoon the Broken Arrow, OK, native was hitting .259 with a league-leading 13 HR to go with 43 RBI.

Statia entered Tuesday night hitting a solid .285 with 11 RBI and 8 steals. A participant in the inaugural World Baseball Classic as a member of the Dutch team, the native of Curacao played ball stateside at Trinity Christian Academy in Boynton Beach, FL, before signing with the Angels for $90,000 as a 9th round pick in 2004. Visa problems delayed Statia's pro debut until 2005 when he began his career with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, hitting .245 before being reassigned to Orem for the second half of the season. A dazzling defender, Statia led Pioneer League shortstops in nearly every defensive category while batting .300 with 2 HR and 41 RBI while also swiping 12 bags. He was named the third best prospect in the Pioneer League and the 16th best prospect in the Angels system.

Adenhart has had a tremendous season in his first full year back from 'Tommy John' surgery, leading the league with 7 wins and posting a mere 2.17 ERA. The right-hander from Hagerstown, MD, owns 74 strikeouts against just 17 walks and opponents are batting just .221 against him. He was selected by the Angels in the 14th round of the 2004 draft despite the fact he needed Tommy John surgery following his senior season at Williamsport (MD) HS. The right-hander turned down a scholarship offer to North Carolina to sign with the Angels for $710,000. Adenhart was selected as the No. 6 prospect in the Los Angeles organization by Baseball America after going a combined 3-3 with a 3.24 ERA between the Mesa Angels and Orem Owlz with 59 strikeouts in 50 innings of work. Baseball America also tabbed Adenhart's curve as the best in the organization. He was rewarded for his stellar debut season with an invitation to major league spring training.

Marek is currently 6-1 with a 2.54 ERA for the Kernels. He was taken by the Angels as a draft-and-follow canidadate out of San Jacinto (TX) Junior College. In 2004 Marek led the Gators to the Junior College World Series where he posted a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10.1 innings of work and was named Most Outstanding Pitcher. Marek signed with the Angels for $800,000 and made his debut with the Orem Owlz in 2005 where he went 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA for the Pioneer League champs. Following the season Marek was tabbed as the No. 6 prospect in the Pioneer League. Baseball American selected him as the No. 18 prospect in the Angels chain prior to 2006.

The 2006 Midwest League All-Star game will be played at Davenport's John O'Donnell Stadium, the recently refurbished home of the Swing of the Quad Cities, on June 20 at 7 p.m. Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the game can do so by calling the Swing box office at 563-324-3000 or by visiting the team's website www.swingbaseball.com

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