SAL1 Hagerstown Suns

Matt Skole Leads List of Four Suns Voted as 2012 All-Stars

June 5, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release


Hagerstown, MD - The Hagerstown Suns, in conjunction with the South Atlantic League, today announce that Suns infielder Matt Skole, catcher Adrian Nieto, outfielder Caleb Ramsey, pitcher Aaron Barrett and Manager Brian Daubach have been elected to represent Hagerstown on the Northern Division team at the 53rd Annual SAL All-Star Game to be played on June 19, 2012, at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, in Charleston, South Carolina, home of the Charleston RiverDogs.

Skole leads the list of Suns All-Stars having been among league leaders in several offensive categories throughout the season. He is currently batting .294 and ranks second in the league with 12 home runs, while checking in at third in the standings with 53 RBIs. Skole is atop the SAL in walks with 51 in 55 games played, while maintaining the league's second highest slugging percentage at .441. A true run producer, the Woodstock, GA native has five sacrifice flies this season, first in the SAL.

Skole joined the Suns after an impressive 2011 campaign with Short Season-A Auburn where he led the New York-Penn League in RBIs (48) and doubles (23) while finishing second in extra-base hits (29) and third in total hits (79). He was selected in the fifth-round (157th overall) of the 2011 draft by the Nationals.

Ramsey, an 11th-round pick (337th overall) by the Nationals in 2011, will patrol the outfield as an All-Star. Ramsey has been a .300 hitter for Hagerstown throughout the season (currently .299 BA) while committing just one error in 45 games played. Ramsey is second on the club in hits with 55, including four doubles, four triples, five home runs and 32 RBIs. Ramsey's consistency at the plate has brought him a seven-game hitting streak, 11 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games.

Nieto, a fifth-round pick of the Nationals in 2008, will represent the Northern Division as one of the league's top offensive catchers. The Cuban-born backstop is currently batting .261 and coming off a season best seven-game hitting streak. Nieto, a switch-hitting catcher, has smacked eight doubles to go along with four home runs and 25 RBIs and is batting .340 versus left-handed pitching.

Barrett has emerged as one the SAL's top relievers, especially in late game scenarios. Barrett is 3-1 with a 3.05 ERA and leads the Suns with six saves on the season. The Evansville, IN native has held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average while striking out 33 and walking just eight over 20.2 innings pitched. His swing-and-miss stuff has the right-hander fanning nearly 45% of hitters with an official at-bat against him. Barrett was selected in the ninth-round of the 2010 draft by the Nationals.

Daubach has been selected to serve as a coach for the Northern Division squad after managing the team in 2011. Under his guidance, the Suns are currently at their high-water mark, ten games above five hundred (33-23) and in second place in the division. Hagerstown is one of the SAL's premier offensive clubs, ranking fourth in team batting average (.271), while checking in at second in home runs (54), runs scored (349) and RBIs (332). Patience at the plate has contributed to the Suns' success in the first half, as they lead the SAL in walks with 265. Hagerstown's first half highlights include a six-game winning streak from 5/12-5/18 and a 24-2 drubbing of the Rome Braves on 4/25, which stands as the greatest offensive output by a SAL team this season.

Both all-star teams will be represented by 26 players, selected by the votes of the team's managers and coaching staffs, local media and front office executives. Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park will be hosting its fourth SAL All-Star game. The last time the All-Star Game was held in Charleston was in 2004, when the Southern Division defeated the Northern Division 4-2.. The annual SAL All-Star Game dates to 1960, when the All-Stars defeated the Salisbury club, 6-2, in Newton, NC.

"Once again, the amount of talent that will be showcased in this game will be incredible," said Krupa. "The expectations of the fans are high, and I believe they will have a fun time during this exciting event. Executive Vice President & General Manager Dave Echols and his staff in Charleston have been working for more than a year to live up to the tradition and host one of the most anticipated events on our baseball calendar."

A variety of events have been scheduled in Charleston along with the SAL All-Star Game. On Monday, June 18th, batting practice and the preliminary rounds of the Home Run Derby will be held on the deck of the USS Yorktown. On Tuesday, June 19th, there will be an All-Star Luncheon at the Marriott Charleston where the 2012 SAL Hall of Fame members will be inducted. Carolyn McKee, Bill Murray and Joseph P. Riley, Jr. will be honored as members of the class of 2012. New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman will be the featured speaker at the All-Star Luncheon. Beginning at 2:30pm at the stadium, the All-Fan Fest will be an opportunity for fans to get autographs from and pictures with the SAL All-Stars. The final round of the Home Run Derby begins at 5:15pm and the first pitch of the 2012 All-Star Game is scheduled at 7:30pm. More information can be found on the website of the Charleston RiverDogs at www.riverdogs.com .

2012 South Atlantic League All-Stars

NORTHERN DIVISION

MANAGER David Berg Greensboro

COACH Brian Daubach Hagerstown

COACH Blake McGinley Greensboro

PITCHERS Jose Fernandez Greensboro

Aaron Barrett Hagerstown

Matt Benedict West Virginia

Adam Conley Greensboro

Kevin Cravey Greensboro

Phil Klein Hickory

Colin Klevin Lakewood

Nicholas Martinez Hickory

Gregory Nappo Greensboro

Victor Payano Hickory

Blair Walters Kannapolis

CATCHERS Austin Barnes Greensboro

Adrian Nieto Hagerstown

Kevan Smith Kannapolis

FIRST BASEMAN Nick Delmonico Delmarva

SECOND BASEMAN Alen Hanson West Virginia

THIRD BASEMAN Rangel Ravelo Kannapolis

SHORTSTOP Hanser Alberto Hickory

UTILITY INFIELDER Josh Adams Greensboro

UTILITY INFIELDER Matthew Skole Hagerstown

RIGHT FIELD Gregory Polanco West Virginia

CENTER FIELD Brent Keys Greensboro

LEFT FIELD Christopher Grayson Hickory

UTILITY OUTFIELDER Mark Haddow Kannapolis

UTILITY OUTFIELDER Caleb Ramsey Hagerstown

DESIGNATED HITTER Matt Smith Greensboro

TRAINER Will Lawhorn Delmarva

SOUTHERN DIVISION

MANAGER Carlos Mendoza Charleston

COACH Greg Colbrunn Charleston

COACH Brian Baisley Charleston

COACH Danny Borrell Charleston

PITCHERS Michael Foltynewicz Lexington

T.J. Chism Savannah

Jason Chowning Lexington

David Filak Rome

Pedro Guerra Charleston

Cody Hall Augusta

Bryan Mitchell Charleston

Navery Moore Rome

Miguel Pena Greenville

Carlos Quevedo Lexington

Nicholas Tropeano Lexington

CATCHERS Gary Sanchez Charleston

William Swanner Asheville

Francisco Arcia Charleston

FIRST BASEMAN Harold Riggins Asheville

SECOND BASEMAN Delino DeShields, Jr. Lexington

THIRD BASEMAN Matt Duffy Lexington

SHORTSTOP T.J. Rivera Savannah

UTILITY INFIELDER Garin Cecchini Greenville

UTILITY INFIELDER Samuel Mende Asheville

RIGHT FIELD Tyler Austin Charleston

CENTER FIELD Delta Cleary, Jr. Asheville

LEFT FIELD Keury De La Cruz Greenville

UTILITY OUTFIELDER Tyler Massey Asheville

UTILITY OUTFIELDER Travis Taijeron Savannah

DESIGNATED HITTER Zachary Johnson Lexington

TRAINER Jorge Vargas Charleston

Suns individual game tickets, season tickets, mini-plans, and group packages are on sale now. For more information and to reserve your seat at Municipal Stadium, call 301-791-6266, or www.hagerstownsuns.com . The Hagerstown Suns are owned by Hagerstown Baseball, LLC.

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 5, 2012


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