CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac quartet selected for All-Star Game

June 10, 2008 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


WOODBRIDGE, Va.- A day after clinching the first half Northern division title, four Potomac Nationals, including outfielder Edgardo Baez, infielder Matt Rogelstad and right-handed pitchers Adrian Alaniz and Craig Stammen, were named to the Carolina League All-Star team and will play in the California-Carolina League All-Star Game on June 24 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The reigning Carolina League Offensive Player of the Week, Baez vaulted his batting average 31 points to .288 with hits in nine straight contests. The former 4th-round pick in 2003 leads the league with 42 RBI and has belted nine home runs. He set a career high by driving in six runs against the Salem Avalanche on May 17 with a 3-for-5 effort including three doubles. The 22-year-old earns his second All-Star selection after being named a South Atlantic League All-Star with the Low-A Savannah Sand Gnats in 2005.

Rogelstad makes his first All-Star team after being selected as the starting second baseman for the Carolina League. The 25-year-old owns a .281 batting average with seven home runs and 37 RBI. He hit just eight home runs in his first five professional seasons. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations last spring, Rogelstad was named the 2007 Potomac Nationals Player of the Year after appearing in 113 games, batting .302 with four home runs and 50 RBI.

With Cory VanAllen and Jordan Zimmermann promoted to Double-A Harrisburg, Alaniz has been the ace of a Potomac pitching staff that ranks second in the league with a 3.54 ERA. The 24-year-old leads all Carolina League hurlers in wins (9) and ranks fifth in ERA (2.62). The P-Nats are a perfect 12-0 in his starts. The 2007 8th-round pick was named a New York-Penn League mid-season All-Star last year in Short-Season Vermont where he went 8-2 with a 2.39 ERA.

Another first-time All-Star, Stammen makes the squad after posting a 2-2 record and a league-best 2.02 ERA. The 24-year-old has split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. In six relief appearances, the 2005 12th-round selection held opponents to just a .183 batting average against him. He was promoted to Triple-A Columbus where he made one appearance before returning the P-Nats and joining the rotation with the promotion of Zimmermann. Stammen made arguably the best start of his four-year pro career on May 26 against the Lynchburg Hillcats, setting career-highs with 10 strikeouts and eight innings pitched.

The 2008 first half Northern division champions send the second-most representatives from the Carolina League to Advanced-A's mid-summer classic behind only the host Myrtle Beach Pelicans who have six selections.

Tickets for the 2008 California-Carolina League All-Star Game are currently available for purchase by calling the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or toll-free (877) 918-TIXX or logging on to MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

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Carolina League Stories from June 10, 2008


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