MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Three Chiefs to Play in MWL AllStar Game

June 5, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


PEORIA, IL - The Peoria Chiefs have three All-Stars in the Midwest League All-Star Game to be played in two weeks in Dayton, Ohio the Midwest League announced on Wednesday. Breyvic Valera and Jacob Wilson were named reserves while RHP Tyrell Jenkins is among 15 pitchers selected to the Western Division roster.

Wilson, selected as a reserve, leads the Chiefs in RBI with 44 while also batting .269 with eight homers, nine doubles, one triple and 31 runs scored. He leads the Chiefs with a .447 slugging percentage and is fourth with a .338 on-base percentage. Wilson is tied for second in the MWL in RBI and tied for the league lead in sacrifice flies with seven. The 22-year-old Arlington, TN native was drafted in the 10th round last June out of the University of Memphis.

Valera, selected as a reserve, leads the Chiefs with a .329 average and is tied for the team lead with 34 runs scored. He already has 71 hits on the season, which is tied for the MWL lead, and 18 multi-hit games while currently riding a 10-game hit streak. Valera has eight doubles, three triples and three stolen bases. In 237 plate appearances he has stuck out just 10 times on the season while drawing 17 walks. Valera hit .333 in May and is batting .344 since moving into the leadoff spot in the Chiefs order. Valera is third in the MWL in batting average, third in at-bats, and first in plate appearances per strikeouts at 23.7.

Jenkins is 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA in nine starts for the Chiefs this season. The right-hander has struck out 31 and walked 22 in 47 1/3 innings of work. He became the first pitcher to throw more than one complete game in a season for the Chiefs when he finished the second game of a double header on Thursday in Burlington. He also threw a nine-inning complete game shutout against Fort Wayne on May 5 allowing just three hits. Jenkins is the only pitcher in the MWL with two complete games in 2013. The 20-year-old Henderson, TX native was drafted in the Supplemental First round of the 2010 draft of Henderson High School.

Three Chiefs pitchers, Corey Baker, Kurt Heyer and Zach Petrick would have been selected to the All-Star team but have already been promoted to Advanced-A Palm Beach of the Florida State League. None of the three will be in Dayton to participate in the All-Star Game.

Baker was 1-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 14 relief outings before a May 21 promotion. He struck out 29 and walked just two in 24 1/3 innings while also converting one save. Baker only allowed runs in two of his 14 outings with the Chiefs. Heyer was the Chiefs Opening Day starter and he went 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA in eight starts before a May 26 promotion. Heyer struck out 35 and walked 12 in 39 2/3 innings and went at least five innings in six of his starts and twice he complete seven frames.

Petrick was outstanding out of the Chiefs bullpen this season securing seven saves in eight chances and posting a 0.83 ERA and 1-0 record. In 16 outings he struck out 46 and walked just eight over 32 2/3 innings. Petrick did not allow a run in the month of May and was promoted May 30 with a 15 1/3 inning scoreless streak.

The 49th annual Midwest League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, June 18 at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio. The Chiefs will start the second half of the season in Beloit, Wisconsin on Thursday, June 20.

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