
Three LumberKings Named to All-Star Game
June 5, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Clinton LumberKings News Release
CLINTON, IA - The Midwest League's Western Division All-Star Team will feature three Clinton LumberKings this season; outfielder Jerar Encarnacion and pitchers Chris Vallimont and Humberto Mejia. Encarnacion will be the only Clinton starter when the league's best talent meets on Tuesday, June 18th in South Bend, Indiana for the 55th annual Midwest League All-Star Game at Four Winds Field.
Encarnacion, 21, has been among the league leaders in most major offensive categories since arriving in Clinton as part of the Opening Day Roster. At the time of being named an All-Star, he was ranked second in the league in hits (64), fourth in total bases (100) and RBI (39), and seventh in batting average (.314). In addition to being a force in the middle of the LumberKings order, Encarnacion has been the everyday right fielder starting in 54 of the LumberKings 55 games.
Vallimont, 22, has formed a potent one-two punch with fellow all-star Humberto Mejia atop the LumberKings starting rotation. Since being named the team's Opening Day starter he has gone 3-4 with a 2.95 ERA over 11 starts. Vallimont has been an innings eater for Clinton throwing a league high 61 innings and not missing a start. Four times this year he has turned in seven inning outings and piled up a league leading 70 strikeouts thus far. During his hottest stretch of the year he earned Midwest League Pitcher of the Week Honors for a 13 inning stretch in which he allowed only one hit and an unearned run. The honor made Vallimont the first Clinton pitcher to take home the award since 2016.
Mejia, 22, nearly matched Vallimont pitch for pitch during his run and owns a 5-0 record and 2.29 ERA at the time of his All-Star selection. After beginning the season with a respectable month of April - going 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA - the Panama native was sensational in the month of May. Mejia threw 34.1 innings in May winning all four of his decisions and posting a 1.57 ERA. He flirted with a no-hitter against the Beloit Snappers on May 20th at Harry Pohlman Field and went the distance to earn the win. Mejia's eight inning complete game performance marked the first time a Clinton pitcher had won a complete game since Robert Dugger in 2017.
The Midwest League All-Star break begins with the conclusion of the first half on Sunday, June 23rd. The three LumberKings will be part of the Western Division All-Stars who fell in last year's meeting in walk-off fashion in Lansing.
Midwest League Stories from June 5, 2019
- Captains Lose Second Straight One-Run Game - Lake County Captains
- Big Second Inning Gives Chiefs Second Straight Win - Peoria Chiefs
- 'Caps Get Seven Hits in Loss - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Trio of Captains Named Midwest League All-Stars - Lake County Captains
- Snappers come up short in pitchers' duel with Burlington - Beloit Sky Carp
- Bandits Unable to Bounce Back from Slow Start, Fall 6-2 in Peoria - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Rattlers Shut Down Cougars 6-0 - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Scotty Sunitsch Stifles Cougars - Kane County Cougars
- Pitching Thrills in 2-1 LumberKings Win - Clinton LumberKings
- Pitching Shuts Down Hot Rods as Cubs Win 2-1 - South Bend Cubs
- Dragons Earn Third Straight Win, Edge West Michigan 4-3 - Dayton Dragons
- TinCaps Lead Wire-To-Wire In Second Straight Victory - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Celestino's Solo Shot Not Enough at Clinton - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Franco Has Two Hits in 2-1 Loss to South Bend - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Five Lugnuts Named Midwest League All-Stars - Lansing Lugnuts
- TinCaps Game Notes: June 5 vs. Lake County (Game 57) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Lugs Slug Three More HRs But Fall, 6-5 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Hulsizer Named MWL Player of the Month for May - MWL1
- Snappers righties Marinez, McIntyre crack MWL All-Star roster - Beloit Sky Carp
- Perfection Continues for Camels - Great Lakes Loons
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Dragons Pabel Manzanero Selected to Play in Midwest League All-Star Game - Dayton Dragons
- Three Burlington Bees Pitchers Named to Midwest League All-Star Team - Burlington Bees
- Four Cougars Named 2019 Midwest League All-Stars - Kane County Cougars
- Midwest League Announces 2019 All-Star Game Rosters - South Bend Cubs
- Six Timber Rattlers Selected to Play in 2019 Midwest League All-Star Game - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Three LumberKings Named to All-Star Game - Clinton LumberKings
- Kernels Put Three on MWL West All-Star Team - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Loons Send Five to MWL All-Star Game - Great Lakes Loons
- Bojarski Headed to MWL All-Star Game - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Edwards, Weathers and Henry Named Midwest League All-Stars - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Chiefs Land Four on Midwest League All-Star Team - Peoria Chiefs
- Eight Hot Rods Selected to 2019 Midwest League All-Star Game - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Six River Bandits Earn All-Star Selection - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Dragons Notes for Wednesday - Dayton Dragons
- Midwest League Announces 2019 All-Star Rosters - MWL1
- Joe Haden, Bernie Kosar, and Kareem Hunt Added to Attendee List for Jarvis Landry & Friends Celebrity Softball Game June 15 - Lake County Captains
- Snappers unable to recover from early deficit versus Bees - Beloit Sky Carp
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