ULB announces All-Star squad

Published on July 8, 2008 under United League Baseball (ULB)
Edinburg Roadrunners News Release


Edinburg, Texas- The rest of United League Baseball now knows who will represent them in the first ever United League vs. Golden League All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 15 in San Angelo, Texas. The league announced its All-Star Team today consisting of 20 players from all of the six teams in the league, including the first-half champion Amarillo Dillas, who lead the way with five players. The Alexandria Aces, Laredo Broncos, and San Angelo Colts are all next with four representatives apiece. The Harlingen WhiteWings have two players selected to the squad and the Edinburg Coyotes have one. Each team manager and a media representative from each team were given ballots to vote for players on the other five teams in the league besides their own. Aces' skipper Ricky VanAsselberg, who will manage the All-Star Team, will decide on a starting pitcher and make a starting lineup along with Colts manager Doc Edwards, who will be serving as his bench coach.

"I'm thrilled with this ball club that's been assembled for this historic game, which we're going to do our best to win for the rest of the league," said VanAsselberg. "I don't see any holes with this team. We can hit, field and certainly pitch. I think we'll match up very well with the best the Golden League has to offer." The infielders are: 1B Andres Rodriguez (SAN), 2B Luis Guance (ALX), 3B Gary Schneidmiller (AMA), SS Danny Bravo (AMA), UTL Bryan Sabatella (ALX).

The outfielders are: Keith Brachold (AMA), Bryan Frichter (SAN), Jose Torres (SAN), Dwayne White (LAR).

The catchers are: Kevin Griffin (HRL), Luany Sanchez (LAR).

The pitchers are: RHP Julio Castro (EDN), RHP Santo Hernandez (LAR), LHP Chad Linder (ALX), LHP Ron Lowe (AMA), LHP Jorge Lugo (HRL), RHP Gregorio Martinez (LAR), RHP Luke Massetti (SAN), RHP Juan Carlos Ovalles (ALX), LHP Micah Posey (AMA).

The only professional rookie out of the group is Frichter, who is second in the league in hitting with a .385 average and has the most doubles in the league with 26. Bravo is the United League's top hitter, batting .398, to go along with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs, fourth most in the league. Torres, White, Schneidmiller, Sabatella, Sanchez and Guance are all in the top 10 in the league in hitting as well, all batting .350 or above.

Sanchez is also tied for the ULB lead with 14 homers and leads the league with 58 RBIs (Rodriguez is third with 55). Brachold has the most triples in the league with seven and Torres, who had a 39-game on-base streak for the Colts this season, has the highest on-base percentage in the league at .514. As for the pitchers, Posey, who is 8-1, leads the league in victories and has the third lowest ERA in the league at 3.84. Hernandez has the lowest ERA by almost a full run, posting a 2.71 Earned Run Average through 69 2/3 innings pitched, which is fourth in the league. Lowe, Lugo, Massetti and Ovalles are all in the top 10 in the league in ERA with marks below 4.55. Ovalles has nine saves to lead the United League, followed by Castro with seven. The 1-2 punch for the Broncos, Hernandez and Martinez, have 84 and 73 strikeouts respectively, which are the top two totals in the league. Ovalles is third with 70 in just 41 2/3 innings of relief. Linder has been a terrific starter for the Aces, lasting at least six innings in nine of his 10 starts. Massetti may have had the best outing by any ULB pitcher this season, throwing a complete game, one-hit shutout in Edinburg on June 4. Bravo, Castro, Griffin, Guance, Hernandez, Lugo, Ovalles, and Rodriguez were All-Stars last season in the United League. All of the position players on this year's team have a batting average over .325 and no pitcher has an ERA higher than 4.85. This is the first year of two years that the United League and Golden League will face each other with the ULB All-Stars visiting the GBL in 2009. Foster Field in San Angelo will not only host the game this year, but will also host a Home Run Derby between the two leagues preceding the game on July 15.

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