SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

West Virginia puts three on SAL Northern All-Star Team

June 5, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


CHARLESTON, WV (June 5, 2012) - The South Atlantic League has announced the rosters for the 2012 South Atlantic League All-Star Game and the West Virginia Power will send three representatives to Charleston, SC, later this month. Alen Hanson was voted in as the starting second baseman, Gregory Polanco will start in right field, and Matt Benedict was chosen as one of the pitchers for the Northern squad in the June 19 contest.

Benedict, a 30th round draft selection from Western Carolina by the Pittsburgh in 2011, is 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA, good for ninth best in the entire South Atlantic League. The right-hander, a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, leads the team in wins, innings pitched (67.2), and is tied for the team lead in strikeouts (42).

Hanson has appeared in 54 games this season for the Power, including 47 games as the regular shortstop. The infielder from La Romana, Dominican Republic, ranks highly in several offensive categories in the league this season. Hanson is sixth in the South Atlantic League with a .332 average, ranks first in at bats (220), first in hits (73), second in extra base hits (33), first in triples (7), and is third in runs scored (47).

Polanco has the second highest average on the club (.304), is tied for the team lead with eight home runs, and is tied for second in runs batted in (31). The outfielder from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, also leads the team with 15 stolen bases over 52 games played.

West Virginia, in its' fourth season as a Pirates affiliate, has sent multiple representatives to the All-Star game in each year since becoming an affiliate of Pittsburgh in2009. Brandon Cumpton, Dan Grovatt, and Jameson Taillon were named as All-Stars in 2011. In 2010, Aaron Baker, Nathan Baker, Ramon Cabrera, and David Rubinstein represented the Power in Greenville. In 2009, the Power hosted the mid-summer classic at Appalachian Power Park and had Calvin Anderson, Chase d'Arnaud, and Rudy Owens picked for the Northern squad.

The 2012 South Atlantic League All-Star game is slated for June 19 at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston, South Carolina. A first pitch of 7:05 pm is expected.

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