Smith and Paullus Added to All-Star Roster
CHARLESTON, SC - The South Atlantic League has announced updates to the rosters for the 54th annual SAL All-Star Game on Tuesday, June 18 at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, NJ. Charleston RiverDogs relievers Alex Smith and Ben Paullus have been named as additions to the Southern Division roster.
There are six changes to the Southern Division in all, four on the pitching staff. Hurlers Rafael De Paula and Dietrich Enns of Charleston, Savannah's Gabrial Ynoa and Lexington's Alec Mills will not be available for Tuesday's game. Replacing them on the roster will be Alex Smith and Ben Paullus from Charleston, along with Savannah's Jeffrey Wheeler and Greenville's Jeffrey Wendelken. Augusta's Martin Agosta will now be the starting pitcher for the Southern Division. Also, Augusta infielders Mitchell Delfino and Matt Duffy will not play in Tuesday's game. Replacing them will be Lexington's Raul Mondesi, Jr. and Rome's Eric Garcia.
As previously announced, RiverDogs catcher Peter O'Brien is also on the SAL Southern Division roster joining his teammates Smith and Paullus in Lakewood.
For the Northern Division, there are three changes to the pitching staff. Hickory's CJ Edwards, West Virginia's Tyler Glasnow and Hagerstown's Ivan Pineyro will not be available for Tuesday's game. Hagerstown's Pedro Encarnacion joins Lakewood pitchers Yoel Mecias and Delvi Francisco to replenish the Northern Division pitching staff. West Virginia's Orlando Castro will now be the starting pitcher for the Northern Division. Also, there has been a change in right field. West Virginia's Josh Bell will not play in Tuesday's game. Hagerstown's Brandon Miller will start in right field.
Smith has been one of the SAL's most dominating relief pitchers this season. A 6'3", 200 pound righty from Manchester, CT, Smith has impressed mightily in his first season with the RiverDogs. The 23-year-old has a record of 3-3 while sporting a cool 1.01 ERA through his first 20 appearances this season. Smith has tossed 35.2 innings this season and has allowed six runs, four earned on 26 hits. He has struck out 38 batters this season and walked just four. Smith joined the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on February 29, 2012.
Paullus, a 6'1" righty, is in his second season with Charleston. He was 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA in the first half, and has been very good as of late. Paullus has thrown 35 innings, allowed 35 hits, 20 walks, and fanned 35 batters to go along with 12 earned runs. A native of Olive Branch, MS, Paullus was selected in round 19 in 2011 by the New York Yankees out of the University of Memphis.
Charleston opens the second half of the 2013 season on the road for seven games, with four in Rome and three in Greenville. The RiverDogs return home to The Joe to start a seven game homestand on Thursday, June 27 against the Hickory Crawdads. Tickets are available by visiting www.riverdogs.com or by calling (843) 723-7241.
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