Six 'Dads Named to 2013 SAL All-Star Team

Edwards, Claudio, Alfaro, Brinson, Gallo and Rua will represent Hickory

By Aaron Cox

June 4, 2013

HICKORY, NC - The South Atlantic League on Tuesday announced the rosters for the 2013 SAL All-Star Game, with the Crawdads represented by six players on the Northern Division Team. The roster includes INF Joey Gallo, INF Ryan Rua, C Jorge Alfaro, OF Lewis Brinson, RHP C.J. Edwards and LHP Alexander Claudio. The six players tie the Crawdads with West Virginia, Hagerstown and Greensboro for the most in the SAL.

Gallo, 19, will be the starting third baseman for the North Division team. The Las Vegas, Nevada native is currently tied for the 'Dads team lead and ranks second in the SAL with 14 home runs. Gallo's .505 slugging percentage ranks second on the club as does his 97 total bases. Gallo was selected by the Rangers in the 1^st Round (39^th overall) in the 2012 June Draft out of Bishop Gorman HS (NV). Click here to view Gallo's player page.

Brinson, 19, will start the All-Star Game in center field for the Northern squad. The Tamarac, Florida native has anchored the Crawdads defense this year with his stellar play in center while also contributing offensively with his 11 home runs, which ranks third in the league. Brinson currently leads the team with 8 stolen bases while ranking third with 95 total bases and 18 walks. The Rangers selected Brinson in the 1st round (29th overall) in the 2012 June Draft out of Coral Springs HS (FL). Click here to view Brinson's player page.

Edwards, 21, will be the starting pitcher for the Northern Division All-Star team. The Newberry, South Carolina native ranks among the league leaders in ERA (2.25), Wins (5), Strikeouts (66) and Batting Average Against (.189), while also leading all Crawdads starting pitchers in WHIP (1.09). The highlight of Edwards' season so far came on May 19^th in Delmarva, when the right-hander pitched a 7-inning complete game, allowing only one run on one hit. Edwards was selected by the Rangers in the 48^th round of the 2011 June Draft out of Mid-Carolina HS (SC). Click here to view Edwards' player page.

Alfaro, 19, is spending his second season in Hickory after playing in 40 games for the Crawdads in 2012. The Sincelejo, Columbia native leads all Northern Division catchers in home runs (9), RBI (28), OBP (.335), doubles (10), extra-base hits (20), and slugging percentage (.446). Alfaro signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2010. Click here to visit Alfaro's player page.

Rua, 23, is tied with teammate Joey Gallo for the team lead and ranks second in the SAL with his 14 home runs this year. The Amherst, Ohio native also ranks second in the SAL with 30 extra-base hits and fourth in the league with 42 RBI. Rua currently leads the Crawdads in doubles (15), total bases (102), slugging percentage (.557), and OPS (.905). Rua was selected by the Rangers in the 17^th round of the 2011 June Draft out of Lake Erie College. Click here to view Rua's player page.

Claudio, 21, has become Hickory's go-to reliever and currently leads the Crawdads with eight saves on the season. A native of Juncos, Puerto Rico, Claudio also leads the 'Dads with a .159 batting average against and a 0.65 WHIP. Claudio has struck out 49 batters while issuing only four walks in 36.2 innings pitched, giving him the 4^th lowest walk ratio among relievers in the SAL. Claudio was selected in the 27^th round of the 2010 June Draft out of Isabel Flores HS (PR). Click here to view Claudio's player page.

The 2013 SAL All-Star Game will be played at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, New Jersey on Tuesday, June 18 at 7:05 p.m. Click here for the entire Northern Division All-Star roster, or here for the Southern Division roster.