Balaguert among Northwest All-Stars

The Northwest League All-Star Game will return to Everett for the first time since 2004, and for AquaSox fans, it will have a decidedly hometown feeling.

The host team will send seven players to the midsummer classic on Aug. 6 as the league revealed rosters for the North and South Divisions on Thursday. At least seven in name -- league home run leader D.J. Peterson, the Mariners' first-round pick in last month's Draft, earned a starting spot on the team but was recently promoted to Class A Clinton.

"I would like to congratulate each of the All-Stars on this well-deserved honor. We are very excited to showcase the top players in our league in this year's game," said Northwest League president Mike Ellis. "We look forward to putting on a great show for all of our fans in Everett."

With or without Peterson, the game's rosters feature the league leaders in most every statistical category. Spokane's Chris Garia, the league's leader in runs scored (27) and stolen bases (16) highlights the North's starting outfield, while five Vancouver Canadians were selected as starters, including first-half batting champion Mike Reeves and L.B. Dantzler.

On the pitching side, the top three starters in the league by ERA will headline the North staff, with Jeremy Gabryszwski and Eric Brown of Vancouver joined by Everett's Lars Huijer. Tri-City's Trent Daniel, the circuit's leader in saves with nine, will anchor the North's bullpen. Everett and Vancouver have the most All-Stars on the North squad with eight and seven respectively, while Spokane and Tri-City each have five.

The South team will be led by a trio of tough Boise hitters. First baseman Jacob Rogers (.299, 5 HR, 27 RBIs), second baseman Daniel Lockhart (.311, 16 RBIs) and designated hitter Yasiel Balaguert, who leads the league in RBIs with 27, will feature prominently in the starting lineup alongside teammate Lance Rymel, three Salem-Keizer players and a player each from Hillsboro and Eugene. In total Salem-Keizer leads the South squad with nine All-Stars, followed by Boise with eight and Eugene and Hillsboro with four each.

The South pitching staff is headlined by Andrew Leenhouts (5-1) of Salem-Keizer, Boise's James Pugliese and Eugene's Erik Schoenrock. The bullpen features the South Division's leader in saves with seven, Salem-Keizer's Raymundo Montero and Hillsboro's Will Locante, who boasts a .161 batting average against.

The rosters for both teams are below, with starters in bold:

The 2013 NWL All-Star Game presented by Tulalip Resort Casino is the league's first since 2004. The game begins at 7:05 p.m. on Aug. 6. Gates will open at 2:30 p.m. for the pregame festivities, which include All-Star Fan Fest, made possible in part by assistance from the Snohomish County TPA Fund, and the NWL Home Run Derby, presented by Safeco Insurance.  

Tickets to the 2013 NWL All-Star Game are on sale now online at AquaSox.com/allstargame, over the phone or in person at the AquaSox offices. For more information on all of the All-Star events, please call 425-258-3673 or visit www.AquaSox.com/allstargame.