Five Cubs named to FSL All-Star Team
Justin Bour leads the FSL in almost every offensive category. He is first in home runs (14), first in RBIs (44), first in doubles (16), first in slugging percentage (.629), first in extra-base hits (31) and first in total bases (127). He trails Tampa's Rob Lyerly by 1 hit (67) for tops in the league, and his .332 batting average is good for sixth. Bour has raised his average over .125 points over the last 35 games, and has been a key to the Cubs' success. His .332 average, 14 home runs and 44 RBIs make him a certain contender for the Triple Crown in the FSL. The 6'4" 250-pound left-hander who doesn't use batting gloves, was drafted in the 25th round of the 2009 MLB Draft and played his college ball at George Mason University. Bour is 23 years old and was born in Centreville, VA.
Junior Lake leads the FSL in stolen bases (19), and has four more than any other player. Lake has used the "delayed steal" to his advantage this season, as 15 of his 19 have been delayed. Since being moved to the top of the Cubs lineup in April, Lake is hitting .351. Lake is hitting .315 with six home runs and 34 RBIs on the season, and his fourth in the league in hits (64), and second in runs scored (39). The 21 year-old has one of the best arms in baseball, and is currently playing for AA-Tennessee. Lake stands at 6'3" and weighs 215lbs. He was born in San Pedro, Dominican Republic.
Evan Crawford leads the FSL in hitting. His .349 average is .004 points better than any other player. He is also fourth in the league in on-base percentage (.419). Crawford is third on the Cubs in runs scored (29) and second on the team/fifth in the league in stolen bases (13). The outfielder came over from the San Francisco Giants in August of 2010 in a trade for Mike Fontenot. The 6'2" 165-pound speedster was drafted by the Giants in the ninth round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He played his college ball at Indiana University and hails from St. Louis, MS.
Frank Batista was tested as the Cubs closer by Manager Buddy Bailey, and has cemented himself in that role with his success. Batista saved each of his first 13 chances successfully, and the only blown save he has on the season, came in the eighth innings when he allowed an inherited runner to score. The 5'10" 170-pound right-hander ended up getting the victory in that game. His 13 saves rank fourth in the FSL, and he is second in the league with an opponents' batting average of .152. He currently boasts a 1-0 record with an ERA of 1.17 in 21 games. Batista is a native of Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Aaron Kurcz is the youngest of the Cubs' All-Stars. At 20 years old, Kurcz has pitched tremendously in his first season as starter in professional baseball for the Cubs. The Las Vegas native went an entire month (April 24th-May 23rd) without surrendering a run, a streak that totaled 19 innings. On the year, Kurcz is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA in 39.2 innings of work. The 6'0" 175-pound right-hander was drafted in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB Draft, and played his college ball for both the United States Air Force and College of Southern Nevada.
The 2011 All-Star Game will be played at Bright House Field on Saturday, June 18th at 7:05pm. Catch all of the All-Star game coverage on AM1230 WSBB, or at daytonacubs.com with Daytona Cubs' broadcasters Robbie Aaron and Dan Acheson calling the game. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:45pm.