Joseph, Wheeler Headed to Kansas City

Augusta, GA - A pair of 2010 Augusta GreenJackets are set to be part of the festivities for the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Kansas City this July. Catcher Tommy Joseph and pitcher Zack Wheeler will play on the United States team in the 14th Annual All-Star Futures Game on Sunday July 8th at Kauffman Stadium - home ballpark of the host Kansas City Royals.

Joseph is currently with the San Francisco Giants AA affiliate in Richmond and is hitting .248 with three home runs and 11 doubles for the Flying Squirrels. He was a second-round selection by the Giants in the 2009 Draft out of Horizon High School in Phoenix.

Wheeler is currently with the Binghamton Mets, the AA affiliate of the New York Mets, after being traded to the Mets organization last July. This season, Wheeler has posted a 6-3 record with a 1.88 ERA in 12 starts for the B-Mets, striking out 73 hitters in 71.2 innings. Wheeler was a first-round selection by the Giants in 2009 out of East Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia.

This will be Joseph's first appearance in the Futures Game, but Wheeler's second after the right-hander appeared in the 2010 Futures Game in Anaheim, California at the home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Wheeler was the last active GreenJacket to play in the event. The 2012 Futures Game can be seen live on July 8th at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN2.

The GreenJackets open their second-half schedule tonight in Savannah with the first of a four-game series against the Sand Gnats. Tonight's game is slated to start at 7:05 p.m. with radio pregame coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1340 AM and online at www.greenjacketsbaseball.com.

On Monday, the GreenJackets return home to open a nine-game homestand against the Asheville Tourists and the Sand Gnats. Single-game tickets for any home game can currently be obtained by calling 706-922-WINS or online at www.greenjacketsbaseball.com.