Magnificent seven!
Greg Hopkins has been selected by a vote of Western Division managers as the starting second baseman for the game at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Infielders Jason Rogers and Yadiel Rivera were picked as reserves. Pitchers Drew Gagnon, Seth Harvey, Tommy Toledo, and Mark Williams were also named to the squad in the vote by the managers.
Hopkins, a 24th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2010 draft out of St. John's University, was leading the Midwest League in hitting at .333 heading into Monday night's game at Beloit. Hopkins leads the Timber Rattlers in homers with seven and is second on the team in RBI with 35. One of the homers by Hopkins this season was a 'walkoff' home run to beat the Dayton Dragons at Time Warner Cable at Fox Cities Stadium on April 25.
Rogers, the 32nd round pick of the Brewers in 2010 from Columbus State University, has played left field and first base, and been a designated hitter in 2011 for the Rattlers. He leads Wisconsin in RBI with 38 and is hitting .299 with six homers this season.
Rivera, who is rated as the #15 prospect in the Milwaukee system by Baseball America, has been the main shortstop for the Western Division leading Timber Rattlers, playing in 51 of the first 57 games of the campaign while committing just seven errors. Rivera, who just turned 20 years of age in early May, is tied with Rogers for second on the team in home runs with six.
Gagnon, Milwaukee's third round pick in the 2011 draft out of Long Beach State University, is 4-1 in eleven starts with an ERA of 2.92 this season. Gagnon pitched eight innings and allowed one run on Sunday, June 3 at Beloit to pick up the win in the game that put Wisconsin back into first place in the Western Division. He also pitched eight innings and allowed one run to pick up a victory at Miller Park when the Rattlers beat Dayton on April 27.
Harvey, a 37th round pick of the Brewers in 2010 from Washington State University, is Wisconsin's closer. He has 12 saves on the year and is currently second in the Midwest League in that category. Harvey has struck out 30 batters in 22 innings pitched during 2012.
Toledo is 6-0 with a 1.40 ERA in 13 relief appearances this season. The 11th round pick of the Brewers from the University of Florida in 2011, just completed a near perfect month. Toledo appeared in six games during May and allowed one unearned run on five hits over 14-2/3 innings.
Williams was signed as a minor league free agent by the Brewers on August 10, 2011. He is 2-4 with a pair of saves over 11 appearances for the Timber Rattlers this season. His 2.31 ERA is seventh in the Midwest League. Williams pitched the final four innings of a Rattlers combined no-hitter at Clinton on May 4.
The seven all-stars return to Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium with the team to start a six-game homestand on Wednesday, June 6 at 7:05pm. Call the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Box Office at (920)733-4152 or (800) WI-TIMBER to order tickets to any of the games from June 6 to June 11.