Topps, MiLB name Class A All-Stars

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Lancaster JetHawks Koby Clemens and Jonathan Gaston, who combined to lead, or tie for the lead, in seven classification offensive categories, are among the players named to the Topps Class A All-Star Team. The best performances in all Minor League Baseball classifications are again being honored by the Topps Company of New York, N.Y., in conjunction with Minor League Baseball.

Joe Dunigan (23), of Chicago, hit .294 with 30 homers and 104 RBIs for the High Desert Mavericks. The first baseman finished among the top five in the California League in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage (.570). The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the fifth round in 2007 out of the University of Oklahoma.

Alexi Amarista (20), of Barcelona, Venezuela, led the Midwest League with a .319 batting average with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He also finished second in the league with 39 doubles and 10 triples. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed the second baseman as a free agent in January 2007.

Josh Vitters (20), of Anaheim, Calif., hit .316 in 70 games for the Peoria Chiefs. He was then promoted to the Daytona Cubs, appearing in 50 games for the Florida State League club. The third baseman's combined Class A numbers were a .284 batting average with 18 homers, 19 doubles and 68 RBIs. The Chicago Cubs selected him with the third overall pick in the 2007 Draft out of high school.

Danny Espinosa (22), of Santa Ana, Calif., scored 90 runs for the Potomac Nationals, tops in the Carolina League. He also led league third baseman with a .965 fielding percentage. Espinosa ranked in the top five in the circuit in homers (18), walks (74), on-base percentage (.375) and extra-base hits (53). The Washington Nationals tabbed him in the third round in 2008 out of Long Beach State (Calif.) University.

Jonathan Gaston (23), of Boise, Idaho, led Class A with 35 homers, 81 extra-base hits and 119 runs. The Lancaster JetHawks outfielder finished second in the classification with a .598 slugging percentage. The Houston Astros took Gaston in the second round in 2008 out of the University of Arizona.

Thomas Neal (22), of San Diego, Calif., paced the California League with a .431 on-base percentage and finished third in the loop with 102 runs. The San Jose Giants outfielder hit .337, fifth best in Class A. The San Francisco Giants selected Neal in the 37th round in 2005 out of Riverside (Calif.) Junior College.

Kyle Russell (23), of Magnolia, Texas, hit 26 roundtrippers and drove in 102 runs, both best in the Midwest League. The Great Lakes Loons outfielder also led the league with a .545 slugging percentage in winning the circuit's MVP honor. The Los Angeles Dodgers picked Russell in the third round in 2008 out of the University of Texas.

Koby Clemens (22), of Houston, Texas, hit a Class A-best .345 and also paced the classification with 121 RBIs and a .636 slugging percentage. The Lancaster JetHawks catcher's 45 doubles tied for best in Class A. The Houston Astros took Clemens in the eighth round in 2005 out of high school.

Derek Norris (20), of Goddard, Kansas, finished among the top five in the South Atlantic League in homers (23), extra-base hits (53), RBIs (84), runs (78) and slugging percentage (.513). The Hagerstown Suns catcher led the league with a .413 on-base percentage and 90 walks in being named the SAL's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. The Washington Nationals tabbed Norris out of high school in the fourth round in 2007.

Rudy Owens (22), of Mesa, Ariz., went 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA for the West Virginia Power in being chosen as the South Atlantic League's Most Outstanding Pitcher. The left-hander then went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA for the Lynchburg Hillcats. Overall, Owens was 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 124.0 innings. He fanned 113 while walking only 17. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Owens in the 28th round in 2006 out of Chandler Gilbert (Ariz.) Community College.

Pos.	Player	Club/League	Aff.	Avg.	HR	RBI
1B	Joe Dunigan	High Desert/CAL	SEA	.294	30	104
2B	Alexi Amarista	Cedar Rapids/MWL	LAA	.319	4	49
3B	Josh Vitters	Peoria, Daytona/MWL, FSL	CHC	.284	18	68
SS	Danny Espinosa	Potomac/CAR	WAS	.264	18	72
C	Koby Clemens	Lancaster/CAL	HOU	.345	22	90
OF	Jonathan Gaston	Lancaster/CAL	HOU	.278	35	100
OF	Thomas Neal	San Jose/CAL	SF	.337	22	90
OF	Kyle Russell	Great Lakes/MWL	LAD	.272	26	102
DH	Derek Norris	Hagerstown/SAL	WAS	.286	23	84
				W	L	ERA
P	Rudy Owens	W.V., Lynchburg/SAL, CAR	PIT	11	2	2.10

(Statistics do not reflect players' performances in other leagues)