Drive Place Five Players in SAL All-Star Game
Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive will be well-represented at the 57th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Lexington, Kentucky on Tuesday, June 21st. The league announced its representatives on Tuesday, and the Drive will be sending five players to the All-Star festivities, which matches a league-high.
Josh Ockimey earned the nod as the starting designated hitter for the Southern Division. Luis Alejandro Basabe was selected as a utility infielder, while Tate Matheny was chosen as a utility outfielder. Rounding out the Drive's selections are Jake Cosart and Roniel Raudes, who were named to the Southern Division pitching staff.
"We are incredibly proud to be sending five players to this year's South Atlantic League All-Star Game," said Drive Manager Darren Fenster. "Amongst our own players and staff here in Greenville, we have been privileged to watch Josh, AJ, Tate, Jake, and Roniel perform over the course of the past two months, and it's great to see that other league coaches and personnel have taken notice as well, having voted them in to the game. We congratulate them all, and are excited for them to represent us in Lexington."
Ockimey has been among the league's most productive hitters all season long. Entering Tuesday's action, the Philadelphia native leads the league with nine homers, 42 walks and a .437 on-base percentage, and he is hitting .298 in 49 games with 12 doubles and 29 RBI.
Basabe has split time between second base and shortstop for the Drive, and he boasts a .291 average in 42 games with three homers, 15 RBI, a .390 on-base percentage and a club-high 11 stolen bases.
Since joining the Drive in late April, Matheny has smacked four homers and driven in 27 runs over 39 games to go with a .295 average and six stolen bases.
Cosart has been a dominant member of the Drive bullpen in 2016, striking out 40 hitters over 28.1 innings to go with a 1-0 record and a 2.22 ERA in 15 appearances.
At the young age of 18, Raudes has posted a 5-1 record in nine starts to go with a 3.21 ERA. In 42 innings of work, he has struck out 40 hitters while issuing just eight walks.
"We couldn't be more excited to see five of our players receive these high honors from the South Atlantic League," commented Eric Jarinko, the Drive's General Manager. "This recognition is something the players can be proud of, and the Boston Red Sox scouting and player development staff deserve ample credit for their work in the development of these players on a daily basis. All five of these young men are outstanding representatives of the Greenville Drive and the Boston Red Sox, and we look forward to watching them participate in this month's All-Star festivities."