Five Shuckers Named to South Division All-Star Team
BILOXI, Miss. - The Southern League announced the roster for the South Division All-Star squad on Wednesday, and five Biloxi Shuckers received nods for the contest. Pitchers Josh Hader and Stephen Peterson, catcher Jacob Nottingham, infielder Garrett Cooper, and outfielder Brett Phillips will head to Pearl, Miss. for the Tuesday, June 21 match against the North Division. Outfielder Kyle Wren was selected, but unable to participate due to his promotion to Triple-A.
Players were selected by a vote of League field managers, radio broadcasters, general managers and print media. All players on Southern League rosters as of May 31 were eligible in the voting process. An entire roster, which is subject to change, is attached.
Josh Hader (2-1) leads the league and is third in Minor League Baseball with a 0.95 ERA (6er, 57ip) and a WHIP of 1.00 in 11 starts, and is tied for the league lead with 73 strikeouts and ranks tied for fifth in all of the minors. The southpaw has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his starts, and the Shuckers have gone 9-2 when the Millersville, MD native takes the mound, including victories in his first five starts of the season. The 2012 draft pick has held left-handers to a .073 average (3-for-41).
The 22-year-old was named the Milwaukee Brewers' Pitcher of the Month for May, compiling a 1-1 record with a 0.96 ERA in 28 innings to go along with 33 strikeouts and eight walks, while holding opponents to a .189 average and posting a WHIP of 0.93.
2016 will be Hader's third All-Star selection, as the former 19th-round draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles received a mid-season bid in 2013 while playing for the Quad Cities River Bandits in the South Atlantic League, and earned both mid- and post-season spots in 2014 while pitching in the California League for the Lancaster Jethawks. The product of Old Mill High School entered the season as the Brewers' 11th-ranked prospect according to Baseball America.
Peterson leads the league with 26 appearances out of the Shuckers' bullpen. The 28-year-old also leads Biloxi with four wins. In 30.1 innings, the lefty has struck out 34 batters and has an ERA of 2.67, while holding left-handed hitters to a .167 average (8-for-48). 2016 is Peterson's first All-Star season.
Jacob Nottingham struggled to start the season, batting just .125 in his first 14 games. The 21-year-old has turned a corner with an average of .309 since April 23. The young slugger has smacked three home runs over his last five games, tying Phillips for the team lead with seven homers, and is riding a 16-game on-base streak. That late push has made the former sixth-round draft pick of the Astros an All-Star for the third time in his career, with both a mid- and post-season selection in 2015 while with Quad Cities.
Behind the plate, Nottingham has nabbed 30 percent of attempted base stealers, with nine caught stealings in 30 attempts.
First-time all-star Garrett Cooper leads the Shuckers with a .311 average through 51 games, which also places the 25-year-old in fifth place in the Southern League. The former Auburn Tiger also leads the team with 16 doubles, good enough for a tie for fourth in the league The first baseman has hit evenly against both right- and left-handers during 2016, with a .302 average against lefties, and a .308 mark against righties.
22-year-old Brett Phillips earned his fifth All-Star nod after being named to both the midseason and postseason All-Star squads for the River Bandits in 2014 and earned both accolades in 2014 as a member of the Jethawks in 2014.
The Shuckers' outfielder became the first Biloxi player to homer three times in one game on May 7 against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos which helped earned him Southern League Player of the Week honors for May 3-8 by batting .304 (7-for-23) with four homers, eight RBI and seven runs.
The product of Seminole HS (FL) and sixth round selection by the Houston Astros in 2012 leads the team with 18 extra-base hits, 30 RBI and 29 runs scored.
Left-handed reliever Stephen Peterson earns his first All-Star selection of his pro career. The Danvers, MA native leads the Southern League with 26 appearances this season, four more games than the second-most in the league. Peterson is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA (9er/30.1ip) with 34 strikeouts and just eight walks.
The former Rhode Island Ram has held left-handed batters to just a .167 batting average (8x48) this season. He ranks second in the league with six holds this season.
Shuckers right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff was selected as a Florida State League All-Star after making his first eight starts with the Brevard County Manatees going 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA (9er,44.1ip). Overall, the former Mississippi State Bulldog and Wheeler, MS native is 6-3 with a 2.73 ERA (20er/66ip). He has logged 68 strikeouts and issued just 19 walks, holding the opposition to just a .219 average. In his first four Biloxi starts, he is 2-2 with a 4.57 ERA (11er/21.2ip)
The 2016 Southern League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, June 21 at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi. For information on the festivities or to purchase tickets, contact the Mississippi Braves at 1-888-BRAVES4 or go online to misssissippibraves.com. The starting lineup and starting pitcher for the North Division will be announced on Thursday and Friday for the South Division.
The Shuckers return to MGM Park next Friday as the Shuckers host the Chicago White Sox affiliate Birmingham Barons for the first time in Biloxi. On Friday, June 10th, all fans 21-and-over receive a Biloxi Shuckers Cooler Bag courtesy Bud Light. Saturday, June 11th Post-Game Fireworks will follow the game. Sunday, June 12th is McDonald's -Family Fun Day and celebrate Father's Day early with Little Princess Night, featuring a pre-game Princess Parade and in-game activities. Tuesday, June 14th is Gulfport Community Night.
Tickets for individual regular season games are currently on-sale and may be purchased by visiting the MGM Park box office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Season Tickets, Shmini Plans, Group Tickets, Party Deck Tickets and Mercedes-Benz Mini Suite Tickets are available by calling the Shuckers at 228-233-3465. For more details, visit biloxishuckers.com.
About the Biloxi Shuckers:
The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and a member of the Southern League. For up-to-date news and notes throughout the offseason, visit biloxishuckers.com, follow the club on Twitter (@biloxishuckers), Instagram (@officialbiloxishuckers) or like the team on Facebook (facebook.com/biloxishuckers).