Stockton sends six to All-Star Game
Storm starting pitchers Wade Leblanc and Manny Ayala will make the trip up North along with first baseman Kyle Blanks, second baseman Matt Antonelli, third baseman David Freese, and left fielder Chad Huffman. Leblanc is currently ranked second in the league with a 1.82 ERA to go along with a 6-2 record. His first half is highlighted by a near perfect game on June 1st at Inland Empire where he retired the first 22 batters of the game on his way to a 1-0 shutout victory. The second-round draft pick out of Alabama was also named California League Pitcher of the Week on two occasions. Ayala leads the Storm pitching staff with seven wins, just one behind the league leader, Brandon Hynick of the Modesto Nuts. Huffman and Blanks are among league leaders in batting average and runs batted in with Huffman currently hitting .324 with 50 RBIs and Blanks right behind him with a .317 average and 49 RBIs. Antonelli, the Padres' first-round pick in 2006, is batting .304 and is tied with Freese for third in the league with 70 hits on the season. Freese is also leading the league with 19 doubles to go with his .321 average.
Lake Elsinore will also be represented in Stockton by former Storm bat boy and Elsinore High School star, Dan Stange of the Visalia Oaks. Stange worked for the Storm during his junior and senior years in high school before being drafted in the 33rd round by the Atlanta Braves in 2003. He elected to play for the University of California in Riverside which eventually led to him being selected in the seventh round of the 2006 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Tickets for the California/Carolina League All-Star Game can be purchased in person at the Stockton Ports Box Office, online at www.stocktonports.com, or by phone at (209) 644-1900.