South Atlantic League notebook

Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Tourists were 5-2 last week and at 26-11 hold first place in the SAL Southern Division, a half-game ahead of Charleston.

WHO'S HOT: OF David Christensen hit .500 (13-for-26) last week to boost his average to .255 (24-for-94). He hit a pair of homers in the Tourists' 8-0 win over Charleston on Saturday. ... OF Mike Mitchell is tied for fourth among SAL hitters at .346 (44-for-127). ... IF Daren Holcomb is tied for seventh in hitting at .333 (47-for-141) and is second in the SAL with 28 RBIs. ... RHP Jhoulys Chacin (5-1, 1.87) is third in the SAL in both ERA and strikeouts. ... OF Brian Rike is hitting .304 (41-for-135) and leads the SAL with nine homers. ... RHP Randall Taylor (1-1, 1.98) is tied for second in the SAL with nine saves.

WHO'S NOT: C Beau Seabury is hitting .143 (8-for-56) after a 1-for-10 week. ... Fellow backstop Lars Davis is 17-for-80 (.213) and has struck out 23 times. ... RHP Andrew Groves (0-0, 8.49) has allowed 11 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Christensen's big week, including his power display Saturday night, was encouraging for Colorado. A 2006 second-round pick and a star at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., had his issues at the plate in two seasons at Casper of the Pioneer League, hitting .198 (41-for-207) in 2006 and .223 (51-for-229) in 2007. He also piled up 188 strikeouts in 436 at-bats. After getting off to a slow start in Asheville, he had by far his best stretch as a pro last week. He just turned 20 in February and his potential still tantalizes the organization.

DID YOU KNOW: Holcomb, a 12th-round pick in 2007 from Gonzaga, is following up an outstanding season at Tri-City last year, where he hit .303 (84-for-277) and played in all 74 games. He was fourth in the Northwest League with 23 doubles in 2007 and has already registered 13 in his first crack at the SAL. Just 22 years old, the native of Spokane, Wash., is worth watching this season.

Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The GreenJackets were 5-2 last week and at 20-17 are tied for third in the SAL Southern, six games behind Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: IF Brock Bond is third among SAL hitters at .376 (35-for-93). ... 1B Thomas Neal is batting .306 (30-for-98) and leads the club with 23 RBIs. ... LHP Andrew De La Garza (2-0, 3.60) has tossed 6 2/3 innings of relief and has 27 strikeouts in 25 innings.

WHO'S NOT: C Matt Klimas is hitting .207 (6-for-29). ... Fellow backstop Jackson Williams is fighting it at .139 (11-for-79). ... LHP Daniel Runzler (0-1, 7.41) has allowed 14 earned runs in 18 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: IF Brian Bocock, who hit .292 (47-for-161) and stole 26 bases in 32 games with the GreenJackets last season, was sent from San Francisco to Triple-A Fresno after playing in 32 games with the Giants. He hit just .143 (11-for-77) in the National League. With the Giants rebuilding, Bocock is an example of how a prospect can move quickly in the system right now. Most feel the native of Harrisonburg, Va., who played at Stetson, will get his game back together at Fresno.

DID YOU KNOW: LHP Joe Paterson (4-1, 2.66) has been a bright spot for Augusta out of the bullpen, allowing just seven earned runs in 23 2/3 innings. A native of McMinnville, Ore., who played at both Linfield and Oregon State, he was selected in the 10th round by the Giants in 2007. Coming from Oregon State's NCAA champions, he was 2-0, 3.68 in 13 appearances with the Arizona Giants and Salem-Keizer in 2007 and was a high-school and college teammate of fellow Augusta reliever Daniel Turpen (1-1, 2.66).

Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The RiverDogs were 4-3 last week and at 25-11 are second in the SAL Southern, a half-game behind Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Jon Ortiz (0-0, 2.25) has sparkled out of the bullpen and leads the SAL with 10 saves. He has allowed just four earned runs in 16 innings. ... C Jesus Montero leads the RiverDogs attack, batting .320 (47-for-146) and tied for second in the SAL with 28 RBIs. ... IF Justin Snyder is hitting .314 (44-for-140).

WHO'S NOT: RHP Gabe Medina (0-0, 6.17) has allowed eight earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. ... OF David Williams is scuffling at .231 (24-for-104) after a 6-for-41 stretch. ... C Larry Day is 1-for-15 (.067).

NEWS & NOTES: The RiverDogs roster is in flux. Eight players -- RHPs Jairo Heredia, Adam Olbrychowski and Ryan Zink, C Austin Romine, IFs Brandon Laird and Brad Suttle and OFs Abraham Almonte and Wady Rufino -- are on the disabled list. All were contributors to Charleston's quick start, with Romine (.351) and Suttle (.320) keys to the offense. The RiverDogs received OF Chase Odenreider and RHP Casey Erickson and will benefit when some of their walking wounded return.

DID YOU KNOW: For much of last week, every full-season team in the Yankees farm system was in first place. As of Sunday morning, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leads the International League North and Double-A Trenton is the pacesetter in the Eastern League Northern Division. Class A Advanced Tampa, like Charleston, is a half-game back in the Florida State League West. Yankees farm teams have put together a 97-49 (.664) mark to lead all organizations in winning percentage.

Columbus Catfish (Tampa Bay Rays)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Catfish were 4-3 last week and at 16-20 are sixth in the SAL Southern, 9 1/2 games behind Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Alexander Cobb (5-2, 2.29) is eighth in the SAL in earned run average. ... 1B Henry Wrigley hit .429 (12-for-28) last week to boost his average to .301 (34-for-113). ... IF Greg Sexton found the range with a .423 week (8-for-26) and is hitting .283 (34-for-120). ... IF Omar Luna has been a consistent performer at .325 (37-for-114).

WHO'S NOT: IF Cody Cipriano is mired at .194 (21-for-18) and OF Reid Fronk is struggling at .208 (22-for-106). ... C Mike McCormick is battling at .223 (25-for-112) after a 6-for-37 stretch.

NEWS & NOTES: OF Emeel Salem was named Minor League Player of the Month for April by the Tampa Bay organization. Salem, 23, hit .288 in his first taste of full-season baseball in April and presently is batting .294 (42-for-143). He also has a professional baseball-high 23 stolen bases and has only been caught three times. Salem is one of a stable of talented outfielders looking to make an impression in the Rays system. OF Desmond Jennings, who starred for the Catfish in 2007, has not played this season and is nursing back and shoulder injuries in extended spring training.

DID YOU KNOW: Luna, a native of Montecristy in the Dominican Republic, is playing well in his first taste of full-season ball at 21. He showed a good bat at both Princeton of the Appalachian League and Hudson Valley of the New York-Penn League in 2007, hitting .285 (80-for-281) combined, and has made just six errors in 32 games. He's also stolen eight bases in 11 tries and is off to an excellent start in the SAL.

Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Shorebirds were 4-2 last week and at 20-15 are second in the SAL Northern, two games behind Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: C-OF Wally Crancer joined the club and gave the Shorebirds a boost by hitting .372 (16-for-43) in his first 13 games. ... IF Matt Tucker is a force to be reckoned with at .309 (29-for-94). ... RHP John Mariotti (3-1, 2.81) has had five effective starts, allowing just nine earned runs in 31 innings.

WHO'S NOT: C Brendan Monaghan is scuffling at .197 (13-for-66). ... OF Kieron Pope has struck out 42 times en route to a .229 (25-for-109) average. ... LHP Adam Odom (1-1, 8.38) has allowed nine earned runs in 9 2/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Crancer, a native of Orange, Calif., was a 12th-round pick by Baltimore out of Georgia Tech in 2007. In addition to his work as a catcher, he can also play the outfield. He is making his first appearance in a full-season league and turns 24 in July. With his strong start, a promotion might be in the offing if catcher Jordan Wolfe or Victor Castillo is activated from the disabled list.

DID YOU KNOW: Mariotti, taken in the 18th round by the Orioles in 2007, is a native of Conway, S.C., and played at Coastal Carolina. He pitched well at Aberdeen of the New York-Penn League in 2007, going 2-2, 1.46 in 12 appearances split between starting and relieving. He is being used as a starter at Delmarva this season, and the results have been excellent. He turns 24 in August and is another member of this club looking to make a quick impression.

Greensboro Grasshoppers (Florida Marlins)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Grasshoppers were 4-3 last week and at 18-17 are tied for third in the SAL Northern, four games behind Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: IF Osvaldo Martinez has hit .471 (16-for-34) in his last 10 games and is batting .368 (25-for-68) on the season. ... RHP Corey Madden (1-0, 0.87) has been excellent in the bullpen with 5 2/3 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts last week. He steps into a key role after RHP Brad Stone was promoted to Class A Advanced Jupiter. ... RHP Andrew Battisto (1-0, 0.74) is another bullpen stalwart who has allowed just two earned runs in 24 1/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: C Torre Langley is slumping at .153 (11-for-72). ... OF Thomas Hickman is battling .202 (17-for-84). ... OF Emilio Ontiveros is hitting .188 after a 2-for-12 stretch.

NEWS & NOTES: Martinez's offensive spurt is certainly welcomed by Marlins officials, though it was somewhat unexpected after the native of Puerto Rico hit just .184 (21-for-114) at Jamestown of the New York-Penn League last season. He was an 11th-round pick by Florida in 2006 and played at Porterville (Calif.) College. He turned 20 on May 7 and celebrated with the best offensive week of his career.

DID YOU KNOW: Hickman is another player impressing the Marlins this season. He also struggled at Jamestown in 2007, hitting just .183 (30-for-164) in 51 games. A second-round pick in 2006, the native of Rome, Ga., has some pop in his bat from the left side. A key to Hickman's solid start is plate management, as he is drawn a team-high 25 walks in 84 at-bats.

Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Drive were 3-4 last week and at 20-17 were tied for third in the SAL Southern, six games behind Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: 1B Mike Jones is tied for the SAL batting lead at .385 (50-for-130) with Lexington's Matt Cusick and leads the league in hits. ... RHP Chad Povich (4-0, 2.00) has allowed just six earned runs in 27 innings of relief. ... C Luis Esposito, who played nine games with the Drive in 2007, rejoined the club and has hit .311 (19-for-61) in 16 games. ... RHP Daniel Bard (1-0, 0.69) has allowed just two earned runs in 26 innings of relief.

WHO'S NOT: 3B Michael Arambarris continues to struggle in his second SAL stint, batting just .202 (26-for-129). ... 2B Kris Negron, also an SAL repeater, is mired at .219 (21-for-96). ... OF David Mailman is battling at .207 (23-for-111), but is playing in his first full-season league at 19.

NEWS & NOTES: LHP Felix Doubront (4-0, 1.40) returned to the mound Tuesday after missing a start with a groin injury. He picked up where he left off with a five-inning stint against Columbus. He gave up two runs on four hits, but struck out eight and walked just one. The native of Carabobo, Venezuela, is emerging as one of Boston's top left-handed pitching prospects. His control has been impeccable, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 32-2.

DID YOU KNOW: Povich is proving to be a steal for the Red Sox. A 42nd-round selection in 2007 out of Dixie State in Utah, he was 1-1, 10.47 in 10 appearances with the Drive last season, but is much improved this year. The Denver native has recorded 29 strikeouts in 27 innings and may move fast if higher-level teams in the Boston system need relief help.

Hagerstown Suns (Washington Nationals)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Suns were 1-5 last week and at 16-19 dropped to fifth in the SAL Northern, six games behind Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: 1B Bill Rhinehart is emerging as a blue-chipper. He's hitting .346 (44-for-127), tied for fourth among SAL hitters. He leads the SAL with 38 RBIs, half of which have come in his last 10 games. ... OF Brandon Whiting joined the club and hit .421 (8-for-19) in his first five games. ... RHP Martin Beno (0-1, 3.68) has a trio of saves and has allowed six earned runs in 14 2/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: OF Stephen Englund is slumping at .156 (17-for-109) and is stuck in an 0-for-19 hole. ... OF Michael Burgess has eight homers, but thanks to a 4-for-35 stretch has seen his average drop to .207 (25-for-121). RHP Brad Peacock (0-3, 8.89) has allowed 26 earned runs in 26 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: RHP Terrence Engles and OF Francisco Plasemcia were promoted to Class A Advanced Potomac. The Suns received RHPs Ryan Harrison and Justin Phillabaum in addition to Whiting. ... Pitching is a weak suit for the Suns, as the club's staff is last in the circuit in ERA at 4.91.

DID YOU KNOW: Brandon (Boomer) Whiting came into the SAL with a bang last week. He is a native of New Wilmington, Pa., who was taken by Washington in the second round of the 2007 Draft. Despite his nickname, speed is more his forte than power. As a senior at Louisville in 2007, he led the nation with 73 regular-season stolen bases. He also made just two errors all season. He made his professional debut at Vermont of the New York-Penn League last summer, hit .259 (58-for-232) in 62 games and led the circuit by stealing 37 bases in 42 attempts. He swiped a pair of bags for the Suns in three games last week.

Hickory Crawdads (Pittsburgh Pirates)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Crawdads were 1-6 last week and at 16-21 are sixth in the SAL Northern, seven games behind Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: SS Jose De Los Santos continued to punish the baseball, hitting .333 (42-for-126), and is tied for seventh in the SAL. ... 1B Miles Durham had an 11-for-28 week and is 10th among SAL hitters at .328 (45-for-137). ... RHP Moises Robles (1-0, 1.42) has a trio of saves and allowed just three earned runs in 19 innings.

WHO'S NOT: 2B Matt Cavagnaro is struggling at .204 (21-for-103) after a 4-for-18 week. ... IF-OF Danny Bomback is 5-for-36 (.139). ... RHP Emilis Guerrero (0-3, 7.25) has allowed 18 earned runs in 22 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: RHP Dustin Molleken (3-2, 3.96) recorded the Crawdads' lone victory of the week, tossing six hitless innings in Hickory's 5-2 win over Savannah. Molleken had command of his low-90s fastball and slider/change-up combination against the Sand Gnats. Molleken, a native of Regina, Sask., struck out seven and did not issue a walk. The 23-year-old did not return to the mound after lightning delayed action for over an hour between the sixth and seventh innings.

DID YOU KNOW: New Pittsburgh Minor League field coordinator Jeff Bannister managed Augusta to the 1995 SAL title when that club was a Pirates affiliate. The Crawdads have been the Pirates' Class A affiliate since 1999.

Kannapolis Intimidators (Chicago White Sox)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Intimidators were 3-5 last week and at 16-19 are fifth in the SAL Southern, nine games behind Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Johnnie Lowe (2-3, 3.31) had an excellent week, winning one start and pitching well in a second as he tossed 12 scoreless innings and registered 11 strikeouts. ... 3B Logan Johnson continues to lead the offense at .320 (33-for-103). ... RHP Anthony Carter (3-0, 1.66) has allowed just seven earned runs in 38 innings.

WHO'S NOT: 2B Dale Mollenhauer is fighting it at .213 (23-for-108). ... OF Sergio Morales is hitting .215 (20-for-93). ... RHP Nathan Jones (1-3, 7.11) has allowed 20 earned runs in 25 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: The White Sox shook up the Kannapolis roster last week, as the club received IF Joe Persichina from Double-A Birmingham and OF Ronnie Gaines from extended spring training. ... RHP Steve Spurgeon was promoted to Class A Advanced Winston-Salem and RHP Charles Shirek was reassigned to extended spring training. ... OF Andrew Mead was released.

DID YOU KNOW: Lowe, who attended Point Loma Nazarene University and Grossmont College, is a native of Temecula, Calif., who was drafted in the sixth round by the White Sox in 2007. He was 4-2, 4.57 at Great Falls last season, registering 56 strikeouts in 65 innings. His fastball is rated by Baseball America as the best in Chicago's 2007 Draft class. Playing in the SAL at 23, he has the size (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) to be a fire-baller.

Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Captains were 6-3 last week and at 22-13 lead the SAL Northern by two games over Delmarva.

WHO'S HOT: LHP Ryan Morris (5-0. 2.45) is tied for the SAL lead in wins after pitching five shutout innings in a victory over Greensboro on Saturday night. ... OF Matt Brown is the Captains' offensive leader at .303 (36-for-119). ... LHP Kelvin De La Cruz (2-2, 2.08) is seventh among SAL ERA leaders. ... RHP Vinnie Pestano (0-0, 0.66) has emerged as one of the SAL's premier closers with nine saves, second-most in the SAL.

WHO'S NOT: C Doug Pickens is still battling at .200 (14-for-70). ... SS Mark Thompson is mired at .093 (8-for-86) after a 1-for-10 week. ... RHP Santo Fries (1-1, 6.94) has allowed 18 earned runs in 23 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Morris, a native of Mount Pleasant, S.C., is having his way with SAL hitters this year after going 0-2, 5.22 in nine starts with the Captains in 2007. A fourth-round pick by Cleveland in 2006 out of South Mecklenburg High in Charlotte, N.C., he is returning to the SAL at 20. He will be an important cog in the Captains' pursuit of the playoffs.

DID YOU KNOW: The Captains are also getting good production from RHP Dallas Cawiezell (1-1, 1.93), who has allowed four earned runs in 18 2/3 innings and converted his lone save opportunity. He attended Valparaiso University and was Cleveland's 40th-round selection in the 2007 Draft.

Lakewood Blue Claws (Philadelphia Phillies)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The BlueClaws were 5-3 last week and at 18-17 are tied for third in the SAL Northern, four games behind Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Drew Naylor was 2-0, 1.76 last week and boosted his overall record to 3-2, 2.04. His ERA is sixth-best in the SAL. He struck out 23 batters in his two starts last week and leads the Minor Leagues with 62, four more than 2007 Lakewood star LHP Antonio Bastardo, who has 58 for Double-A Reading. ... OF Mike Taylor is seventh among SAL hitters at .333 (42-for-126). ... RHP Jared Simon (4-1, 2.08) has been a dependable option out of the bullpen.

WHO'S NOT: SS Freddie Galvis is stuck at .157 (19-for-121) after a 4-for-23 week. ... OF D'Arby Myers is scuffling at .184 (19-for-103). ... LHP Sergio Escalona (0-1, 9.00) has allowed three earned runs in three innings in his first week with the club.

NEWS & NOTES: Naylor, a native of Brisbane, Australia, is getting his first shot at full-season baseball after pitching in the Gulf Coast League in 2006 (2-3, 4.66) and at Williamsport in the New York-Penn League last summer, recording an 8-6, 3.28 mark. He showed his strikeout ability in the NYPL, leading the circuit with 97 in 93 innings. He comes from an athletic background, as his father, Geoff, played professional rugby for the Balmain Tigers.

DID YOU KNOW: Myers, whose cousin is NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, has hit in streaks throughout his young career, which included stops in the Gulf Coast League in 2006 (.313 in 31 games) and Williamsport (.240 in 46 games). He had 11 multi-hit games in the NYPL in 2007, and the Phillies are hoping the native of Los Angeles and fourth-round pick in 2006 will get his bat going soon.

Lexington Legends (Houston Astros)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Legends were 1-5 last week and at 11-24 have fallen into the SAL Northern cellar, 11 games behind Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: 2B Matt Cusick is on his way to a superb season. He's tied for the SAL batting lead with Greenville's Michael Jones at .385 (45-for-117) and leads the league with a .455 on-base percentage. ... LHP Sergio Severino (3-2, 2.00) has the fifth-best ERA in the SAL. ... C Jon Fixler has hit .311 (19-for-61) since joining the lineup.

WHO'S NOT: C Max Sapp returned to action Friday night for the first time since April 12 and went 0-for-4 in two games, dropping his average to .156 (5-for-32). ... OF Colin DeLome is hitting .228 (28-for-123) with 37 strikeouts. ... RHP Colt Adams (1-3, 8.77) has allowed 25 earned runs in 25 2/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Sapp, Houston's first-round pick in 2006, missed nearly a month with a groin injury. During that time, Fixler filled in admirably and gave the club's offense a lift, while Joe Melton, another catcher, was added to the roster last week. The Astros still feel that Sapp, a native of Orlando, Fla., has the skills to be an All-Star performer. He only turned 20 in February. Sapp needs to stay healthy and pick it up in his second tour of duty in the SAL.

DID YOU KNOW: Cusick is just the type of player who prospers because, as a 10th-round Draft pick, he must always play at a high level to be noticed. He had an excellent season at Tri-City of the New York-Penn League in 2007, hitting .306 (68-for-222). The native of Mission Viejo, Calif., has an excellent eye at the plate: he's fanned only six times in 117 at-bats this season.

Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The R-Braves were 2-5 last week and at 13-23 have dropped into the SAL cellar, 12 1/2 games behind Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: LHP Eric Barrett (1-3, 2.31) has pitched well without much run support and owns the ninth-best ERA in the SAL. ... LHP Scott Diamond (3-0, 2.43) won his lone start last week. ... OF Jayson Heyward is hitting well at .319 (44-for-138). ... IF Frederick Freeman is also chipping in, batting .308 (40-for-130) with a team-leading 24 RBIs.

WHO'S NOT: 2B Cole Miles is scuffling at .198 (23-for-116). ... SS Michael Fisher is at .227 (29-for-128) after a 4-for-23 week. ... RHP Yeliar Castro (0-2, 9.22) has allowed 14 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Atlanta has to be encouraged by the way both Heyward and Freeman, both playing in the SAL for the first time at 18, are performing. Both have had occasional issues with fielding, having committed a combined 12 errors, but they have enough talent to overcome those shortcomings. The fact that both have been able to hit consistently is a big plus. Overall, the R-Braves are one of the youngest teams in the SAL.

DID YOU KNOW: Freeman was Atlanta's second-round pick in 2007, coming from El Modena High in Villa Park, Calif. He hit .268 (60-for-224) with the Gulf Coast Braves in 2007 and has a sweet swing from the left side. He also is rated as a prospect with great footwork around first base and excellent athletic ability.

Savannah Sand Gnats (New York Mets)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Sand Gnats were 4-3 last week and at 15-21 are seventh in the SAL Southern, 10 1/2 games behind Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: C Jordan Abruzzo is hitting .330 (31-for-94), ninth in the SAL. ... C Tony Maccani is 4-for-9 (.444) in four games with the club. ... OF Casey Craig was added to the roster and battered SAL pitching at a .531 (17-for-32) clip in his first week as a Sand Gnat. ... C Francisco Pena hit .440 (11-for-25) last week to lift his average to .284 (31-for-109). ... LHP Angel Calero (0-4, 2.35) is 10th among SAL ERA leaders and has allowed only 10 earned runs in 38 1/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: OF Dan Stegall is still scuffling at .192 (20-for-104) after a 3-for-21 week. ... SS Matt Bouchard is hitting .220 (29-for-132) and has committed 14 errors. ... RHP John Holdzkom (1-1, 9.49) has allowed 13 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: By adding Craig to the outfield mix, the Mets have given the Savannah club a major boost. Michael Hernandez was also hitting .394 (13-for-33) before going on the disabled list last week. Pena is finding it a lot easier the second time around in the SAL, while 2B Greg Veloz is showing signs of his bat awakening, having hit .318 (14-for-44) in his last 10 games. Savannah's pitchers have had their issues, but they also have tossed three shutouts and, especially in Calero's case, have been victimized by fielding shortcomings.

DID YOU KNOW: Craig split his 2007 season between West Tenn of the Double-A Southern League, hitting .216 (21-for-97), and High Desert of the Class A Advanced California League, where he hit .304 (115-for-378). He was originally a 21st-round pick by Seattle in 2003 and is a native of San Diego.

West Virginia Power (Milwaukee Brewers)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Power were 3-3 last week and at 14-21 are seventh in the SAL Northern, eight games behind Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: IF Zelous Wheeler pushed his average to .322 (38-for-118) with an 8-for-21 week. ... 3B Stefan Wilson hit .440 (11-for-25) last week to improve to .259 (29-for-212). ... C Jon Lucroy is batting .304 (38-for-125). ... RHP Amaury Rivas (3-1, 2.67) won his lone start last week, throwing six scoreless innings.

WHO'S NOT: SS Brent Brewer continues to struggle at .220 (29-for-132). ... C Ulrich Snijders is at .214 (9-for-42). ... RHP Pedro Lambertus (0-1, 9.72) has allowed nine earned runs in 8 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Wilson, selected by Milwaukee in the 28th round in 2007, showed he could hit at Helena of the Pioneer League last summer, batting .328 (60-for-183) and compiling a 17-game hitting streak. He played at Harvard after graduating from State College (Pa.) High. With last week's effort, Wilson appears to be adjusting to the SAL.

DID YOU KNOW: Rivas' performance this season is encouraging to the Brewers, as he missed two months in 2007 with an elbow injury. The native of Santa Cruz, D.R. appears to be on the right track and is throwing the ball well, both when starting and relieving.