Legends Peterson, Vines named All-Stars

Legends' Peterson, Vines selected for South Atlantic League All-Star game
The Lexington Legends will have two representatives on the Southern Division roster for the South Atlantic League All-Star game, which will be played at Spirit Communications Park in Columbia, South Carolina Tuesday, June 20.
Outfielder Kort Peterson and pitcher Jace Vines were named to the team in an announcement Tuesday by SAL President Eric Krupa.
(The complete release from the South Atlantic League, including full roster, is below.)
                Peterson, 23, a left-handed hitting outfielder from Santa Cruz, California, was a 23^rd-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in the June 2016 first-year player draft. He is batting .290 in 50 games for the Legends, with one home run and 18 runs batted in. Peterson played college baseball at UCLA.
                Vines, 22, a right-hander, has a 6-2 mark for the Legends with an ERA of 2.28, eighth best in the league. His WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.04 ranks seventh in the league. Early in the season, he alternated between starting and relieving, and picked up three saves in four save opportunities. His last five appearances have been as a starter. He has won four of those games, and overall, he is 6-0 since losing at Greenville April 12. Vines finished his college career at Texas A&M.
                "Kort and Jace have been outstanding for the Legends, and have been a big part of the momentum the Legends have gained in the last few weeks," said Legends President/CEO Andy Shea. "They are very deserving of their selection, and we'll look forward to seeing them play in Columbia June 20."
                The Legends, who are 20-12 since May 1, have a record of 29-28 and are in fourth place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division, five and a half games behind first-place Greenville.  
                The Legends are currently in Columbia, where they will open a three-game series against the Fireflies Tuesday night.   They will return home June 13 for a six-game homestand, three against Asheville and three against Hagerstown. For more information, call (859) 422-7867 or visit www.lexingtonlegends.com.
Official South Atlantic League release follows, including complete roster:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                         JUNE 6, 2017
 SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE ANNOUNCES ROSTERS
FOR 58th ANNUAL SAL ALL-STAR GAME
 
            CLEARWATER, FL-Eric Krupa, president of the South Atlantic League, has announced the rosters for the 58th Annual SAL All-Star Game, scheduled to be played on June 20, 2017, at Spirit Communications Park in Columbia, South Carolina, home of the Columbia Fireflies.
            For the Northern Division, the Hagerstown Suns placed six players on the roster, including first baseman Aldrem Corredor, shortstop Carter Kieboom, and right fielder Daniel Johnson. The Kannapolis Intimidators and Lakewood BlueClaws each provide five players. The Kannapolis Intimidators provide starting catcher Seby Zavala and the Lakewood BlueClaws provide starting pitcher Nick Fanti. The Delmarva Shorebirds and the West Virginia Power each contribute three players. The Delmarva Shorebirds provide center fielder Jake Ring while the West Virginia Power provides second baseman Trae Arbet and left fielder Ty Moore. The Greensboro Grasshoppers and Hickory Crawdads each provided two players. The Greensboro Grasshoppers provide third baseman James Nelson and designated hitter Boo Vazquez.
            Hagerstown manager Patrick Anderson will skipper the Northern Division All-Stars for the third time in four years, having also been named manager in 2014 and 2016. Anderson is in his fourth season managing in the league, and his fifth year as a manager in the Minor Leagues. Anderson will be assisted by Hagerstown coaches Amaury Garcia and Sam Narron. Handling the athletic trainer's duties for the Northern Division will be Lakewood's Takayuki Sakurai.
For the Southern Division, the Asheville Tourists placed six players on the team, including third baseman Colton Welker, shortstop Jose Gomez, and designated hitter Max George. The Columbia Fireflies contributed five players, including starting pitcher Jordan Humphreys, first baseman Dash Winningham, and second baseman Michael Paez. The Charleston RiverDogs and Rome Braves each provided four players, with Rome providing starting catcher Brett Cumberland, right fielder Randy Ventura, and center fielder Cristian Pache. The Greenville Drive provided three players, and the Augusta GreenJackets and Lexington Legends each contributed two players. The Lexington Legends provide left fielder Kort Peterson.
Columbia skipper Jose Leger will manage the Southern Division squad. Leger is in his third season managing in the league and in his eighth season as a manager. Leger will be joined on the Southern Division coaching staff by Greenville's Wilton Veras and Columbia's Jonathan Hurst and Tanner Miracle. Columbia's Kiyoshi Tada will serve as the team's athletic trainer.
            Both all-star teams will be represented by 26 players, selected by the votes of the team's managers and coaching staffs, local media and front office executives. Spirit Communications Park will be hosting its first SAL All-Star Game. The annual SAL All-Star Game dates to 1960, when the All-Stars defeated the Salisbury club, 6-2, in Newton, NC.
          "The amount of talent that is showcased each year in this game is tremendous, and this year certainly continues that tradition, " said Krupa. "Columbia Fireflies President John Katz and his staff have been working for more than a year in order to put together one of the most anticipated events on the baseball calendar."
            A variety of events have been scheduled in Columbia in conjunction with the 58th SAL All-Star Game. A Celebrity vs. Soldier softball game leads off the events on Monday, June 19th at Spirit Communications Park, beginning at 6:15pm. A Home Run Derby featuring SAL players and high schoolers from around South Carolina will follow the softball game at 7:30pm. After the Home Run Derby, the celebration continues at the Monday Night Party at Music Farm in downtown Columbia. Gates open at 3:00pm on Tuesday, June 20th at Spirit Communications Park for Fan Fest and autographs. The 58th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game at Spirit Communications Park on June 20th is scheduled to begin at 7:05pm. More information can be found at www.columbiafireflies.com.
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