Lillie, Alonso Named All-Stars for Hoppers

GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 5, 2018) - The Greensboro Grasshoppers will be well-represented when in the 59th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by Pizza Hut on Tuesday, June 19, at First National Bank Field with two players and four members of the field staff selected for the event. Starting pitcher Ryan Lillie joins designated hitter Lazaro Alonso as the two Grasshoppers players selected, while manager Todd Pratt, pitching coach Mark DiFelice, athletic trainer Eric Reigelsberger, and strength & conditioning coach Brady Fitzgerald will serve on the field staff for the Northern Division Squad. 
Lillie, 22, is 4-1 with a 2.38 ERA (15 ER/56.2 IP) and 54 strikeouts compared to only eight walks in 10 games (10 starts). The right-hander leads the South Atlantic League in shutouts (2) and is tied for the league-lead in complete games (2) while ranking tied for third in WHIP (0.94). Lillie is coming off consecutive complete-game shutouts on May 26 at Hagerstown in Game 1 of a doubleheader followed by a fog-shortened shutout at Lakewood on May 31 in which he threw all 6.0 innings for Greensboro. Over his last five starts, Lillie is 3-1 with a 0.92 ERA (3 ER/29.1 IP) - the third-lowest ERA in the SAL since May 7. The Marlins selected Lille in the fifth round of the June 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of UC-Riverside - the highest-drafted Highlander since 2011. In three years at UCR, he went 6-13 with a 4.50 ERA (63 ER/126.0 IP) and 137 strikeouts in 62 games (10 starts).
Alonso, 23, is batting .371 (46-124) with 13 doubles, three home runs, 20 RBI, and 17 runs scored in 34 games with the Grasshoppers since joining the team on April 28, giving him the second-highest batting average and eighth-most RBI in the league since that time. The Cuban-born first baseman/designated hitter signed with the Marlins on Sept. 5, 2016, and made his professional debut last season with Short-Season Batavia. Alonso made a strong first impression with the Grasshoppers, with multi-hit nights and at least one RBI in each of his first six games with Greensboro. In the month of May, he led the club with a .365 (38-104) average and 16 RBI while appearing in all 29 games.
Pratt is in his second season as manager of the Grasshoppers, guiding the club to a 75-61 record, the SAL Northern Division Second Half championship and the best overall record in the division in 2017. He joined the Marlins organization following five years as the head coach of the West Georgia Tech baseball team. He was also named the school's athletic director on November 2, 2015. Pratt was hired in 2011 as the school's first baseball coach and built the program from a club-level team that first year to its current NJCAA Division-I status. Prior to his time at West Georgia Tech, he enjoyed a professional baseball career that spanned more than two decades. Pratt played in the 1993 and 2000 World Series and was a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. Boston selected Pratt in the sixth round of the 1985 First-Year Player Draft, and he made his MLB debut on July 29, 1992, with Philadelphia.
DiFelice was a member of Pratt's staff in 2017 as the Grasshoppers pitching coach. Prior to joining the Miami Marlins, he spent    three seasons with the Pirates organization. He spent the 2015 season with the West Virginia Power and the 2014 season with Jamestown. DiFelice was selected by Colorado in the 15^th round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft, and was named an All-Star with Portland in 1998. He would go on to be named a Carolina League All-Star with Salem in 1999, a Southern League All-Star with Carolina in 2001 and a Pacific Coast League All-Star with Nashville in 2011. The right-hander made his MLB debut on May 18, 2008 with Milwaukee vs. Boston and struck out Manny Ramirez for first career strikeout. He appeared in 77 MLB games during the 2009 and 2011 seasons; he missed 2010 with a right shoulder injury.
The is the first All-Star selection for both strength & conditioning coach Brady Fitzgerald and athletic trainer Eric Reigelsberger.
The 59th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by Pizza Hut takes place at First National Bank Field in Greensboro, N.C., on Tuesday, June 19, at 7:05 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m. with an autograph session featuring both Northern and Southern Division players. Fans will be treated to a Home Run Derby beginning at 5:15 p.m., and first pitch of the All-Star Game is slated for 7:05 p.m. For tickets and All-Star event details, please visit gsohoppers.com.