Muckdogs send six league-leading players to all-star game

Press release:

Batavia, NY – The 2011 New York-Penn League All-Star roster will include a league high of six players from Batavia. They will send catcher Juan Castillo, infielders Joey Bergman and David Medina, and pitchers Jonathan Cornelius, Seth Maness and Todd McInnis to the game to be held Tuesday, Aug. 16 at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass.

Perez was an undrafted free agent signing in 2006 and has started 27 games as catcher for the Muckdogs this season. He is currently batting .327 with eight doubles and 15 RBI’s. Castillo has also been solid behind the plate this year and has helped guide the pitching staff to a team ERA of 3.85.

Bergman, a 33rd round pick in the 2010 draft, will be making his second consecutive all-star appearance and has been among the league leaders in hitting all season. Bergman currently ranks fifth in the league in hitting, with a .320 batting average, to go along with eight doubles and 17 RBIs.

David Medina was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and is enjoying a stellar first season with the Muckdogs. His seven home runs are tied for fourth in the league and his 33 runs scored are third in the league. Medina who plays a mixture of first base and outfield, was selected as a first baseman for this year’s squad.

A 24th round pick out of Florida Tech, Cornelius is 1-2 with 37 strikeouts in 11 outings for the Muckdogs. The left-hander’s ERA of 2.85 ranks him ninth in the league and hitters are only hitting .194 against him, good for second in the league.

St. Louis drafted Maness out of Eastern Carolina in the 11th round of the 2011 draft. He has appeared in nine games and has a 0-0 record with a 0.52 ERA. In 34.2 innings of work, he has struck out 27 batters and only allowed 20 hits.

McInnis, a 25th round pick out of Southern Mississippi, is third in the league with 2.12 ERA and a record of 3-2. His WHIP of just 0.92 leads the league and batters are hitting just .208 against him.

Batavia holds the fourth-place spot in the Pinckney Division with a record of 24-26. This marks the third time in four years that the Muckdogs have sent at least five players to the All-Star game. The Muckdogs sent five players to the 2008 All-Star game, three in 2009 and five in 2010.

Photo: Joey Bergman from earlier this season. By Howard Owens