BILOXI, Miss.- The Biloxi Shuckers are flying high, between their new stadium opening last week and sitting comfortably in first place in the Southern League South Division, Shuckers fans have a lot to be excited about. Well you can add one more to that list, the Shucker led the Southern League with 8 All-Star selections.
They’ll be sending four pitchers, two infielders, and two outfielders to Montgomery for the game on the 23rd of June.
Here are the selections below, taken from biloxishuckers.com
SS Orlando Arcia – The second-youngest player in the Southern League is leading the league with 17 doubles, ranks tied for first with 69 hits, tied for fourth in batting average at .322, tied for fourth with 100 total bases and ranks fifth with 36 runs scored. The 20-year-old from Anoco, VZ has collected 21 multi-hit games this season, which ranks tied for first in the league. Arcia has proven to be one of the toughest in the league to strikeout ranking second in the league – going down on strikes just once in every 11.85 plate appearances. Arcia also has boasted a .373 on-base percentage through 58 games.
1B Nick Ramirez – This is Nick’s second-straight Southern League All-Star selection. The Anaheim, CA native was also a Florida State League All-Star in 2013 with Brevard County. Ramirez ranks sixth in the Southern League with eight home runs, tied for fifth with 35 RBI, ranks tied for second with 57 games played and has posted a .287 average with 11 doubles, 91 total bases with a .366 on-base percentage
OF Michael Reed, 22 – The reigning Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the month ranks tied for fourth in the league with a .322 batting average, third in slugging percentage at .511, sixth in on-base percentage at .401 and third with a .912 OPS. Reed also ranks sixth in stolen bases with 15. The Cedar Park, TX native also boasts 10 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 31 RBI. Reed batted .380 in the month of June and is batting .349 over the last 30 days.
OF Kyle Wren, 24 – The Shuckers leadoff hitter is currently tied for third in the Southern League with 20 stolen bases and has boosted his average from .197 on April 28 to where it currently stands at .292, its highest mark this season. Wren has eight multi-hit games in his last 15 played and four of those being three-hit performances. In 56 games, the Atlanta, GA native has six doubles and 13 RBI, while boasting a .363 on-base percentage.
RHP Jaye Chapman, 28 – The Panama City, FL native was promoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs on June 4, but prior to his promotion he was one of the top relievers in the Southern League. Before leaving the league, Chapman at the time ranked first in appearances with 21 and had a 4-2 record with a 0.82 ERA (2 ER/22.0 IP). Chapman was holding the opposition to just a .173 batting average against while striking out 21 and walking nine. Since joining the SkySox, Chapman has not allowed a run in three outings over 3.1 innings pitched, striking out five and walking none.
LHP Hobbs Johnson, 24 – In 11 starts this season, the Rocky Mount, NC native is 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA (20 ER/52.0 IP) posting 41 strikeouts and just 19 walks. Johnson ranks 19th in the Southern League with a 1.23 WHIP.
RHP Damien Magnifico, 24 ranks first on the club and tied for sixth in the league with six saves. In 19 relief outings, the hard throwing right-hander from Mesquite, TX is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA (4 ER/25.1 IP) posting 24 strikeouts and just six walks. Over his last 10 outings he has a 2-0 record and a 1.20 ERA. Magnifico ranks fifth in the allowing 9.24 baserunners per 9 IP.
RHP Tyler Wagner, 24, ranks tied for fifth in the Southern League with five wins and second with a 1.93 ERA. Wagner made his Major League debut last Sunday in Milwaukee and returned to start the MGM Park opener this past Saturday, taking a no decision, but giving up just one run on six hits over seven innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Overall, the Las Vegas native is 5-1 in 60.2 IP, holding the opposition to just a .233 batting average against. Wagner ranks tied for fifth in the league in WHIP at 1.12.
The Mississippi Braves are right on their tails in the standings, they’ll send four to the game. Two pitchers, Tyrell Jenkins and Jorge Reyes, along with Catcher Chris O’Dowd and outfielder Mallex Smith.
Here are their biographies, taken from mississippibraves.com:
Jenkins, 22, is 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 11 starts for the M-Braves this season. The Braves No. 12 prospect as ranked by Baseball America was named by the Braves organization as Mississippi’s May Pitcher of the Month (3-1, 3.35 ERA in six starts). Jenkins ranks fifth in the Braves system and 10th among Southern League leaders in ERA. A native of Henderson, TX, Jenkins was acquired by the Braves as part of a trade with the Cardinals that sent Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden to St. Louis on November 17, 2014. He was originally selected by the Cardinals in the supplemental round (50th overall) of the 2010 draft.
O’Dowd, 24, has a .304 average with eight extra-base hits and 16 RBI in 26 games with the Double-A Braves. The catcher has a .344 average against right-handers. He posted his best numbers in April, hitting .423 in nine games. The Colorado native was acquired by the Braves along with Jose Briceno via trade with the Rockies in exchange for David Hale and Gus Schlosser on January 30, 2015. He was originally selected by the Padres in the 23rd round of the 2012 draft out of Dartmouth.
Reyes, 27, is 5-2 with two saves and a 1.42 ERA in 14 outings for the M-Braves this season. In two spot-starts, the right-hander picked up a win and held opponents to just one earned run over nine innings. He posted his best numbers in April with a 1.29 ERA in five relief appearances. Reyes is holding right-handed hitters to a .157 average this season. A free agent signee by the Braves on June 3, 2014, Reyes was originally selected by the Padres in the 17th round of the 2009 draft out of Oregon State.
Smith, 22, has a .341 average with seven extra-base hits, 18 RBI and 19 stolen bases through 47 games with the Double-A Braves. The outfielder currently leads the Southern League and all Braves farmhands in batting average and ranks third (Braves) and fifth (league) in stolen bases. He was named by the organization as Mississippi’s May Player of the Month, hitting .347 in 26 games. Smith was acquired by the Braves via trade with the Padres along with several others in exchange for Justin Upton and Aaron Northcraft on December 19, 2014. He was originally selected by San Diego in the fifth round of the 2012 draft.
