An All-Star nine for Angelenos
GLENDALE — Stengel Field will be the home of the 2011 California Collegiate League All-Star game and the team that calls the venerable ballpark home the rest of the summer — the Glendale Angelenos — will be well-represented at the July 13 exhibition, with a total of nine players selected.
The CCL Americans will host the CCL Nationals in game’s third annual installment, which will be televised live at 6 p.m. on Fox Sports West, and Angelenos can be found on both squads’ rosters, as compiled by CCL Commissioner Pat Burns and released on Friday.
Included on the Americans squad are catcher Chad Nacapoy, outfielders Franco Broyles and Matt Young and right-handed pitcher Sean Wardour, while the Angelenos on the Nationals side are first baseman Ellis Whitman, outfielder Aaron Brown, designated hitter Drew Muren and right-handed pitchers Greg Fowler and Thomas Korn.
“Each individual has had tremendous success in certain areas which has allowed them to get selected,” Angelenos Coach Tony Riviera said. “They’ve all had individual successes, there’s no doubt that the right guys were picked.”
Whitman, Korn and Nacapoy have an additional local connection, as the former two played for Glendale Community College’s state semifinalist team last season and the latter is a Crescenta Valley High graduate.
“It’s a great privilege just to be included with a group of guys like that,” said Korn, a reliever who sported a 2.92 earned-run average and 15 strikeouts over 10 appearances at the time selections were released. “It shows that if you work hard, good things will happen. We’re definitely excited to have it here in Glendale and get us notoriety.”
Several of the Angelenos selected are currently among the league leaders in offensive and defensive categories.
Nacapoy, who will be making his second straight appearance in the game after making it as a member of the Major League Baseball Academy Barons last year, is second in home runs with four, while hitting .268 with 11 runs batted, 10 runs scored and a .980 fielding percentage.
“There’s going to be really good pitching and a lot of good bats in the lineups and speed on the base paths,” Nacapoy said. “Now you’ve just got to bring your ‘A’ game. There’s going to be a lot of scouts out in the stands. It’s a good opportunity to get your name out there and get looked at.”
Whitman leads all position players in fielding percentage with no errors in 149 chances and has posted a solid offensive line of a .286 average with 13 RBIs, 12 runs and six steals.
“It feels great [to be selected],” Whitman said. “That means I’ve got to be doing something right right now, I couldn’t be happier — it’s a great opportunity.”
Young has batted at a .327 clip with 10 runs scored and is third in the league with 12 stolen bases in 14 attempts, while Broyles has stolen eight bases and played errorless defense.
Muren is second on the team with a .276 batting average and has stolen eight bases and driven in eight runs, while scoring 10.
Brown has appeared in just five games for the Angelenos, but has made the most of them, batting .429 (six for 14) with two home runs, six RBIs and four runs.
Fowler (3-2) is second in the league with 34 strikeouts and also sports a ninth-best 2.43 ERA in 29.2 innings pitched, while Wardour is eighth in ERA (1.89) with a 2-1 record and 17 strikeouts.
“It makes it all the sweeter just to be in your home park and it makes you more comfortable,” Whitman said.