Five Baysox Named to All-Star Team

BOWIE, <st1:state w:st="on">Md. - The Bowie Baysox announce today the selection of five players to the Western Division team for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game Wednesday, July 11, in Trenton, NJ.

Catcher Martin Cervenka, Infielders Corban Joseph and Ryan Mountcastle and pitchers Keegan Akin and Luis Gonzalez were selected for the game. For more information on the All-Star Game, fans can visit www.trentonthunder.com.
Playing in his first season as a member of the Orioles organization, Cervenka has emerged as the No. 1 catcher for the Baysox in 2018. The native of Prague, Czech Republic, is second in the league with 19 runners caught stealing (34 percent). Offensively, Cervenka is batting .232 in his first Double-A season, recording 12 doubles, five home runs and driving in 22 runs. The 12 doubles currently rank second on the team behind Joseph.
Doubles are not the only offensive category that Joseph is leading the Baysox in. Currently, the infielder leads the team in average (.332), runs scored (42), hits (82), total bases (132), walks drawn (28), OBP (.398), slugging percentage (.534) and OPS (.932), as well as tied for 1^st in HR (9). After spending a brief stint in Baltimore with the Orioles, Joseph is also second on the team in RBI (38).
Despite missing most of the first couple months with an injury, Mountcastle has quickly shown why he is one of the Orioles' top prospects. In his last 10 games entering Friday night's contest in Erie, the third baseman is batting .447 (17-for-38) with two home runs, seven runs scored and five RBI against divisional foes Harrisburg, Richmond and Akron. Mountcastle is batting .319 against lefties, while batting an almost as hot .301 against right-handed pitching. During the month of June alone, the No. 2 prospect in the Baltimore system owns a .327 mark (32-for-98) with four home runs and 13 RBI, while averaging a little over a hit per game.
In terms of pitching, the Baysox starting rotation has been led by Akin. The lefty out of Alma, MI, leads the rotation in wins (8), earned run average (2.63), strikeouts (92), opponent's average (.199) and innings pitched (85.2). Within the Eastern League, Akin is in the top-5 in all of these categories, including taking the top spot in strikeouts and OBA and second in ERA. In his first Double-A season, the No. 9 prospect in the Baltimore system entering the season has thrown 10 quality starts through his first 15 games and has struck out 9+ batters three times (including a season-high 12 SeaWolves May 1 in Erie).
Finally, Gonzalez has been a stalwart in the Bowie bullpen through the first half of the season, allowing the fifth-fewest base runners per nine innings. The lefty fireballer leads the Baysox with seven saves and has a 2.23 ERA overall. Gonzalez has a 1.86 ERA away from Prince George's Stadium (12 games) and that mark drops to 1.80 in games played under the lights (19 games). Opposing batters are hitting just .164 against the current No. 22 prospect in Baltimore's system, while striking out 43 times (the most for any Baysox pitcher without making a start).
The Baysox last had five players selected to the Eastern League All-Star Game in 2017 when pitchers Lucas Long and Tanner Scott were joined by infielders Adrian Marin, Aderlin Rodriguez and Garabez Rosa. Rodriguez would go on to win the All-Star Game Home Run Derby as well.
The Bowie Baysox 2018 season is presented by Money One Federal Credit Union. Baysox single game tickets are available online at baysox.com, via phone at 301-464-4865 or in person at the stadium ticket office. The Baysox ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-game days, until the top of the 7th inning on non-fireworks game days and at the end of the fireworks show on fireworks game days.
To keep up with Baysox news, visit baysox.com and be sure to follow the Baysox on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or register for the all new Baysox Text Insider Club for free by texting the keyword BAYSOX to 50700