Four Curve players selected for Eastern League All-Star Game

Craig, Hayes, Hearn and Keselica to represent Altoona in Trenton on July 11

By Trey Wilson

June 29, 2018

CURVE, Pa. - Four players have been chosen to represent the Altoona Curve in the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game, the team announced in conjunction with the Eastern League of Professional Baseball on Friday. The game will take place on Wednesday, July 11 at ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton,

CURVE, Pa. - Four players have been chosen to represent the Altoona Curve in the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game, the team announced in conjunction with the Eastern League of Professional Baseball on Friday. The game will take place on Wednesday, July 11 at ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton, N.J. at 7 p.m.

Will Craig, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Taylor Hearn and Sean Keselica will suit up for the Western Division team, which will be led by the Altoona field staff, including manager Michael Ryan, pitching coach Bryan Hickerson, hitting coach Keoni De Renne, coach Stephen Morales, trainer Justin Ahrens and strength & conditioning coach Joe Schlesinger.
Craig, a first-round draft pick out of Wake Forest in 2016, currently ranks tied for eighth in the Eastern League with 11 home runs and sits third with 54 RBIs, and he leads the Pirates organization in both categories. The Johnson City, Tenn. native has added a .247 average and 16 doubles in 71 games on the season. Craig is currently ranked as the Pirates' No. 17 prospect by MLB.com.
Hayes, a first-round draft selection in 2015 out of Concordia Lutheran High School in Texas, leads all Eastern League third basemen with a .978 fielding percentage and 15 double plays. Offensively, the Tomball, Texas native is hitting .276 with four homers and 19 RBIs in 64 games. Hayes is currently ranked by MLB.com as the Pirates' No. 4 prospect.
Hearn, acquired by the Pirates in a trade with the Nationals in 2016, holds a 3-5 record with a 3.28 ERA, eighth-best in the Eastern League. The Royse City, Texas native is also ranked fourth in the circuit with 83 strikeouts, tied for first with two complete games and one shutout, fifth with a 1.11 WHIP, tied for second with a .201 opponents' batting average, second with a 10.09 SO/9 IP ratio and third with a 10.09 baserunners/9 IP ratio. He also leads the Pirates organization in strikeouts and ranks sixth among full-season pitchers in ERA. Hearn is currently rated as the Pirates' No. 10 prospect by MLB.com.
Keselica, a 33^rd-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech in 2015, is tied for third in the league with seven holds. This season, the Summit, N.J. native is 2-2 with a 2.93 overall. When working out of the bullpen, Keselica has posted a 1.65 ERA in 20 games and held opposing hitters to a .114 average.
Hayes earns the third All-Star nod of his career, including 2016 in the South Atlantic League and last season in the Florida State League. Craig picked up his second selection, along with 2017 in the Florida State League.
Hearn and Keselica each earned the first All-Star selections of their careers.
The full rosters for the Eastern League All-Star Game are listed below:
EASTERN DIVISION ROSTER
Pitchers (11): Nabil Crismatt (BNG), Caleb Frare (TRE), Edgar Garcia (REA), Kyle Hart (POR), Mitch Horacek (HFD), Matt Kent (POR), Peter Lambert (HFD), Matt Pierpont (HFD), Jordan Romano (NH), Dillon Tate (TRE), Daniel Zamora (BNG), T.J. Zeuch (NH)
Catchers (2): Deivi Grullon (REA), Patrick Mazeika (BNG)
Infielders (7): Abiatal Avelino (TRE), Bo Bichette (NH), Cavan Biggio (NH), Zach Green (REA), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (NH), Levi Michael (BNG), Josh Ockimey (POR), Brendan Rodgers (HFD)
Outfielders (5): Trey Amburgey (TRE), Jonathan Davis (NH), Yonathan Daza (HFD), Jan Hernandez (REA), Sam Hilliard (HFD), Tim Tebow (BNG)
WESTERN DIVISION ROSTER
Pitchers (11): Keegan Akin (BOW), Shaun Anderson (RIC), Beau Burrows (ERI), Kyle Funkhouser (ERI), Luis Gonzalez (BOW), Taylor Hearn (ALT), Sean Keselica (ALT), Kyle McGowin (HBG), Dillon McNamara (RIC), Jake Paulson (AKR), Derek Self (HBG), Caleb Simpson (RIC), Austen Williams (HBG)
Catchers (2): Martin Cervenka (BOW), Taylor Gushue (HBG)
Infielders (8): Willi Castro (AKR), Will Craig (ALT), Dan Gamache (HBG), Ke'Bryan Hayes (ALT), Ryan Howard (RIC), Corban Joseph (BOW), Will Maddox (ERI), Ryan Mountcastle (BOW), Joe Sever (AKR)
Outfielders (4): Andrew Calica (AKR), Connor Marabell (AKR), Jacob Robson (ERI), Luigi Rodriguez (RIC)
Tickets for the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game and other events for the All-Star Celebration can be purchased at TrentonThunder.com/2018ASG or by phone at 609-394-3300 x101.
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