Hey Now: Four WV players dubbed All-Stars

Charleston, WV (June 9, 2015) - The West Virginia Power, a Class-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, have had four players selected to participate in the 2015 South Atlantic League All-Star Game, which will be held at McCormick Field in Asheville, NC, on June 23. Right handed pitchers Yeudy Garcia and Junior Lopez along with outfielder Elvis Escobar were initially picked to represent West Virginia at the mid-summer classic. On June 16, Chase Simpson was added to the Northern Division bench due to a promotion from another club.

Garcia, 22, receives his second career all-star nomination and his first as a member of the Power. The right-hander has put together a stellar season in his first year with West Virginia, owning a 4-3 record and a 1.91 ERA in 13 games (five starts). His ERA entering play on June 9 is the fifth best in the South Atlantic League. Signed by the Pirates in 2013 from Sabana Yegua, Garcia was an all-star last season with the Dominican Summer League Pirates in his first professional season.

Lopez, 23, was selected to participate in his first ever All-Star game. A native of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Lopez is 4-0 with an 0.81 ERA in 15 relief outings and had a stretch of 18.0 scoreless innings that went from April 11 to May 30. The right hander was signed by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent in 2013.

Escobar, 20, was the only position player from West Virginia initially selected to participate in the mid-summer classic. The left-handed hitter is hitting a Power-best .292 and has one home run and 20 RBIs in 51 games. Originally a non-drafted free agent in 2011, Escobar is in his second year with the Power. The all-star nomination was the first in the career of Escobar and he will start in centerfield.

Simpson, 23, was added as a replacement for Lakewood's Carlos Tocci, who was promoted to Clearwater in the Florida State League. Simpson is batting .257 with six home runs and a team-high 28 runs batted in. The infielder can play both corners and will come off the bench for the Northern Division. Simpson was selected in the 14th round of the 2014 draft from Wichita State University.

Voting was conducted between May 21 and June 4. Each team was given five ballots for the manager, coaches and media relations departments to fill out. During the voting for the mid-season all-stars, all players on all South Atlantic League teams are eligible and clubs may vote for their own players.

The 2015 South Atlantic League All-Star Game is scheduled to begin at 7:05 pm on June 23 and can be heard on Charleston's ESPN Radio 104.5 FM and 1490 as well as on the TuneIn Radio app or wvpower.com West Virginia Power broadcster Adam Marco will join the Asheville Tourists' Doug Maurer on the call of the game.

For more information, contact the Power front office at (304) 344-BATS.

Below are the initial rosters for the 56th annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game.