Storm Baseball Gets Big Nod For All-Star Game

Five Storm Baseball players, as well as two of the team’s coaches and one of its athletic trainers, will represent the California League All-Stars team June 19 during the 2012 California-Carolina League All-Star Game.

The Storm’s elite talent will head to BB&T Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the big game against top-ranked players tapped to represent the Carolina League All-Stars. The West versus East mid-season showdown begins at 7:05 p.m. (EDT).

The Storm will be represented by pitchers Donn Roach and Kevin Quackenbush, infielder Cory Spangenberg, and outfielders Rico Noel and Rymer Liriano, according to a news release from the Storm office. The team will also be represented by Storm coaches David Newhan and Bronswell Patrick, along with athletic trainer Will Sinon, who were part of the , according to the news release.

Roach and Noel are slated to start during the June 19 game. Roach leads the California League with a 10-1 overall record and is 5-1 with the Storm with a 1.77 ERA. He began his Cal League season with the Inland Empire 66ers going 5-0 before being traded and joining Lake Elsinore on May 4. In seven games with the Storm, he has struck out 37 batters in 40.2 innings pitched; opposing batters are hitting .235 against him, according to the Storm office.

Noel is currently leading the team with a batting average of .316. He is tied in the league for most games played at 63 and is second in the league and all of Minor League Baseball in steals with 42. He has recorded 42 runs on 79 hits with a .348 slugging percentage, according to the Storm office.

A panel comprised of general managers, skippers and media members voted for this year’s 2012 California-Carolina League All-Star Game participants. Ten Cal League teams have at least one representative in the All-Star game, but Lake Elsinore is among just four teams that can claim having five all-star players, according to the Winston-Salem Dash office. Dash Baseball is among teams sending players and coaches to represent the Carolina League All-Stars; the Dash calls BB&T Stadium home.

The June 19 contest is the 16th California-Carolina League All-Star Game. The Cal League leads the all-time series 8-7. The Carolina League has not won since 2008, according to the Winston-Salem Dash office.