Eight Barnstormers Named to All-Star Squad

The Lancaster Barnstormers will be well represented at next week’s Atlantic League All-Star Game to be held at Bethpage Ballpark, home of the Long Island Ducks, on Wednesday, July 11.

Lancaster will be sending five position players, as well as three pitchers, to the game, representing the Freedom Division.

Headlining the octet will be outfielder Blake Gailen, the Atlantic League’s co-leader in home runs and leader in RBI.  He will be joined by stolen base artists Darian Sandford and Rico Noel, shortstop Vladimir Frias and catcher Ryan Casteel.

On the pitching side, the Barnstormers will be sending the Atlantic League’s Pitcher of the Month for May , Nate Reed, along with right-handed relievers Scott Shuman and Garrett Granitz.

Frias and Shuman will be making their second straight visit to the All-Star Game; both participated in the 2017 game at Somerset.

CASTEEL:  Hit .374 from May 16 thru June 17…Batting .287 with seven home runs and 29 RBI overall.

FRIAS:  Batting .336 and ranks among the Atlantic League leaders…Has belted four homers and driven home 19 runs…Has nine steals and has scored 31 runs.

GAILEN:  Belted nine homers and drove in 24 runs in a span from June 3-22…Also had the longest hitting streak by a Barnstormer this season (16 games, June 9-26) and a 24-game on base streak (June 1-26)…Reached the half century mark in RBI on June 29 and is on a pace to set the franchise record.

NOEL:  Led the league in batting for much of the first half and still ranks among the top ten…Is second in the league in stolen bases…Had a 5-for-5 game at York on April 28.

SANDFORD:  Stands as the league leader in steals…Is more than 2/3 of the way to the Lancaster franchise record of 55…Has stolen two or more bases in a game six times this season.

GRANITZ:  Submarine stylist…Has kept his ERA under 2.00 all season…Has thrown scoreless baseball in 18 of his 23 appearances…Left-handed hitters are barely over .100 against him.

REED:  Was the Atlantic League’s Pitcher of the Month in May…Went 5-0 with a 1.04 ERA for the month…Remains tied for the league lead in wins.

SHUMAN:  Has only been scored upon in one appearance, May 10…Has 27 strikeouts in his last 13 2/3 innings of work with only five hits and three walks allowed.

“All eight of our All-Stars deserve to go,” said manager Ross Peeples.  “We hope they have a great time at the event and hope they continue their success in the second half.”