From the Brooklyn Cyclones
On Tuesday, Aug. 19, the best and brightest from around the New York-Penn League will descend upon MCU Park for the 10th annual NYPL All-Star Game presented by Mercedes Benz of Brooklyn and the Tic Toc Stop Foundation.
It will mark the second time in franchise history that the game has been played on Coney Island, and the Brooklyn Cyclones will be well represented. Six Cyclones have been selected to the game, including three teenagers.
Shortstop Amed Rosario, thirrd baseman Jhoan Ureña and right-handed Marcos Molina, who are all 19 years or younger, will be joined by righty pitcher Corey Oswalt, lefty closer Shane Bay and right fielder Michael Bernal.
Rosario, who was named the top prospect in the Appalachian League by Baseball America following the 2013 season, has been an offensive force for the Cyclones all season long. The 18-year-old shortstop is batting .284 (56-for-197) with 30 runs scored, 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBI. Since July 17, he is batting .312 (29-for-93) and has hit safely in 17 of his last 21 games. He ranks second in the NYPL with 56 hits and is tied for the NYPL lead with five triples.
Ureña, a 19-year old third baseman, is the only player in the New York-Penn League to appear in every game this season. The Santiago, Dominican Republic, native is only the second player in franchise history to have two hitting streaks of 10 or more games in the same season. His pair of 13-game hitting streaks joins Angel Pagan as the only pair of double-digit hitting streaks in franchise history. Urena leads the NYPL in hits, at-bats and games played.
Molina, a 19-year-old fireballer, has been a dominant force on the mound all season long. The 6-foot, 3-inch, 188-pound hurler is 5-1 with a 1.27 ERA in eight starts this season. The Santiago, Dominican Republic, native has not allowed more than two earned runs in any outing this season. He leads the NYPL with a 1.27 ERA, ranks second in strikeouts with 50 and leads the league in WHIP (0.85) and opponents batting average (.173).
Oswalt, who missed most of the 2013 season with a knee injury, has rebounded in a big way this season. The 20-year-old right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA in nine games (eight starts) this season. The San Diego native has 46 strikeouts in 49.2 innings this season and has allowed two runs or less in seven of his eight starts. Oswalt will be more than comfortable on the mound at MCU Park, where he is 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA this season. He ranks fourth in the NYPL with a 2.54 ERA and fifth in opponents batting average (.226).
Bay, who also missed the majority of the 2013 season due to an elbow injury, currently ranks second in the New York-Penn League with 11 saves in as many chances. In 15 games, he has tossed 16.2 innings, allowing just four runs on 16 hits while striking out 15 batters. He is unscored upon in 12 of his 15 appearances this year.
Bernal, a slugging right fielder, ranks second in the NYPL with eight outfield assists on the season. He also leads the Cyclones with five home runs, 30 RBI and 10 stolen. He has had two four-hit games on the year including a four-hit, four-RBI game against the Lowell Spinners on July 27.
