Mudcats place four on All-Star starting squad

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Zebulon, NC --- Northern Division All-Star Manager Matt Raleigh has unveiled his starting lineup for the 2008 Southern League All-Star Game to be held at Five County Stadium on Monday, July 14th.

All four Carolina Mudcats All-Star position players made the starting lineup, with Chattanooga lefty Ben Jukich earning the starting assignment.

Huntsville's 1B/OF Michael Brantley, rated 5th in the league in hitting with a .324 average and 25 steals will bat leadoff and play right field, followed by the Mudcats' John Raynor in left field, who is tops in the league in steals with 30.

Carolina 2B Chris Coghlan, who appeared in the Futures Game in 2007 while playing in Low-A Greensboro, will take his .301 average and bat third, just ahead of West Tenn RF Michael Wilson, who is tied with the Stars' Matt LaPorta for the league lead with 19 home runs. Wilson also ranks third with 56 RBI.

Huntsville catcher Angel Salome, running second in the Southern League with a .333 average, will bat fifth followed by Carolina 1B Gaby Sanchez. Sanchez has split his time at the two corner infield positions this season, and has been a fixture in the top ten in hitting over the last month. Sanchez is presently hitting .317, good for sixth.

Carolina's Cameron Maybin, who has not hit lower than fifth in the Mudcats' lineup this season, will play center and hit seventh. Maybin leads the Mudcats with six triples and 12 home runs.

Huntsville shortstop Alcides Escobar, third in the league in hitting with a .330 average and 22 steals, will hit eighth in Raleigh's order, followed by Chattanooga 3B Eric Eymann, who has driven in more runs in a single game than any other Southern League batter, knocking in eight in the first half.

Lookouts lefthander Ben Jukich, who is fifth in ERA at 2.96, will get the starting nod. Jukich is tops in the league with 106 1/3 innings, tied for fourth in strikeouts (82) and wins (7).



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