FOUR APPLESOX NAMED 2018 WEST COAST LEAGUE ALL-STARS

Tuesday afternoon, the West Coast League announced its All-Star rosters for the 2018 game in Port Angeles on July 17. Curtis Bafus, Mason Marenco, Cory Meyer and Jeremy Yelland were selected by commissioner Rob Neyer to represent the Wenatchee AppleSox in the mid-summer event.  

Bafus is 3-3 with a 2.94 ERA in six appearances, five starts, this summer. He is second in the West Coast League in innings-pitched, 36.2, and is third in strikeouts, 34. The VCU right-hander was named the West Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 2-8 by only allowing one earned run in two starts. He struck out 11 batters and only walked three in 13 innings-pitched. Bafus has tossed at least six innings in five of his six appearances this season, including tossing the final six innings against Port Angeles on June 24 to earn the victory.

Marenco is batting .284 and leads the AppleSox with 10 extra-base hits and a .481 slugging percentage. The redshirt freshman at Gonzaga is also tied for the team lead with six doubles this season and is tied for second with two home runs. On June 24 against Port Angeles, Marenco went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI. His two-run homer in the eighth inning brought the AppleSox from a run down to a one-run lead and an eventual win. 

Meyer, a recent transfer to Boise State, is hitting .299 and leads the AppleSox with three home runs and 16 RBI. On June 27, the Sox catcher became the first player in AppleSox history to hit two grand slams in a West Coast League game. He set the AppleSox single-game RBI record with eight runs driven in in the 13-2 victory over the Bend Elks. Meyer recently had his 14-game reached-base streak, the longest for any AppleSox player this season, snapped. His eight multi-hit games are tied for second-most on the team.

Yelland has no record and has not allowed any earned runs in seven appearances (one start) for the AppleSox. Yelland is the only player in the West Coast League to have made at least seven appearances and not allow an earned run. Five of his seven outing have been for multiple innings, including consecutive scoreless four-inning performances on June 26 against Bend and July 3 v.s. Yakima Valley. Yelland's 22 strikeouts are sixth on the team and he has only allowed one extra-base hit in 14.2 innings.

The Sox have six games to go before the All-Star Break including tonight's game. All six are against the Bellingham Bells. The AppleSox will get July 16 and 17 off before beginning their post-All-Star-Break schedule on July 18 against the Portland Pickles.