MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com-PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Florida State League announced the 2009 All-Star team today, and five members of the Charlotte Stone Crabs were selected to the team:  starter Darin Downs, reliever Matt Gorgen, infielder Cody Cipriano, third baseman Greg Sexton and catcher Nevin Ashley.   

 

The 48^th annual FSL All-Star game will take place at Hammond Field on June 20, 2009, in Fort Myers, Fla., at 7:35 p.m. 

 

The All-Star nod is the second career selection for starter Downs (Northern League – 2005), who leads the Stone Crabs with five wins and posted a 3.10 ERA (17er/49.1ip) in eight starts this season.  Downs was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 5^th round of the 2003 June Draft out of Santaluces (Fla.) High School.  He was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays via trade from the Cubs for cash considerations on July 24, 2008.
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Gorgen also enjoys his second All-Star selection (New York-Penn League – 2008) after ranking second in the FSL in saves (8) and posting a microscopic 0.36 ERA (1er/25ip) in 15 relief appearances this season.  He gave up his only earned run of the season on a solo home run to fellow All-Star Mike Stanton of the Jupiter Hammerheads, and he has fanned 32 batters while walking just 11 in 25 innings of work. 

 

This is Cipriano's first career All-Star appearance after he enjoyed a breakout first half with a .325 batting average (41-for-126), four home runs and 20 RBIs.  He was originally drafted by the Rays in the ninth round of the 2007 June Draft after leading the UC Irvine in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage his senior year. 

 

Sexton also earned his first All-Star selection after collecting 29 RBIs and four home runs to start the 2009 campaign.  He was selected by the Rays in the 10^th round of the 2007 June Draft and ranked third in the Rays sytem in RBIs and sixth in batting last season for the Columbus Catfish (A). 

 

Ashley earned an All-Star selection but will not participate in the game due to his promotion to Double-A Montgomery.  Prior to his promotion, he collected 16 RBIs and threw out 23 baserunners in 43 attempts.  Ashley has previously earned two other All-Star selections (South Atlantic League – 2007 and Appalachian League – 2006).  He was a non-roster invitee to Rays Spring Training this season and was originally selected in the sixth round of the 2006 June Draft.

 

For more information on the 2009 FSL All-Star Game please visit miraclebaseball.com.

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