FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
The Florida League announces the 2011 Florida League All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 12 at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium. This past week, coaches and league officials voted on the players who they believe have shined the brightest through the first half of the summer. The ballots are in and the 2011 Florida League All-Stars have been selected.
Some of the notable selections for the two All-Star teams are Leesburg’s Thomas Sicking (Texas Pan-American) who leads the Florida League in hitting (.423 avg, 11 RBI), Winter Park’s Teddy Blackman (Coastal Carolina: .377 avg, .563 obp, 14 SB), the Florida League’s leader in wins, Jeremy Strawn (State College of Florida: 3-0, 2.02 ERA), and Nic Kovacs (Lake Sumter: 2-1, 13:1 strikeout to walk ratio).
The All-Stars will be divided into a North team and a South team. Coach David Therneau of Leesburg will head the All-Star North squad comprised of Sanford, DeLand, and Leesburg while Diamond Dawg head coach Kevin Davidsonwill lead the All-Star South team made up of Orlando, Winter Haven, and Winter Park.
Here are the starters and reserves for the 2011 Florida League All-Star Game:
NORTH ALL-STARS
| Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| P | Austin Jackson | Suns | Florida Southern |
| C | Mike Albaladejo | Lightning | Florida Atlantic |
| 1B | Kevin Lindheim | Suns | Stetson University |
| 2B | JT Warmoth | Suns | Embry-Riddle |
| SS | Jacob Tillotson | Lightning | Florida |
| 3B | Thomas Sicking | Lightning | Texas Pan-American |
| LF | Alex Mendez | River Rats | South Florida |
| CF | Steven Bellantoni | Suns | USC- Aiken |
| RF | *Brett Knief | Suns | Stetson University |
| Res- C | Ryan Woodrey | River Rats | Nova Southeastern |
| Res- INF | TJ Gavlik | River Rats | North Florida |
| Res- INF | Aaron Silbar | Suns | Columbia |
| Res- OF | Hunter Mayfield | Lightning | Rollins College |
| Res- OF | Johnny Mazur | River Rats | Florida Tech |
| Res- 0F | James Ramsay | River Rats | South Florida |
| Res- P | Ethan Bader | Lightning | Lake Sumter CC |
| Res- P | Max Rusch | Lightning | Flagler College |
| Res- P | Dylan Hathcock | Lightning | UNC-Greensboro |
| Res- P | Dylan Ortega | Lightning | Brevard CC |
| Res- P | Chad Rood | Suns | Stetson University |
| Res- P | Adam Albers | River Rats | St. Leo University |
| Res- P | Taylor Smith | River Rats | Rollins College |
* Player not available for game
SOUTH ALL STARS
| Pos | Player | Team | School |
| P | Jeremy Strawn | Diamond Dawgs | State College of FL |
| C | Austin Chubb | Diamond Dawgs | Florida Southern |
| 1B | BJ Zimmerman | Diamond Dawgs | State College of FL |
| 2B | Anthony Caronia | Freedom | University of Tampa |
| SS | Dustin Demuth | Diamond Dawgs | Indiana University |
| 3B | Kevin Lehane | Freedom | Jacksonville |
| LF | Michael Danner | Diamond Dawgs | Polk State College |
| CF | Teddy Blackman | Diamond Dawgs | Coastal Carolina |
| RF | Sam Halpern | Loggerheads | Barry University |
| Res- C | Matt Mattone | Freedom | Palm Beach State |
| Res- INF | Michael Heller | Loggerheads | Miami Dade |
| Res- INF | Kevin Clements | Loggerheads | Trinity University |
| Res- OF | Zach Houck | Freedom | Jacksonville |
| Res- OF | Justin Burgess | Loggerheads | Montevallo |
| Res- P | Chad Modomo | Diamond Dawgs | WV Wesleyan |
| Res- P | Garrett Nuss | Freedom | UCF |
| Res- P | Ben Brown | Diamond Dawgs | State College of FL |
| Res- P | Peter Miller | Loggerheads | Florida State |
| Res- P | Chris Waltermire | Diamond Dawgs | Polk State College |
| Res- P | Brady Rodriguez | Loggerheads | Abilene Christian |
| Res- P | Taylor Hammond | Freedom | Samford |
| Res- P | Edward Brandsema | Freedom | Montevallo |
The Homerun Derby contestants have also been determined for next week’s long ball contest.
| PLAYER | TEAM | COLLEGE |
| Kevin Lindheim | Suns | Stetson University |
| Andre Colon | Suns | Lynn University |
| Mike Miller | Lightning | Dallas Baptist |
| Chase Durham | Lightning | Howard College |
| Matt Mattone | Freedom | Palm Beach State |
| Kevin Lehane | Freedom | Jacksonville |
| Ian MacGeorge | River Rats | Embry-Riddle |
| James Ramsay | River Rats | South Florida |
| Cody Slaughter | Loggerheads | Brown University |
| Sam Halpern | Loggerheads | Barry University |
| BJ Zimmerman | Diamond Dawgs | State College of FL |
| Brad Hutton | Diamond Dawgs | Ohio State |
The gates at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium will open at 4:30. Homerun Derby will start at 6 and the All Star game will follow shortly after at 7.
If you cannot make it out to Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, you will still have a chance to enjoy the All-Star game. Aaron Vargas will call the game online at FloridaLeague.com and Brighthouse Sports Network will televise the game as well. Brighthouse sports anchor David Baumann will have the call along with two former Major Leaguers. Former All-Star and St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Ray Lankford and former Colorado Rockies outfielder Dante Bichette will bring Major League insight into the booth along side Baumann.
The Florida League would like to invite kids above eight years old to come out and shag fly balls during the Homerun Derby. If you know of kids or youth teams that would like a chance to play the outfield and field fly balls hit by the top homerun hitters in the Florida League, please email Brandon Kline at bkline@floridaleague.com or call him at 301-524-7187.
For more information on the All-Star festivities, complete stats, or any Florida League information please visit FloridaLeague.com.
