June 5, 2012 at 1:23 PM
De La Cruz, Cecchini, Pena named South Atlantic League All-Stars
The Greenville Drive will have three representatives on the Southern Division team at the South Atlantic League All-Star Game: third-baseman Garin Cecchini, outfielder Keury De La Cruz, and starting pitcher Mickey Pena.
Cecchini's All-Star nod is his second, as he was also named to the New York-Penn League game in 2011. Cecchini, 20, is currently batting .306/.394/.449, and his 15 doubles and 40 runs scored lead all Drive players. A fourth round pick in the 2010 draft, Cecchini is currently ranked the #11 prospect in the Red Sox system on SoxProspects.com.
De La Cruz has been having a breakout season offensively. After compiling only a .682 OPS with Lowell in 2011, he has exploded in 2012 with a .313/.361/.562 line. His 5 triples place him second in the South Atlantic League, while his 11 home runs put him in a tie for third, helping him to the league's fourth best slugging percentage. De La Cruz, originally signed as in March 2009 out of the Dominican Republic, is making his first All-Star team in his fourth season of professional baseball. SoxProspects.com rates De La Cruz the #23 prospect in the system.
The recognition is another accolade for Mickey Pena, who garnered attention by pitching six perfect innings as part of Greenville's no-hitter on May 8. In 52.1 innings pitched over 10 appearances, Pena has a 2.08 ERA, 1.013 WHIP, 57 strikeouts and only 8 walks. The 21-year-old left-hander was taken in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, and is currently the #40 prospect on SoxProspects.com after beginning the season unranked.
The 2012 South Atlantic League All-Star Game will be played on June 19th at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston, SC.