Eight players on the Evansville Otters roster have been selected as Frontier League All-Stars, the league announced Monday.
The All-Star Game will take place Wednesday, July 11, at CarShield Field in O’Fallon, Mo. Voters in the league-wide process included broadcasters, general managers, field managers, coaches and local media.
Last season, Evansville sent seven players to complete in the All-Star Game for the West Division and Jeff Gardner also won the Home Run Derby. In 2016, former Otter Nik Balog earned All-Star Game MVP honors after he went 2 for 3 with two home runs.
This year, the All-Star Game will have a new format with experienced players going against rookies.
The rookie team includes players in their first or second professional seasons while the experienced team will have players with more than two full seasons of professional experience.
All eight Evansville selections are making the Frontier League All-Star Game for the first time.
Ryan Long was chosen as an outfield starter for the rookies after hitting .318 with 20 RBIs and 31 runs. Long also leads the Otters in hits with 54.
Another rookie player is second baseman David Cronin, who entered Monday with a .309 average with 12 RBIs and 20 runs.
Catcher Mike Rizzitello also made the rookie team after appearing in 22 games for Evansville so far this season. He has 15 hits and 10 RBIs to go along with five doubles.
Two pitchers from Evansville made the rookie team as closer Mitchell Aker and starter Randy Wynne were selected.
Aker leads the Frontier League in saves with 14 and he has a 1.96 ERA in 18 1/3 innings. Wynne started the year in the bullpen but has made a smooth transition to a starter and he entered this week 3-4 with a 3.35 ERA in 51 innings.
Last week’s Frontier League Pitcher of the Week Luc Rennie earned a spot on the experienced team. So far this season, he is 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 62 1/3 innings. He also leads the league in strikeouts with 70.
Toby Thomas, a Frontier League Player of the Week selection earlier this season, also made the experienced team. He is batting .299 with 29 RBIs and five home runs.
Evansville’s final representative on the experienced team is outfielder Travis Harrison, who is hitting .286 to go along with 30 RBIs and 44 hits.
Following an off day Monday, the Otters will start a six-game road trip with a three-game set against the Lake Erie Crushers before squaring off against the Washington Wild Things before the All-Star break. Evansville returns to Bosse Field Tuesday, July 17, at 6:35 p.m. for the first of three against Lake Erie.
