Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

J.D. Martinez

Lexington Legends outfielder J.D. Martinez is among 10 players selected to the Topps Class A All-Star team. Topps, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, honors the top performances in all minor-league classifications.

J.D. Martinez

Class A includes the South Atlantic, Midwest, California and Florida State leagues — 52 teams in all.

Martinez, MVP of the South Atlantic League and Minor League Player of the Year in the Houston Astros organization, is the only SAL player named to the Topps All-Star team.

Martinez, 23, led all of Class A with a 1.030 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentages). He also led the SAL in batting (.362), slugging (.598) and on-base percentage (.433). At the time of his promotion from Lexington to Double-A Corpus Christi on July 15, he led the league in hits, doubles, extra-base hits, runs and total bases. He hit 15 home runs and drove in 64 runs over 88 games with the Legends.

Topps Class A All-Stars

Pos.  Player                  Team/League    MLB affiliate  Avg.-HR-RBI
1B   Paul Goldschmidt     Visalia/California      Arizona        .314-35-108
2B   Kyle Seager             High Desert/Calif.    Seattle         .345-14-74
3B   Stephen Parker       Stockton/California   Oakland      .296-21-98
SS   Grant Green            Stockton/California   Oakland       .318-20-87
OF   Johermyn Chavez   High Desert/California  Seattle     .315-32-96
OF   J.D. Martinez           Lexington/SAL           Houston      .362-15-64
OF   Mike Trout              Cedar Rapids/Midwest L.A.Angels .341-10-58
                                      Rancho Cucamonga/California
C    Jason Hagerty          Fort Wayne/Midwest   San Diego  .302-14-74
DH   Rich Poythress       High Desert/California  Seattle     .315-31-130
                                                                                           W-L    ERA
P    Matthew Moore      Charlotte/Fla. State     Tampa Bay  6-11    3.36

Jarvis moves from Diamondbacks to Padres

Kevin Jarvis

Kevin Jarvis, 41, is switching organizations as a major league scout, moving from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the San Diego Padres.

Jarvis, a former Tates Creek High School and Wake Forest standout, pitched for the D-backs and Padres, among others, over a 12-year big-league career.

During his time with the Padres (2001-03), the right-hander was 18-23 with a 5.06 ERA over 55 starts. For his career, Jarvis was 34-49 with a 6.03 ERA.

The Padres also named former catcher Brad Ausmus as special assistant to baseball operations, and former Arizona State University head coach Pat Murphy as manager of the short-season A Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds.

Lawless, Clapp, Montague assigned to Hooks

Tom Lawless

Stubby Clapp

The Astros have stocked the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks staff with multiple connections from the Legends.

Named as manager is Tom Lawless, who held the same post with Lexington in 2009 and High-A Lancaster last season.

His staff includes former Legends hitting coach Stubby Clapp and trainer Eric Montague. Also on Lawless’ staff is pitching coach Don Alexander.

Kentucky’s men are No. 19 and Louisville’s women are 14th in the first regular-season U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings of NCAA Division I teams.

The Florida State men and Texas A&M women retained the No. 1 spots awarded in the pre-season. Oregon is No. 2 in both men’s and women’s rankings.

The UK men dropped two spots from the pre-season. The Wildcats are last among seven Southeastern Conference teams ranked among the top 20.

The top 25 men’s teams include seven each from the SEC, Pac-10 and Big 12, plus two each from the ACC and Big Ten.

Louisville’s women climbed four spots from the pre-season. The Cardinals are the first of three Big East teams among the top 25.

The SEC leads the women’s poll with six teams among the top 25. The Big 12 has four teams, followed by the Big East, Pac-10 and ACC with three each.

Both Louisville and Kentucky will be in action this weekend at UK’s Rod McCravy Memorial Meet.

Friday’s schedule is limited to four field events — men’s high jump, women’s pole vault and weight throws for men and women.

Saturday’s card begins at 10:30 a.m. with the women’s high jump and long jump. The first track event, semifinals of the women’s 60-meter hurdles, is set for 12:30 p.m.

MEN                                                                                   WOMEN
Rank (previous rank) School (points)                     Rank (previous) School (points)

 1. (1) Florida State (135.17)                                        1. (1) Texas A&M (189.67)
 2. (3) Oregon (124.74)                                                 2. (2) Oregon (120.25)
 3. (2) Florida (120.22)                                                  3. (5) Brigham Young (117.86)
 4. (8) Texas A&M (118.10)                                           4. (3) LSU (105.16)
 5. (4) Nebraska (107.17)                                             5. (4) Florida State (103.16)
 6. (9) LSU (106.59)                                                       6. (10) Penn State (91.38)
 7. (5) Arkansas (94.10)                                                7. (9) Clemson (85.29)
 8. (7) Arizona State (89.48)                                          8. (12) Tennessee (82.15)
 9. (6) Oklahoma (88.97)                                               9. (6) Florida (79.60)
10. (11) Baylor (67.78)                                                 10. (17) Arkansas (75.59)
11. (14) Texas Tech (65.59)                                       11. (7) South Carolina (74.18)
12. (10) Minnesota (62.80)                                         12. (11) Nebraska (66.28)
13. (13) Virginia Tech (61.23)                                     13. (8) Washington (65.98)
14. (19) Georgia (57.62)                                              14. (18) LOUISVILLE (63.40)
15. (12) South Carolina (57.45)                                 15. (21) Oklahoma (61.68)
16. (38) Indiana (53.65)                                              16. (16) Baylor (61.40)
17. (16) Stanford (48.07)                                             17. (26) Arizona (58.12)
18. (15) Auburn (47.67)                                               18. (13) Virginia Tech (56.30)
19. (17) KENTUCKY (47.42)                                        19. (27) Auburn (53.31)
20. (101) Arizona (41.20)                                             20. (23) Southern Illinois (53.29)
21. (18) Washington State (40.92)                            21. (14) Connecticut (47.74)
22. (20) California (40.72)                                           22. (20) Indiana State (46.28)
23. (22) Kansas State (40.59)                                    23. (22) West Virginia (44.97)
24. (21) Oklahoma State (39.64)                               24. (19) Illinois (44.91)
25. (36) Washington (37.87)                                      25. (25) Texas-El Paso (44.56)

Cardinals 21st, Wildcats 26th in softball pre-season poll

Louisville is No. 21 and Kentucky is one spot shy of making the ESPN.com/USA Softball Pre-Season Collegiate Top 25 poll released Tuesday.

Topping the list is defending NCAA champion Washington (51-12 last season), taking 17 of 20 first-place votes.

U of L (48-11) is one of two Big East teams ranked, one spot behind DePaul. The Cardinals open their season Feb. 12 in the Marriott Tournament at Houston. In order, U of L will face Kansas, No. 15 Baylor (twice), Houston and No. 16 Ohio State.

UK (34-23) had the most votes of “others receiving votes” – 26th overall. The Wildcats begin play Feb. 11 in the Kajikawa Classic where they will face, in order, host and No. 7-ranked Arizona State, San Diego State, Cal State Fullerton, Western Michigan and No. 11 California.

Five Southeastern Conference teams are ranked ahead of UK: No. 2 Alabama, No. 5 Florida, No. 8 Georgia, No. 13 LSU and No. 18 Tennessee.

Rank, Team (first-place votes), 2009 record, points

 1. Washington (17)         51-12   479
 2. Alabama (1)                 54-11   457
 3. Michigan                       47-12   430
 4. Arizona (1)                    46-17   424
 5. Florida                           63-5     407
 6. UCLA (1)                       45-11   396
 7. Arizona State                47-19   387
 8. Georgia                         47-12   363
 9. Missouri                        50-12   337
10. Oklahoma                    41-16   306
11. California                     38-20   282
12. Stanford                       48-11    256
13. LSU                           34-18-1    234
14. Georgia Tech               46-15   215
15. Baylor                            40-22   214
16. Ohio State                     47-11   187
17. Northwestern               31-15   167
18. Tennessee               40-18-1   163
19. Florida State                 44-16   128
20. DePaul                          39-14   107
21. LOUISVILLE                  48-11    93
22. North Carolina              47-13    91
23. La.-Lafayette                 45-13    84
24. Fresno State                 28-20    70
25. UMass                           41-10     55
Others receiving votes: KENTUCKY (26), Jacksonville State (17), Auburn (14), North Dakota State (14), Nevada (12), Oregon (11), Oklahoma State (10), Texas (8), Cal Poly (7), Notre Dame (7), Nebraska (6), Texas A&M 5, Ball State (4), Brigham Young (4), San Diego State (4), Long Beach State (3), Purdue (2), New Mexico State (1), Virginia Tech (1), Western Michigan (1).

SCORE one for the ol’ coach

Jeff Bennett

Former UK baseball coach Keith Madison, now national baseball director of SCORE International, is helping raise funds for the non-profit organization through an online sale of baseball memorabilia. The pair of items come courtesy of Jeff Bennett, relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays and an annual supporter of SCORE. The sale on eBay runs through January.

Descriptions follow.

1. 2009 official MLB Rawlings baseball, with 22 autographs from the World Series champion New York Yankees. Signatures include Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mariano Rivera, Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada, (World Series MVP) Hideki Matsui, Andy Pettitte, AJ Burnett, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher, Joba Chamberlain and Manager Joe Girardi.  Online, see: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=220543520321&Category=73418&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D1

2. 2009 official Mark Teixeira-autographed baseball bat. The bat was donated from Teixeira’s personal game collection, straight from the Yankees clubhouse, and is signed in permanent silver ink. Online, see: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220546270071

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods

What: Four-game series (Final series of the 2009 season)

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 Friday and Saturday nights; 5:05 Sunday; 1:05 Monday)

Where: Bowling Green Ballpark, Bowling Green, Ky.

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (8-13, 4.10) vs. RH Chris Andujar (10-4, 2.74); Saturday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-11, 3.31) vs. TBA; Sunday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (7-5, 3.87) vs. LH Frank De Los Santos (4-10, 3.79); Monday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.41) vs. TBA.

Chris Andujar

Hot Rod to watch: All-star RHP Chris Andujar (6-foot, 182 pounds, from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) gets the start Friday. Andujar’s 10 victories are tied for third-best in the league (through Tuesday) and his 2.74 ERA ranks fourth. Over 30 appearances, including 16 starts, Andujar has worked 115 innings, striking out 76 and walking 39. Signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent on April 25, 2006. With Hudson Valley of the New York-Penn League last year, Andujar went 3-4 with a 5.65 ERA. He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, fanning 57 over 65 2/3 innings.

Brian Pellegrini

Legends to watch: 1B/LF/DH Brian Pellegrini (6-1, 240, from Willoughby, Ohio) smashed the franchise records for career homers (28, by Tommy Whiteman and Justin Humphries) earlier this season and needs just one more to take sole possession of the team’s single-season record. He goes into the series with 46 bombs as a Legend. His 25 this season lead the league and match the single-season record set by Beau Hearod and tied by Hunter Pence. Pellegrini played his first 30 games of the season for High-A Lancaster, hitting another seven homers. Through Wednesday, Pellegrini is hitting .290, with 68 RBI and 60 runs scored, over 98 games with the Legends. He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 12th round of the 2007 draft, out of St. Bonaventure University, where he was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2006. He played five games for Tri-City in 2007. Last year, in 87 games with the Legends, Pellegrini hit .226 with 21 homers 69 RBI and 50 runs scored. Despite his linebacker-type build, Pellegrini is surprisingly quick. He stole 13 bases last season and has nine this year. 

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Bud Norris

Henry Villar

Matt Nevarez

Also of note: Former Legend RHP Bud Norris, now with the Astros, has been named Pitcher of the Year in the Pacific Coast League, where he played for the Round Rock Express. Norris went 4-9, but led the PCL with a 2.63 ERA over 19 starts. Since being called up by the Astros, Norris is 3-3 with a 6.61 ERA over six starts. … Mike Tauser’s “Farmstros Five” for the week, all RHPs, includes Legends Henry Villar and Matt Nevarez. Corpus Christi’s Chia-jen Lo tops the list, joined by Jose Cisnero of Greeneville and Kirk Clark of Tri-City. For more on the Farmstros, see Tauser’s blog: http://farmstros.blogspot.com/

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

What: 4-game series

When: REVISED after Thursday’s rainout: Friday through Sunday (5:05 p.m. doubleheader Friday, 7:05 Saturday night, 2:05 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, game one, RH Kyle Greenwalt (4-7, 3.87) vs. LH Frank De Los Santos (3-5, 4.08); Friday, game two, RH Jordan Lyles (4-6, 3.09) vs. RH Nick Barnese (1-1, 1.59); Saturday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (4-1, 2.59) vs. LH Matt Moore (3-3, 3.41); Sunday, RH Robert Bono (6-4, 2.27) vs. RH Shane Dyer (1-5, 4.65).

Anthony Scelfo

Hot Rod to watch: CF Anthony Scelfo (5-foot-10, 195 pounds, from New Orleans) leads Bowling Green in runs (33), walks (26) and stolen bases (7). Over 62 games, he’s batting .247 with two homers and 17 RBI. After batting .195 in May, he has improved to .289 this month. Selected by Tampa Bay in the eighth round of the 2008 draft, out of Tulane University, where he was on a football scholarship. He started in both sports his final academic year, 2007-08. He quarterbacked in all 12 football games, including eight starts over the last nine games, and finished with 1,396 yards and six touchdowns on 111-for-205 passing. He also was second on the team with 171 rushing yards and a score on 57 carries. The following spring, he hit .322 and led the Green Wave in homers (12), triples (7), runs (72), total bases (133), walks (54), slugging (.578) and on-base percentage (.453). Scelfo was named to the New York-Penn League all-star team in his first pro season, last year with Hudson Valley. He hit .281 with four homers and 24 RBI over 61 games, and led the league with eight triples.

Michael Diaz

Legend to watch: IF/DH Michael Diaz (5-10, 180, from Bridgeport, Conn.) has hits in nine of his last 10 games (12-for-35, .343). Overall, he’s hitting .264 with three homers, 10 RBI, eight runs and four stolen bases over 36 games. With runners in scoring position, he’s 11-for-26 (.423). Selected by the Houston Astros in the 30th round of the 2008 draft, out of Southern Connecticut State, he played 48 games for Tri-City in the New York-Penn League last summer. He went 50-for-177 (.282) with five homers, 22 RBI, 29 runs and six stolen bases. This season, he played one game with Double-A Corpus Christi (0-for-1) before being assigned to the Legends. Oddly, he is hitting .348 on the road and .169 at Applebee’s Park. The same was true with Tri-City, as he hit .351 on the road and .205 at home.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Also of interest: Blogger Mike Tauser has named his “Farmstros Five” for the week: Top performer LHP Luis Cruz of Greeneville; RHP Jordan Lyles of Lexington; OF T.J. Steele of Lancaster; and a pair of former Legends, LHP Polin Trinidad of Corpus Christi and RHP Bud Norris of Round Rock. You can find the blog at: http://farmstros.blogspot.com/

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends
vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods

What: Three-game series

When: Tuesday through Thursday (7:05 Tuesday and Thursday nights, 12:05 Wednesday)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Probable pitching matchups (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Jordan Lyles (2-6, 3.26) vs. RH Nick Barnese (0-0, 1.50); Wednesday, RH Ross Seaton (6-6, 2.69) vs. LH Matt Moore (3-3, 3.68); Thursday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (3-1, 2.52) vs. RH Shane Dyer (1-4, 4.67).

Jake Jeffries

Hot Rod to watch: C Jake Jeffries (6-foot-1, 212 pounds, from Merced, Calif.) went into Monday’s game ranked 11th in the league and sharing the team lead in RBI (33). Overall, Jeffries is batting .254 and is tied for second on the club with four homers. He’s third on the team with 25 runs and 19 walks and fourth with 50 hits. Selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round (78th overall) of the 2008 draft, Jeffries is rated the 18th-best prospect in the organization, according to Baseball America. He signed for $515,000 and debuted last season with Hudson Valley, ranking sixth in the New York-Penn League with a .315 batting average. He also led the Renegades in doubles (16) and on-base percentage (.379). Jeffries was 2008 Big West Conference co-player of the year for Cal-Davis, as well as a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes (top collegiate player) and Johnny Bench (top collegiate catcher) awards. Jeffries is a nephew of former Pirates relief pitcher Blas Minor.

Albert Cartwright

Legend to watch: 2B/DH Albert Cartwright (5-10, 180, from Winter Haven, Fla.) returned to the lineup Saturday after missing 37 games due to a broken bone in his forearm. Cartwright was batting .316 and riding an eight-game hitting streak at the time when he was injured. In three games back, all as DH, he is 0-for-9, dropping his average to .298. Overall, he is 25-for-84 over 25 games, with three homers, seven doubles and a triple. He has scored 16 runs and driven in 13, with a .366 on-base percentage

Andy Simunic

and .512 slugging. Selected by the Houston Astros in the 36th round of the 2007 draft, out of Polk (Fla.) Community College, Cartwright played the last two seasons for Greeneville. Last year, over 39 games, he hit .306 (37-for-21) with three homers, 17 RBI, 23 runs and 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts.

*  With Cartwright’s return, Legends 2B Andy Simunic is being listed as temporarily inactive. Simunic has played 22 games for the Legends, hitting .229 with an RBI and eight runs scored.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods

What: Two-game series

When: Thursday and Friday (8:05 EDT each night)

Where: Bowling Green Ballpark

Tickets: Call (270) 901-2121

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (3-1, 2.05) vs. RH Nick Barnese (0-0, 1.80); Friday, RH Ross Seaton (6-5, 2.49) vs. LH Matt Moore (3-2, 3.30).

Matthew Moore

Hot Rod to watch: Friday starter Matt Moore (6-foot-1, 207 pounds, from Edgewood, N.M.) is coming off a pair of starts that earned him SAL Pitcher of the Week honors. After tossing four innings of no-run, four-hit ball against Rome, Moore fired a seven-inning no-run, no-hit gem at Asheville. The two-game total: 0 runs, 4 hits, 3 walks, 18 strikeouts. Overall, Moore has made 11 starts. Over 46 1/3 innings, he has struck out 69, walked 36 and held opponents to a .175 batting average. Included in that is a four-inning, no-decision appearance against the Legends on April 26. He gave up three earned runs, two hits and four walks in that game, striking out five as the Hot Rods won 7-6. He is rated by Baseball America as the sixth-best prospect in the Tampa Bay system. Now a week shy of his 20th birthday, Moore was selected by the Rays in the eighth round of the 2007 draft, signing for $115,000. Out of Moriarty High School, he was Gatorade Player of the Year in New Mexico as a senior. Last year, he was 3-2 with a 1.66 ERA over 12 starts and led the Appalachian League with 77 strikeouts (vs. 19 walks). He led all of minor-league ball with 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings, and by holding opponents to a .154 batting average.

Henry Villar

Legend to watch: RHP Henry Villar (5-11, 150, from Bonao, Dominican Republic) has been effective in a variety of roles. His 16 appearances include three starts. He is 1-1, with a save, five holds and a 1.71 ERA. He has worked 42 innings, with 50 strikeouts and 11 walks while holding opponents to a .221 batting average. Villar, 22, pitched two innings of relief in the same April contest that Bowling Green’s Moore faced the Legends, giving up a run and three hits while striking out two. Villar joined the Houston Astros system in July, 2005. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League before moving to Greeneville of the Appalachian League last year. Over those three seasons, Villar was 8-11, with a 3.09 ERA over 39 games (13 each year) and 180 1/3 innings, with 166 strikeouts and 33 walks.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Charley Taylor lifted spirits in the Lexington Legends clubhouse by making his first appearance of the season Friday.

Charley Taylor

Travis Driskill

Taylor, who has started all nine of the Legends seasons as pitching coach (he finished one season at Triple-A New Orleans), is recovering from surgery to remove his prostate and cancerous bladder. Travis Driskill, pitching coach for the rookie-league Greeneville (Tenn.) Astros, has filled in admirably in Taylor’s absence. Taylor had hoped to return to coaching this season but Friday, for the first time, said that might not be realistic.

With the Appalachian League prepared to open play June 23, the parent-club Houston Astros have taken steps to fill the void if Taylor is unable to return this season.

Driskill will remain with the Legends.

Rick Aponte

Aponte pitched six seasons (1975-80) in the Astros system, reaching the Triple-A Charleston Charlies and Tuscon Toros.

Bailey, Moore earn Pitcher of the Week honors

Homer Bailey

Cincinnati Reds prospect Homer Bailey, now with the Louisville Bats, has been named the International League’s pitcher of the week.

Tampa Bay Rays prospect Matthew Moore, with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, has earned the same title in the South Atlantic League.

Bailey made two starts last week, winning at Pawtucket and at home against Lehigh Valley. He worked 14 2/3 innings and did not allow an earned run as he improved to 6-4 overall, with a 2.52 ERA. He scattered 11 hits over those two games, striking out 14 and walking two.

Matthew Moore

Moore also pitched twice last week, getting a no-decision against Rome and a win at Asheville. In all, he worked 11 innings, did not give up an earned run, with four hits, 18 strikeouts and three walks. Moore, 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA overall, worked seven no-hit innings at Asheville, where he fanned 12 and walked two.

South Atlantic League Baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods

What: Three-game series

When: Tuesday through Thursday (7:05 Central each night)

Where: Bowling Green (Ky.) Ballpark

Tickets:   (270) 901-2121  

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Robert Bono (5-1, 1.98) vs. pitcher to be named; Wednesday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (2-5, 2.98) vs. LH Frank De Los Santos (3-3, 3.38); Thursday, RH Jordan Lyles (2-5, 3.31) vs. RH Joe Cruz (1-2, 2.08).

Joe Cruz

Hot Rod to watch: Thursday’s starter, RHP Joe Cruz (6-foot-4, 190 pounds, from Baldwin Park, Calif.), hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his seven starts, and he’s only allowed two runs once. Over 30 1/3 innings, he has 34 strikeouts to eight walks, holding opponents to a .280 average. Selected by Tampa Bay in the 30th round of the 2007 draft, out of East Los Angeles Junior College, Cruz appeared in 16 games over the last season-plus (three games in 2007) for Princeton of the Appalachian League, where he went 3-3 with a 2.71 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 17 walks. Baseball America rates him 23rd among Tampa Bay prospects, noting that he has “demonstrated a live arm with above-average control.” He comes armed with a 90-94 mph fastball, a curveball and changeup.

Brian Pellegrini

Legend to watch: 1B/OF Brian Pellegrini (6-1, 240, from Willoughby, Ohio) joined the Legends on May 16 after starting the season with High-A Lancaster. He was Lexington’s primary power hitter last season, when he hit 21 homers and drove in 69 runs over 87 games. He hit .226, with a .331 on-base percentage and .503 slugging. Selected by the Astros in the 12th round of the 2007 draft, out of St. Bonaventure University, he was Atlantic 10 player of the year and an all-star in 2006. At Lancaster this season, Pellegrini hit .171 with seven homers and 15 RBI over 30 games. In 15 games with the Legends, he is hitting .294 with four homers and 12 RBI. He also has drawn nine walks and struck out 14 times. Monday, his three-run homer in the first inning fueled a 5-0 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets.

Jay Austin

Also of note: The Legends made a roster change Monday. CF Jay Austin was placed on the disabled list. He suffered a concussion when he collided with SS Jorge De Leon during the first inning of Saturday’s game. Taking Austin’s spot on the roster is OF Eric Suttle, who comes from Lancaster. In 12 games with the JetHawks, Suttle hit .375 and drove in 12 runs. He played for Southern Illinois of the Frontier League last season. He made his Legends debut Monday, batting second and playing in left. Suttle was 0-for-2, but drew two walks and scored a run in a 5-0 win over Augusta.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

The Bowling Green Hot Rods, new Low-A affiliate of the American League-champion Tampa Bay Rays, have announced their inaugural roster.

Among the 25 players on the South Atlantic League team’s roster are infielder brothers Tim and Jeremy Beckham.

Tim, 19, was selected by the Rays in the first round of layst year’s June draft, coming from Griffin High School in Georgia. The shortstop split last summer between Princeton of the Appalachian League and Hudson Valley of the New York-Penn League. Baseball America named him the top position-player prospect in the Tampa Bay minor-league system.

Jeremy, 22, was a 15th round draft pick last year out of Georgia Southern University. He also split his time between Princeton and Hudson Valley last summer.

The Beckhams are among 12 Hot Rods from Tampa Bay’s 2008 draft class.

Right-hander Matt Moore, a 2007 third-round pick, is Bowling Green’s highest rated pitcher. Baseball America lists him as the No. 6 Rays prospect.

The roster follows.

PITCHERS           Ht.  Wt.   B/T  DOB       Resides         ’08 clubs          W  L  S  ERA

                                                                                   HV–Hudson Valley; P–Princeton 

Chris Andujar           6-0  182    R/R  8-24-87   San Pedro de …, DR HV      3   4  0   5.65

Jamie Bagley            6-2  221   R/R   7-16-87   Huffman, Texas          P         2   2  5   2.70

                                                                                                                 HV      1   1  0   5.59

Joseph Cruz             6-3  214   R/R  7-20-88    Baldwin Park, Calif.   P         1   3  0   3.17

Frank De Los Santos 5-11  175   L/L  11-17-87  Los Forrales, D.R.  HV      4   5  0   5.40

Shane Dyer              6-3  189   R/R   3-9-88    Eaton, Colo.               HV       3   4  0   3.68

Diego Echeverria   5-10  182   R/R   1-1-85    Buenos Aires, Argen.  HV      4   1  1   4.48

Marquis Fleming      6-0  181   R/R   9-11-86  Turlock, Calif.             HV       1   2  1   3.86

Tyree Hayes          5-11  163   R/R  8-8-88     Tomball, Texas           HV        5   6  0   3.39

Michael Jarman       6-1  199   L/L   6-6-85     Oklahoma City, Okla. P           2   2  4   1.52

Matt Moore            6-1  207   L/L   6-18-89   Edgewood, N.M.        P           2   2  0   1.66

Tommy Rafferty     6-0  180   R/R   2-5-85      Lorena, Texas             HV        2   0  0   4.35

Josh Satow            5-9  171   L/L   12-18-85  Gilbert, Ariz.                HV        3   0  2   1.23

Neil Schenk           6-3  216   L/L   6-17-86    Memphis, Tenn.           HV        2   2  1   1.84