Six Emeralds head to All-Star game

For the first time in Northwest League history there will be an All-Star game and six Eugene Emeralds have been invited. Eugene’s Home Run heroes Colt Morton and Lachlan Dale are heading to Spokane. Matt Thayer, with his better than .300 batting average was selected to the team. Emeralds starting pitcher Vern Sterry brings his top-ten ERA to the All-Star game and is joined by Ems pitcher Mike Ekstrom and team saves leader Brian Burks.

Colt Morton and Lachlan Dale lead the Northwest League in homers with ten. Morton sports a .292 average and .401 on base percentage while Dale is hitting .213. Despite his low average, Dale leads the team in RBI's with 26. Morton is second with 23.

Matt Thayer is batting .304, the only Ems player above .300. Thayer has 12 multi-hit games in 28 games on the year. He also leads the Ems in stolen bases with eight.

Vern Sterry is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA. He had a one hitter on June 22, pitching 7.2 innings in his first game on the hill for Eugene. Sterry has not allowed more than six hits in any game and is limiting opponents to a .211 batting average.

Mike Ekstrom is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He has pitched in eight games and made three starts, allowing four earned runs in 20 innings of work. He has walked just four on the year while striking out 17.

Brian Burks is 1-2 with four saves and a 2.70 ERA in 16 appearances. He has held leadoff hitters to a .071 average on the year and has yet to surrender a homer in 16.2 innings of work.