South-Doyle grad and Knoxville native Bryce Brentz has been named to the 2012 Eastern League All-Star roster.
Brentz plays for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. He'll play in the League's All-Star game next Wednesday in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Here is more on the honor from Middle Tennessee State University:
Former Blue Raider Bryce Brentz has been named to the 2012 Eastern League All-Star roster as an outfielder for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The All-Star Game will be held Wednesday, July 11 at 6:05 p.m. CT at First Energy Stadium in Reading, Pa.
"I was selected last year to the South Atlantic League All-Star Team, but I didn't get to play in the game because I was called up, so this is my first all-star appearance and I'm excited about that," Brentz said. "It will be a new experience, and I'm going to enjoy it and have a good time. It's an honor to be selected because there are so many great players in this league."
The All-Star Game will feature the Eastern Division All-Stars against the Western Division All-Stars, with each team consisting of 24 players. The teams were selected through fan voting along with selections from media personnel, club field personnel, and Eastern League administrators. One position player and one pitcher from each team were selected through fan voting, with Brentz serving as the fan selection for Portland.
Brentz has appeared in 77 games for the Sea Dogs this season hitting .293 (83-for-283) with ten home runs and 37 RBI. The 23 year-old was named the Eastern League and the Topps Player of the Month for May after hitting .388 with five home runs, 18 runs scored, and 11 RBI in 26 games. Baseball America lists Brentz as the fifth-ranked prospect in the organization and the "Best Power Hitter" among Red Sox farmhands. In 2011 he was honored as the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Co-Player of the Year after hitting .306 with 25 doubles, 30 home runs, and 94 RBI between Single-A Greenville and Single-A Salem. Brentz was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the supplemental portion of the first round of the 2010 draft as the 36th overall pick.