Quartet of Slammers Selected for All-Star Game

The Joliet Slammers are sending four players to Avon, Ohio, on Wednesday for the Frontier League All-Star Game.

Oak Lawn native Erik Lis and New Lenox native Josh Flores were voted in as starters in the East Division while rookie outfielder Bobby Leeper and Joliet native Ryan Quigley earned spots on the team as well.

“These four guys have really ignited our team this season,” manager Bart Zeller said. “They work hard and when things go bad they just work harder. We are so proud of all of them for earning these well-deserved spots on the All-Star team.”

Up to eight representatives from each club were eligible to vote including the general manager, the field manager, up to three coaches, the radio broadcaster and two members of the local media.

Lis, 27, will start at first base in the All-Star Game despite spending most of his time with the Slammers as a designated hitter.

Lis was a 2005 ninth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins out of the University of Evansville. He advanced to the Triple-A level in the Twins’ organization. The first baseman has hit 10 or more homers every year he’s been in professional baseball. In addition, his batting average has topped .270 five out of six years, with two seasons of hitting better than .300.

Lis started 2011 with the Jacksonville Suns, the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate before signing with the Slammers.

Flores, 25, will start in the outfield. He was the Slammers’ first signing. He played for the old Joliet team for the second half of the 2010 season, where he went 23 for 25 in stolen bases with an OBP of .435.

Flores was drafted out of Lincoln-Way Central High School in 2004 in the 24th round by the Atlanta Braves but opted to attend Triton College instead.

He was a fourth-round draft pick in 2005 by the Houston Astros and reached the Double A level with Corpus Christi at the age of 21. In 2007, he hit .279 with 42 runs batted in and 39 stolen bases.

Leeper, 23, has had an outstanding rookie season. The former UNC-Wilmington player finished his collegiate career at Mount Olive College where he helped lead the Trojans to the Conference Carolinas baseball tournament championship. He was named first team all-conference, hitting an outstanding .433 with 13 dingers.

Quigley, 26, has had an interesting season for the Slammers. He was signed by the Washington Nationals organization earlier in the year after a hot start with Joliet. But an old lower-body injury suffered in college that does not impact his ability to pitch caused him to fail his physical and return to Joliet.

Affiliated ball’s loss has been the Slammers’ gain as Quigley has been outstanding.

The Joliet Catholic Academy graduate knows the Frontier League well. The right-handed pitcher has played for the Southern Illinois Miners and the Windy City ThunderBolts during his professional career.

Quigley played his college ball at St. Xavier University on the South Side of Chicago before making his debut with the Miners in 2007. Tommy John surgery ended his 2008 season prematurely and prevented Quigley from playing at all in 2009.

But he came back with a vengeance last season for the Thunderbolts as he struck-out 77 batters in 62 2/3 innings. This season he’s put it all together as the Slammers’ closer.