ZooKeepers send 7 to All-Star game

ASHEBORO — A total of seven Asheboro ZooKeepers were selected and will compete Monday and Tuesday at the 25th annual Coastal Plain League All-Star Game held this year in Florence, SC.

Representing the West Division leading ZooKeepers are catcher Josh Martinez (UNC-Wilmington), third baseman Brady McGuire (Seton Hill), shortstop Daniel Stephens (UNC Pembroke), outfielder Cameron Austin (USC Aiken), who was voted one of the starters, and right-handed pitchers Takuma Sato, Ben Shepherd and Carlos Gomez.

The players were voted upon within their division by CPL head coaches, front office staff, broadcasters, official scorers and local media representatives from each team. The West will be the home team and the East the visitors.

“I’m not going to take credit for this, these guys work hard,” Asheboro manager Jamey May said. “Their goal is to play at the next level. A lot of these guys are working out everyday and producing the product they are striving for. It’s an honor."

As expected, the players were excited to represent the ZooKeepers at the annual Mid-Summer Classic.

“Pretty excited, going with a bunch of the other guys, I’m stoked,” Austin said. “It was definitely a goal for sure. Not the end-goal, but a goal."

Gomez had another reason to be proud of his all-star nod.

“Basically, I am very happy,” said Gomez, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023. “I’m really glad to have this opportunity with the ZooKeepers."

Gomez, who leads the team with five saves, earned his first start just prior to the All-Star Game, giving up one run and one hit in four innings of work. For the season, he has hurled 16 ⅔ innings with 25 strikeouts.

“These guys got hot at the right time, the first half is what they go off,” May said. “Credit to the front office Kory (Dunbar) and Clint (Marsh) for bringing these players in."

Along with the seven all-stars from Asheboro, May said he strongly believes Sylas Boris and Reggie Sharpe should have been included.

Boris is hitting .311 with five home runs and 18 RBIs, while Sharpe is second in the league with a .415 batting average, 21 runs scored, 11 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Of the ones who did make it, Yakuma Sato may have been the most pleasant surprise, just like his season. Sato, from Osaka, Japan and who plays at Union University in Jackson, TN., is 1-1 with a 2.21 ERA in 20⅓ innings of work. He has fanned 20.

“He has been our long relief guy, the guy who can eat up innings,” May said. “He hasn’t started, but he’s in the top three or four in terms of innings pitched. He just gets outs. He throws strikes and mixes his pitches. He is super respectful. I know if we have Sato up, we have a good chance."

Seven is the most representatives Asheboro has sent to the All-Star Game since 2016 when that team sent seven players as well.

The ZooKeepers will look a little different in the second half. A number of players headed home after the all-star break due to finding new schools, limited pitch counts or minor injuries. However, more were expected to check in.

Olmedo Quezada of Cochise College threw five innings of shutout baseball against Boone prior to the All-Star break, Brenden Cole from Midway is on board as is Kalamazoo College’s Robert Ahlgren.

Offensively, UNC’s Perry Hargett, who hit .273 in 14 games for the Tar Heels this past season, gives the ZooKeepers another strong offensive player in the outfield.

Asheboro is third in the CPL in hitting with a .288 average and fourth in runs with 217. Asheboro is 17-10 at the break.

“The bottom line is we’re going to hit,” May said. “This lineup is going to hit. We have some veterans guys who have a lot of college at-bats who are anchoring the lineup and they are just now hitting stride."

What a second half we could have.