EVERETT — The honors keep coming fast and furious for David Banuelos.
Several days after he was named the Northwest League Player of the Week for July 16-23, Banuelos was one of three Everett AquaSox named to the Northwest League All-Star Team. The NWL All-Stars will take on the Pioneer League All-Stars on Tuesday at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro, Oregon.
“It’s a huge honor and it’s one thing that’s something you work for,” Banuelos said. “It’s something that is in the back of your mind that is something you want to be and thank God I made it. It’s awesome to be able to represent the Everett AquaSox and also the Seattle Mariners organization.”
Banuelos is slashing .295/.389/.500 with three homers and 24 RBI. He has also thrown own 10 of 26 would-be base-stealers.
“It’s going to be cool to meet guys you’ve been playing against and also play against another league,” Banuelos said. “I’ll probably run across some guys that I’ve known, and it’s going to be a fun time playing with new guys and a group of guys you’ve never played with before.”
Joining Banuelos on the All-Star team from Everett are pitcher Andres Torres and infielder Joseph Rosa. This is the third annual event that pits the NWL All-Stars against their counterparts from the short-season rookie Pioneer League that includes eight teams in Montana, Idaho, Utah and Colorado.
The home run derby was held Monday night with the game itself taking place at 7:05 p.m Tuesday.
Rosa is slashing .292/.368/.532 for an OPS of .900. He is second in the NWL in slugging and leads the league in OPS and doubles (15). He is tied for third in the league in both homers (six) and RBI (28).
“I always wanted to go to an all-star game and this is my first year so having this opportunity feels really good,” Rosa said.
A switch-hitter, Rosa hit his first home run of the season from the right side of the plate in Everett’s 13-8 win over Boise on July 24.
“I wasn’t feeling that good on the right side, so I was practicing that day,” Rosa said. “I got a hit to right and then I had the homer. It felt pretty good. I feel way better (from the) left side because I’m used to hitting lefty because there is a lot of righty pitchers.”
Torres won his first five decisions of the year before suffering his first loss Friday in a 5-0 Spokane Indians victory. Nevertheless Torres has a 5-1 mark with a 2.64 earned-run average in 44⅓ innings this season. He has fanned 39 hitters and prior to Friday hadnn’t allowed an earned run in his three previous starts.
The AquaSox (19-26) open a five-game series at Salem-Keizer beginning at 6:35 p.m. Thursday. Everett returns home for a brief three-game series on Tuesday, Aug. 8 before heading to Boise for a five-game road series.
For the latest AquaSox news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @JesseGeleynse.
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