Bowling Green State University Athletics
Reimold Wins Top Star/MVP Award in All-Star Game
June 30, 2006 | Baseball
June 30, 2006
SALEM, Va. - Former Falcon baseball standout Nolan Reimold was named Top Star/MVP of the 2006 Carolina/California All-Star game after leading the Carolina All-Stars to a 6-3 victory.
A feature story written by Lisa Winston of MLB.com: The soft-spoken Nolan Reimold generally prefers to let his bat do the talking. That was certainly the case Tuesday night as the Frederick Keys outfielder went 2-for-3 with a key RBI and a run scored to help lead the Carolina League All-Stars to a 6-3 victory over their California League counterparts at Lewis-Gale Medical Center Field.
Reimold earned the Top Star award for the winning team. The Baltimore Orioles' 2005 second-round draft pick out of Bowling Green State University has been piling up the accolades and honors during this, his first full season, earning the nod as the starting right fielder in this game as well as a spot in next weekend's XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game in Pittsburgh.
"There were a few guys on the team who deserved this tonight, so I was just fortunate enough that they gave it to me," said Reimold, who is hitting .268 with 10 homers and 43 RBIs with the Keys. "It's always special to win an award, especially at an All-Star Game, so I'm just really excited and happy I performed well."
The Futures Game slot has special significance for Reimold, who grew up in central Pennsylvania, just over an hour from Pittsburgh.
"I was really excited about that, I wasn't expecting it," he said of the honor. "My family is real excited. I've already gotten a bunch of tickets for them."
Another recent second-round pick, shortstop Reid Brignac of the Visalia Oaks, was the California League's Top Star after going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Brignac was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' second-round pick in 2004 and is batting .334 with 14 homers at the halfway mark.
The California League quickly drew first blood in the top of the first inning, jumping out to a 1-0 lead when leadoff hitter Yung Chi Chen of the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners) walked and scored on a squib single by Modesto Nuts outfielder Matt Miller (Rockies) past diving Lynchburg Hillcats (Pirates) shortstop Brian Bixler of Lynchburg.
The Carolina Leaguers answered in the bottom of the inning, taking a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish. Bixler started things off with a one-out single to right field, scoring on a double to right by Kinston Indians designated hitter Brian Barton. Barton came home on a sacrifice fly to center by Chris Kelly of the Winston-Salem Warthogs (White Sox).
The Carolina All-Stars added an insurance run in the second on Potomac Nationals second baseman Trey Webb's RBI double to left that scored Andrew Pinckney of the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Red Sox).
The Cal Leaguers drew within a run in their half of the fourth as Chris Rahl of the Lancaster Jethawks (Diamondbacks) drilled a double off the center field wall to score Chase Headley of the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres), making it 3-2.
But the hosts put the game away in the fifth, scoring three runs, starting with Reimold's RBI double off the right field wall that plated Bixler, who had reached on an error to begin the inning. Salem Avalanche outfielder Beau Torbert delivered the big blow, a two-run single to right that made it 6-2.
California eked out one more run in the seventh on Brignac's RBI single, but he was picked off to end the threat.
San Jose Giants reliever Justin Hedrick was named the Pitcher of the Game after he struck out two in a perfect seventh for the California League. Hedrick is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA for the Giants.
Salem ace Chad Reineke was awarded with the win, retiring the Cal Leaguers in order in his half of the second, although starter Chuck Lofgren of Kinston was actually pitcher of record when his team took the lead in the first.
Rodrigo Escobar of the host Avalanche, got the save with a hitless ninth as he struck out Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) shortstop Sean Rodriguez for the final out.
