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Series Preview: West Virginia
07/16/2008 1:59 PM ET
By Tim Kay / Columbus Catfish

Columbus, GA - The Columbus Catfish begin a series against the West Virginia Power beginning tonight at 7:05 pm.

Where Do They Stand?: This is a battle of first-place teams, as the Catfish lead the Southern Division with a record of 16-7 and the Power lead the Northern Division with a record of 18-7.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups:
Wednesday: Brian Flores (7-4, 3.62) vs. Evan Anundsen (8-4, 3.52)
Thursday: Jeremy Hall (4-2, 3.86) vs. Amaury Rivas (7-3, 3.49)
Friday: Jesse Darcy (4-1, 2.66) vs. R.J. Seidel (6-4, 4.65)
Saturday: Jason Ragan (6-7, 3.65) vs. Dan Merklinger (3-6, 6.54)

Who's Hot: Columbus: OF Reid Fronk is 11-35 (.314) with 2 home runs in July... C Mike McCormick is 14-39 (.359) with 3 home runs and 11 runs batted in during July... UTIL Stephen Vogt is currently riding a 8 game hitting streak... RHP Justin Garcia has not allowed a run in his last 6 outings, spanning 8 and 1/3 innings with 13 strikeouts... RHP Austin Hinkle is 2-1 with a 0.00 ERA in July with 8 strikeouts in 5 and 1/3 innings.

Who's Hot: West Virginia: 2B Eric Farris is 19-56 (.339) in July... OF Eric Fryer is 23-53 (.434) with 16 runs batted in during July... RHP Jose Garcia has not allowed a run in July (5 innings)... RHP Roque Mercedes is 2-0 with 0.82 ERA in 3 July starts.

League Leaders: Columbus: Alex Cobb: 7th in ERA (2.62)...Maiko Loyola: 4th in stolen bases (35)... Jesse Darcy: 8th in ERA (2.66)... Henry Wrigley: 1st in 3B (8)

League Leaders: West Virginia: Steffan Wilson: 4th in hits (63)... Caleb Gindl: 5th in doubles (25)

Baseball America Top 30 Prospects on Columbus (with commentary from Baseball America's 2008 Prospect Handbook):
# 11 SP Glenn Gibson : "He can throw his plus changeup in any count for strikes, his slow downer curveball can be above-average at times and his fastball can touch 91 mph and has late movement...He looks like a safe bet to reach the major leagues as a back-of-the-rotation starter"

# 14 SP Alex Cobb: "With a fastball that tops out at 91 mph with some sink, his best pitch is an 11-to-5 curveball that he feels comfortable throwing at any time in the count, his third pitch is a decent splitter which he uses as a changeup. His intelligence, competitiveness and mound savvy are all above average."

# 22 C Mike McCormick: "A position change proved to be the catalyst that allowed McCormick to blossom as a prospect... He can make pitchers pay when they throw him a mistake and he has continued to display solid raw power"

Baseball America Top 30 Prospects on West Virginia (with commentary from Baseball America's 2008 Prospect Handbook):
# 10 OF Caleb Gindl: "He has tremendous pitch recognition enabling him to hit both fastball and breaking balls... His stocky build and line-drive power reminds some of Brian Giles."

# 15 RHP R.J. Seidel: "He already throws a fastball at 88-91 with good movement and should get more velocity as he matures. His changeup is advanced for his age and ranks as the best in the system."

# 22 OF Lee Haydel: "He has plus range in centerfield and a solid arm and is a player who can run the 60-yard dash in 6.35 seconds... His ceiling is compared to that of Boston Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury."

# 23 2B Eric Farris: "He has plus speed, a strong arm and good instincts in the fields. He doesn't walk or strike out much, preferring to put the ball in play."

Local Connection: 3B Zelous Wheeler is from Childersburg Alabama. OF Lee Haydel is from Birmingham Alabama

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.