Riverdogs Press Release: Jeff Hendrix SAL Player of the Week

RiverDogs Center Fielder Hendrix Named SAL Player of the Week

Speedy Outfielder Has Torn Up the Competition after stint on the DL

CHARLESTON, SC – The South Atlantic League has announced that RiverDogs outfielder Jeff Hendrix has been named the SAL Player of the Week for the week of May 30-June 5. The Corvallis, OR native batted .625/.667/.750 in six games over the past week, going 15-for-24 while adding three doubles and five RBIs to garner the league’s weekly accolades.

Hendrix’s huge week at the plate was highlighted by a career 5-for-5 night while driving in three key runs to help the RiverDogs snap out of a four game losing streak in a 7-5 comeback win over Greenville on June 1.

After coming off the disabled list on May 28 after a seven day stint off the active roster, Hendrix has been a different hitter at the plate, going 16-for-27 (.593) to bump his batting average up 65 points to a.272, the highest it’s been since the third day of the season. The 22-year old left handed bat has posted a .370 on-base percentage while slugging .352 on the season with one home run and 16 RBI as the RiverDogs’ main leadoff hitter.

Along with his production at the plate, Hendrix has been phenomenal in center field, appearing in 42 games in the field without committing an error.

The Oregon State product was originally selected by the New York Yankees in the 4th round of the 2015 draft after three years with his hometown Beavers where he garnered Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors in each of his last two seasons in Corvallis.

Hendrix spent his rookie campaign with Short Season Staten Island where he hit .229/.332/.586 with 14 RBIs in 65 games with the Baby Bombers while ranking fifth in the New York-Penn League in runs scored (42).

It is the first league weekly honors for Hendrix in his career, and the second Player/Pitcher of the Week award issued to a Charleston player this season after LHP Nestor Cortes was named the SAL Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 16-22.

The first-place RiverDogs (32-22) will start a brief three-game road stint against the Rome Braves (22-33) starting on Monday night at 7:05pm, before returning to Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park for a seven-game homestand against the Asheville Tourists and Augusta GreenJackets, the two teams locked in second place, 4.5 games behind first-place Charleston in the Southern Division.

Ticket information for the RiverDogs’ homestand can be secured by contacting the box office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or online atwww.riverdogs.com. Those that can’t make it to the park can follow every pitch of the RiverDogs season on WTMA 1250 AM and streaming online at riverdogs.com.

Riverdogs Press Release: SAL All-Star Game Voting OPEN NOW

SAL All-Star Game Fan Voting Now Open

Vote for your favorite RiverDogs and send Charleston’s best to Lexington

CHARLESTON, SC - Voting has begun for the 57th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Lexington, and the RiverDogs are looking to the fans to help select the roster and make sure their favorite players make the Southern Division squad.

Fans can fill out a SAL All-Star ballot and submit it back to the RiverDogs. The club will then take the players with the most total fan votes and submit an official composite fan ballot to the league.

To qualify for the All-Star vote, fans must submit a fully completed ballot by Tuesday, June 2. Ballots may be submitted via email (pr1@riverdogs.com), fax (843/723-2641), Facebook, Twitter or at the Guest Services booth at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The SAL All-Star Fan Ballot can be downloaded HERE or secured in person at the Guest Services booth during a home RiverDogs game.

The mid-summer classic will be held at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, home of the Lexington Legends, the South Atlantic League affiliate of the Asheville Tourists. The festivities will feature a bevy of future stars competing from the 14 teams around the league, a Home Run Derby and a number of family-friendly events including autograph sessions with all of the players.

For more information regarding the SAL All-Star Game Fan Vote, please call the RiverDogs front office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647). Follow the RiverDogs pitch by pitch all season long on 1250-AM WTMA "The Big Talker", WTMA.com, and riverdogs.com.

Nestor Cortes Wins SAL Pitcher of the Week Award

Cortes Earns SAL Pitcher of the Week Honors

Lefty tossed a gem in six innings against Columbia to earn SAL Pitcher of the Week

CHARLESTON, SC – The South Atlantic League has announced that Charleston RiverDogs lefty Nestor Cortes (2-0, 1.08) has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 16-22 for his performance against the Columbia Fireflies on Thursday, May 19th.

Thursday night was the third start of the season in Charleston for Cortes. The left-hander commanded the strike zone and kept hitters off balance with a dominating showing, throwing 6.0 innings, giving up no runs, two hits, one walk, and 12 strikeouts. The 5’11’’ 190 pound crafty lefty used an electric fastball, changeup, deceptive slider, and a drop-off-the-table curveball to elude Firefly bats through his outing.

For Cortes, it is the second weekly honor of his career after being named the Appalachian League hurler of the week on July 13 last season.

Cortes, a 21-year-old native of Hialeah, FL, made his Single-A debut on Sunday May 8th, after spending last season in rookie ball. With the Pulaski Yankees, the lefty posted a 6-3 record with a 2.26 ERA in 12 appearances, 10 of them starts, while striking out 66 batters in 63.2 innings to go along with 10 walks. Now in his fourth season of professional baseball, Cortes touts a career 7-6 record with a 2.61 ERA in 63.2 innings of work after being drafted by the Yankees in the 36th round of the 2013 draft Hialeah High School.

The Charleston RiverDogs begin a three game series at home with the West Virginia Power May 23-25, before heading on a weeklong road trip to Augusta May 26-29, and Greenville May 30th-June 1. The RiverDogs are currently sitting atop the Southern Division in the South Atlantic League with a 27-15 overall record and a 5.5 game lead over the Asheville Tourists.