LINCOLN – The 2017 Lincoln Saltdogs are led by an outstanding group of coaches and players. The Lincoln Saltdogs organization seeks to recognize their incredible achievements through four team awards: Most Valuable Player, Pitcher of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
The Saltdogs are making the awards open for fan voting through an online platform at: https://saltdogs.com/awards/. Every fan that votes will be entered in a drawing to win memorabilia autographed by the four award-winners. Voting closes on Thursday, August 24th and the team award winners will be announced during the Saltdogs game at Haymarket Park on Friday, August 25th. Winners of autographed gear will be contacted by email.
The top award, Team MVP, has five quality contenders. Cesar Valera hits .320 with four home runs and 44 RBIs. He leads the team in hits, doubles, and runs and was picked as an All-Star. Derek Gordon anchors the starting rotation with an 8-2 record, a 3.00 ERA and three complete games. He was the league’s Pitcher of the Month for July. Curt Smith, the longest tenured Saltdogs player, is having another good season. He is hitting .302 with seven home runs and a team-high 51 RBIs. Tommy Mendonca has been raking when he’s been healthy. The lefty is hitting .323 with five home runs and 24 RBIs in just 43 games. Cameron McVey is one of the most dominant relievers in the league. He owns a 1.00 ERA and has struck out 37 batters in 27 innings while specializing as the set-up man.
The Saltdogs are 49-30 and lead the Central Division with 20 games left in the regular season.
They take on the Cleburne Railroaders tonight in Texas. First pitch is at 7:06 PM with coverage beginning at 6:35 PM on ESPN 1480 and saltdogs.com.
The team returns to Lincoln to face the Gary SouthShore RailCats on Monday, August 21st. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling (402) 474-2255 or visiting Saltdogs.com. For the latest information on the Saltdogs follow the team on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram @saltdogsball.