Jul 11, 2022 4 min read

The Frontier League has announced its rosters for the upcoming 2022 Frontier League All-Star Game, presented by The Coury Firm, in Washington, Wednesday, July 20.

Washington has seven All Stars at first announcement, with a chance to have more added when the final three players are added by each division’s managers, which will be decided this coming Wednesday at the end of the night.

The seven all stars are the most for any Frontier League team, with the Ottawa Titans being the closest to the Wild Things with five. Washington’s seven All Stars are shortstop Nick Ward, who will start the game, outfielder Wagner Lagrange, who will also start, pitchers Rob Whalen and Lukas Young, infielders Andrew Czech and Ian Walters and catcher Alex Alvarez. Czech, Walters and Alvarez are reserves for the West. It’s the first Frontier League All-Star Game appearance for all seven Wild Things selected.

The teams were voted on by the league’s managers, coaching staffs, broadcasters, general managers and local media.

“It’s very deserving for all of those guys. Every one of them has had a great first half and I’m really glad they’re being recognized for that and their achievements,” said manager Tom Vaeth. “I hope they get a chance to show what they can do in front of a lot of scouts.”

Ward will start the game at shortstop for the West Division. The second-year Wild Thing is third in the league with a .368 batting average, tied for eighth in home runs (13), tied for 12th in RBI (40), second in walks drawn (45) and first in on-base percentage (.506).

Lagrange will be in a starting outfield spot for the West come July 20. A 10-game hit streak and strong recent push by Lagrange earned him the distinction. Wagner is hitting a robust .329 with five home runs, 37 RBI and 14 doubles, a top 10 total in the league. He’s also stolen nine bases.

Whalen is fifth in ERA leaders in the league with a 2.94 ERA and leads the league in wins with nine on the year. The next closest in the category has six wins. Whalen has started 10 games and logged 64.1 innings with 57 strikeouts to just 14 walks.

Young is in his first season with the Wild Things as the team’s closer and has a 1.04 ERA, a 4-1 record and 10 saves in 22 appearances. He’s allowed just five runs, three earned, so far and has fanned 29 to just eight walks. The 10 saves are third behind fellow West All-Star Logan Sawyer of Evansville and Quebec’s Sam Adames.

Czech, in his second season with the club, is hitting .327 with 10 doubles, two triples and six home runs. He has driven in 38 runs with a .525 slugging percentage and a .426 on-base percentage. He’s drawn 30 walks, which is the second most on the Wild Things’ team.

Walters is hitting .287 after a strong year with the Southern Illinois Miners last season. As a Wild Thing, he’s hit seven home runs and driven in 36 in 48 games. He’s also got nine doubles.

Alvarez was named the West’s reserve catcher with Evansville’s Dakota Phillips, who was voted as the starter, unable to play because of injury. Alvarez, amongst the top catchers in the league, has the third most homers at the position with eight and has driven in 17 runs with a .213 batting average. He’s also been solid behind the plate for the Wild Things as the team’s starting catcher.

“It is great to see our club so well represented, as we host the All-Star Game during our Anniversary Season,” said president and general manager Tony Buccilli. “We look forward to seeing our fan base coming out and showing support to their favorite players.”

The All-Star Game, presented by The Coury Firm, is set for 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, July 20. Tickets are available by clicking here. The managers of the teams will be the first-place managers at the end of play Wednesday, July 13. Washington is currently in first by a game over Evansville, which means the magic number is two for Tom Vaeth and his staff to be in charge.