MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
* Name: Fernando Valenzuela
* Team: Fort Wayne Wizards (single A)
* Local Ties: St. Francis, 2000; Glendale Community College, 2002
* This Season: The 21-year-old continues to produce from the heart
of the Wizards' order, hitting .282 (50 for 177) with 25 runs scored,
23 runs batted in, seven doubles and three home runs in 47 games. The
5-foot-10, 210-pounder is third on the team in average, and ranks
second in the Midwest League being hit by a pitch (eight).
* Latest News: Valenzuela has collected four hits in his past 11
at-bats, highlighted by a three-hit performance with two runs scored
and a double in Monday's 6-1 win against the Dayton Dragons. Even
with the victory, the Wizards (22-30) -- the class-A affiliate of the
San Diego Padres -- are still 11 games behind the South Bend Silver
Hawks in the league's Eastern Division.
* Looking Ahead: Following Tuesday's 14-2 road loss to the West
Michigan Whitecaps (21-30), Fort Wayne will look to rebound in the
second contest of a four-game set today.
* Name: Jim Parque
* Team: Tucson Sidewinders (triple A)
* Local Ties: Crescenta Valley, 1994
* This Season: The 28-year-old is still trying to make his way
back to the major leagues, and his most recent outing didn't do
anything to hurt his cause. In Friday's 4-2 win against the Portland
Beavers, the 5-11, 170-pound Parque (2-1) tossed six innings,
surrendering seven hits, two earned runs, two walks and one
strikeout, before three pitchers combined for three innings of
one-hit relief to preserve the win.
* Latest News: Parque's outing was his seventh of the season,
which lowered his earned-run average to 5.19. He has thrown 34 2/3
innings, yielding 48 hits, 20 earned runs, 10 walks and 14 strikeouts
for the Sidewinders (29-23), who are in second in the Pacific Coast
League's Southern Division.
* Looking Ahead: Tucson, which trails the Sacramento RiverCats
(30-22) in the race for the division lead, continues its four-game
home series with the Salt Lake Stingers (20-31) today.
* Name: Jason Botts
* Team: Frisco RoughRiders (double A)
* Local Ties: Glendale Community College, 2000
* This Season: The 23-year-old first baseman has been imposing his
6-foot-5, 253-pound frame on opposing pitchers, hitting .297 (57 for
192) with 37 runs scored and 39 runs batted in. But his biggest asset
has been in the power department, where he has tallied 11 doubles and
12 home runs. Botts leads the Texas League with his 12 round-trippers
and ranks second with 106 total bases.
* Latest News: Despite collecting one hit in his past 12 at-bats,
Botts still ranks third on the team in average. He has played in all
52 games, including Tuesday's 3-1 win at the Tulsa Drillers, which
moved Frisco (25-27) -- the double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers
-- within 2 1/2 games of the Wichita Wranglers in the league's East
Division.
* Looking Ahead: The RoughRiders conclude their series with Tulsa
on Thursday before returning home to face the San Antonio Missions
(23-29) in an interdivision showdown.
Compiled by Erik Boal
