Kieboom, Pivetta represent Potomac in tonight's Carolina-California League All-Star Game

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

June 23, 2015, 2:02am

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Catcher Spencer Kieboom and pitcher Nick Pivetta have been selected from the high Single-A Potomac Nationals to play in tonight's Carolina-California League All-Star Game in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The game starts at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time from LoanMart Field.

Kieboom AFL Hitting Sidebar.jpg The 24-year-old Kieboom, who also was selected to the South Atlantic All-Star Game in 2014, is hitting .249 with 13 doubles, one triple, one homer and 15 RBIs in 50 games. He has thrown out 42 percent of basestealers (23-for-55). Kieboom has made an amazing comeback from Tommy John surgery to return in April 2014.

One scout said Kieboom impressed him because of his ability to handle so many different styles of pitchers, from 6-foot-6 right-hander Lucas Giolito and his downward vertical delivery to 6-foot right-hander Reynaldo Lopez and his myriad of early-count breaking balls in the dirt. Kieboom's fielding percentage is .990 and his range factor is 8.39 through 49 games. He was a fifth-round selection from Clemson in 2012.

Pivetta, a 22-year-old right-hander, has gone 6-4 with a 2.45 ERA in 13 games this season for Potomac. He has 59 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings. He has had a handful of games where his walk total was up, but for the most part has done a very good job on commanding his pitches.

In seven of his last nine starts he has gone at least six innings. He has allowed only 66 hits and 27 runs in 12 starts. Pivetta is a fourth round selection from 2013 and New Mexico Junior College. He also was a member of the South Atlantic League All-Star team in 2014.