Potomac sends three players to California-Carolina All-Star game

The high Single-A Potomac Nationals announced that three of their players have been selected to play in the 2013 California-Carolina League All-Star game on June 18 in San Jose, Calif. Left-hander Robbie Ray, right-hander Blake Schwartz and outfielder Billy Burns will represent the P-Nats in California. The 21-year old Ray leads the Carolina League with 81 strikeouts over 12 starts. He is 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA. The 6-foot-2, 170-lb., southpaw struck out a career-high 10 hitters on April 21 against the Frederick Keys. Ray is listed as the No. 18 Nationals prospect by Baseball America. The 23-year-old Schwartz started the season at low Single-A Hagerstown but quickly rose to Woodbridge where he has gone 5-1 with a 1.29 ERA in eight starts. He was also 2-0 with one save over 14 1/3 innings for the Suns. Opposing batters have mustered only a .156 batting average against Schwartz in Carolina League competition. The 17th-rounder in 2012 played at Oklahoma City University and Minnesota State University. The 23-year-old Burns has some of the fastest wheels in the organization, stealing 28 bases in 31 attempts to begin the season. The switch-hitter is batting .283 and has scored 38 runs, which ranks fourth in the Carolina League. Burns has not committed an error in his first 48 games and is listed as the No. 26 Nationals prospect by Baseball America. Rehab Note: I expect left-hander Ross Detwiler to start Game One of the doubleheader Saturday night at 5:05 p.m. for Potomac as they host Frederick. Detwiler scheduled for 40 to 50 pitches. Friday's game in Woodbridge, Va., was rained out.