The top talent in the Eastern League will converge at Hadlock Field on Wednesday for the latest installment of the Double-A All-Star Classic.

The hometown Sea Dogs will be well-represented as the annual event shifts back to Portland for the first time since 2005.

“The Sea Dogs are honored to have been selected by the Eastern League to host the prestigious event,” Sea Dogs General Manager Geoff Iacuessa said in a 2014 press release on MiLB.com. “We look forward to hosting a first-class event for our fans and showcasing both Hadlock Field and the city of Portland to fans throughout the league.” 

Six Sea Dogs — William Cuevas, Jantzen Witte, Carlos Asuaje, Marco Hernandez, Robby Scott and Madison Younginer — will be among the Eastern Division All-Stars this year. Portland manager Billy McMillon is the Eastern Division’s skipper. 

McMillon elected to give one of his own the starting nod on the mound in Cuevas. The Venezuelan right-hander leads the Sea Dogs with eight wins in 16 starts. His eight wins is tied for fourth-most in the Eastern League. Cuevas sports a 3.40 ERA in 82 innings of work. He’s allowed 31 earned runs on 71 hits, striking out a team-best 80 and walking 34. 

He’ll be opposed by Richmond’s Jose Alguacil, who’s making his first All-Star appearance. Alguacil is 7-5 with a 1.91 ERA in 15 appearances. 

Cuevas isn’t the only Sea Dog pitcher who’ll be partaking in the All-Star festivities. Scott and Younginer will be available in the bullpen for the Eastern All-Stars. 

Scott is 1-1 with a 1.90 ERA in 24 appearances. He has a 0.98 WHIP, which is tied with Pat Light for the lowest on the team for pitchers that have thrown at least 20 innings this season. 

Younginer was a late addition to the All-Star lineup, taking the place of Binghamton pitcher Luis Cessa, who was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas. 

The young 24-year-old Younginer is 3-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 26 relief appearances this season. Earlier this year, Younginer became the fifth Sea Dog to go a full month without allowing an earned run. He accomplished that feat in June. 

The other three Sea Dogs will be swinging for the fences. Witte, in particular, will be doing so a few hours before the rest of his teammates as he is set to participate in the Home Run Derby at 5:15 p.m.

Witte will be joined on the Eastern Division team by Reading’s Brock Stassi, Binghamton’s Josh Rodriguez, Trenton’s Gary Sanchez and New Hampshire’s KC Hobson. 

This year’s Home Run Derby format is East vs. West and consists of three rounds. Each player gets 10 outs per round with anything other than a home run counting as an out. Two players from each team will advance to the second round. The top home run hitter from each squad in the second round advances to the finals. 

Witte has four home runs on the season, his last coming June 12 against Bowie. 

Rodriguez is tied for the league lead with 13 home runs. 

The Western All-Star Home Run Derby contestants consist of Akron’s Anthony Gallas, Richmond’s Ricky Oropesa, Bowie’s Rossmel Perez, Erie’s Dean Green and Altoona’s Dan Gamache. 

Asuaje and Hernandez will get their chance with the bat when the All-Star Classic begins at 7 p.m. Hernandez leads the league with a .326 average in 68 games. His five home runs leads the team.

Asuaje is hitting .248 with 15 doubles, four triples and four home runs. His 39 RBIs is second-most on the team.

There is plenty of buzz in the Portland area surrounding the All-Star Classic’s return as tickets are sold out, much like they were 10 years ago. 

“The Eastern League couldn’t be happier about rewarding the 2015 All-Star Game to the Sea Dogs and the greater Portland area,” Eastern League President Joe McEacharn said in the release. “This community event will showcase the very special bond between the team and community while highlighting the entire southern Maine region. … League personnel, players and fans will look forward to returning to a favorite Eastern League stop on the tenth anniversary of the last All-Star game hosted here.” 

Hadlock Field opens its gates at 3 p.m. Both teams will be participating in autograph sessions prior to the Home Run Derby. The Western All-Stars will be signing autographs from 3-3:35 p.m. and the Eastern All-Stars will do the same from 4-4:35 p.m. 

A fireworks display is scheduled following the All-Star Classic, weather permitting. 

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