FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 30 , 2004
For more information, contact
Ryan Ibbotson at (252) 918-6080

MYRTLE BEACH, SC - The Carolina League season is all said and done, but the awards and honors continue to be named. Today “Baseball America” rated the top 20 Prospects in the Carolina League for 2004 and four Pelicans were included in the rankings, with RF Jeff Francoeur taking top honors. Francoeur is joined in the top 20 by RHP Kyle Davies, C Brian McCann and RHP Anthony Lerew.

Francoeur put up great numbers this season hitting .293 with 15 HR’s and 52 RBI’s, despite being placed on the disabled list at the beginning of July after being hit by a pitch in the face. Jeff was out of action for a month with a broken cheekbone and returned to the ball club in mid-August for six games before being called up to AA-Greenville. Francoeur was also selected to the mid-season all-star team and played in the Carolina League-California League all-star game in San Bernadino, CA. He went 2-4 in the game and was selected as MVP for the Carolina League team. He was also selected to the end of the season Carolina League all-star team. Jeff will play in the Arizona Fall League during the off-season.

Right-handed starting pitcher Kyle Davies checked in as the #5 prospect in the Carolina League. He was the league leader in strikeouts thrown (95), before he was promoted to AA-Greenville. Davies left Myrtle Beach after posting a team leading 9-2 record and an ERA of 2.63 in 14 starts. Kyle won his last six starts with the Pelicans and did not take a loss on the mound from May 10th to September 2nd, when he was pitching for the Triple-A Richmond Braves. Kyle went 4-0 and posted a 2.32 ERA in 10 starts for Greenville and lost his only start at Richmond.

McCann played the entire 2004 season with the Pelicans and was rated as the #8 prospect in the Carolina League. He hit .278 and led the club in HR’s with 16 and in RBI’s with 66. Brian was one of the five Pelicans selected to the mid-season Carolina League all-star team and competed in the Carolina League-California League all-star game. McCann battled through some tough injuries this season, but he was still able to put up solid numbers in ’04.

Another right-handed starting pitcher for the Pelicans, Anthony Lerew, made the top 20 prospect list. Lerew posted an 8-9 record and a 3.75 ERA through a career high 27 starts. Lerew was on fire at the beginning of the season and had a stretch of starts from May 5 th to June 2nd that saw him earn a win in five straight outings. Lerew’s potential as a future starter in the Braves rotation helped him land the #15 spot in this year’s top 20 Carolina League prospects list.

The season is officially over for the Pelicans, who finished with an overall record of 75-63. The Birds will not be in action for 188 days. The Birds are tentatively scheduled to play the Charleston Riverdogs of the South Atlantic League in an exhibition game on April 5, 2005 at Coastal Federal Field.