Rajai Davis

Lynchburg OF Rajai Davis was named to the Carolina All-Star team with Zach Duke. Ira Liebman's story here. Here's a bit of it:

Davis a 38th round pick by the Pirates in 2003 is well deserving of being an All-Star and has developed into perhaps the best leadoff man in the Carolina League. He leads the league in both hits (75) and stole bases (25), is 3rd in runs scored (43) and 4th in walks (34). Through Monday June 15th Rajai was batting .300, 0 hr, 18 RBI with 25 SB and 75 hits. Davis who last year in the SAL was selected to the Post Season All-Star Team when he hit .305, 6 hr, 54 RBI, had 7 triples, scored 84 runs and stole 40 bases for the Hickory Crawdads. Rajai is on pace to steal 50 bases and get over 150 hits this season.

"The Duke" has become royalty in Lynchburg; a 20th round pick straight out of high school was also picked in the 2001 draft. Duke who is from Waco Texas came out with his guns "a blazin’" this year as he pitched the night he was named an All-Star, and improved to 9-2 with a league leading 1.26 ERA. Duke also leads the league in WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) at 0.88, is 2nd in strikeouts one off the lead with 78 and has only walked 14 batters in 71 innings which is better than a 5 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio. Duke also no stranger to All-Star Teams was picked to the mid and post season All-Star Teams last year finishing with an 8-7 record and a 3.11 ERA. He was 6th in the Pirates system with 113 strikeouts and 7th in ERA over 141 innings.

Duke might not return to the Hillcats after the All-Star game.