Four Former ValleyCats Head to Arizona for Fall League

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Four Former ValleyCats Head to Arizona for Fall League
10/20/2009 11:49 AM ET
Tri-City ValleyCats

TROY, N.Y. - They once began their professional careers on the diamond of Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, now four former ValleyCats are participating in the Arizona Fall League. The League features many of the brightest young stars and top prospects in all of Minor League Baseball in the desert of Arizona from October - November. The four players play for the Peoria Saguaros.
Jason Castro, 22, was the Houston Astros first round selection in the 2008 June Draft. The left-handed hitting catcher began his professional career with the ValleyCats in July 2008. Castro spent the entire summer with the ValleyCats before earning Baseball America's Top Prospect honors prior to the 2009 season.
In 2009, Castro split time between Class A-Advanced Lancaster and Class AA Corpus Christi. In 56 games with Lancaster, the California native his .309 with seven home runs. With Corpus Christi, Castro hit .293 and participated in the Futures Game in which he hit a home run. In September, Castro participated in the Internal Baseball Federation's World Cup and won the gold medal with the United States.
Jon Gaston, 23, struggled in his first professional season with the 2008 ValleyCats. The seventh round selection in the 2008 June Draft by the Astros, Gaston hit just .193 in 62 games.
Gaston showcased the power that merited him a high selection while playing with Lancaster in 2009. Gaston led the JetHawks with 35 home runs and finished with 100 RBI, behind only former ValleyCat Koby Clemens on the team.
A late addition to the 2008 ValleyCats after signing as a free agent in the summer, Danny Meszaros, 24, baffled New York-Penn League batters, striking out 46 batters in 26.1 innings. Meszaros split time between Class A Lexington and Corpus Christi in 2009. Pitching in 37 games, Meszaros tossed 61.2 innings for Corpus Christi en route to a 3-3 record.
Evan Englebrook, 27, was one of the starting pitchers on the 2004 ValleyCats which won the Stedler Division. In 14 starts, Englebrook won two games and posted a 3.94 ERA for the ValleyCats.
Englebrook spent the 2009 season with the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Triple-A Round Rock Express. Englebrook appeared in 30 games between the two clubs as a reliever. The 6'8 right-hander posted a 3.16 ERA in 21 games with the Hooks.
Don Alexander, the ValleyCats hitting coach for five seasons, most recently in 2008, is a pitching coach for the Peoria Saguaros.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.