Former UH Baseball Players Going to Arizona in Oct.

Hawaii’s Kolten Wong is one of three former Rainbow baseball players who will be playing in the Arizona Fall League in October. Photo by UH Athletics.

By Rodney S. Yap

Former Rainbow baseball stars Kolten Wong, Lenny Linsky, and Vinnie Catricala will be playing in the Arizona Fall League beginning this October. The AFL showcases Major League Baseball’s top prospects from every MLB organization. Wong will be playing for the Surprise Saguaros, Linsky with the Phoenix Desert Dogs, and Catricala for the Peoria Javelinas.

Wong, who was taken with the 22nd overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 MLB Draft, is currently playing with Springfield in the Double-A Texas League. This season he batted .287 with nine homeruns, 52 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.

Linsky, who was in the same draft class as Wong, pitches in the Tampa Bay Rays organization with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A Advanced Florida State League. Linsky was Hawaii’s closer for three seasons and is the current UH record holder for saves in a season (14). This season for Charlotte he made 18 appearances in middle relief, posting a 3.07 ERA with 12 strikeouts.

Catricala was the Seattle Mariners’ 2011 Minor League Player of the Year, starting at third base for the Tacoma Rainiers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Catricala batted .229 this past season with 58 runs scored, 60 RBI, 23 doubles, and 10 homeruns.

The league plays its games at six Maricopa County Spring Training stadiums during the six weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Opening Day for the Fall League’s 20th anniversary season is Tuesday, Oct.9. The league culminates with its annual championship game on Saturday, Nov. 17, at Scottsdale Stadium. The popular Rising Stars Game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3, at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.