The Fayetteville SwampDogs are excited to announce that six Dogs have been named to the 2012 CPL All-Star Team. Sal Giardina (Lynn), Mike Tauchman (Bradley) and Layne Somsen (South Dakota State) will suit up for the American team, while Dan Smith (Monmouth), Tyler Brunnemann (Hardin-Simmons) and Reed Harper (Austin Peay) will play for the National squad.

Both Tauchman and Somsen will be in the American starting lineup, and Harper will be penciled in at shortstop for the National team.

Somsen is in the midst of an astounding campaign for the Dogs, as he has gone 4-0 on the hill with a microscopic 1.54 ERA to lead the team. He has struck out 41 hitters in just 35 innings of work in six starts, and is a key contributor to the team’s league-best 2.51 ERA for the season. He ranks in the top 5 in both ERA and strikeouts in the CPL.

Tauchman is sporting a .364 average on the year, third-best in the league, and also leads the CPL with 25 stolen bases. He has recorded eight extra-base hits and has posted 22 RBIs during his season-long hot streak.

Harper boasts a .326 season average, trailing only Tauchman for highest on the club, with five extra-base hits and 13 RBIs. It is the third time he has been selected as an All Star after being named in his previous two seasons with Forest City.

Giardina’s team-best 28 RBIs are good for third-most in the league, and he has slugged a team-high four home runs on the year. His versatility is on display each night as he has played both third base and catcher for Fayetteville, and is a mainstay in the middle of the lineup.

Smith’s 1.77 ERA is good for eighth best in the CPL, and his four victories ties him with Somsen for most on the year by a Dogs’ starter. He has walked just four opposing hitters in 35.2 innings on the hill, and is responsible for one of the team’s three complete games this season.

Brunnemann has emerged as one of the most feared closers in the league, picking up six saves in 14 appearances. He has yet to surrender an earned run in 14.2 innings, and has struck out 22 opposing hitters.