Right handed pitcher Josh Stinson has been promoted to High-A St. Lucie, the New York Mets announced this afternoon.
He will be replaced on the roster by Joey August, John Church and Tim Smith.
Stinson, 21, has been very good for the Sand Gnats over his last nine appearances, which all came during the month of June. The Shreveport, La. Native was 1-0-1 in June with a stifling 0.60 ERA (one earned run in 15 innings pitched). He struck out 20 batters while walking just one and held opposing hitters to a .245 average. Overall, Stinson was 2-2 with two saves and a 3.61 ERA in 25 games (one start). August, a 20th round selection out of Stanford in 2009, joins the Sand Gnats after playing in three games with the short-season Brooklyn Cyclones.
August, 22, was a teammate of Sean Ratliff with the Cardinal and finished his four year collegiate career with a batting average of .314. He was a two-time honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection (2007, 2009) and finished the 2009 campaign tied for sixth in the Pac-10 in hits with 70. Church, who was selected in the 23rd round in 2009 out of the University of West Florida, also comes to Savannah from the Cyclones roster.
The 23-year-old Church was a NCBWA Third-Team All-American selection as well as an NCBWA All-South Region First Team selection in his junior campaign with the Argonauts. He posted a team-leading 1.55 ERA, which led the Gulf South Conference, in 21 games (18 relief appearances). Smith, a 42nd round pick in 2008 out of Catawba College (N.C.), heads to Savannah from Kingsport where he made two appearances (0-1, 11.25 ERA).
Smith is the all-time winningest pitcher in school history at Catawba with 31 wins and set a school record in 2006 when he went 13-1. In eight games with the GCL Mets last season, Smith was 2-1 with a 4.02 ERA.
