VALLEY DIVISION OWNS MOST OF THE STAR POWER.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

All-Star games are not intended to be this lopsided. The California League's Freeway Division was supposed to have more firepower to repel the Valley Division's sluggers. But the Valley Division has a decided advantage for tonight's 7:15 game at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

Consider that Valley players swept the top four or five positions in nearly every offensive category in the season's just concluded first half, including home runs, RBI, stolen bases, doubles, hits, on-base percentage, extra-base hits and slugging percentage.

Such dominance shows in the final first-half standings. While the San Jose Giants won the Valley Division with a 46-24 record, three of the remaining five teams, the JetHawks (40-30), High Desert (38-32) and Modesto (35-35) finished at least .500. And basement team Stockton came in at 34-36.

Over in the Freeway Division, the champion Rancho Cucamonga Quakes needed just a 36-34 mark to earn a playoff spot.

The Freeway Division lost several shoo-in candidates to either injury (Visalia's Jose Soriano and Lake Elsinore's Eric Gillespie of Cal State Northridge) or Double-A promotion (Lake Elsinore's Larry Barnes and Greg Morris).

The Freeway Division does match up better in the pitching department, with dominating UCLA product Pete Zamora (3-0, 1.16 ERA, 28 hits allowed in 70 innings) and Australian Luke Prokopec (4-3, 2.83), both from Dodgers affiliate San Bernardino.

Six JetHawks will represent the Valley Division, including starters Adonis Harrison at second base and Cirilo Cruz at first. Harrison is third in the Cal League with a .345 batting average and Cruz is tied for the league lead with 49 RBI.

Among JetHawks reserves, infielder Brendan Kingman is batting .350 (second in the league), third baseman Jason Regan has 12 home runs, pitcher Patrick Dunham shares the league lead with eight victories and pitcher Brian Sweeney is 6-0.

JetHawks manager Rick Burleson will direct the Valley Division All-Stars; Visalia's Tony DeFrancesco manages the Freeway Division team.

CAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME AT A GLANCE

Schedule: Lancaster Municipal Stadium gates open at 3:30 p.m. Home run and skills contest begins at 6 p.m. First pitch at 7:15.

Roster change: Visalia second baseman Dave Slemmer, a Freeway Division starter, was promoted to Double-A and will be replaced by Oaks teammate Adam Robinson.

CAPTION(S):

Box

BOX: CAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME AT A GLANCE (see text)