Billy Wagner, 5th All-Star Selection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary Holden, Sports Info. Director
(540) 365-4306

July 5, 2007


Wagner Gets 5th Major League Baseball All-Star Nod

FERRUM, Va. - Former Ferrum All-American and current New York Mets closer Billy Wagner has been selected to the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star game.

This is Wagner's fifth All-Star Game selection in the past nine years, each occurring  every other season since 1999.  His previous All-Star Game appearances were in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005.  Wagner played in the 1999, 2001, and 2003 All-Star Games but was not able to in 2005.

Wagner's Mets lead the NL East Division with a 46-37 record as of July 5th.  The Mets hold a three-game lead over the second place Atlanta Braves and a four-game lead over the third place Philadelphia Phillies.

Wagner has made 34 appearances for the Mets this season.  Thus farm he has 16 saves (17 opportunities) and a 1.73 ERA in 36.1 innings of relief work.  Wagner has struck out 49 batters and walked just nine.

Wagner made the NCAA Division III All-America first team as a junior in 1993.  In the June '93 MLB draft, he was selected in the first round as the 12th overall pick by the Houston Astros.  Wagner made his MLB debut on Sept. 15, 1995.  He remained with the Astros until 2003 when he was traded to the Phillies, then was traded to the Mets in 2005.

Wagner's wife Sarah (Quesenberry) was a standout basketball player at Ferrum from 1991-94.  She is eighth on Ferrum's career scoring list with 1134 career points, and is one of only 12 players to surpass the 1000-point scoring mark.  Billy (class of 2003) and Sarah (class of 2004) are both members of the Ferrum College Alumni Sports Hall of Fame.

For more information, please contact the Ferrum College Sports Information Office at (540) 365-4306.

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