Israel baseball team includes locals

Corona del Mar High graduate Jake Lemmerman and former UC Irvine star Ben Orloff are among 28 players on the roster for Team Israel, which will play in the World Baseball Classic qualifier that begins Wednesday and continues through Sept. 23 in Jupiter, Fla.

The Israeli squad, managed by former major league catcher Brad Ausmus and including player-coaches Shawn Green and Gabe Kapler, both former big-leaguers, will attempt to earn a berth in the 16-team World Baseball Classic contested in 2013.

The four-team qualifying tournament, the first of four qualifying events, includes South Africa, France and Spain. Israel plays South Africa on Wednesday.

Lemmerman, who played collegiately at Duke, spent the 2012 season at Chattanooga, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. An infielder, Lemmerman hit .233 in 116 games with seven home runs, 46 runs batted in and 29 doubles. He was also eight for eight on stolen-base attempts.

Orloff, the 2009 Big West Conference Player of the Year and a four-year starter at shortstop for the Anteaters from 2006-09, finished 2012 at Corpus Christi, the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Orloff hit .295 in 122 at-bats with Corpus Christi, after batting .288 in 285 at-bats at Lancaster of the Single-A California League.

Orloff had 44 combined RBIs and was 10 for 13 in stolen-base attempts at both stops.

— From staff reports