The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are proud to announce that the contract of shortstop Travis Garcia will be purchased by the Seattle Mariners effective July 8.   He is the second position player and sixth Blue Crab to be signed by a Major League organization this season.

Garcia, who was selected to the Atlantic League’s All-Star Game as the starting shortstop for the Liberty Division, departs Southern Maryland as the team leader in games played (66), batting average (.338), hits (91) and doubles (17).

On the Atlantic League leader board, Garcia leads the league in hits, his average stands third overall, his 53 RBI place him second on the circuit behind teammate James Shanks, and he leaves in the league’s top five in homers, slugging percentage, and extra base hits.  Garcia put together a hit streak of 17 games from May 23 through June 10, a Blue Crabs 2009 season high.

Last season Garcia hit .309 in 19 games with Southern Maryland, totaling three home runs and 20 RBI, after joining the club at the conclusion of the Frontier League season, where he played for the Chillicothe Paints in Ohio. A 21st round selection by the New York Mets in 2003 out of Iona College, the Bronx, New York native has played the game professionally for six and a half seasons.

Garcia joins the impressive list of Blue Crabs players to head for Major League organizations this season.  Pitchers Matt DeSalvo (Tampa Bay Rays), Jim Ed Warden (New York Mets), John Halama (Atlanta Braves) and Kenny Baugh (Houston Astros) departed for Major League organizations earlier this year. First baseman Eric Crozier (Baltimore Orioles) was the first position player this season to be picked up.