NEW YORK -- The MLB Draft League announced that Trenton’s Kolby Johnson and Williamsport’s Shaun Gamelin were named the August Hitter and Pitcher of the Month, respectively.
Johnson, 23, garnered Hitter of the Month honors after batting .400 (30-for-75) with four home runs, seven doubles and 14 RBIs in 20 games with Trenton. The outfielder also scored 23 runs, stole 10 bases and recorded more walks (9) than strikeouts (7). Johnson led all MLB Draft League hitters during the month in average, total bases (tied-51), OBP (.494), slugging (.680) and OPS (1.174). He hit safely in 15 games, posting eight multi-hit performances, lifting his season average from .359 to .381.
Johnson hit three of his four homers in August during a five-game stretch from Aug. 13-19 – all leadoff shots coming in the first inning. He recorded a season-high four hits twice in his final five games, going 4-for-4 with a double and three runs scored at West Virginia on Aug. 24 and 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and a season-high four RBIs on Aug. 26 against Mahoning Valley. He recently was named MLB Draft League Hitter of the Week for the period of Aug. 21-27.
The Pearland, Texas product leads the MLB Draft League in batting average (.381), slugging (.612) and OPS (1.081) through 38 games. He ranks second in home runs (tied-5) and OBP (.469), third in total bases (85) and fourth in runs scored (tied-35). Johnson set numerous career-high marks this spring as a Central Arkansas senior, hitting .293 (61-for-208) with 11 home runs, 10 doubles and 44 RBIs. In five seasons with the Bears, Johnson produced a .280/.372/.402 slash line with 143 runs scored and 98 RBIs in 215 games, making 196 starts. He totaled 15 home runs, 35 doubles and six triples.
Gamelin, 24, earned Pitcher of the Month honors after going 3-0 with a 1.76 ERA in five August starts for Williamsport. He led all MLB Draft League starting pitchers (four starts min.) during the month in ERA, WHIP (1.08) and strikeouts (tied-40) and ranked second in both innings pitched (30.2) and wins. He was named the MLB Draft League’s Pitcher of the Week twice in August, receiving the honor for the weeks of Aug. 7-13 and Aug. 14-20.
Gamelin did not allow a run across his first three August starts for the Crosscutters. After pitching seven scoreless innings of five-hit ball with seven strikeouts on Aug. 5 against Trenton, the right-hander racked up 14 strikeouts against Mahoning Valley on Aug. 11, allowing two hits over eight innings. Pitching at Frederick on Aug. 17, Gamelin fanned nine over 6.1 innings, allowing five hits and three walks. Overall, Gamelin completed at least five innings with six strikeouts in all but one start in August.
Gamelin (6-0) currently leads the MLB Draft League in wins and innings pitched (59.2), having averaged six innings across his 10 starts for Williamsport this season. He’s pitched to a 3.32 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, compiling 61 strikeouts, the second-most in the Draft League, against 19 walks while holding hitters to a .252 average.
A West Kingston, R.I., native, Gamelin was an American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCC Division III Third Team All-American selection this spring after he went 9-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 89 innings (13 starts) as a Rhode Island College senior. He was also named ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III First Team All-Region 2, Second Team All-Region 2 by D3baseball.com and First Team All-Little East.
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