Logan Darnell; BluGrass Baseball photo

In the fourth August awards post we’ll look at the month’s best performances from alumni of Kentucky schools and those born in the state from around Minor League Baseball:

Hitter of the month: OF Jake Shaffer (High  Desert Mavericks)

• The former NKU outfielder has been among Kentucky’s best minor leaguers all season and August was no exception. Shaffer batted .356 with three home runs, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored for the month. The Walton native boasted a 1.038 OPS for the month.
• Honorable Mention: Tyler Kuhn, Shawn Roof, Wade Gaynor, Wes Cunningham, Phil Wunderlich, Lance Ray, Keenan Wiley, John Shelby, Jason Kipnis

Pitcher of the month: LHP Logan Darnell (Elizabethton Twins)

• The former UK left-handed pitcher struggled as a starter in college, but has been lights out since moving to the rotation for rookie-level Elizabethton. Darnell was 2-2 with a 1.33 ERA and 25 strikeouts compared to just five walks in 27 August innings. Darnell made five starts in the month and has a 1.44 ERA as a starter on the season.
• Honorable Mention: Chris Rusin, Justin Marks, Bart Carter, Nathan Adcock, Nathan Jones, Marty Popham