ELKVILLE, Ill. – The Prospect League has announced its Postseason All-Star Teams and Awards for the 2018 season. Commissioner Dennis Bastien made the choices public Tuesday. Postseason All-Stars are voted on by field managers, a front office representative and a media representative from each team.
The Chillicothe Paints paced the East Division teams with seven players selected, while Kokomo had five players selected. Two Champion City players and one West Virginia player were also named All-Stars in the East Division.
In the West Division, Danville’s five all-stars led the pack, while Lafayette and Springfield each had three players selected. Quincy and Hannibal each had two all-stars and the REX had one.
The Galen Woods Fireman of the Year, given each season to the league’s top reliever, is Chillicothe’s Jack Raines from Baldwin Wallace University. The left-handed pitcher from Akron, Ohio, appeared in 20 games during the regular season, allowed just three earned runs and struck out 35 batters over 27 innings and had an ERA of 1.00. Raines collected nine saves on the season, second-most in the Prospect League in 2018.
The 2018 Prospect League Mike Schmidt Player of the Year is Springfield’s Richard Miller from Towson University. The Clarence, New York, native led the Prospect League with a .373 batting average, 17 home runs, 41 extra-base hits, an .811 slugging percentage and 150 total bases. Miller also ranked second with six triples and ranked third in RBIs with 48 and third in doubles with 18.
With a tie in voting, Chillicothe’s Dillon Dingler and Springfield’s Richard Miller are co-Roland Hemond Pro Prospects of the Year. Dingler hit .374 with two home runs and 32 RBIs in 35 games for the Paints. The North Canton, Ohio, native also hit 13 doubles and a pair of triples while splitting time between right field and catcher.
The Prospect League Manager of the Year is Kokomo’s Gary McClure. McClure helped transform a Jackrabbits team that was 13-12 at the end of June into the East Division Champions who went 24-10 to finish the season, hitting nearly .300 as a team in that span.
