NEW YORK -- The MLB Draft League announced that Frederick’s Kirkland Banks and Williamsport’s John Mikolaicyk were named Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the period of Aug. 28 through Sept. 2.
Banks, 24, garnered Hitter of the Week honors for the final week of the MLB Draft League’s regular season after hitting .579 (11-for-19) with one home run, two doubles and five RBIs in five games for the Keys. The second baseman led all MLB Draft League hitters during the period in average, hits, total bases (16), OBP (tied-.609), slugging (.842) and OPS (1.451).
Banks had at least one hit, one run scored and one RBI in all five games for the Keys last week. To begin the week, he had four multi-hit performances, including back-to-back three-hit games against Trenton. Banks delivered a walk-off single to lead Frederick over the Thunder, 7-6, on Aug. 29, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a walk, and he hit a solo homer in a 1-for-3 showing in the series finale the following day. He concluded the regular season with back-to-back 2-for-4 performances against West Virginia.
Banks led all MLB Draft League hitters during the regular season in average (.377), home runs (7) and total bases (95), and finished second in runs (41), hits (tied-63), slugging (.569) and OPS (1.013) while playing 40 games. The Lake Charles, La., native hit .253 with 25 runs scored and 20 RBIs in 54 games this spring as a Lamar University senior. In three seasons with the Cardinals, Banks hit .257 with 19 extra-base hits, 50 runs scored and 44 RBIs over 119 games.
Mikolaicyk, 23, earned Pitcher of the Week honors after he went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in one start for Williamsport. The right-handed pitcher recorded a week-leading 13 strikeouts in seven innings against Trenton on Sept. 1, allowing one earned run on six hits. He threw 65 of 95 pitches for strikes, generating 19 swinging strikes.
Mikolaicyk went 2-6 with a 5.87 ERA in nine games (eight starts) for the Crosscutters this season. He recorded 45 strikeouts in 46 innings, allowing 55 hits and 30 walks. Mikolaicyk completed seven innings in two starts and had four starts in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer. The Hofstra University product appeared in 16 games (six starts) for the Pride this spring, going 1-5 with a 6.46 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 47.1 innings.
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