Justin Dean and Nolan Kingham named Farm Bureau Player & Pitcher of the Week

Justin Dean led the club with seven hits and three doubles, while Kingham came one out shy of a complete-game shutout on Saturday

By Chris Harris

June 14, 2021

PEARL, MS - The Mississippi Braves and Farm Bureau and excited to announce that outfielder Justin Dean and pitcher Nolan Kingham are the Farm Bureau Pitcher and Player of the Week. Dean, 24, led the M-Braves this week in hits (7) and doubles (3), posting a .318 (7-for-23) batting average

PEARL, MS - The Mississippi Braves and Farm Bureau and excited to announce that outfielder Justin Dean and pitcher Nolan Kingham are the Farm Bureau Pitcher and Player of the Week.

Dean, 24, led the M-Braves this week in hits (7) and doubles (3), posting a .318 (7-for-23) batting average with 10 total bases, three runs, three RBI, two walks, .375 OBP, and .830 OPS. Dean capped his week by posting his first career four-hit game on Sunday, going 4-for-5 with his team-best ninth double, three RBI, and run scored in the 11-2 win.

Dean currently leads the Double-A South in stolen bases, is T-3rd in doubles, and 15th with a .365 slugging percentage. This is the second weekly award for the Braves'17th round selection in 2018 out of Lenoir-Rhyne (SC).

Kingham, 24, picks up his second-straight Pitcher of the Week nod and third overall after coming one out shy of his second complete-game shutout on Saturday night in Biloxi. Hitting his pitch limit after 91 pitches in the 3-0 shutout in Biloxi, Kingham tossed 8.2 four-hit innings, striking out five and walking none. The right-hander threw 68 strikes and limited Biloxi to just four base runners in his third win of the season and fourth quality start. Kingham leads the team and ranks among the Double-A South leaders in quality starts, innings pitched (1st, 41.2 IP), starts (T-1st, 7), ERA (9th, 3.02), and WHIP (9th, 1.13). Overall, Kingham is 3-1 on the season with 25 strikeouts and just seven walks.

Kingham is not among the Atlanta Braves' Top-30 prospect, according to MLB.com or Baseball America. Still, the Braves 12th round selection in 2018 out of Texas leads the organization among pitchers in innings pitched and is second in WHIP.

The Braves went 5-1 this past week and ended their road trip 8-4. Dating back to May 25, Mississippi is a league-best 13-5 and now just one game back of Pensacola in the South Division standings at 20-16 on the season.

The M-Braves return to Trustmark Park on Tuesday night for a 12-game homestand against the Birmingham Barons and Tennessee Smokies. Fans can purchase tickets HERE.