12 plays of 2018: Campbell elected All-Star

Before the calendar flips to 2019, we celebrate the holidays by looking back at 12 moments from the New Orleans Baby Cakes' 2018 season.

July 11

No New Orleans position player had been elected to start an All-Star game since outfielder Tyrell Godwin in 2006, but Eric Campbell broke the drought in 2018.
The 31-year-old veteran returned stateside after an injury-shortened season in Japan and reclaimed his spot among the Pacific Coast League's most consistent hitters, having hit .300 or better in each of his four stints with Las Vegas from 2013-16. A nagging injury slowed Campbell through most of April, but he emerged with a home run and three RBI in Nashville on April 26 and embarked an an 11-game hit streak during which he batted .489.
The streak was highlighted by a walk-off single in the 10th inning on April 30 against Round Rock, and multi-hit efforts in six of seven games, including four hits in Omaha on May 7. Over his final 60 games entering the All-Star break, Campbell batted a league-best .355 and paced the circuit with a .454 on-base percentage, while his 48 RBI ranked fifth in the PCL.

Named the league's starting second baseman for the midsummer classic on July 11 in Columbus, Campbell went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in the PCL's 12-7 win over the IL. His steady bat continued until another injury ended his season the first week of August, and Campbell finished ninth in the league batting race with a .313 average. His .420 on-base percentage trailed only Tacoma's Dan Vogelbach for the league lead.