Morris named SL's best for June

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Huntsville Stars first baseman Hunter Morris has been named the Topps Southern League Player of the Month for June, an award voted upon by Southern League field managers. Morris is the Stars' first position player to capture the honor since Mat Gamel was named Player of the Month for May of 2008.

A native of Huntsville who represented the Stars in both the Southern League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, Morris led the circuit with seven home runs and 58 total bases in June. He also topped the league with 27 RBIs, which were tied for ninth in all of Minor League Baseball during the period.

After opening the month with a pair of singles against the Tennessee Smokies, Morris homered three times in his next four games against the Mississippi Braves to match his home run total for the season's first two months. The 23-year-old enjoyed a similar stretch toward the end of the month, clubbing three home runs in a four-game span from June 25-28.

Morris drove in at least one run in 11 of his final 15 games in June, concluding the month ranked second in the Southern League with 57 RBIs -- just two behind Tennessee's Justin Bour. Through the end of June, Morris was leading the league with 26 doubles, 38 extra-base hits and 147 total bases. He is on pace to shatter his career highs of 29 doubles and 69 RBIs established last year in 126 games with the advanced Class A Brevard County Manatees and four games with the Stars.

Prior to being selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Morris established a school record with 23 home runs in his junior season at Auburn. He also batted .386 with 76 RBIs that year en route to Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors.

A four-time Huntsville City Player of the Year, Morris batted a .470 with 46 home runs and 198 RBIs at Grissom High School. He originally was selected in the second round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft by the Boston Red Sox, with whom he did not sign.

Player name   AVG / AB / R / H / 2B / 3B / HR / RBI / SB / OBP / SLG
Hunter Morris   .307 / 101 / 19 / 31 / 6 / 0 / 7 / 27 / 0 / .352 / .574