AUM’s Kelley named to Avista-NAIA All-World Series Team

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LEWISTON, Idaho (aumathletics.com) — Auburn Montgomery senior outfielder Dalton Kelley was named to the 2016 Avista-NAIA Baseball All-World Series Team following Friday evening’s championship game at Harris Field.

Kelley became the eighth member AUM player to earn the honor in its four trips to the NAIA World Series. Kelley joins Jamie Cassady, Pookie Wilson and Dandy Smith from the 1990 team, Wilson and Jeff Cheek from the 1992 team and Britt Clayton and Cortez Pearson from the 2006 squad to earn the accolade.

In three games during the 2016 World Series, Kelley finished 9-for-17 with a pair of doubles, a home run and six runs batted in. He scored four times and slugged .824. He tallied multiple hits in all three games, including a career-best matching five-hit performance against Point. The Prattville, Ala., native ranked third in the field with nine hits and a .529 batting average. He was tied for fifth with 14 total bases, tied for sixth in doubles and eighth in RBIs and slugging percentage. He also play flawless defense in centerfield, recording five putouts and an outfield assist.

Kelley finished the season with a team-high 27 multiple-hit games and hit safely in his final 16 games. He led the team in batting average (.380), hits (93), runs scored (60), doubles (15) runs batted in (56), total bases (142), slugging percentage (.580) and stolen bases (24). He also had a team-leading 11 triples, a mark which broke the AUM season record.

Kelley and the Warhawks finished the 2016 season with a 46-17 record and made the fourth appearance in the NAIA World Series in program’s history.