Prattville native Dalton Kelley of AUM signs pro ball deal
UTICA, Mich. (aumathletics.com) —- Auburn Montgomery senior outfielder Dalton Kelley signed a contract to play professional baseball with the Utica Unicorns of the United Shores Professional Baseball League this weekend.
Kelley, a two-year letterwinner from Prattville, Ala., became the third member from the 2016 Warhawks to sign a professional contract. Kelley joined Jed Carter, who was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round of the MLB Draft, and Mac Seibert, who recently signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, as former AUM student-athletes to continue their playing career at the professional level.
As a senior, Kelley led the Warhawks in multiple statistical categories, including batting average (.380), hits (93), runs (60), doubles (15), triples (11), runs batted in (56), total bases (142), stolen bases (24) and slugging percentage (.580). He also led AUM with 27 multi-hit games and 13 multiple-RBI contests. In addition to leading the team with the total, Kelley also established a new school record with the 11 triples, bettering the previous mark of 10 by Brett Holmes in 2003.
A First-Team All-Southern States Athletic Conference selection this season, Kelley saved his best for the Warhawks’ postseason run to the Avista-NAIA World Series. He capped his career with a 16-game hitting streak and hit .472 in 10 postseason games. He was selected to the NAIA Opening Round and NAIA World Series All-Tournament Teams for his play.
During his career with the Warhawks, Kelley hit .345 with 151 hits in 118 games. He contributed 43 extra-base hits, drove in 94 runs, scored 92 times and stole 46 bases.
The United Shore Professional Baseball League was founded by Rochester-based General Sports and Entertainment, and is the culmination of a 10-year effort by General Sports to bring professional baseball to the Detroit area.
The USPBL was launched in May of 2016 with an initial slate of three teams – the Utica Unicorns, the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers and the Eastside Diamond Hoppers – that will play a full 75-game schedule at Jimmy John’s Field in downtown Utica. The teams are composed of top-level college baseball players from around the country.
