The inaugural Florida Gulf Coast League Home Run Derby saw impressive power shows from several players, and Wisconsin catcher Taylor Johnson emerged as the Derby champion.
Originally scheduled to take place on Saturday evening, the Home Run Derby and league All-Star Game were moved to Saturday morning in an attempt to get ahead of some expected harsh weather.
Johnson hit 12 home runs in the opening round, one of two players to reach double digits in the opening round, and was the first player to clinch her spot in the Derby semifinals. Four home runs in the second round were good enough to advance to the Derby finals, where she faced off against Florida infielder Sarah Longley, who also sported a cumulative total of 16 home runs through the first two rounds.
The slate was wiped clean for the championship round. After Longley led off the final round with four home runs, Johnson wasted little time in knocking a quintet of longballs to officially capture the Derby championship. After her fifth home run that clinched the title, she continued hitting, adding a handful of home runs to her unofficial total. In a post-game interview, Johnson told broadcaster Gray Robertson that she was in a groove and wanted to keep swinging.
Home run totals for the Derby:
(round-by-round breakdown)
- Taylor Johnson: 21(12, 4, 5)
- Sarah Longley: 20 (11, 5, 4)
- Mack Leonard: 9 (7, 2)
- Lizzie Shubert: 5 (4, 1 – won 3-way swing-off to advance to second round)
- Maddi Banks: 4 (4)
- Haley Lee: 4 (4)
- Riley Ludlam: 1 (1)
- Nikki Cuchran: 1 (1)
Coasty Award winners announced
Following the Home Run Derby, Robertson presented a number of awards on behalf of the FGCL.
Mack Leonard, of Illinois State and the Myakka City River Mocs, was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. A dual-threat player this summer, Leonard sports a 9-0 record from the circle, with a 1.50 ERA and 42 strikeouts. At the plate, she batted .482, notching four home runs and sixteen RBIs. Her impressive stat line continued with a .566 on-base percentage and 1.344 OPS.
Stormy Kotzelnick was named the league’s Rookie of the Year after batting .446 on the summer, with five home runs and 20 RBIs. Kotzelnick, who will join the Washington Huskies in the fall, recorded a .464 on-base percentage and a 1.356 OPS on the summer.
River Mocs head coach Michaela Transue was named the league’s Coach of the Year. She led the River Mocs to a 19-2 record during the regular season, as well as the #1 seed in the league’s playoffs. Under Transue’s guidance, the River Mocs were 7-2 in games decided by 2 or fewer runs, and put together a 15-game winning streak.
Other award winners included:
- Pitcher of the Year: Shannon Saile, Oklahoma/Slice
- Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: Karley Hobbs, Truett-McConnell/River Mocs
- Defensive Player of the Year: Haley Lee, Texas A&M/Lynx
- Offensive Player of the Year: Lizzie Shubert, Stetson/River Mocs
- People’s Choice Award: Megan Pierro, South Florida/Pioneers
- Humanitarian Award: Kinsey Goelz
