July 9, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky freshmen Marcus Carson and JaVon Shelby have been selected to participate in the 2014 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game, it was announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon.
Carson, a left-handed hitter out of London, Ky., joined Shelby on the Eastern Division All-Star Roster. The duo plays for the Amsterdam Mohawks in the PGCBL, with Shelby playing three infield positions and Carson helping anchoring the outfield.
UK has a rich history with the Mohwaks, as former UK righty Chandler Shepherd was named PGCBL Pitcher of the Year while playing for Amsterdam in 2012, Kyle Barrett and Dylan Dwyer helped lead Amsterdam to the league title in 2013, and former UK catcher Luke Maile was inducted into the Amsterdam Hall of Fame in the 2014 offseason.
A native of Lexington, Ky., Shelby has hit .286 (22-for-77) with 12 runs, nine doubles, two homers and 15 RBI, stealing six bases and owning an 11-12 walk-strikeout ratio. Shelby has played in 22 games, seeing starts at second base, shortstop and third base while serving as a middle-of-the-order run producer for the first-place Mohawks.
Shelby earned freshman All-Southeastern Conference honors at second base in 2014 after ranking tied for the SEC league in homers among freshmen (four). Shelby, who missed the fall and preseason after recovering from an injury suffered during his high school season, finished his debut season hitting .250, with six doubles, two triples, four homers and 21 RBI. The 6-foot-3, 188-pound right-handed hitter, owned a .351 on-base percentage, scoring 38 runs and collecting 45 hits to rank among the UK all-time freshman leaders. Shelby, a 37th round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Tates Creek High School, is the brother of former UK All-SEC second baseman John Shelby and the son of Brewers first base coach John T. Shelby, an 11-year big league veteran.
Carson currently ranks sixth in the PGCBL in batting average for the Mohawks, hitting .362 (25-for-69) with 23 runs, three doubles, one triple and four RBI. Carson has a 15-11 walk-strikeout ratio and has stolen 10 bases in 22 games and 19 starts.
A 5-foot-8, 165-pounder, Carson shined off the bench for the Wildcats as a freshman in 2014, playing in 25 games with four starts. Carson hit .364, with two doubles, nine RBI and two steals, scoring 12 runs. Carson made two starts as the centerfielder in 2014, while also starting once in leftfield. Carson finished second on the team with four pinch-hit knocks, collecting five of his 12 hits and nine RBI as two-out hits and RBI.
Carson and Shelby are joined on the Mohwaks by UK teammates Connor Heady, a freshman infielder, and freshman righty Zack Brown. Heady has played in four games to open the summer, with Brown charting a 2-1 record and a 3.63 ERA in 17.1 innings and four starts. Heady played in 30 games as a freshman, with Brown starring late in the year on the mound, including a strong start in an NCAA Tournament elimination game vs. Kansas. Brown appeared in 19 games with five starts, owning a 1-1 record and a 5.65 ERA in 28.2 innings.
The PGCBL All-Star Game will be held on July 25 in Elmira, N.Y.
