SAN DIEGO—(July 9, 2018)—San Diego Padres pitcher Kirby Yates and former Madison High pitcher Kevin Abel topped a list of 11 standouts who earned Star of the Month honors for June as chosen by the San Diego Hall of Champions.
Yates fashioned a perfect 0.00 ERA by going 14 straight innings without allowing a run. He collected a pair of saves as he allowed just six hits, walked three and fanned 15.
He was joined on the professional front by former San Diego State sprinter Ashley Henderson, who finished second in the USATF Nationals with a personal best time of 10.96 seconds; Carlsbad’s Ron Capps, who captured his second straight Bristol Funny Car drag racing championship; former Morse outfielder Adam Jones, who hit .300 for Baltimore; and Henry Craig, who captured the USTA National Open Hard Court singles title.
Abel, just a freshman at Oregon State University, was dominant in the NCAA College World Series championship game, shutting out Arkansas 5-0 while allowing just two hits. Abel was 5-0 in the post-season for the Beavers with a 0.62 ERA.
He led a half-dozen amateurs including former Rancho Bernardo golfer Franklin Huang, who qualified for the U.S. Open; Laulauga Tausaga, who finished third in the discus with a personal best 198-11 at the USATF Championships; Steven Fahy, who was third in the NCAA steeplechase; Clint Calvin, the U.S. Amateur Disc Golf champion; and Ryan Gambrell, who captured the USA Surfing National Championship in the Adaptive Standing division.
PROFESSIONAL
KIRBY YATES, Baseball, San Diego Padres—Quite simply, no opponent could score off Yates in June. In 14 innings, he had a 0.00 ERA, collecting a pair of saves while allowing just six hits. He walked only three batters while striking out 15, limiting opponents to a paltry .125 batting average with a 0.82 WHIP.
ASHLEY HENDERSON, Track, SDSU alumnus—Clocking a personal record 10.96 seconds, the recent Aztec grad finished second in the 100-meter dash in the USTFA National Championships at Iowa’s Drake Stadium. Earlier she earned All-America honors with a sixth place in the NCAA 200.
RON CAPPS, NHRA, Drag Racing—Charging to a speed of 296.37 mph, Capps edged Bob Taska III by .66 seconds to capture the Funny Car title at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. It was his second straight victory at Bristol and the 59th of his career.
HENRY CRAIG, USTA, Tennis—Dominant is the best word to describe Craig’s 6-1, 6-1 victory to win the United States Tennis Association’s National Open Hard Court Championship at the Balboa Tennis Club. He did not drop a set overcoming six straight opponents.
ADAM JONES, Baseball, Baltimore Orioles, Morse High alumnus—A veteran outfielder, Jones batted an even .300 for the month, collecting 30 hits, scoring 10 times and driving in six runs for the Orioles. Jones had a .340 OBP, .380 slugging average and a .720 OPS.
AMATEUR
KEVIN ABEL, Baseball, Oregon State, Madison High alumnus—Just a freshman, Abel made College World Series history by pitching a two-hit, 5-0 shutout over Arkansas, delivering the NCAA title to the Beavers. He retired the last 20 batters in a row and was 5-0 in the post-season with a 0.62 ERA.
FRANKLIN HUANG, Golf, Rancho Bernardo High alumnus—A former high school state champion, Huang qualified for the U.S. Open Championship by shooting a 6-under par for 36 holes at the Olympic Club in Daly City. He had a 69 in the morning and a 68 in the afternoon on the final day.
RYAN GAMBRELL, Surfing, University of San Diego High alumnus—With a victory in the USA Surfing National Championships in the Adaptive Standing division, Gambrell earned a spot on the National Adaptive team that will compete in the ISA World Championships in La Jolla in December.
STEVEN FAHY, Track, La Costa Canyon alumnus—Finishing his junior season at Stanford, the ex-Mavericks distance runner placed third in the NCAA 3,000-meter steeplechase, clocking a time of 8:34.52. He posted an 8:40.53 in the preliminaries.
LAULAUGA TAUSAGA, Track, Mt. Miguel High alumnus—Standing in sixth place going into the final round of the discus, the University of Iowa sophomore reached a personal best 198-feet, 11-inches to finish third at the USATF Championships.
CLINT CALVIN, Disc Golf—Firing an 18-under-par, Calvin, a groundskeeper at the Morley Field Disc Golf Course, captured the U.S. Amateur Disc Golf Championship by two strokes over The Taboggan course in Detroit, Mich. Calvin has been playing disc golf on the circuit for just two years.