The Futures League and Commissioner Chris Hall would like to congratulate all the 2017 Futures League Award Winners. Each winner is listed below with their respective awards. 

The 2017 Futures League Batting Champion is Cam Cook (Nichols College) of the Nashua Silver Knights. Cook hit .397 on the season with a Futures League record 81 hits. His .442 OBP was the 4th highest during the season as well. Cook, who was named an East Division All-Star, is going to be a senior in the fall at Nichols College.

The 2017 Futures League MVP is Zack Tower (Franklin Pierce) of the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs. Tower slashed .319/.398/.676 on the season with 29 extra-base hits (18 homers) and 50 runs batted in. He led the league in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, OPS, and runs created. Tower was also named one of the top 3 hitters nationally this summer by Collegiate Summer Baseball. The West Division All-Star is going to be a senior at Franklin Pierce this fall.

The 2017 Futures League Pitcher of the Year is Austen Michel (Dartmouth) of the North Shore Navigators. Michel went 2-0 in 9 appearances (6 starts) with a 1.55 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. He had 50 strikeouts and only 7 walks in 46.1 innings pitched. Opponents hit just .199 against Michel on the season. Michel, an East Division All Star, is going to be a sophomore at Dartmouth College in the fall.

The 2017 Futures League Relief Pitcher of the Year is Cody Laweryson (UMaine) of the Worcester Bravehearts. Laweryson went 5-3 with 2 saves across 18 relief appearances. He struck out 62 batters while walking just 9 in 35.2 innings pitched. He posted a 2.27 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, while opposing batters hit just .217 against him. Laweryson, a West Division All-Star, is going to be a sophomore at the University of Maine this fall.

The 2017 Futures League Top Pro Prospect is Philip Clarke (Vanderbilt) of the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. Clarke slashed .337/.427/.479 with 16 extra-base hits (4 home runs) and 32 runs driven in. The catcher collected 57 total hits and scored 29 runs. He made just 4 errors behind the plate in 32 games. Clarke, the East Division All-Star, is going to be a freshman at Vanderbilt in the fall.

The 2017 Futures League Defensive Player of the Year is Hal Hughes (LSU) of the Pittsfield Suns. Hughes had a .964 fielding percentage at shortstop, making just 7 errors in 329 innings played. He had 61 putouts and 124 assists. His fielding percentage was 3rd highest among shortstops. Hughes is going to be a freshman at LSU in the fall.

The 2017 Futures League Manager of the Year is Tad Skelley of the Brockton Rox. In his first year as head coach, Skelley led Brockton to a 32-21 record, good for first in the East Division and the best overall record in the league. Skelley currently serves as Assistant Coach at Northwestern University.

The 2017 Futures League Commissioner Award Winners are Ryan Sullivan (SNHU) of the Nashua Silver Knights and Mac Curran (UMass Dartmouth) of the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. Both Sullivan and Curran made an incredible impact not only on their teams, but in their communities as well. They are great ballplayers and even better teammates. Sullivan is in his 5th year in the Futures League and Curran is in his 3rd. Sullivan is going to be a senior at SNHU and Curran will be a senior at UMass Dartmouth.

The 2017 winner of the Adam Keenan Foundation Sportsmanship and Scholarship Award is Brandon Shileikis (Quinnipiac) of the Pittsfield Suns. This award is bestowed upon the player who exemplifies the outstanding attitude, character, and sportsmanship that is synonymous with Adam Keenan’s legacy. Shileikis is going to be a senior at Quinnipiac in the fall.