American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition of American Association Daily Recap, This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report name Winnipeg Goldeyes infielder Darnell Sweeney Player of the Month for July. Teammate Kevin Hilton is named Pitcher of the Month.

July Player of the Month: Darnell Sweeney, Winnipeg Goldeyes

Winnipeg Goldeyes infielder Darnell Sweeney was selected as the Player of the Month by This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report. Sweeney had an exceptional first month, hitting .330 with 23 runs scored and 22 RBI.

Sweeney appeared in all 25 games for the Goldeyes, recording hits in 19 of those games. That included four three-hit games, all of which came over a seven-game stretch. He never went more than two games without recording a hit.

The Winnipeg infielder has heated up as the season has gone along. He started out the year going 3-13 in the first series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, then went 4-12 in the next series when the Goldeyes were the home team against the RedHawks.

In the last game of that series, Sweeney went 3-5 which started a seven-game hitting streak where the infielder went 16-33 with eight runs scored, seven doubles, three homers, and 10 RBI. His three homers came in successive games (July 12-15).

Sweeney has been the model of consistency. Besides hits in 19 of the team’s 25 games, he has scored at least one run in 16 games and has at least one RBI in 14 contests. Sweeney is tied for third in homeruns (7), tied for third in stolen bases (7), tied for third in at-bats (103), eighth in hitting (.330), fifth in runs scored (24), tied for fourth in hits (24), first in total bases (66), tied for first in doubles (11), first in extra-base hits (18), and is first in slugging percentage (.641).

July Pitcher of the Month: Kevin Hilton, Winnipeg Goldeyes

Winnipeg Goldeyes right-hander Kevin Hilton was selected as the Pitcher of the Month by This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report. Hilton finished July as the league leader in wins and ERA.

Hilton made five appearances in July, four of which were starts. He went at least five innings in each appearance and did not allow more than two runs in any outing. The Goldeyes won all five games in which he appeared.

The right-hander made his first start on July 7, allowing two hits and an unearned run in a 7-1 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Hilton went five innings, walking one and striking out four.

Five days later, Hilton gave up eight hits and two runs in an 8-2 victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries. As in his previous start, the righty went five innings, walking one and striking out two. Six days later he faced Sioux Falls again, this time earning a no-decision in a 3-2 Winnipeg victory. The right allowed one earned run on seven hits in 5.2 innings pitched. He did not walk a batter and struck out two.

On July 23, Hilton was brilliant, allowing one run in five innings in a 2-1 victory over the RedHawks. He allowed four hits and a walk, while striking out two.

In his last outing, he came in to relieve when the contest was suspended after the first inning and resumed a day later. Hilton dominated the Chicago Dogs, allowing five hits and no runs in 5.1 innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out two.

For the month, Hilton went 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA, both tops in the American Association. He pitched 25.2 innings, allowing 26 hits, just three walks, and he struck out 13.

By Robert Pannier