Lake Elsinore Storm's Austin Hedges: Bat On Fire

The following is a news release from the Lake Elsinore Storm:

Known for his superb defensive skills and touted as the best catching prospect in all of baseball, 2013 Storm catcher Austin Hedges is making news these days with his bat. 

Hedges, who has been playing for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League, is 9-for-29 with three doubles and a triple in his first eight games while hitting .310 for the Javelinas. He has been selected to the eighth annual Fall Stars Game Presented by Bowman Baseball Cards at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. AZ) on Saturday, November 2 at Surprise Stadium. The contest will be nationally televised by MLB Network and online via MLB.com.

The JSerra Catholic High School grad was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2011 draft and is on the fast track to the majors as one of the premiere catchers in the minors at the age of 22. For the Storm, Hedges played 66 games and hit .270 with 22 doubles, four home runs, 34 runs and 30 RBI. 

“Trying to learn and get better every day at something new, making adjustments, not taking any days off,” said Hedges during the 2013 Storm season. “These are the goals I try to maintain.”

On top of his hitting, Hedges is showing the Arizona Fall League what he is capable of behind the dish: throwing guys out.

In eight games defensively, he has 12 assists, zero passed balls and thrown out nine of 14 base runners, a .643 success rate.

"It changes the momentum of the game," Hedges said. “Throwing guys out might be the most fun part of the game for me.”

The Arizona Fall League is an offseason league operated by Major League Baseball that represents all 30 Major League Clubs. The season runs from early October to late November. For more information visit their website at mlb.com/mlb/events/afl