Ban Johnson baseball league announces 2018 awards, honors at annual banquet

Another year’s officially in the books for Kansas City’s signature summer collegiate baseball league — including the Ban Johnson awards, handed out at the organization’s annual banquet Thursday night at Deer Creek Golf Club in Overland Park.

Jeremy Lufft, NKC Apartments Giants shortstop, was named the league’ Lester Milgram Most Valuable Player. Lufft finished with a .387 batting average, was second in the league with seven home runs and tied for most RBI with 26.

The Blue Springs High graduate attends Rockhurst University.

“Lufft was a leader in the dugout and on the field,” said Giants manager Dan Stacks. “He played every game and led the team in home runs and RBI. Not only did he produce at the plate, he anchored our defense at shortstop.”

In other awards handed out Thursday night:

• Hustle Award: Weston Jacobs, Edelman and Thompson outfielder. Jacobs is a St. Thomas Aquinas graduate who attends Park University.
  
  
• Rick Sutcliffe Pitcher of the Year: Tanner Howe, NKC Apartments. Howe posted a 5-1 record with four saves, a 1.72 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He’s a Blue Valley Southwest graduate attends Barton County Community College.
  
  
• Bob Allison Offensive Player of the Year: Christian Franklin, BJ Raiders outfielder. He finished with a .529 batting average, a .620 on-base percentage, .852 slugging average and led the league with a 1.471 OPS. The Rockhurst High graduate attends the University of Arkansas.
  
  
• Frank White Award for Fielding Excellence: Garrett Stephens, NKC Apartments catcher. He had a fielding percentage of .987, committing just two errors in 149 chances. Stephens is a Shawnee Mission Northwest graduate attends Hutchinson Community College.
  
  
• The North KC Apartments Giants, under Stacks’ leadership, were presented the BJ Championship trophy.
  
  
• Steve Bushnell was inducted into the BJ Hall of Fame. Bushnell played in the league from 1987-90 and earned the 1989 BJ Hustle Award. As baseball coach at Seaman High in Topeka, he is 381-98 with eight Kansas Class 5A state titles in 20 seasons. Bushnell, who has served as president of the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches since 2016, will be honored next month as the American Baseball Coaches Association/Diamond High School Div. III National Coach of the Year.
  
  
• Stephen Sammon was presented the Bob Motley Umpire of the Year award. The award is named in memory of the late Bob Motley, umpire-in-chief for the league in the 1950s through 1960s and the last surviving umpire from the Negro Leagues until his death in 2017.