By Paul Casey Gotham
Former Monroe Community College Tribunes Luis Diaz and Kevin Johnson took the black and gold tradition of winning with them and led the Webster Yankees to a record-setting season.
In the process, the pair earned themselves individual recognition.
Webster won a league record 14 consecutive games and advanced to the New York Collegiate Baseball League finals for the first time in organization history. Diaz found a spot on the league’s top prospects list while Johnson made first team All-League.
Diaz, who hit .281 for the summer season driving in 20 while scoring 21, was named one of Perfect Game’s NYCBL Top 15 Prospects. He had nine extra-base hits including six triples while stealing 18 bases.
“Luis had some of our biggest hits,” said Webster Yankee head coach and current Tribune assistant Dave Brust.
Diaz set a club record with five stolen bases in the post season.
“He has legitimate base-stealing speed,” Brust added. “He has power and hand speed. He just has to let it happen.”
After playing infield for much off his career on East Henrietta Road, Diaz settled into right field for much of the summer.
“He realized he has a very good arm,” Brust continued. “Playing in the outfield relieved some pressure for Luis, and that allowed him to focus at the plate.”
Diaz earned second-team All-Region III leading the Tribunes with a batting average of .374 with 13 extra-base hits and 17 RBI. Diaz stole 17 bases in 22 attempts.
Johnson made 15 appearances out of the bullpen for Webster. The right-hander struck out 28 and walked 11 in 19 frames of work.
“He was probably the best reliever in the league,” Brust said of Johnson. “He is a strike pitcher. You can’t take a pitch with Kevin. He would get ahead 0-2. He had two out-pitches (slider and fast ball) with a lot of late movement.”
Johnson saved five games for the Yankees with an ERA of 0.93. The Webster, New York native allowed just four extra-base hits for the season.
Johnson also made 41 starts in the field. The switch-hitter drove in 24 with an average of .279.
Johnson earned first-team Region III for the Tribs. In 40 starts Johnson hit .344 while swiping 23 bags in 25 tries. He made 16 appearances on the hill saving 11 with an ERA of 0.98. Johnson struck out 20 while walking just five.
Both Diaz and Johnson appeared in the NYCBL All-Star game. Diaz won the home run hitting contest.
The pair led MCC to the school’s 22nd Region III title and a berth in the Northeast District finals.
Diaz attends North Carolina Central University. Johnson goes to the University of Pittsburgh.
After clinching the NYCBL West Division regular-season title, Webster went on to defeat Geneva before falling to Oneonta in the finals.
Brust was named NYCBL Coach of the Year.
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