Freeman, Hanifee claim league's weekly honors

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (July 15, 2019) - Potomac infielder Cole Freeman led the Carolina League in batting average and stolen bases en route to the Player of the Week honor, while Frederick right-hander Brenan Hanifee recorded two dominant starts--including a nine-inning shutout--to earn the Pitcher of the Week award, the league office announced on Monday.
In six games for the Nationals last week, Freeman posted a league-high 12 hits in 24 at-bats for a .500 average to bump his season-long mark to .314, which is second-best among CL qualifiers. The former LSU star also swiped five bases, which not only paced the circuit but was good for a share of sixth place among all Minor Leaguers last week.

Freeman also finished in the top 10 in the league in OPS (1.187, 3rd), total bases (16, T-4th), runs (5; T-6th) and RBIs (5; T-6th). The midseason Carolina League All-Star has now collected the first weekly award of his professional career, which began after Washington nabbed him in the fourth round in 2017.
Hanifee logged back-to-back dominant starts for his first weekly honor. Last Monday, he limited Winston-Salem to two runs over seven innings in a tough-luck loss before posting the best outing of his Minor League career on Sunday against Salem.
A fourth-round pick like Freeman, Hanifee needed just 91 pitches to post a nine-inning shutout, the second in the Carolina League this season. It was also the first such performance by a Key since Brady Wager accomplished the feat on August 3, 2013. The Red Sox mustered just five hits against the Harrisonburg, Va., native, who did not walk a batter in either of his two starts last week.
Freeman and the P-Nats conclude a road set at Fayetteville on Monday at 7 p.m., while Hanifee and the Keys will entertain Salem in a series finale at 12 p.m. on Monday.