#14

Justin Kirby Season 2023

#14

Justin Kirby Season 2023

PositionOF
Weight203 lbs
Height5-11
ClassGraduate Student
HometownAlpharetta, Ga.
Previous SchoolKent State

2023 - GRADUATE SEASON
Played in 39 games and made 34 starts in right field or as the designated hitter … turned in a slash line of .246/.383/.515 … scored 26 runs and added nine doubles, one triple, eight homers and 29 RBI … was 6-for-6 in stolen bases … reached base in 20 straight games from Mar. 8-Apr. 15, tied for the third longest streak of the season … his first six hits of the season were home runs … reached base four times – three walks and a homer – in his Auburn debut vs. Indiana (Feb. 17) … also homered in the finale against the Hoosiers (Feb. 19) … homered three times in the series against Southern Cal (Feb. 24-26) … hit two homers and drove in a season-high seven runs, the most by an Auburn player this season, in the in the series finale against the Trojans … homered for the sixth time in the first eight games of the season vs. Florida A&M (Mar. 1) …. drove in 16 runs in the first 10 games of the year … went 4-for-6 with a double, homer and three RBI vs. Georgia Tech (Mar. 14) … went 2-for-4 in his SEC debut at Arkansas (Mar. 17) … hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning of the series-clinching win vs. Georgia (Mar. 24) … went 2-for-4 with a RBI in the series opener at Florida (Mar. 31) … collected a hit in five straight games from Apr. 4-15 … drove in a pair of runs vs. Troy (Apr. 25).  

2022 – SENIOR SEASON AT KENT STATE
Named First Team All-MAC … ranked second on the team with a .323 average in 53 games, including 51 starts … led the team with 64 hits, 17 doubles, 15 homers and 45 RBI … drew a team-high 28 walks and reached base at a .420 clip … tied for the team lead with 14 stolen bases … turned in a .990 fielding percentage with four outfield assists … his 13 homers in conference play tied for the MAC lead … hit two homers, including the game-winner, in the series opener against Eastern Michigan (May 19).

2021 – JUNIOR SEASON AT KENT STATE
Hit .301 in 48 games and 43 starts … totaled eight doubles and five homers … drove in 25 runs and scored 31 … was a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen bases … turned in a .985 fielding percentage at first base and right field … hit .418 during May … 10 of his 12 multi-hit games came in the final month of the season.

2020 – SOPHOMORE SEASON AT KENT STATE
Played and started in 12 games during the shortened season … turned in three multi-hit games … ranked second on the team with three doubles … turned in a perfect fielding percentage.

2019 – FRESHMAN SEASON AT KENT STATE
Named the 2019 MAC Freshman of the Year and a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American … hit .313 with a 1.017 OPS in 42 games and 37 starts … led the conference with a .619 slugging percentage, belting 14 doubles, two triples and nine homers, good for fifth in the league … led the MAC in league games in slugging (.809), doubles (13) and home runs (eight) while ranking seventh in runs (26) and eighth in average (.371) … became the first Golden Flash to homer three times in a game since 2005, accomplishing the feat against Northern Illinois (Apr. 19).

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Alpharetta High School (GA) … named 2018 First Team All-State and All-Region … two-time Alpharetta Scholar Athlete of the Year … holds the school record for career walks, steals and triples … set the single season record for steals as a senior and records for triples and walks as a junior.

PERSONAL
Son of Mark and Karen Kirby … has one sibling, Alex … his father was an Academic All-American in baseball at Northwestern (1979-83) … born in Stamford, Connecticut, on July 28, 2000.