Trion’s Gabe Howell (10) throws the ball back to the pitcher after a Lion out. The Christian Heritage Lions visited the Trion Bulldogs in GHSA baseball action on April 19, 2016Gabe Howell, of Trion High School, has been drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 20th round of the MLB draft today.
The call-up won’t surprise his coaches, family and fans in his small North Georgia hometown.
“Everybody in Trion, Georgia, is a Gabe Howell fan,” Bulldogs baseball coach Jason Lanham told the Times Free Press in April.
Lanham has seen the shortstop go from excellent high school player to pro prospect. “He’s a great teammate, a phenomenal kid. That’s why we’re all rooting for him.”
At that time, Howell was hitting .650, a mark that put him in the top five in the nation according to MaxPrep’s statistics. The rest of the numbers are also eye-popping: eight home runs, four triples, 10 doubles, 32 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 32 runs scored.