OBU’s Makonnen signs with the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League

F ormer Ouachita Baptist first baseman Destan Makonnen signed over the weekend to play baseball for the Kalamazoo Kings in the Frontier League.
Makonnen, who was signed on Saturday, made an immediate impact by playing in Sunday’s game against Florence as the Kings won the contest, 6-5. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

After starting his senior season slow, Makonnen turned things up by finishing third on the team in batting with a .338 average. He had 75 hits, including 15 doubles and a Gulf South Conference leading 22 home runs.

Makonnen, who was tabbed the All-Gulf South Conference Co-West Division Player of the Year, drove in 76, while scoring 54 times and becomes the second player to sign a professional contract as Steve Smith was drafted and signed by the Cleveland Indians.

The Kings travel for a two-game set against the Florence Freedom starting Monday, June 23 and a three-game series against the Chillicothe Paints before returning home Saturday, June 28 against the Midwest Sliders.