Travis Howell is now gunning them down in the Midwest League
As long as Travis Howell has been playing baseball, base runners quickly learn that it is typically not a good idea to try and run on him. Now it is time for those toiling in the Midwest League to sit up and take notice.
Howell, a 2004 Los Gatos High School graduate, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners following his senior year at Long Beach State. He spent last summer playing for the Mariners’ Class A Short-Season team in Everett, WA before participating in the Mariners Advance Development League in Peoria, IL.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound catcher threw out 42 percent of base stealers (29 out of 69) with Everett and was named to the Northwest League Post-Season All-Star team.
He got off to a hot start this spring with the Clinton LumberKings in Iowa until sidelined in June with an injury. Howell returned from the Disabled List on July 5. He is currently hitting .228 with six home runs, seven .431 slugging percentage.
After high school, Howell played three seasons at UC Berkeley before transferring to Long Beach for his senior season. He was drafted in the 43rd round by the Cleveland Indians in 2007 but did not sign.
At Long Beach State, Howell was named First Team All-Big West following 35 starts at catcher and a .283 batting average with 20 runs and 24 RBIs. He had nine doubles and two homers, but hit .406 in Big West contests. Defensively, he threw out 18-of 44 would-be runners (44 percent).
At California (2005-06), he was a defensive stalwart behind the plate, throwing out 16 of 35 runners (46 percent) over two years.
In high school, Howell batted .506 with a school-record 10 homers and a .933 slugging percentage as a senior, earning all-league and all-state honors. He was named the 2003 De Anza League MVP and first team all CCS. He was also named Los Gatos High’s Athlete of the Year.
Many thought Howell would play football after high school and not baseball. All he did as a football player was earn all-state honorable mention honors as a linebacker. He was also chosen first team all-league as both a linebacker and a fullback.
Editor’s Note: Each week, Los Gatos Observer will highlight a former Los Gatos athlete and provide a brief update on his/her current athletic endeavors. If you would like to suggest an athlete that we should highlight, please send an e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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