St. Aug grad Kenya Huggins a Red

By Ron Brocato
Clarion Herald

While the spotlight at St. Augustine has focused on the school’s football, basketball  and track programs, Kenya Huggins was carving his own legacy in a Purple Knights baseball uniform.

During his pandemic-shortened 2020 spring, Huggins established himself as more than a diamond in the rough to college and Major League scouts.

What impressed them was a combination of the velocity of Huggins’ fastball and his hitting ability. And, as he matured and filled out as a 6-foot-3, 205-pound athlete, his statistics took shape.

As a senior, Huggins struck out 88 batters in 67 innings while slamming nine home runs as a hitter.

Following graduation, he enrolled at Chipola Junior College in Florida, where he posted a 4-3 record with 97 strikeouts and a 2.96 earned run average.

Then on Monday, July 18, Huggins joined such St. Augustine alums as Dale Brock, Alton Torregano, Ron Marigny and others when the Cincinnati Reds called his name in the fourth round on the second day of the 2022 draft, making him the 123rd player selected.

Just 19 years of age, Huggins  is scheduled to report to the Reds organization in Goodyear, Arizona, to begin his new career.