Biography
Junior (2014): Played and started in 55 games...Hit .288 with a home run and 27 RBI, stole 8 of 9 bases on the season...Third on the team with 65 hits behind Edwin Rios (68) and Josh Anderson (66)...Second on the team with 136 fielding assists...Started the season 7 for 18 with 7 RBI against Rutgers (Feb. 14-16)...Went 5 for 13 with a home run and 3 RBI against Stony Brook (Feb. 21-23)...Was 7 for 16 in three games against South Florida (Mar. 12, Mar. 25, May 7)...Was 4 for 11 with 3 RBI against Marshall (Mar. 21-23)...Was 6 for 10 at Louisiana Tech (Apr. 11-13)...Went 7 for 15 against St. Peter's (Apr. 25-27), including a 4 for 4 game with 4 RBI and 2 doubles in the series finale...Was 3 for 5 at Florida Atlantic (May 13).
Sophomore (2013): Named to the 2012-13 SBC Academic Honor Roll for having a 3.0-3.49 GPA …Appeared in 55 games during his sophomore year, making 52 starts…Made 11 starts at shortstop and 11 starts at second, while making the other 30 in the designated hitter role…Recorded a total of 19 multi-hit games, including four three-hit games and one four-hit contest…Put together a seven-game hitting streak twice, from March 10 until March 22 and April 28 to May 7…Opened the season with three-straight multi-hit games…Went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the season opener vs. Stony Brook (2/16)…Followed that up with a 2-for-3 effort against the Seawolves in the second game of the double header…Came back the next day and went 3-for-4 with a run scored to help FIU complete the sweep over Stony Brook (2/17)…Capped off a four-game hitting streak with a 2-for-4 effort and two RBI against Texas Tech (2/25)…Tallied six hits in the series vs. Mississippi, including a 3-for-4 outing in the series finale (3/3)…Went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs vs. USF (3/13)…Played a big part in FIU’s 12-1 victory over Florida Atlantic (3/17), tallying two hits, three RBI and two runs scored…Went a combined 7-for-13 in the three-game series vs. Arkansas State, where the Panthers took two of three from the Red Wolves…Kicked off the ULM series with a 2-for-5 outing with a double (4/12)…Tallied a season-best four hits at Middle Tennessee State to go along with two runs scored (4/19)…Went 3-for-6 with two runs scored against Louisiana (4/26)…Began a seven-game hitting streak with back-to-back two hit performances against Louisiana (4/28) and Florida Gulf Coast (5/1)…Drove in a run against Louisiana in the SBC Tournament (5/22).
Freshman (2012): Named to the 2011-12 SBC Academic Honor Roll for having a 3.0-3.49 GPA… Started 53 games at shortstop and one at second base as a true freshman… Hit .233 (44-189) with 27 runs scored, 15 RBI and totaled 50 bases… Third on the team with eight steals… First on the squad with 11 sac bunts… Hit six doubles… Had 12 multi-hits games including three, three-hit games… Had four multi-RBI games… Put together a four-game hitting streak during the year and reached base in a season-long six-straight games… FIU was 23-13 when he held down the 9th spot in the lineup.
Prior to FIU: Attended Luella High School in Locust Grove, Ga…. In 2011, was named a Baseball America Preseason All-American, Rawlings First-Team All-American and all-region first-team his senior season… Perfect Game USA ranked him the 25th best player in the country, the best player in the state of Georgia and the third-best shortstop in the country out of the class of 2011… Was a 2010 Perfect Game USA Underclass High Honorable Mention All-American… Drafted in the 32nd round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft by the Boston Red Sox… Hit .391 with two home runs, five triples, 24 RBI, 35 runs scored, 20 stolen bases and a .968 fielding percentage as a senior… Was named team MVP in 2011… Hit .363 with a home run, 30 RBI, 46 runs scored, 22 stolen bases and a .972 fielding percentage his junior year… According to most scouts, Gaines is "As good as you will find in the country" when it comes to defensive shortstops… A sure-handed middle infielder that makes difficult plays look routine and brings with him an above average bat to boot, which will surely improve under the tutelage of hitting guru Turtle Thomas… Rated as one of the top 100 high school players according to Baseball America… 2009 2-5A Regional Champions… Played for the U15 Atlanta Seminoles of the United State Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) from 2000-07… Played for the U18 Perfect Game Atlanta Blue Jays from 2008-10… Graduated in the top 10 percent of his class (19-of-472)… Named to the Principles Honor Roll all four years… Earned the Army Reserves Academic Award in 2011… Also lettered in basketball where he was named the best scorer in 2007.
Personal: Born on September 10, 1992 in Atlanta, Ga…. His given name is Kenneth Julius Gaines Jr…. Son of Rhonda and Kenneth Julius Gaines Sr…. Has one sibling, Aria…An active participant in the March of Dimes and Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation… Was involved with the Special Olympics at Luella High School… Aspires to become a professional baseball player and enter the field of sport management after he graduates… Enjoys listening to music and spending time with his family in his spare time… Loves watching Sportscenter, CSI, the History Channel and National Geographic Channel… Was actively recruited by Florida State, Missouri, Wake Forest and Arizona out of high school.
