MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's College Baseball is adding a veteran presence to its lineup for the 2021 season, as they announce the signing of Justin Banks, who will join the roster as a first baseman with a lot of size and a lot of power.
 
Banks will be in his fifth season, playing as a graduate senior, following two seasons at Coppin State University. He was stellar at the plate across his two seasons, with his 2020 campaign looking to be even more prolific than 2019. As a junior, he hit .394 with a .588 slugging percentage, with 17 doubles and 43 runs batted in. During the first 13 games of 2020, Banks was batting .348 with seven extra-base hits and eight runs batted in. He earned first-team All-MEAC after the 2019 season and was a preseason pick to repeat in 2020, but this time with Player of the Year honors, according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
 
"Justin's story is one that should inspire any young player," cited head coach Greg Moore. "In just three years he went from unrecruited to one of the better left-handed hitters in college baseball. As he becomes a Gael, he will be key to our offense taking the next step. Justin is a run producer. More importantly he's a quality young man." 
 
Prior to Coppin State, Banks spent his first two collegiate seasons at Napa Valley College, a more local flavor for the 6'3" Fairfield native. He was a two-time Bay Valley Conference Player, including during his sophomore season where he led the league with a .406 batting average and an OPS of 1.140. This highlighted the improvement Coach Moore mentioned, where he hit .309 with an OPS of .790 as a freshman.
 
#GaelsRise