Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Lexington Legends outfielder Steve Brown is the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the period of Aug. 3-9.

Steve Brown

Brown, from Colombia, went 12-for-28 (.429), including three homers and a triple. He drove in 11 runs while compiling a slugging percentage of .821. He boosted his season batting average from .233 to .256 and has scored at least one run in each of his last four games.

“Steve has been a valuable member to our team the past two seasons but, more importantly, Steve has been a terrific member of our community,” Andy Shea, general manager of the Legends, said in a statement released by the team. “This season he has spoken to college classes at Transylvania and he has been a significant contributor in our Hispanic outreach program. I’m very happy to see he is also being recognized for his outstanding accomplishments on the field.”

Brandon Barnes

The Legends play the third of four games against the Asheville Tourists on Monday night at Applebee’s Park. After that series wraps up, West Virginia will visit the Legends for four games, Wednesday through Saturday.

Meanwhile, Lancaster JetHawks outfielder Brandon Barnes is Player of the Week in the California League.

Barnes, who began the season with the Legends, went 12-for-25 (.480) for the week, with a homer, triple, eight RBI and six runs scored. During one 6-for-9 stretch, he drove in six runs.

The Lexington Legends lost an outfielder and gained another Thursday.

Brandon Barnes was promoted to High-A Lancaster of the California League.

The Legends filled his roster spot by activating Jay Austin from the disabled list.

Brandon Barnes

Barnes, 23, leads the Legends in doubles (11), triples (3) and RBI (25), and shares the team lead for runs (23), homers (5) and total bases (84). He’s second on the club with 52 hits over 57 games.

Barnes hit safely in six of his last eight games with Lexington, going 10-for-28, to raise his batting average from .249 to .264. During that stretch, he had a double, triple, two homers, five runs and seven RBI.

Selected by the Astros out of Cypress College in the sixth round of the 2005 draft, Barnes is in his fifth minor-league season. He played 87 games for the Legends in 2008, hitting .241 with two homers and 19 RBI.

Austin, 18, is batting .224 with10 RBI and eight stolen bases over 44 games with the Legends.

Jay Austin

He went on the disabled list after suffering a concussion May 30, when he collided in the first inning with shortstop Jorge De Leon. In the eight games prior to his injury, Austin hit safely in seven contests, going 11-for-34 (.324).

The Astros drafted Austin in the second round (56th overall) last year, out of North Atlanta High School. Coming into this season, Baseball America rated him as the 10th-best prospect in Houston’s system, as well as the Astros’ best athlete and fastest baserunner.

The Legends open a two-game series Thursday night at Bowling Green, then head to Asheville for a three-game series. The Legends return to Applebee’s Park on Tuesday, June 16, to meet the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

* Former Legends Chris Johnson, now with 3A Round Rock, and Kobe Clemens, with Lancaster, are among Mike Tauser’s “Farmstros Five” for the week of June 3-9. You can check out his blog at http://farmstros.blogspot.com.