Topic: Jeff Keppinger

Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Keppinger (born April 21, 1980 in Miami, Florida) is an American professional baseball infielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Known as a contact hitter, Keppinger has one of the lowest strikeout rates in Major League Baseball. He led the league in the "at-bats-to-strikeouts" ratio in 2008 (19.1) and 2010 (14.3).

In 1994, under the tutelage of Coach Tim Worth, Keppinger played and starred on the Dunwoody Braves summer baseball team of Dunwoody, Ga. Keppinger was named to the AAU All-American team. He also played for the New England Collegiate Baseball League's Keene Swamp Bats.

Keppinger compiled a .380 batting average at the University of Georgia where, in the 2001 College World Series, he hit a two-run home run off star pitcher Mark Prior. That same year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Although Keppinger continued to hit over .300 in the minor leagues, his power numbers (home runs and RBIs) dropped dramatically from his college days.