Former Georgia Gwinnett College shortstop Gabe Howell has signed an independent professional baseball contract with the Frontier League's Washington Wild Things (Pennsylvania) following a standout 2021 season that featured the Grizzlies winning the NAIA national championship.

Howell signed the professional deal on Friday and has already appeared in two games, posting a .333 batting average with three hits and one stolen base.

For GGC, Howell earned the Gold Glove Award at the Avista NAIA World Series after playing a key role in the team posting a 51-10 record and capturing the World Series with five consecutive victories. He batted .373, hit 10 home runs and drove in 64 runs for the season. Howell also scored 79 runs and was successful on 27 of 30 stolen base attempts.

The Summerville, Georgia, native was a two-time All-Association of Independent Institutions selection. The shortstop had a .369 batting average while collecting 107 hits, 90 RBI, 16 home runs, and 109 runs scored in 85 career games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.