Testimonial Tuesday: Ty Dooley

Testimonial Tuesday: Ty Dooley

It’s easy to tell that family is important to Ty Dooley. He talks about it when asked where he wants to go to college.  As expected he talks about family too, when providing info on his support system, who offers him great encouragement. The theme of family even shines through his description of being a Dirtbag. So when Dooley, a 2021 uncommitted shortstop, flat out states he’s a “family oriented” individual, it means he carries that approach to all aspects of his being.

As for why he became a Dirtbag in 2017, Dooley said, “They had a great track record with (college) commitments, but also had developed talent and showcased it.”

Though he joined the Dirtbags with the expressed intent of tapping into what the organization had done for players who came before him, he has learned that it’s so much more than that. Ty noted he’s come to see at this point the term “Dirtbag” means hard working, team oriented and unselfish. He’s also learned just how big the organization is. And, he says, it’s now obvious why it’s grown so large.

Making connections in a large group essentially requires those same family attributes Dooley cares about. The junior, out of Blythewood High School in Blythewood, S.C., seems to find great comfort playing with the Bags. 

Comfort. Connection. Those don’t just happen. They take effort on both sides. Ty seems to recognize that and in turn, do more than his part to achieve those standards. 

From being very vocal on the infield to having a cool, but confident demeanor,  it all translates to him providing great communication with his teammates. And that can happen immediately as Dooley found out last summer playing with a new Dirtbag team in Fort Myers, Florida. While Dooley says he was with a team different from who he had spent the previous weeks, the unfamiliarity didn’t show.

“It was like I’d been with them the whole time,” Dooley stated.

But for those who have been watching the infielder mature on and off the diamond, that’s not surprising. His versatility is found not only in his personality but also in his skills. As the South Carolina Director for the Dirtbags, Brendan Dougherty perfectly explains how and why Ty can connect so quickly with whomever he’s playing and find that “family” comfort.

“Ty can really play. He has a baseball pedigree with a skill set to match.He’s a versatile player with power in his bat and has a chance to be special,” according to Dougherty.

With 2020 here, Dooley is looking to reach that special status referred to by Dougherty. The off-season has been full of lifting sessions, arm care work with band stretches and a throwing program. Additionally, he has been working on his swing, which he says wasn’t where he wanted it last season as he wasn’t able to show the patience he needed. Rectifying that has meant trying to get tons of live arm reps with his left-handed swing.

All the work has been with purpose, both with individual and team goals in mind. Ty is excited to be a part of the Blythewood program and try to help them return to the state championship. He also finds the opportunity to be recruited by some top college programs to be good reason for all the effort.  

While saying he’d love to find the right college fit right in the Palmetto state where he’s always called home, the chance to join a program where he can make, again, that family connection will be the ultimate determining factor.

As for now, Dooley is finding himself gaining exposure whether that means being a Dirtbag, or a Bengal at Blythewood. Ty also has enjoyed attending camps in the off-season at schools that could end up being destinations. Not only is he able to get a feel for a program’s atmosphere and culture, but ever the learner, he states he always gets something out of it; from drills to skills of the game.

With that kind of attitude to go along with his already advanced skills, it may be sooner rather than later that Ty Dooley will find connection with his next “family.”