Dirtbags Weekly Digest

Another week has passed with Dirtbags making news at all levels of baseball. Here’s a roundup of who’s been in the headlines over the last week, continuing the Dirtbag legacy.

Two Dirtbags make commitments

A pair of Dirtbags have found their colleges as they pursue a higher education and continue their playing days.

Fuquay Varina High School senior right-handed pitcher Kyle Mott has committed to Pitt Community College in Winterville, N.C. The Bulldogs are in the the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region X, most notably known for producing Cleveland Indians outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall, a first-round draft pick in the 2008 draft.

Heading to Division II baseball is Ras Ran Amon. The infielder from Rolesville High School has committed to be a future Ram at Winston Salem State University. WSSU is in the 10-team Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which has eight schools in North Carolina and two in Virginia. The Rams won the CIAA from 2011-2014, after the baseball program was reinstated in August 2010, and hosted an NCAA Regional in 2013.

Herring named CAA Freshman of the Week

Compiling a rookie campaign which has freshman all-america honors in sight, former Dirtbag right-handed pitcher Gage Herring was named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Rookie of the Week, for the second time this season. In leading UNC-Wilmington to a 10-0 victory over Delaware on Sunday, the native of Newton Grove, N.C. carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, before surrendered a single, the only hit allowed in his six-inning start, as he struck out a career-high five batters.

The near spotless start lowered Herring’s ERA to 2.08 on the season, and moved his record to 2-0. Herring previously earned the Rookie of the Week honor on March 26, becoming the second former Dirtbag to do so for UNCW, joining right-handed pitcher Landen Roupp on March 6.

Williamson tabbed Pacific Coast League’s top hitter

After appearing in 28 games as a San Francisco Giant last year, former Dirtbag Mac Williamson did not break spring training with the National League West club, instead optioned to AAA Sacramento. Through the first two weeks of the minor league season, Williamson is showing he is ready to be called back up to the bigs, the minors offering little to challenge him.

Williamson has appeared in 11 games this season and he recorded a hit in each game. Williamson has record 39 official at-bats and has recorded a hit in almost half, using three doubles and a minor league-leading six home runs to pick up 19 hits and drive in 16 runs. Add up the bases and the seven walks drawn, Williamson has reached base at a .600 club and is slugging 1.026.

For his out-of-the-world start, Williamson was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week on April 15, the second time the 2012 third-round pick out of Wake Forest has earned the honor.