May 3, 2002|By Joe Williams, Sentinel Staff Writer
LEESBURG -- Dale Delpit has grown through his high school
years watching Lake-Sumter Community College's baseball team and
Lake-Sumter Coach Mike Matulia has watched Delpit grow as a baseball
player.
Thursday morning in the media center at Leesburg High School, Delpit signed with the Lakers' baseball team.
"I
have been waiting to have a chance to play there for a while,'' said
Delpit, who probably will play in the outfield for the Lakers, but also
has experience at shortstop and on the mound. "I have known him
[Matulia] for a while.''
Delpit also was considering Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville but he chose the Lakers because "I liked the fact that I could stay home and still play baseball.''
Leesburg
has had a presence on Lake-Sumter's team for several years, including
one of Delpit's close friends in Richie Billings and Brian Suggs, a
relief pitcher who was recently named the Fireman of the Year for the
Mid-Florida Conference.
"I have watched him progressively get
better over the years,'' said Matulia, the LSCC coach. "Leesburg made it
to the [state] playoffs for the first time in a while [1997] and when
you don't have a lot of seniors, someone has to step up and that is what
Dale did.''
Delpit finished with a .341 batting average that included 18 RBIs and three doubles and two triples. He also was one of the Yellow Jackets' top pitchers, with a 2.49 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 561/3 innings.
"He did a great job for us, not only as a positive leader, but also as a role model,'' Leesburg Coach David Lee said.
Resources
No comments:
Post a Comment