Page 711 – Diamond Prospects

DP Spotlight: Offseason Interview – Michael Patrick, Northwestern

I have committed to play at Winthrop. I have been very blessed to have such terrific parents, Mike and Lori Patrick. They have given me the love, support, and foundation that have gotten me to where I am today. I also have two brothers, Brandon (27) and Drew (15). Diamond Prospects-Please list any high school statistics of importance, award… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well. Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password

DP Spotlight: Offseason Interview – Andrew Cox, Belton Honea-Path

DP Spotlight – Andrew Cox: The Belton-Honea Path senior has been on the Diamond Prospects landscape for quite a few years. Our first viewing of him was when he attended a JrDP clinic in 2007 and he sent ringing line drives all over the yard. Since then, he has won a state championship, committed to play ball at his dream s… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Bio – Randy Carlson

-Randy Carlson- Randy Carlson recently completed his sixth season as an assistant at The Citadel where he served as the team’s hitting coach while working with the catchers. Carlson is currectly the team director at the East Coast Baseball Academy (ECBA). He also conducts lessons and camps in West Ashley. During the Spring, he will serve as DP’s area Scout in the Charleston area. While at The Citadel, during his tenure as the hitting coach from 2009-2011, Carlson saw the Bulldogs set several program records on offense and saw the catchers excel defensively behind the plate. In addition, he has coached multiple draft picks that have left their mark in the school record books in Chris McGuiness, Richard Jones, Sonny Meade and Bryan Altman. The Citadel catchers combined for a league-low five errors and a fielding percentage of .988 in the 2011 season. Meanwhile, opposing base runners were thrown out on 28 different occasions, second most in the SoCon. Freshman backstop Joe Jackson was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team along with third baseman Drew DeKerlegand as both first year players hit over .300 on the season. In 2010, Carlson worked with All-Southern Conference second baseman and catcher Bryan Altman who racked up 70 RBI, third most in school history in a single season. He also worked with leadoff man Nick Orvin who broke into the top-10 in runs scored in a single season for the second consecutive year. The 2009 Bulldogs ranked eighth in the country as a team in hits with 728, ranked 16th in doubles with 140 and ranked 19th with a .333 team average on the way to establishing new school records in hits and total bases. Sonny Meade, Richard Jones, Bryan Altman and Nick Orvin all entered the single-season top 10 list in hits in 2009 under Coach Carlson. Bulldog catchers excelled behind the plate under Carlson’s direction. In 2008, the catching staff led the Southern Conference in stolen bases against with a league-low mark of 45 SBA. The Bulldog catchers were second in the SoCon in fewest passed balls and had the third fewest amount of errors in the league. In 2007, The Citadel backstops combined for a .989 fielding percentage, ranking them second in the Southern Conference. The past three seasons, Bulldog catchers have been ranked at the top or near the top of the Southern Conference, thanks to Carlson’s guidance. In 2007, true freshman Richard Jones received numerous accolades under Carlson’s guidance, earning Freshman All-America accolades by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, Rivals.com and Ping! In addition, Jones was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year while also being named All-Southern Conference and garnered All-Southern Conference Tournament Team accolades. Known primarily for his bat, Jones also had a stellar season behind the plate, ranking third in the SoCon as he gunned down over 30 percent of base runners attempting to steal. A 2003 graduate of Lander University, Carlson was the assistant coach at his alma mater from 2003-05 where he worked with the catchers, outfielders and hitters. He also acted as first base coach and camp director. In 2005, he coached a Lander team that reached the national ranks at No. 7, the Bearcats’ highest ranking in school history. Carlson has also coached 22 players that went on to the professional ranks. Carlson received a coach’s award in 2001, and was named to the Peach Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2001 and 2002 during his playing days at Lander. He was part of a Bearcat team that was ranked as high as ninth nationally in 2001. That same club finished the ’01 season with a school record 33 wins, including a season-high 18 Peach Belt Conference victories. In every season in which Carlson was a player or coach, Lander was ranked among the top 30 in the country. The Gerry, N.Y. native also played at Jamestown Community College, leading his team to the NJCAA Regionals in 1999. Carlson left his mark on the Jayhawk record books, ranking first in career walks, fourth in career triples, fifth in career at bats, ninth in career runs scored and 10th in career hits. Prior to coming to The Citadel, Carlson acted as head coach of the Wayne County Raptors of the New York Collegiate Baseball League in the summer of 2005. A 1997 graduate of Cassadaga Valley Central School in Sinclairville, N.Y., Carlson is an active member of the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Recap: DP Fall League – Conway vs Carolina Forest

By: Joey Haug – October 5, 2011 Back-and-Forth, Come-from-Behind Affair Highlights Game Two The great weather continued into game two, with a little more crispness to game two. After busting out the jacket, I sat down to view game two between Carolina Forest and Conway, two region rivals looking to get their young guys some looks and figure ou… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Recap: DP Fall League – Aynor vs NMB-Loris

By: Joey Haug – October 5, 2011 NMB-Loris Scores Early and Often in Shootout with Aynor Another beautiful fall evening in Myrtle Beach set up tonight’s double header at Carolina Forest High School. Game one featured a matchup between North Myrtle Beach-Loris and Aynor. Without a cloud in the sky, we started game one… Loris’ Korbin Causey g… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Recap: DP Fall League – Mauldin #2 vs Hillcrest

By: Brad Wingo – October 5, 1002 Old Time Woodside Park played host to Mauldin and Hillcrest Wednesday night. The bitter rivals met to battle it out on a clear evening. The lights at Woodside Park have retired so the game ended right as the sun went down. Middle Innings Doom Rams Mauldin scored one run in the third and two runs in the… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Recap: DP Fall League – Woodmont vs Mauldin #2

st1\:* { BEHAVIOR: url(#ieooui) } By: Barry Mabry – October 4, 2011 Week five kicked off last night and games are starting to have a little more meaning to them as the Upstate DP Fall League begins to wind down. With only two more weeks to play in the regular season, teams are fighting hard to get a bid to play at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on the … The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Recap: DP Fall League – Blue Ridge #1 vs JL Mann #1

By: Brad Wingo – October 3, 2011 The nightcap of the double header got off to a wild start. Blue Ridge started the first inning with three bunts hits to load the bases with no outs. Mann escaped the inning by only giving up one run on a fielder’s choice and a base running blunder by Blue Ridge. JL Mann’s Wesley Rogers led off the bottom of the i… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Recap: DP Fall League – Greenville #2 vs JL Mann #2

By: Brad Wingo – October 3, 2011 DP was on hand at JL Mann High School Monday night for a double header. The clear evening quickly turned cold when the sun went down as Greenville #2 took on Mann #2. A big fifth inning led to an 11-5 Greenville win. JL Mann #2 got ahead early as Will Fuqua singled and went to third on a single to right off the … The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Let Freedom Ring

By: Austin Alexander – October 3, 2011 -Let Freedom Ring- It only happens every two or three years that I chime in on a personal matter. In this case, it may be a situation that many families are dealing with on some level. My only sibling is a little brother, he has a name, it is Myles. He will always be my little brother, even though he is 5-11/192 and chiseled like a Greek God. He used to terrorize me and I would boss him around too. But 99 percent of the time, we were playmates around the house and very successful teammates in the backyard! Myles eventually became a solid player in his own right. As an outfielder at the College of Charleston he earned the nickname "Bull" for his tendency to run face first into walls and fences in pursuit of fly balls! He now resides in Beaufort and has covered a number of games for DP over the years too. This week my ‘little’ brother turned 34 and will report to Afghanistan as an officer in the Air Force, with his baseball glove packed in hopes of using it at some point. He has turned into the man that every parent raises their child to be. He would also look better in a baseball uniform than anybody that will wear one this year! My family was able to spend this past weekend in Charleston with he and his wife, Liz. On Saturday, he and I took my oldest son to the College Charleston intra-squad practice. Both of us had once played with head coach Monte Lee and Coach Lee kindly shared the dugout with us, it was a great day! But on this Friday, Myles and others will begin a mission in a foreign country to defend our nation. We are so fortunate to have brave people to leave their ego’s in the United States then board a plane and dive directly into enemy territory. It takes a special person to consider doing that… it takes a true warrior to actually enlist and carry through with their patriotism. Myles and I watched several baseball games together this weekend and it was surreal when he made it clear that none of these games made a difference in the grand scheme of things. Myles was correct, there is a much bigger game being played outside the white lines and beyond our borders. It was a very emotional moment for me when I had to depart from Myles on Sunday morning. He assured me that he would be okay because, in his words, "You forced me to be tough, I will be fine." This weekend was a good break away from my sense of normal to get a feel for reality. If you are reading this final line, then you probably agree: Tonight, say a prayer for our country, our soldiers and their safe return home, Amen. .