Three Dillon High School players signed to play at Florence-Darlington Technical College.
Erin Bailey and Marissa Tyndall signed to play softball, and Duncan Callahan signed to play baseball.
Erin Bailey, the daughter of Charlie and Faye Bailey, has played softball for 10 years. Bailey, who has played catcher on the varsity team since ninth grade, said she was most influenced in this sport by her parents. Bailey, who plans to major in nursing, said she believes she is a fit for FDTC because it is a small school, and close to home. Bailey also had offers from Lees-McRae, Piedmont College, and Francis Marion University. Bailey said she will carry her desire to always improve to the best of her ability from the high school to the college level.
Bailey has received numerous honors and awards during her high school career. As a junior, Bailey was named Defensive Player of the Year and received All-Region and All-State honors and played on the state title team. During her sophomore year, she was All-Region and All-State. During her freshman year, she was named Rookie of the Year.
Bailey has had 19 homeruns in her varsity career. Her on base percentage in her junior year (2014) was .553 and was .500 in 2013. Her batting average was .427 as a junior, .405 as a sophomore, and over .400 as a freshman.
Her parents said they are very proud of her accomplishments and eager to watch her continue to grow with her sports abilities.
Marissa Tyndall will also be playing softball, a sport that she took up in seventh grade. She said her grandpa, Mike “Turtle” Tyndall, influenced her most in this sport. Tyndall said she believes that she is a fit for the college because she can bring something to the team as a pitcher or shortstop. She said her best pitch is the curve. Tyndall plans to major in occupational therapy.
During her high school career, she was Rookie of the Year with the High School Sports Report in her freshman year, All-State with the High School Sports Report in her junior and sophomore years, SC CAWS All State in her junior and sophomore years, SC CAWS Player of the Year, Best Offensive Player, and Most Valuable Player. She is very athletic and plays all sports.
She had 38 hits last year and a .555 batting average.
Tyndall’s family said they are proud of her.
Duncan Callahan, the son of Greg and Sandra Callahan, has signed to play baseball, a sport he has played since he was four years old. Callahan was most influenced in this sport by his father.
Callahan is versatile playing pitcher, shortstop, and third base. His best pitch is his fastball.
Callahan said that Tech is young at baseball. They had a good year last year, and he believes that he can increase their winning abilities and add to the team’s success. He plans to major in architecture or pharmacy. He also received an offer from South Carolina.
Callahan enjoys working out and spending time with friends.
His parents said they are very proud of him. They said he is working very hard to return from his surgery to his old form. They said they are looking forward to his future at Tech.
Callahan had a .286 batting average last year, 2 home runs, a 1.9 era, and pitched 25 innings.
Athletic Director Jackie Hayes applauded the efforts of these students and stressed that this was just the beginning. He also stressed the importance that education should be their top priority. He encouraged them to aim high.
PHOTOS BY JOHNNIE DANIELS/THE DILLON HERALD
