News and Announcements

Whit Merrifield signed his National Letter of Intent to attend and play baseball for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday, November 8 at Davie County High School in a ceremony attended by family and friends. Whit will be back on the field this spring to help lead the Davie Co. War Eagles in his senior season. The War Eagles will be looking to defend their conference championship and improve their third round run in the state play offs. Congratulations go out to Whit and his parents Bill and Kissy.

Kyle Greenwalt signed his National Letter of Intent to join Whit in attending and playing baseball for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday night, November 8 in Harleysville, Pennsylvania. In a ceremony attended by over 50 family and friends, Kyle inked his name to officially become a Gamecock. Kyle will complete his senior season for the Souderton Big Red Indians this spring as they look to again lead their conference and advance to the state tournament. Congratulations go out to Kyle and his parents Jeff and Barb.
 
Keegan Linza completed the South Carolina trifecta when he signed his National Letter in a ceremony at North Rowan High School attended by family and friends. Keegan will begin his career for the Gamecocks following his senior year at North Rowan where they will be competing for a state play off berth this season. Congratulations go out to Keegan and his parents Gary and Susan.
 
Michael Caldwell inked his National Letter of Intent in a ceremony at Charlotte Christian to attend school and play baseball at High Point College next year. Michael will complete his senior season for Christian where they will defend their State Championship and Michaels class will go for four years in a row as state champions. Congratulations to Michael and his parents Bill and Ross.
 
Byron McKoy signed his National Letter of Intent with Temple University where he will attend school and play baseball for the Owls next year. Temple is a part of the Atlantic 10 Conference and will play games at Winthrop and UNC this season. Byron will help lead Independence High School this spring. Congratulations go out to Byron and his parents Carlo and Gail.

Darrall Simmons will take his game to Hickory, North Carolina next year as he has inked his National Letter of Intent with the Lenoir Rhyne Bears. Lenoir Rhyne plays in the South Atlantic Conference. Darrall joins teammate Byron McKoy in helping lead the Independence Patriots in the tough Charlotte 4A conference. Congratulations to Darrall and his parents Brad and Renee.
 
Stephen Andrews will join Darrall in Hickory after signing his National Letter of Intent with the Bears of Lenoir Rhyne. Stephen will help lead the Mt. Tabor Spartans this spring in one of the top state 4A conferences. Congratulations to Stephen and his parents Bill and Kris as well as younger brother Coach Jacob.
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An MLB Insiders Interview with Kyle Greenwalt

Posted by Don Hutchins at Oct 16, 2006 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

Frankie Piliere                                                                                                                              
MLBInsiders.com

Kyle Greenwalt, a senior at Souderton High School in Pennsylvania is rapidly becoming one of the hottest commodities in the 2007 draft class. With a strong summer, the hard throwing righty moved up many prospect lists and made himself a first round possibility come next June. We recently spoke with Kyle to discuss the draft, his goals, and much more.


Scout.com: First of all, I'm sure it was a summer of showcases for you. How you do you feel your summer went and what were you able to get out of it?

Kyle Greenwalt: I really didn't do showcases. I played in Perfect Game tournaments with my summer team, the South Charlotte Panthers where there are a lot of scouts and recruiters in attendance. But I feel that my summer went well for me. I received a lot of exposure and threw against great talent. What I got out of it the most is that my hard work seems to be starting to pay off.

Scout.com: Which event do you think you had your best showing at and why?

Kyle Greenwalt: The WWBA Perfect Game 18U - I threw a shut-out against the Central Florida Renegades, which is a really good team.

Scout.com: If you had describe your overall game, what are some important things you'd point out and basically what should people know about your style of play?

Kyle Greenwalt: I feel that I am a very enthusiastic player and I try to motivate my teammates whenever I can. I am hard-nosed and I want to win and am giving 110 percent to do it!

Scout.com: What would you say is your strongest attribute as a pitcher and why?

Kyle Greenwalt: My mound presence because I feel that I am in control of my game and I want to show that at all times.

Scout.com: Have you committed to college yet? If so, which one and have you thought ahead about the decision you could have to make between going pro and college?

Kyle Greenwalt: Yes, I committed to the University of South Carolina. Yes, I have thought about pro and college. My ultimate dream has been to be a Major League pitcher, so it would depend on what round and what they (the pros) would have to offer me, what I will do.

Scout.com: What do you feel are the most significant improvements you have to make over the next year and how do you plan to correct them?

Kyle Greenwalt: I want to improve my ability to throw my changeup consistently for strikes anywhere in the count.

Scout.com: It seems that you were a player that moved up a lot on many prospects lists this summer. What differences do you think there were in your game that got you the added attention?

Kyle Greenwalt: I think my enthusiastic approach towards the game and throwing to get the outs, not just the strikeouts.

Scout.com: What do you feel is the most important thing an organization should know about you that they might not see at first glance?

Kyle Greenwalt: Again, my enthusiasm and that I'm a work-horse and take the game very seriously.

Scout.com: What big league player would you best compare yourself to in terms of style and why?

Kyle Greenwalt: Roy Oswalt, because we have the same tempo on the mound.

Scout.com: Could you please describe your repertoire of pitches, the velocities of each and which is your best pitch, etc.

Kyle Greenwalt: My fastball is 92-96 MPH, my curveball is 68-72 MPH, my slider is 80-84, my changeup is around 64 MPH, and my knuckleball is about 60 MPH. My fastball is my best pitch because I can spot it where I want and because it has movement in, out and down.

Scout.com: I understand that you went to Yankee Stadium for a tryout over the summer. What was that experience like for you?

Kyle Greenwalt: It was amazing. Yankee Stadium is a baseball landmark where so many of the greats have played. I felt truly honored to throw off of that mound.

Scout.com: How do you feel playing against such strong competition has helped you as a player?

Kyle Greenwalt: It has helped me so much. I have to work hard no matter where it is in the lineup because most of the time you face good hitters from top to bottom.

Scout.com: Has the pressure of picking a school and getting all the attention from scouts and things like that been difficult for you? What have you done to handle all of that?

Kyle Greenwalt: Not really. The college process got to me at times, but I kept telling myself what it was for and that I was one of the lucky ones to be in the position that I was in. It's all good!

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An MLB Insiders Interview with Kyle Greenwalt

Posted by Don Hutchins at Oct 11, 2006 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Frankie Piliere                                                                                                                               October 11, 2006
MLBInsiders.com

Kyle Greenwalt, a senior at Souderton High School in Pennsylvania is rapidly becoming one of the hottest commodities in the 2007 draft class. With a strong summer, the hard throwing righty moved up many prospect lists and made himself a first round possibility come next June. We recently spoke with Kyle to discuss the draft, his goals, and much more.


Scout.com: First of all, I'm sure it was a summer of showcases for you. How you do you feel your summer went and what were you able to get out of it?

Kyle Greenwalt: I really didn't do showcases. I played in Perfect Game tournaments with my summer team, the South Charlotte Panthers where there are a lot of scouts and recruiters in attendance. But I feel that my summer went well for me. I received a lot of exposure and threw against great talent. What I got out of it the most is that my hard work seems to be starting to pay off.

Scout.com: Which event do you think you had your best showing at and why?

Kyle Greenwalt: The WWBA Perfect Game 18U - I threw a shut-out against the Central Florida Renegades, which is a really good team.

Scout.com: If you had describe your overall game, what are some important things you'd point out and basically what should people know about your style of play?

Kyle Greenwalt: I feel that I am a very enthusiastic player and I try to motivate my teammates whenever I can. I am hard-nosed and I want to win and am giving 110 percent to do it!

Scout.com: What would you say is your strongest attribute as a pitcher and why?

Kyle Greenwalt: My mound presence because I feel that I am in control of my game and I want to show that at all times.

Scout.com: Have you committed to college yet? If so, which one and have you thought ahead about the decision you could have to make between going pro and college?

Kyle Greenwalt: Yes, I committed to the University of South Carolina. Yes, I have thought about pro and college. My ultimate dream has been to be a Major League pitcher, so it would depend on what round and what they (the pros) would have to offer me, what I will do.

Scout.com: What do you feel are the most significant improvements you have to make over the next year and how do you plan to correct them?

Kyle Greenwalt: I want to improve my ability to throw my changeup consistently for strikes anywhere in the count.

Scout.com: It seems that you were a player that moved up a lot on many prospects lists this summer. What differences do you think there were in your game that got you the added attention?

Kyle Greenwalt: I think my enthusiastic approach towards the game and throwing to get the outs, not just the strikeouts.

Scout.com: What do you feel is the most important thing an organization should know about you that they might not see at first glance?

Kyle Greenwalt: Again, my enthusiasm and that I'm a work-horse and take the game very seriously.

Scout.com: What big league player would you best compare yourself to in terms of style and why?

Kyle Greenwalt: Roy Oswalt, because we have the same tempo on the mound.

Scout.com: Could you please describe your repertoire of pitches, the velocities of each and which is your best pitch, etc.

Kyle Greenwalt: My fastball is 92-96 MPH, my curveball is 68-72 MPH, my slider is 80-84, my changeup is around 64 MPH, and my knuckleball is about 60 MPH. My fastball is my best pitch because I can spot it where I want and because it has movement in, out and down.

Scout.com: I understand that you went to Yankee Stadium for a tryout over the summer. What was that experience like for you?

Kyle Greenwalt: It was amazing. Yankee Stadium is a baseball landmark where so many of the greats have played. I felt truly honored to throw off of that mound.

Scout.com: How do you feel playing against such strong competition has helped you as a player?

Kyle Greenwalt: It has helped me so much. I have to work hard no matter where it is in the lineup because most of the time you face good hitters from top to bottom.

Scout.com: Has the pressure of picking a school and getting all the attention from scouts and things like that been difficult for you? What have you done to handle all of that?

Kyle Greenwalt: Not really. The college process got to me at times, but I kept telling myself what it was for and that I was one of the lucky ones to be in the position that I was in. It's all good!
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Interview with Erik Sommerville

Posted by Don Hutchins at Oct 8, 2006 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
The original Panther Erik Sommerville is attending Francis Marion University where he is a member of the Patriots baseball team. The team is in the middle of fall practices and beging their end of fall World Series intrasquads this week. Erik has sent me over some good updates about his start of college and I wanted to share some questions and answers I had for Erik with the Panther family. Q: What classes are you taking this semester? A: Psychology 206; Psychology 216; Business 140(Calculus); Theatre 101; Business 150 Q: What is your favorite food - On Campus, Off Campus? A: On - Lasagna Off - Boneless Teriyaki Wings at Carolina Wild Wings. Q: How are fall practices going? A: Practice is fun. We work hard to get done what we have to do. I have pitched about 20 innings in scrimmages and given up 1 earned and 1 unearned run! Q: After you, of course, who is the best player on the team? A: Dylan Owen. Pitcher from Chesterfield, SC. He has won every honor possible. Q: What aspect of playing for the Panthers has helped the most in playing in college? A: Keeping my body and arm in good shape. Q: What do you miss most being away from school? A: I miss my family, but I also miss playing with the Panthers and my high school team. Q: Have they assigned you a number yet? A: No! Q: What rules surprised you the most, what rules do you like the least? A: The rules are OK. Playing for the Panthers was stricter which makes it easier. Running in the morning really stinks! Q: If you could tell the current Panthers one thing about college baseball, what would you tell them? A: The baseball is awesome and the team is fun to be with but you have to keep the grades up to play!!! Q: How are the girls at F. Marion? A: The girls are a lot of fun. The ones I hang out with the most are the athletes. Q: How far is your walk to class? A: About 2 football fields, not too bad. Q: Seen any good movies? A: Gridiron Gang, loved it! We have movie night 2 or 3 times a week where we get together and watch a dvd. Q: What is the most popular video game? A: Probably Madden 07. Q: If you could do one thing different in your high school/Panther career what would it be? A: Not been a retard and focused on grades in my freshman and sophomore years. Thanks Erik and Good Luck!image
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Kyle Greenwalt Commits !!!!!

Posted by Don Hutchins at Aug 24, 2006 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Kyle Greenwalt 2007 Souderton High School committed to the University of South Carolina to play baseball for the Gamecocks in 2008. Kyle joins fellow Panthers Whit Merrifield and Keegan Linza in his decision that came down to a choice between Carolina, Clemson and Auburn. The Gamecocks play in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. Congratulations to Kyle and his his parents Barb and Jeff.image