ALBANY, GA -- Darton College baseball coach Scot Hemmings has only been in charge of the Cavaliers for eight months. But it’s apparent already- Hemmings was serious when he said changes were coming.
As Darton opened practice this week, freshman players compiled nearly 80% of the roster- 22 fish to 6 sophomores.
Hemmings expects some growing pains early with the stacked roster full of youth, but the head coach is excited about the Cavaliers athleticism. Hemmings believes this squad is capable of leading the conference in stolen bases.
Since he arrived from the Columbus-area last May, Hemmings has been all about changing the identity and his Darton team is finally starting to recognize it.
“I think it's been an adjustment for some of these guys...the amount of time that we've put in to it, but I'm really happy with the direction that we're headed in and the direction we're going,” Hemmings said.
The Cavaliers have added some integral transfer pieces in the past few months. Former Lee County pitcher Matt Aldrich transferred from Valdosta State this fall along with three others joining the Cavaliers in January. Right-handed pitcher Luis Florentino, and position players Evan Carr and David Richards enrolled for the spring semester.
Florentino arrives from the Dominican Republic and throws 87-91 mph. Richards transferred from Savannah State and is considered to be a future Major League Baseball prospect.
“(We’re) Just trying to put our name out there...let everybody know that we're ready to play. Not the “old” Darton…we're going to be a new group of kids. We're determined to win,” Aldrich said.
The Cavs open the season in two and a half weeks on the road in Panama City.
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