For Wicksburg two-way standout Drew Colon, holding a signing ceremony on the Panthers’ home baseball field less than 10 feet from home plate and about 100 feet where he has thrown so many pitches in his career was appropriate.
The Panther senior pitcher/middle infielder and centerfielder held a signing ceremony on that spot Wednesday afternoon in front of teammates, family, friends and coaches. Colon is bound for Chipola College in Marianna.
“This field is special to me,” Colon said. “I have been at Wicksburg for 13 years and it has treated me well, very well.”
He called the opportunity to sign for college baseball “amazing,”
“It feels amazing. I feel accomplished and sort of relief,” Colon said. “I have always wanted to go to college (baseball) since I was a little kid.”
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Specifically, he has had a goal for a while to play at Chipola, located 45 miles away in nearby Marianna, Fla.
“When I was at a travel ball tournament when I was younger, me and dad went to eat at a fast-food restaurant and we saw them,” Colon said of a meeting that left an impression on him. “That is where I wanted to go since then. They are known for winning and I feel I can go to the next level in going there.”
The Chipola program has sent hundreds of players to four-year colleges, including 14 last year, and has had 20 players eventually make it to the Major Leagues since the mid-1980s.
He also liked the campus and other parts of the Chipola program.
“I love the facilities,” Colon said. “When I visited, it felt like home to me. They have amazing a work ethic there and the campus is amazing.”
The Wicksburg senior chose Chipola over 14 other offers. All the offers had him playing in the field and pitching as well as hitting.
“Going two-way is my dream,” Colon said. “I want to play every game I can and be the best at everything on the field, knowing that if anybody gets hurt, I can play that position.”
Last year’s Dothan Eagle Player of the Year and Class 2A all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association has been a four-year starter for the Panthers, helping the program to 72 wins (18 per year).
“Drew has been a tremendous asset to our program the entire time even back in the seventh grade,” Wicksburg head coach Jarrod Wagner said. “We could project then, ‘Hey this guy is going to be able to pitch regardless of what his measurables end up or how hard he throws.’
“We knew we had a pitcher for sure. Then we ended up getting middle infielder, a centerfielder and a good hitter out of it as he continued to get better.”
Colon has amassed a 22-6 pitching record in the last three years with 282 strikeouts, including his current senior season. For his career, including his freshman year, he has earned more than 350 strikeouts. Offensively, he has hit .347 or better in each of the last three seasons and is closing in on 100 career runs batted in, and defensively, he has been solid as a middle infielder and outfielder.
While he is strong at hitting and on defense, pitching is what he is best known for with a fastball in the 90s plus a solid change-up, slider and curveball.
“When I was younger, it was hitting, but now, definitely pitching,” Colon responded when asked what he likes the most. “It (pitching) has definitely carried me to who I am today and my confidence on the field. Hitting is a lot of fun, and it is a mindset. If you are good at hitting, you can be good at anything.”
While he has strong velocity now, Colon said he had to learn how to be a pitcher first.
“I have always been a crafty pitcher,” Colon said. “I didn’t gain any velocity until about ninth grade. I was always the slowest pitcher around. It just went up a lot (the last few years), but what makes me so special is my off-speed and how I can locate really well.”
Wagner feels Colon is already a JUCO-ready pitcher.
“He is a great fit for JUCO,” Wagner said. “If you go watch JUCO baseball and the quality of the pitching and you watch the competitiveness of it, I think he fits right in. I don’t think there is a huge transition for me. I believe he could go get some (JUCO) guys out today.”
During his award-winning season a year ago, Colon amassed an 8-0 pitching record, a 1.33 earned run average and a Wiregrass-best 0.67 WHIP, allowing only 13 walks and 26 hits in 58 innings. He also struck out 114 of 204 batters – a 56 percent strikeout rate.
In addition, he hit .347 on offense and had a .533 on-base percentage in driving in 29 runs and scoring 21 runs over just 27 games.
Heading into Wicksburg’s second-round playoff series this weekend against Prattville Christian, Colon has a 7-3 pitching record for this season along with a 1.94 earned run average and exactly 100 strikeouts to 31 walks over 54 innings. At the plate, he is hitting .351, second best for Wicksburg, with three homers and 19 runs batted in over 25 games.
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