Pigeon Forge’s Gent gets nod over Dailey, Shelton
Published 8:23 am Thursday, May 23, 2019
Contributed Photo Pat Swallows, director of the TBCA, was the master of ceremonies introducing all the candidates from each classification and the winners.
Contributed Photo Will Shelton of Alcoa, Mr. Tennessee for Class AA baseball Noah Gent, and Elizabethton’s Matthew Dailey take time for a photo after the awards presentation.
Contributed Photo All of the nominees and the winners of Mr. Tennessee Baseball gather for a group photo after Tuesday’s presentations.
Contributed Photo Matthew Dailey is joined by his proud parents Paul and Lora Dailey at the Mr. Tennessee Baseball program.
Contributed Photo Matthew Dailey with his plaque recognizing his nomination for 2019 Class AA Mr. Baseball.
Contributed Photo Dailey is surrounded by his coaches and teammates who attended the awards ceremony on Tuesday at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro.
MURFREESBORO— No matter the outcome of the naming of the Class AA Mr. Baseball winner, Elizabethton baseball stood tall and proud at the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association awards Tuesday morning. Matthew Dailey made sure of that.
The awards were presented to all three classes of baseball plus the Division 2 schools as well at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro as Matthew Dailey of the Cyclones joined Pigeon Forge’s Noah Gent and Alcoa’s Will Shelton for the naming of the winner.
As each group was introduced, it didn’t take long to see that Tennessee is blessed with a wealth of baseball talent as many of the young men had already committed to college programs like Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Xavier.
The finalists were nominated in a statewide poll of coaches, media, and college coaches. A committee from the TBCA selects the finalists and the winners based on their regular season performances.
Each school then has to verify that each nominee is making satisfactory academic progress and are the kind of individuals that the school will be proud to have as their representative.
Pat Swallows, the director of the TBCA, was master of ceremonies and gave each finalists credential for being selected as a Mr. Baseball finalist.
“Differentiating the winner from the other two finalists is an extremely tough task for the committee,” said Swallows in his comments. “Each finalist should take tremendous pride in being named as one of the 2019 top three baseball players in the state for their classification.
“Each of these young men could have been named Mr. Baseball. The responses that I have gotten back from the principals at each school were amazing. We are proud to be honoring them with this presentation.”
When time came for the announcement of the Class AA Mr. Baseball, Gent’s name was called as this year’s winner.
Dailey’s stats for the regular season were a batting average of .400 with 35 hits, 22 runs, and 31 RBI’s. On the mound, Dailey went 8-1 with a 1.64 ERA. He struck out 62 hitters.
He was a three-year started leading the team to 90 wins and was named the Three Rivers Conference Player of the Year for this season.
Gent’s regular-season stats for 2019 was a batting average of .589 with 66 hits, 22 doubles, and eight home runs. He scored 48 runs and had 50 RBI’s while stealing 11 bases and only struck out three times all season.
Shelton led Alcoa with nine wins and no losses and two saves from the mound. In 55 2/3 innings, Shelton gave up only 14 runs with eight of those earned, and struck out 70 hitters. His ERA was 1.006. He also added 16 doubles and five homeruns on the offensive side at the plate.
“This is absolutely motivating,” said Cyclone head baseball coach Ryan Presnell. “This lets our team know that they absolutely belong here this week.
“I don’t know what the outcome is going to be—I just know that we belong. That comes on the shoulders of these kids like Matthew Dailey that built this ballclub for three or four years to make it possible for these guys to come back two years in a row.
“We are proud of them and proud of Matthew and everything he has done. It’s just a big recognition for him and our entire baseball community.”
Presnell also recognized that all three of the Class AA finalists were from the Northeast Tennessee side of the state which states a lot about the baseball be played in the area.
“They are within a one hour and 45-minute drive of each other,” Presnell stated. “These are guys that we have played in the regular season.
“I am proud of the Cyclone baseball program for being a part of this and for the recognition that our play has brought.”
