HAMLET — The Hamlet Post 49 baseball program held a pro-style workout at Memorial Park on Saturday.
Open to high school juniors and seniors, a total of 22 players from across the region participated. Players in attendance represented Anson, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Richmond and Scotland counties.
The two-hour workout was watched by coaches from five college programs — Cleveland Community College, Francis Marion University, Methodist University, Southeastern Community College and St. Andrews University.
“I was pleased with the turnout, especially with this being the first year of having this workout,” Chip Gordon, Post 49’s head coach, said. “There were fewer coaches than we anticipated, but we still provided almost two dozen kids with this opportunity.
“Hopefully the coaches saw some things that they liked and they can capitalize on it,” he added. “Some of these kids will get a chance to play college baseball, and that’s the whole reason we held this event.”
Gordon, a Richmond Senior High School graduate, rebooted the Post 49 program in 2020 and the team held its first full season since 2007 this past summer.
Players started the day by running sprints, and followed that with infield and outfield drills at their respective positions. The workout concluded with batting practice and bullpen sessions for pitchers and catchers.
“It takes a lot for a kid to get up and go work out in front of college coaches on a Saturday morning, so I was impressed by the want shown by the kids,” Gordon noted. “The desire to play college baseball and be seen is there, and we’re glad to be able to give them that chance.
“Hopefully in the future we will continue to grow this event and make it bigger and better.”
Below are photos taken by sports editor Kyle Pillar of Saturday’s pro-style college workout.
