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Three former Savannah Chatham County Public School System baseball players will be playing at the college level this spring. Two of the three were present at a signing event on Friday, August 5 at Savannah Baseball Performance Academy while one was unfortunately sick and unable to attend.

Former Islands High School standout Dalton Singletary signed to play at Savannah State University (NCAA Division II) while a pair of Jenkins High School products – Rylee Hoeller and Matthew Odom – will be playing on the Junior College level at the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie. Odom was sick on Friday and was not at the signing.

Family, friends and local media were at the signing for Singletary and Hoeller. So too were HVJ head baseball coach Seth Gaspin and SBPA Owner Ross Howard.

Both players said they couldn’t have reached their diamond dreams without the help of family and both cited Gaspin and Howard as big reasons for their success thus far.

“Coach Seth Gaspin and Ross Howard, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without them,” Singletary said on Friday. “So I just want to thank them for everything and I’m forever indebted to them.”

Hoeller agreed.

“Coach Gaspin has taught me so much not only about baseball, but about life,” said Hoeller, who played primarily at first base in 2022 as a senior for the Warriors. “And (Howard) has given us the opportunity to use the (SBPA) facility and he worked with all of us Jenkins guys. But getting extra help from him on the side just gave me the chance to come in here every single day and work to become a better player.”

Odom and Hoeller plan on rooming together in Allendale, South Carolina at the USC-Salkehatchie campus. Each played key leadership roles for Gaspin’s HVJ club this past spring.

Singletary graduated from Islands where he played outfield for head coach Brandon Collins. He took his talents to Maryland to play at the Community College of Baltimore County (JUCO) but broke his hand in the batting cages soon after the season started in 2021. He used the SBPA facilities to work on his game over the last year, and now has a spot at SSU as a reward for the hard work.

“I had a good first game (at CCBC) and then before the second game, I broke my hand in the batting cages with my roommate,” said Singletary. “So I started helping out and coaching over at Jenkins with Coach Gaspin. We built a good relationship and he welcomed me with open arms.”

Gaspin says the signings are meaningful to him and they should be good examples for other SCCPSS baseball players that they too can reach the college level from Jenkins, Islands or other public school programs in the area.

“I’m very fortunate to be a baseball coach in this town,” Gaspin said. “And anytime a Chatham County kid signs, we’re excited and we are pleased because that means they are going on to the next level. They are going to trade that baseball talent and use it for an education, and I think that’s our No. 1 job as high school coaches.”

FOLLOW Travis Jaudon on Twitter/Instagram @JaudonSports. Email him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com.

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