Wesleyan’s Bailey rated among best in U.S.
BY JOE SIRERA
joe.sirera@greensboro.com
HIGH POINT — If you want to knowhow good a catcher Wesleyan’s Patrick Bailey is, you don’t have to ask the
scouts who consider the Trojans senior among the best high school prospectsin the country or the USA Baseball people who chose him for their 18U team last summer.
Just ask Wesleyan’s pitchers. “He’s such a great receiver back there that he probably steals us at least 10 strikes a game,” said senior Luke Davis. “With 0-2 curveballs and change-ups in the dirt, we as pitchers have confi dence in him to keep it in front of him. It’s his framing and his confidence back there that we draw from.”
But it’s not just the physical skills behind the plate that set the N.C. State commit apart. “It’s his ability to work with the pitchers to call a game,” said Trojans senior Brett Kerry. “He knows how you react best, so he’ll get in your mindset and it’s like you’re both on the same page. He knows hitters so well, so he knows what to call.”
This is Bailey’s third year at Wesleyan after being home-schooled as a ninth-grader. He helped the Trojans win the NCISAA Class 3-A state championship last year and took over calling pitches during that season.
“We’d never allowed our catchers to call pitches,” said Wesleyan coach Scott Davis, “but we made that decision early last year that we were going to let him do that because he’s very capable of doing it. He understands how to attack
hitters, and pitchers love throwing to him.”
And Bailey loves working with pitchers.
“I really enjoy it,” he said. “… I love the game, and I love learning more about the game. I feel like catching is the position where you have to know the game more than any other.”
But it is the game’s most demanding position, physically and mentally. Scott Davis has had some outstanding catchers during his time at Wesleyan, including Ron Causey, who went on to play for Duke; Chris Ferrante, who led Wesleyan to two state titles before going to Division III Hampden-Sydney; Ryan Clinch, who starts for UNCGreensboro; and, of course, San Diego Padres All-Star outfielder Wil Myers.
“I’ve been told by numerous scouts that Patrick is the best high school catcher they’ve ever seen,” Davis said.
“That’s pretty high praise, but you have to temper it with the fact that 98 percent of catchers who get drafted out
of high school never make it to the big leagues — because of the wear and tear, because they’re going to catch a
ton of games and not get very many days off.”
But Bailey isn’t just a catcher — he’s a hitter and a good one. As a junior, the 6-foot-1, 180-poundprospect led Wesleyan in batting (.402), hits (37), doubles (12), triples (4) and RBIs (30). He also hit three home runs and had a .491 on-base percentage.
“At the big-league level, there are guys who can hit and can handle themselves behind the plate,” Bailey said, “and there are guys who are at that level because they can catch, but they can’t hit worth a lick.” That certainly isn’t
Bailey. And he’s not just a hitter, he’s a switchhitter, which makes him even more valuable as a prospect.
A natural righthander, he started switch-hitting as an 11-year-old, because “I heard the second-fastest way to the big leagues — behind being a lefthanded pitcher — is to be a switch-hitting catcher,” Bailey said. His coach says Bailey is a dangerous hitter from both sides ofthe plate, but his righthanded swing remains his strongest.
“It’s more consistent and the head of the bat stays in the zone much longer,” the veteran Wesleyan coach says. “… My view is that the lefthanded swing can develop more consistency, but he’s got tremendous power from the left side. He can take a pitch out of any ballpark, as he exhibited at Forsyth Country Day, where he hit a moon shot.”
Bailey’s abilities as a catcher and as a hitter earned him a spot on the gold medalwinning USA Baseball 18U team at the 2016 COPABE Pan American “AAA” Championships in Monterrey, Mexico. He missed four games after suffering
a bruised glove hand when a hitter caught him with a long backswing, but Bailey thoroughly enjoyed his time with the team.
“It was definitely the opportunity and experience of a lifetime,” he said. “More than anything, it wasjust fun playing with the best talent in the country, pretty much the best talent in the world. It brings the best out of everybody.”
Bailey brought that experience back with him to Wesleyan.
“It boosted his confi dence catching a range of pitchers,”said Kerry, the Trojans’ No. 1 starter. “There you had the
best pitchers in the country and guys who are also going to get drafted.”
Wesleyan lost some talent from last year’s team but is 13-0 and has to be considered the favorite to repeat as NCISAA Class 3-A champion. “We definitely lost some key guys,” Bailey said, “but I’m really, really looking
forward to seeing what this team has in store. We have five or six arms that can get the job done. We have
a strong ace in Brett, and guys who can back him up with good solid innings. Our lineup’s stacked.”
Even if the Trojans don’t repeat as state champions in Bailey’s final season, there’s no place he’d rather be
this year. “It’s playing the game I love with the brothers I love,” he said. “It’s being able to honor and serve God,
playing for Wesleyan, playing for the school name and playing for each guy who’s beside you. It’s a family, it’s not just a team.”
The members of his Wesleyan baseball family will miss him when he’s gone, whether Bailey goes on to N.C. State in the fall or signs with a professional club after the June draft. “I’m pretty sure that wherever Brett and I will be, there will be a very good catcher there,” Luke Davis said. “But Pat is the best in the country. Sometimes we maybe take that for granted a little bit.”
“He’s as good as I’ve ever seen at that position in high school,” added Luke’s father, Scott. “The USA Baseball guys figured that out, and N.C. State saw it, too. The sky is the limit for this kid.”
BY JOE SIRERA
joe.sirera@greensboro.com
HIGH POINT — If you want to knowhow good a catcher Wesleyan’s Patrick Bailey is, you don’t have to ask the
scouts who consider the Trojans senior among the best high school prospectsin the country or the USA Baseball people who chose him for their 18U team last summer.
Just ask Wesleyan’s pitchers. “He’s such a great receiver back there that he probably steals us at least 10 strikes a game,” said senior Luke Davis. “With 0-2 curveballs and change-ups in the dirt, we as pitchers have confi dence in him to keep it in front of him. It’s his framing and his confidence back there that we draw from.”
But it’s not just the physical skills behind the plate that set the N.C. State commit apart. “It’s his ability to work with the pitchers to call a game,” said Trojans senior Brett Kerry. “He knows how you react best, so he’ll get in your mindset and it’s like you’re both on the same page. He knows hitters so well, so he knows what to call.”
This is Bailey’s third year at Wesleyan after being home-schooled as a ninth-grader. He helped the Trojans win the NCISAA Class 3-A state championship last year and took over calling pitches during that season.
“We’d never allowed our catchers to call pitches,” said Wesleyan coach Scott Davis, “but we made that decision early last year that we were going to let him do that because he’s very capable of doing it. He understands how to attack
hitters, and pitchers love throwing to him.”
And Bailey loves working with pitchers.
“I really enjoy it,” he said. “… I love the game, and I love learning more about the game. I feel like catching is the position where you have to know the game more than any other.”
But it is the game’s most demanding position, physically and mentally. Scott Davis has had some outstanding catchers during his time at Wesleyan, including Ron Causey, who went on to play for Duke; Chris Ferrante, who led Wesleyan to two state titles before going to Division III Hampden-Sydney; Ryan Clinch, who starts for UNCGreensboro; and, of course, San Diego Padres All-Star outfielder Wil Myers.
“I’ve been told by numerous scouts that Patrick is the best high school catcher they’ve ever seen,” Davis said.
“That’s pretty high praise, but you have to temper it with the fact that 98 percent of catchers who get drafted out
of high school never make it to the big leagues — because of the wear and tear, because they’re going to catch a
ton of games and not get very many days off.”
But Bailey isn’t just a catcher — he’s a hitter and a good one. As a junior, the 6-foot-1, 180-poundprospect led Wesleyan in batting (.402), hits (37), doubles (12), triples (4) and RBIs (30). He also hit three home runs and had a .491 on-base percentage.
“At the big-league level, there are guys who can hit and can handle themselves behind the plate,” Bailey said, “and there are guys who are at that level because they can catch, but they can’t hit worth a lick.” That certainly isn’t
Bailey. And he’s not just a hitter, he’s a switchhitter, which makes him even more valuable as a prospect.
A natural righthander, he started switch-hitting as an 11-year-old, because “I heard the second-fastest way to the big leagues — behind being a lefthanded pitcher — is to be a switch-hitting catcher,” Bailey said. His coach says Bailey is a dangerous hitter from both sides ofthe plate, but his righthanded swing remains his strongest.
“It’s more consistent and the head of the bat stays in the zone much longer,” the veteran Wesleyan coach says. “… My view is that the lefthanded swing can develop more consistency, but he’s got tremendous power from the left side. He can take a pitch out of any ballpark, as he exhibited at Forsyth Country Day, where he hit a moon shot.”
Bailey’s abilities as a catcher and as a hitter earned him a spot on the gold medalwinning USA Baseball 18U team at the 2016 COPABE Pan American “AAA” Championships in Monterrey, Mexico. He missed four games after suffering
a bruised glove hand when a hitter caught him with a long backswing, but Bailey thoroughly enjoyed his time with the team.
“It was definitely the opportunity and experience of a lifetime,” he said. “More than anything, it wasjust fun playing with the best talent in the country, pretty much the best talent in the world. It brings the best out of everybody.”
Bailey brought that experience back with him to Wesleyan.
“It boosted his confi dence catching a range of pitchers,”said Kerry, the Trojans’ No. 1 starter. “There you had the
best pitchers in the country and guys who are also going to get drafted.”
Wesleyan lost some talent from last year’s team but is 13-0 and has to be considered the favorite to repeat as NCISAA Class 3-A champion. “We definitely lost some key guys,” Bailey said, “but I’m really, really looking
forward to seeing what this team has in store. We have five or six arms that can get the job done. We have
a strong ace in Brett, and guys who can back him up with good solid innings. Our lineup’s stacked.”
Even if the Trojans don’t repeat as state champions in Bailey’s final season, there’s no place he’d rather be
this year. “It’s playing the game I love with the brothers I love,” he said. “It’s being able to honor and serve God,
playing for Wesleyan, playing for the school name and playing for each guy who’s beside you. It’s a family, it’s not just a team.”
The members of his Wesleyan baseball family will miss him when he’s gone, whether Bailey goes on to N.C. State in the fall or signs with a professional club after the June draft. “I’m pretty sure that wherever Brett and I will be, there will be a very good catcher there,” Luke Davis said. “But Pat is the best in the country. Sometimes we maybe take that for granted a little bit.”
“He’s as good as I’ve ever seen at that position in high school,” added Luke’s father, Scott. “The USA Baseball guys figured that out, and N.C. State saw it, too. The sky is the limit for this kid.”
