WVU Mountaineer Climbs His Way Back To Wilson
WILSON, N.C. - Justin Parks, a junior from West Virginia University, has signed with the Wilson Tobs for the second straight season. The Mountaineers' starting right fielder played with the Tobs in minimal action last season, and looks forward to making a major impact on the Coastal Plain League this summer. Playing in 26 games last year for the Tobs, and suffering with a dislocated thumb that had bothered him all year, Parks hit just .263 and had five RBIs.
This season, for Parks at West Virginia, things have certainly been different now that he is healthy. Through the teams first 44 games, he is second on the squad with a .396 batting average, along with four homers, 36 RBIs, 48 runs scored, and a .488 on base percentage.
"Justin is just a great kid who competes as hard as possible every day," said WVU head coach Greg Van Zant. "Last year he was our starting catcher, and now he's our starting right fielder. He's our leadoff hitter who is a good bunter who can play anywhere on the field."
A graduate of Hilliard Davidson High School in Ohio, Parks was a member of the First-Team All Conference and All-District Teams. He was also selected to be his team's captain, and a member of the "Buckeye Scout Top 100 Players." Parks says that switching from behind the plate to the outfield in the off-season really helped his preparation at the plate for the '08 campaign.
"It was a little tough defensively," Parks said. "Switching really kind of improved my hitting, because I got to hit a lot more during practice as opposed to catching bullpen sessions all day."
His offensive statistics did more than improve. In 45 games last season at WVU, Parks posted a respectable .281 batting average, which has increased over 100 points this year. He also hit just one homer and drove in 23 runners. At a new position, he owns a solid .980 fielding percentage, and is yet to be caught in stolen base attempts. Parks looks forward to heading back to Wilson for a fresh start.
"I was only there about half of the season last year, so I'm excited about playing in Wilson all summer, he said. "I had a lot of fun playing for Coach Steele. Wilson is just a great baseball environment."
The Tobs' season begins on Wednesday, May 28, when they travel to Wilmington to take on the Sharks at 7:05 PM. Wilson will host its home opener on Friday, May 30 against the Florence RedWolves, with first pitch also scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
The Wilson Tobs are a member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its twelfth season, the Coastal Plain League features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com.
Contact:Ben Jones
(252) 291-8627