TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 28, 2013) – Tallahassee Community College sophomore pitcher Patrick Riley has committed to Georgia Southern University.
Riley, a native of Duluth, Ga., received interest from several schools in the Southeast before opting to return to his home state and play for Georgia Southern.
“I was real impressed (during my visit to Georgia Southern),” said Riley. “The facilities are top notch, and it’s a great Division 1 program. It’s a great fit, and I feel like I can go down there and shine.
“I’m real excited.”
After going 1-2 in 16 games as a freshman, Riley, a 6-foot-1 right-hander, developed into an all-conference performer in 2013 and helped guide Tallahassee to the Panhandle Conference Championship and a No. 1 national ranking.
Pitching primarily as Tallahassee’s No. 3 starter, Riley went 4-2 with a 4.57 ERA in 12 games and earned second-team all-conference honors.
When Riley took the mound against Gulf Coast State College on March 29, he delivered his best outing as a Tallahassee Eagle. He pitched eight shutout innings and limited the Commodores to just four hits in Tallahassee’s 5-1 win, one that accelerated the Eagles’ march to the PC Championship.
It also demonstrated the growth Riley made as a pitcher during his two years under the tutelage of head coach Mike McLeod.
“Two years ago, I wouldn’t have been ready to go into (Georgia Southern) and make an impact,” Riley added. “But I learned from Coach McLeod - he molded me and allowed me to mature and develop.”
In two seasons, Riley appeared in 28 games and posted a record of 5-4 with a 4.14 ERA and one save in 63.0 innings of work.
His on-the-field success was complemented by a strong effort in the classroom, where he was named All-Academic by both the Panhandle Conference and Florida College System Activities Association in 2012 and 2013. He was also selected as TCC Athletics’ Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2013.
He is the second Tallahassee student-athlete slated to join Georgia Southern in the fall – men’s basketball’s Curtis Diamond, a native of Lithonia, Ga. (Tucker HS) signed with Georgia Southern in May.
Georgia Southern, located in Statesboro, Ga., will play the 2013-14 season as a member of the Southern Conference before joining the Sun Belt Conference beginning with the 2014-15 campaign.
