ANSONIA – Ansonia senior Dane Wentworth committed to play baseball for Wilmington College prior to the Tigers’ senior night game on Tuesday.
“It feels good,” Wentworth said with a smile. “I love playing baseball, and I’m going to love to play it at the next level.”
Wentworth, the son of Doug and Leslie Wentworth, was drawn to Wilmington in part because of his cousin Dalton Subler, who also attended Ansonia and is a freshman at the college.
“My cousin Dalton is going there to play football,” Wentworth said. “And I’ve been down there three or four times now, and I really like the campus.”
While his cousin is an offensive lineman on the football team, Wentworth will play outfield for the Quakers’ baseball team.
“It’s a great opportunity for him,” Ansonia baseball coach Dustin Hecht said. “I look forward to seeing what he can do at the next level.”
So far this season Wentworth with hitting .327 for Ansonia with three doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. He also leads the Tigers with 13 stolen bases and has only been caught stealing once.
“He’s got great speed on the base paths and in the outfield,” Hecht said. “He’s got a great glove, got good fundamental mechanics.”
At Wilmington Wentworth will study education with hopes of becoming a science teacher. During his college years he hopes to help turn around the Quakers’ baseball program as they currently are 4-33 overall and 1-15 in the NCAA Division III Ohio Athletic Conference.
“Hopefully turn the Wilmington program around to a winning season,” Wentworth said of his goals for the next four years.
While Wilmington has struggled to win games this season, Wentworth is excited about joining the program and likes his future coach and teammates.
“The kids there are good, and Coach (Dan) Cleaver really knows what he’s doing,” Wentworth said.
Hecht expects Wentworth to have a great college career and contribute to the Quakers’ rebuilding efforts.
“I think he’ll do great,” the Ansonia coach said. “I think he’ll learn a lot, and it will help him develop even further than what he has here, and he’ll be able to go on to do good things.”
