MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Athletics draft former CVCC pitcher Hall

Red Hawks have now had 6 players selected by big league teams

 

HobbsDailyReport.com

HICKORY – A former Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) pitcher had his name called in the Major League Baseball Draft.

Charles Hall, a Dumfries, Va. native, came to CVCC in 2015-16 and then played baseball at Tusculum College.

Former Catawba Valley Community College pitcher Charles Hall was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the Major League Baseball Draft./CODY DALTON, CATAWBA VALLEY ATHLETICS

He was selected by the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday during the draft’s final day (Round 33 and 1,004 pick), becoming the sixth Red Hawks player drafted.

Hall found out about being picked during a rain delay at his summer college baseball team’s game in Hampton, Va.

“We just finished putting the tarp on the field, and the team was all in the locker room watching their phones for my name,” Hall said in a press release from CVCC. “When it came up everyone went crazy and congratulated me. It’s literally unbelievable.”

Hall, a right-hander, pitched at Arundel Community College in Arnold (Md.) before joining the CVCC program.

“I was young and immature,” Hall said. “I didn’t go to class and didn’t have the grades.”

CVCC head baseball coach Paul Rozzelle saw a talented pitcher with potential, but the need for a school to call home.

“He came down to Hickory and pretty much pleaded for a second chance in baseball,” Rozzelle said. “He said ‘I know I can play, and I know I can be good.’

“Boy was he right, but it wasn’t a linear line to success. There were tons of ups and downs during his time here as he was growing up a bit and figuring out how to get outs, but once he did, he never looked back.”

Hall finished his CVCC career ranked third in three career pitching categories, including games started (19), innings pitched (109.1) and strikeouts (110). He also ranks eighth in strikeouts per nine innings in a season (11.17).

“It was life changing,” Hall said of his time with the Red Hawks. “CVCC gave me the opportunity to play the game I love and get an education. It was all I could ever ask for.

“Coach Rozzelle was nice enough to give me that opportunity, and it changed my life forever. I made life-long friends there, and I am so happy I chose CVCC as my home.”

After graduating from CVCC in 2017, Hall earned an opportunity to play baseball at Tusculum College in Greenville, Tenn. where he went on to lead the nation in strikeouts (148) last spring.

Hall went 6-3 last season with an ERA of 3.42 and averaged nearly 15 strikeouts per game.

He also set the NCAA Division II record for strikeouts in a game (22) against Queens University on March 15.

Hall finished his senior season with multiple accolades, including South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Pitcher of the Year, Conference Commissioner’s All-Region first team, North Carolina Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA) Division II National Pitcher of the Week, SAC Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA Postseason All-Region second team.

“He absolutely dominated the SAC this past year, and we are excited to watch him compete at the pro level,” Rozzelle said. “It’s nice for our program to have back-to-back years where we were represented in the MLB Draft, and all the credit goes to Charles Hall for the work he put in.”

“From the thrower I was when I started at CVCC to the pitcher I became through my four years is crazy,” Hall said. “The coaching I had at both schools was what put me in the position to become the pitcher I became. I was brought to tears when my name was called.

“It’s been a long journey, but every minute of it was worth it, and I wouldn’t have changed any of it for the world.”

  • Reported by CVCC Sports Information

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