It’s usually very positive when parents visit their ball-playing sons during the summer. True, I’ve seen arguments in the parking lot, and every once in a while a set of parents might make life, ahem, “interesting” for a coaching staff, but almost always the visit is a positive thing.

Chalk up another positive visit when Dylan Menhennett’s dad visited Front Royal late in the season. Menhennett was hitting .274/.355/.406 at that point. Over the next six games – coincidentally his last six of the summer – he went 16-30 at the plate, with nine runs scored, seven doubles, two home runs, and eight RBIs. He raised his slash line to a final of .331/.395/.544, all thanks, allegedly, to a golfing outing with his father the morning his streak started. He was exhausted heading into the game, but his dad’s frantic search for some pineapple to help his son recover was successful, and Dylan could do nothing but hit doubles and home runs from that point.

Here’s what his final stats look like:

VBL G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS Avg OBP SLG
2019 34 136 33 45 15 1 4 21 11 31 14 2 0.331 0.395 0.544

Menhennett finished sixth in total bases (with 74), tied for tenth in hits, tied for fifth in runs scored, and tied for first in doubles. He was hitter of the day twice- June 7 and July 13- and was the last Player of the Week of the regular season after his outburst after the golf outing. He was an All-Star, and was named first team All-Valley League at second base after the season.

The rising senior from West Florida started his college career at Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he spent two years before transferring to join the Argonauts.

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS Avg OBP SLG
2017 28 47 25 9 3 0 1 11 5 10 3 1 0.191 0.322 0.319
2018 52 180 73 57 19 7 19 54 28 37 12 2 0.317 0.427 0.617
2019 51 156 32 41 5 3 4 31 15 25 7 0 0.263 0.339 0.410

Congratulations on your excellent year!

Menhennett