UTM outfielder Houston Wright capped off a record-setting two-month stretch with Most Valuable Player honors in the Tidewater Summer League.
Wright was originally slated to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer but their season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 6-3, 215-pound lefty settled into a roster spot with the Edenton Steamers in North Carolina, who formerly were members of the Coastal Plain League but were taking part in the inaugural Tidewater Summer League (TSL).
Wright then proceeded to put up video game-like numbers for Edenton, leading the TSL in batting average (.473), home runs (14), RBI’s (51) and runs scored (43). Playing under head coach Marshall McDonald, Wright produced a .535 on-base percentage while slugging .891 in 110 at-bats in a league that was littered with several NCAA Division I players. The Steamers posted a 21-5 record and claimed the top seed in the TSL playoffs.
“My main goal this summer was to put up good at-bats against very good pitching,” Wright said. “I was looking to make a pitcher pay if he left it over the heart of the plate. The biggest takeaway was playing every game like it’s your last after experiencing COVID-19 shutting down our season here at UTM. It made me miss the game and I will always give it my all after experiencing your passion getting ripped away.”
Wright was named a TSL All-Star and took part in the league’s Home Run Derby on July 19. He won the TSL’s Player of the Week award three times in a six-week span. His 51 RBI’s were the most in Edenton history.
Of all the historical accomplishments Wright crossed off his list this summer, the Gaffney, South Carolina native quickly pointed out his most memorable moment.
“Breaking the franchise’s RBI record,” Wright said, “Knowing that all the hard work I was putting in over the quarantine was showing ā even to this day I am still getting better day-by-day.”
Last spring, Wright provided head coach Ryan Jenkins with an impact bat during his abbreviated junior season. He played in all 16 games ā making 15 starts in left field ā and led the Skyhawks with 14 RBI’s and four multi-hit outings. He hit .364 (20-for-55) over his final 13 games of the season, finishing with a .308 batting average with four doubles, a triple, a home run and seven runs scored.
Photo Credit / Sports Information (from Edenton Steamers)
