Leesburg, Va. — Heritage High School rising senior Dylan Saale has committed to continue his baseball career at Longwood University starting in the 2020-2021 school year.
“Baseball is a sport that I’ve played since a young kid and has meant so much to me,” Saale said. “It’s something I’ve taken very serious for the past few years and has given me so many memories and relationships.”
[adrotate banner=”19″]Saale has taken it so seriously, in fact, that he stopped playing basketball at Heritage after his freshman year, a year in which he was named second team All-Conference 21B, in order to focus on achieving his goal of playing baseball at the Division I level.
Saale has proven to be one of the most versatile players in Loudoun County over his first three high school seasons and was one of the main reasons the Pride went from a 7-14 record in 2018 to 10-10 record in 2019. He was also a starter as a freshman when the Pride went 16-8 and won the Conference 21B tournament championship in 2017. Saale delivered the RBI that put Heritage ahead in that championship game against Rock Ridge off of now-JMU pitcher Nick Stewart.
Saale has picked up numerous individual accolades every year since he started high school. In 2019, he was named first team All-Dulles District and All-Region 4C as a utility player, second team All-Dulles District as a pitcher, and honorable mention All-LoCo as a utility player. As a freshman in 2017, Saale was first team All-Conference 21B as an outfielder, first team All-LoCo as a utility player, and second team All-Conference 21B as a pitcher. As a sophomore in 2018, he was named second team All-Dulles District and honorable mention All-LoCo as a utility player.
For as much success that he has had on the field, Saale, who was voted as a captain by his teammates the past two seasons, has also done his part off the field. He is involved in Heritage’s Pride Leadership Program and was named the Power Train and LoCoSports Athlete of the Month for March 2019.
In 2019, Longwood, which is located in Farmville, finished 11-41 while posting a 5-22 record in the Big South, under the direction of head coach Ryan Mau, who just completed his fifth season at the helm of the Lancers.
“I chose Longwood because they made me feel wanted all the time and very loved. Their staff really cares about you,” Saale said. “Also, I will get the chance to make an impact in my freshman year which is huge for me.”
Saale is hoping to be a part of getting Longwood’s program back to experiencing success. The Lancers have not had a winning record since 2016 when they went 32-27.
“Longwood is getting a humbled kid who never takes anything for granted,” Saale said. “I will work my tail off and give my teammates and coaches my all and hopefully help the team win a lot of ball games.”
With his commitment now in place, Saale can focus on getting ready for his senior season, one in which a lot of people will have high expectations for the Pride after graduating just two starters from their 2019 squad.
“Committing is a weight off my shoulders as the recruitment process is a stressful one,” Saale added. “I’m happy with the decision I’ve made. I can’t wait to get there and make an impact right off the bat.”
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