Dalton Wingo, a Plant City High School senior, turned in a great performance at the Sunday, June 19, Perfect Game National Showcase in Fort Myers. He ran a 6.58 60-yard dash and threw 95 miles per hour from the outfield. Wingo’s performance in a field of competition has drawn the interest of several big-time college programs.
Do you have a college in mind?
I’m looking at Florida State, South Carolina and the University of Tampa. UCF is in the mix too. I have one (scholarship offer) from UT, and I’m probably going to be there in about two weeks to figure out what it is. UCF is probably going to offer me within the next two weeks. And I have one from South Carolina, but I just haven’t gotten the official number yet.
You went up against 250 of the best baseball players in the country, plus Canada, at that showcase. You said it’s the biggest you’ve ever been to. What was the experience like?
The biggest difference is, when you look into the stands, it’s packed. And it’s not packed with parents — it’s packed with scouts from all over the nation. Every big-league team is sitting right behind home plate like, “All right, let me see what you’ve got.”
How did you feel about that?
At first, I was nervous. But once I ran the 60 and realized I’d just run the fastest 60 of my life, it took some pressure off. Like, “All right, it’s still just a game.”
What’s your summer schedule like, apart from going to showcases every now and then?
I’m still playing every week … I’m with the Scorpions, based out of Orlando, but my team is a bunch of guys from the west. Guys from Plant, anything out in the Tampa area.
What’s it going to take from a school to get you to commit there?
I would rather stay in Florida to stay close to home, plus in-state tuition is way cheaper than out-of-state tuition.
(Ed. note: Wingo committed to UCF after press time.)
What do you want to major in?
I’ve thought about business. I really want to focus on baseball.
What’s been your favorite moment of your high school career, on or off the field?
Definitely hitting a home run against Durant this season, to put us up by three runs in the fifth inning. It was our first game at Plant City. I remember being on deck and looking at the stands, and it was packed. I’ve never seen a high school game that big. There were people just standing. I was like, “I’ve got to do be able to something in front of all these people. Everyone from Plant City is out here at this game right now.”
Is there any sport you haven’t played that you’ve always wanted to try?
Football. I tried it when I was younger, like, 10 years old. We were running constantly, and I was like, “I like baseball. I don’t like football. Why am I running this much? I’ll go back to baseball.” When I came to high school and started going to football games, I was like, “Dang, I kind of miss it.”
A little kid comes up to you and asks for advice on how to be a good ballplayer like you. What do you tell him?
Work. It’s got to be a part of your lifestyle. It’s every day. There’s no, “I’ll take today off.” Everyone wants to make it to the big leagues, be on TV and make a bunch of money. None of those guys ever took a day off, unless they were sick or had family issues or something.