Dallas Woolfolk leaves Ole Miss baseball team
Published 2:19 pm Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Dallas Woolfolk is stepping away from baseball.
Ole Miss announced Wednesday that Woolfolk is leaving the team effective immediately. In a statement, the Rebels’ junior relief pitcher said he’s stepping away to “focus on my own personal health.”
“With that being said, after much thought and prayer, I have decided to leave the team at this time,” Woolfolk said.
The news comes amid a trying season for Woolfolk after setting the program’s single-season saves record last season as a sophomore (12) and pitching for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer. Woolfolk garnered preseason All-America honors from multiple outlets but lost his closer’s role by the start of SEC play with a noticeable dip in velocity that sat in the mid-90s last season.
Woolfolk posted a 2.51 earned run average in 15 appearances this season spanning just 14 1/3 innings. He’d pitched once in the last three weeks and made just five appearances in SEC play with teams hitting .310 against him — a significant spike from the .200 average Woolfolk limited hitters to in 37 2/3 innings a season ago.
He made 60 appearances in his career, finishing with a 2.33 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings.
“Dallas Woolfolk is a terrific individual who provided an impact on and off the field,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said in a statement. “After sitting down and talking with him, I completely respect his decision to step away from our program. The health of our student-athletes is always of the upmost importance. We will still be here to support Dallas, and we thank him for his contributions to our team.”