As the player spotlight series continues we are making our way out of the Wabash Valley for the first time. Let’s go a little northeast all the way to Indianapolis, where outfielder Mitchell Garrity is from. Garrity is the son of Chris and Melissa Garrity and the brother of Kaci and Bryce. Garrity graduated from Perry Meridian High School and is currently a RS sophomore at the University of Dayton where he is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Aerospace Engineering.
While at Perry Meridian Garrity was a three time captain. In 2015 and 2016 he was named to First Team All-Conference and to First Team All-Marion County. In 2015 he was named a Perfect Game Underclass All-American honorable mention. 2016 held many more accolades for Garrity. He was named District Player of the Year, First Team All-USA (Ind.), First Team All-State, Academic All-State, Perfect Game Honorable Mention, and Rawlings All-American Honorable Mention per daytonflyers.com.
As a freshman at the University of Dayton he started all fifty-two games for the Flyers. He was also the only player to start every game at the same position, center field. He hit in the two spot for the first nineteen games of the season and was then moved to the leadoff spot for the last thirty-three games of the season. He finished his freshman season with an AVG. of .267, four dingers, twenty-seven runs, and a team high fifteen stolen bases per daytonflyers.com. He was also hit by the pitch twenty times which is second most all-time for the Flyers. He also led the team in reached bases streak (24) and hit streak (12) per daytonflyers.com. He was named Atlantic 10 All-Freshman Team and was named to 2017-18 A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll per daytonflyers.com.
Garrity also had a solid sophomore season for the Flyers. He started the season by being named to the 2018 Dean’s List. In that season he started fifty of fifty-nine games and led the team in runs with forty-four per daytonflyers.com. He had nine consecutive games with a hit while also having sixteen multiple hit games. He ended the season with an AVG. of .265 per daytonflyers.com. On top of his offensive game Garrity had a solid defensive season as well ending the season with only two errors per daytonflyers.com.
In his first season with the REX, as of June 18, 2019, Garrity has been playing stellar. He has started in eleven of the first sixteen games and has an AVG. of .364. He has scored twelve runs, has three doubles, and two home runs. He also has two stolen bases this season and eight RBIs. On top of this, he had the walk-off single on June 2 against the Cape Catfish, the first of four walk-offs for the REX this season.
We look forward to the rest of the season with Garrity anchoring the REX outfield. We are excited for him to bring more memorable moments like his walk-off single to Bob Warn Field. Make sure to make your way out to our next home game, tonight, June 19, Jimmy Buffett night, to see more memorable moments from Garrity and the rest of the REX players!