DI/DII/DIII/NAIA/Baseball
By Michael Coker/Black College Nines
Junior right handed pitcher, Dalton Ripley threw his third career collegiate no-hitter to help lead the Edward Waters College Tigers baseball team over Morris College this past March 24, 2015. Ripley statistics for the game, retired the first 7 batters he faced, giving up one walk, 2 assists and 1 unassisted putout while posting five strikeouts in the win. All three of Ripley’s no-hitters are for the record books. No college baseball pitcher has thrown in as many no-hitters against the same team.
In his first collegiate start as a freshman, Ripley’s first no-hitter, a EWC Tigers victory over Morris College on April 13, 2013. Afterwards, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) named Ripley “Pitcher of the Week”.
Ripley’s no hitter made history for the EWC baseball team. The Tigers last no-hitter was in the 2010 season by Bryan Joseph against Morris College, Ripley’s sophomore year at Trinity Catholic High School.
What makes Ripley third no-hitter fascinating; only five major leaguers ever have pitched three no-hitters or more and the list includes Cy Young, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, Larry Corcoran and Nolan Ryan. Al Holland threw four while attending North Carolina A&T. Neither has thrown three in opposition to the same opponent.
Ripley is on pace to either tie or eclipse Al Holland record. Holland threw four no-hitters in college, one in each year he pitched.
Ripley comes from a humbling background. When he is not pitching for the EWC Tigers, in his spare time, Ripley prefers the great outdoors either hunting or fishing around his hometown of North Florida.
All three no-hitters have come against the same school – Morris College in South Carolina. The latest March 24 was a five-inning performance with five strikeouts. The Tigers won the game 13-0. Ripley second no-hitter March 19, 2014. EWC won that game 14-0.
Ripley has appeared in four other games for the NAIA school out of the bullpen and has 10 total strikeouts in nine innings for a 3.00 ERA.
Edward Waters, out of Jacksonville, FL is 21-16 this season and 6-2 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Ranked in the top ten at No. 4 as ranked by Black College Nines in the “small school” poll, made up of NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA schools for Historically Black College and University (HBCU) baseball programs.
I had the chance to speak to Ripley at a recent Tiger baseball doubleheader game this past March 28 against Northwood University in West Palm Beach, FL. Click to hear the noisy background crowd audio interview with Dalton Ripley. [sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://blackcollegenines.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Voice00021-1.mp3″]
