N.C. Wesleyan baseball Lands Nash Central trio

This is the 15th in a series of articles spotlighting local high school athletes who will continue their careers in college.

The North Carolina Wesleyan University baseball program recently landed three local prospects as it looks ahead to the 2025 season.

The Nash Central trio of Colby Lewis, Landon Dillane and Landyn Holt all signed national letters of intent recently to stay close to home and play for the Bishops and head coach Greg Clifton.

COLBY LEWIS

Colby is the 17-year-old son of Scott and Melissa Lewis and a June graduate of Nash Central High School.

Lewis, who is projected as a pitcher for the Bishops, chose Wesleyan over Barton and Louisburg.

“They have a great baseball program, the college is in my hometown and I know some baseball alumni,” Lewis said.

Lewis started T-Ball when he was 4 years old in Red Oak. He continued on to Little League in Rocky Mount until he was 12 and was a perennial all-star. He further honed his skills by playing travel ball (starting at 8 years old) and was a utility player (pitcher, catcher, second base and shortstop). He then moved on to Nash Central (pitcher, catcher and shortstop) and to Nash Central High (grades 9-12 as a pitcher, catcher and third baseman).

Lewis earned several honors for the Bulldogs, including pitcher of the year in the Big East 2A/3A Conference this past season. He broke the season strikeout record at NCHS this past season, was the school’s pitcher of the year and all-conference during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and was named all-region as a junior.

“Making lifelong friends throughout rec ball and travel ball, hotel trips during all-stars and travel ball and bus rides with the team and going out to eat after a win are among Lewis’s most favorite memories.

Lewis said he always had a dream of playing baseball in college.

“My dream has always been to play college baseball. It started to become a reality when I reached high school,” he said. “I knew I could play at the college level but had to work hard, believe in myself and I had the support of my coaches and my dad.”

Lewis had many to thank for helping him in his journey to playing college baseball.

“First I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me the talent and opportunities I have been blessed with. A huge thank you to all of my coaches for taking time away from their families to spend time on the field with me, and thank you tom my teammates who have encouraged me all these years,” he said.

“Thank you to my first travel ball coach, Tripp Wallace, for believing in me and giving me a chance to play,” Lewis continued. “Thank you to my dad for taking me to practices, supporting me and teaching me all about the game of baseball, and to my mom for cleaning all my uniforms and being my biggest fan. And a big thank you to my high school coaches: Willie Langley for encouraging pep talks and support; pitching coach Noah Shrock for how to gain velocity, how to throw different pitches and mechanics, and Zachary Boyette for (advice) on hitting and fielding and always giving constructive criticism to help me improve.”

If Lewis could give advice to aspiring student-athletes who want to play a sport in college, what would he say?

“Work hard,” he said. “Take practice seriously and practice like you play, have good sportsmanship, listen to your coaches and have fun. Always remember you are a student before you are an athlete, so stay focused on your grades first. And make yourself known for college coaches to see you by participating in prospect camps.”

LANDON DILLANE

Landon Dillane, the 18-year-old son of Scott and Marla Dillane, will join Lewis as a catcher at North Carolina Wesleyan University.

Dillane chose Wesleyan over William Peace University and Grove City College (Pennsylvania).

“When I visited NCWU, it just felt like home,” Dillane said. “I am thankful and excited to plat at the next level at NCWU.”

Dillane, who wants to major in business administration at NCWU, started his baseball journey at a young age.

“My parents say my first word was ‘ball,’ he said. “They started me in T-Ball at 3 years old. I plated rec ball until I was 12 and played on multiple travel ball teams from 7-14. I played on the Nash Central Middle School team three years and four years on the varsity team at Nash Central High School.”

Dillane said playing on multiple travel ball teams gave him the privilege of playing with and against other talented athletes over the years.

College baseball didn’t even enter Dillane’s mind even as he progressed.

“I did not think I could play college baseball,” he said. “My stats in my sophomore year gave me a different mindset.”

That season, Dillane batted .308 (24-for-89) with seven doubles, a home run and 14 runs batted in. He also had a 0.952 fielding percentage with 105 total chances, 93 putouts, seven assists and only five errors.

During his high school career, Dillane was his team’s offensive player of the year (2022, 2023), all-conference (2022, 2023 and 2024) and all-region (2023).

Dillane thanked many of his journey to becoming a college baseball player.

“Thank you to coaches Willie Langley, Noah Schrock, Zach Boyette, Don Whitley and Leonard Allen for pushing me to reach my potential,” he said. “Thank you to my parents for loving the game as much as I do and for your never-ending support. And thank you to God for blessing me with the ability and opportunity to continue to play baseball.”

Dillane, who counts bus rides after wins and practices with friends among his favorite memories, has some advice to younger student-athletes who aspire to play a sport in college.

“Work hard and push yourself in both athletics and academics,” he said.

LANDYN HOLT

Landyn, the 18-year-old-son of Brandon and Misty Holt, will join the North Carolina Wesleyan University baseball program as a left-handed pitcher.

Holt had interest from Barton, Wake Tech and Pitt Community College, but he decided to stay close to home.

“They (Wesleyan) have a good baseball program, the coaches are very down to earth and support a family style type of team, and I have teammates and friends attending too,” he said.

Holt, who wants to major in business administration in college, got his start in baseball at the age of 3. He progressed from T-Ball through travel ball and finally, middle school through high school.

Holt also said he developed his fondness for pitching at an early age.

“I always loved pitching from a small age even though I wasn’t the best at it,” he said. “Through the years I have had coaches and trainers help me become the pitcher I am today.

“My main coach in life was my father. He helped me at home, on the field, everywhere. My dad has always been there to help me and guide me on my journey, and I feel as if he’s played the biggest role in my athletic career,” Holt concluded.

Though he played travel ball for almost six years, Holt said he focused more on school ball and adds that the sport has given him a wealth of memories.

“There’s so many to choose from; my favorite would be making the friends I have today along the journey of baseball,” he explained. “Many of my close friends are all people I met playing baseball and we just clicked with each other over the sport.’

Holt said he always believed he could play baseball in college.

“I had always believed I could make it but it only became a reality after my sophomore year when I realized I had something special about me when I pitched,” he said. “My dad and mom, who no matter how bad a game was or how bad I performed, they always reassured me I was better than what I showed and I had a truly special talent that would take me places I used to dream of.”

In addition to his parents, Holt thanked his NC coaches “Willie Langley for a being a great high school coach over my high school years along with Noah Schrock, Zach Boyette and Don Whitley” as he continues his baseball path to Wesleyan.

If Holt were giving advice to younger athletes who desire to play sports in college, what would he say?

“Never give up on your dreams; it’s a long, hard, work-filled process but the end goal is all worth it,” he said. “Also, a main key is schoolwork tops athletics. Without good grades you’ll get nowhere in college or life after that. You don’t have to be an Einstein but still try your hardest on and off the field to be the best person you can be.”