The Auditorium at Vidalia High School was the scene of a historic signing day for five Vidalia High School Student-Athletes on Thursday. Bailey Holland (Softball), Ty Dalley (Baseball), Caden Spivey (Baseball), Jordan Walden (Baseball), and Bryson Whited (Baseball) all signed National Letters of Intent to play at the next level.

Family, teammates, and friends gathered in the auditorium to witness the signings of the five who have led their teams to Region Titles and deep runs in the GHSA Playoffs.

Senior softball player Bailey Holland who signed with Georgia Southern University, was joined by her family and said the reason she chose Southern was her love of the school from an early age, “It’s kind of been my dream school. I’ve always gone there since I was younger and gone to camps and things like that.”

The 2021 Ga Dugout Club Player of the Year did say that the decision became harder when the Eagles changed coaching staffs, “it was tough when they changed staffs, but Coach Perkins told me right away that nothing had changed as far as my offer. I also had a chance to talk with some of the current players and they say it is amazing to play there, so I am very excited.”

Ty Dalley, who is in the middle of preparation for his senior year in Basketball, signed with Mercer University to play Baseball for the Bears. Dalley, who has a career batting average of .338 and was a Region 2AA first-team selection in 2021, said that Mercer is “one of the best mid-major schools in the country and it is a great fit for me. I love the staff and I am very excited about continuing my career and education there.”

The 2021 Region 2AA Pitcher of the Year, Caden Spivey, signed with his “Dream School” Notre Dame. The Vidalia senior, who has a career ERA of 1.361, said that he decided to go to play for the Fighting Irish because of the rise of the program under Head Coach Link Jarrett, “Coach Jarrett has got the program on the rise. And the goal of any program is to get to Omaha, and I think coach Jarrett can take me there.” Spivey also said the campus made a huge impression on him, and it’s everything that you hear about. When you walk on the campus, It’s a life-changing moment.”

Region 2AA Second Team outfielder Jordan Walden will stay in Georgia to play his college ball as he signed with the Hurricanes of Georgia Southwestern. The senior, who has a .314 career-batting average, will take the mound for GSW next fall and said that his dream has “always been to play baseball at the college level from a young age.” He said his decision to play for the Hurricanes had a lot to do with the distance from Vidalia, “it’s not only a good fit for me, but it is also close enough to home, where my parents come and watch me play, which was a pretty big factor for me.”

Bryson Whited, a Ga Dugout Club 1st team Selection in 2021, will follow his Dad’s steps as the VHS Indian pitcher/infielder signed with Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. “My Dad has coached me from the time I started playing Baseball and it was always a dream for me to sign that paper. It’s been a struggle at times with a lot of ups and downs, but now my dream has finally come true and I’m excited to get the opportunity to play in Milledgeville.”

(Courtesy of VHS)