Petty delivers walk-off hit in big week for Putnam County

By J.T. PEDELTY jtpedelty@shawmedia.com

With 223 votes out of 430 cast, Putnam County baseball’s Troy Petty is the NewsTribune Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Central Bank, Witek Wealth Management and the Spring Valley, Mendota and Princeton McDonald’s.

Petty was first on a ballot that also included runner-up Taylor Martyn (La Salle-Peru softball), Bella Pinter (St Bede softball) and Danny Cihocki (Princeton baseball).

Petty helped the Panthers to a sweep of Dwight in Tri-County Conference play. He delivered a walkoff hit in a 7-6 win over the Trojans and was 3 for 4 in a 7-1 win over Dwight, while also pitching a scoreless inning of relief.

Petty answered a few questions from Shaw Local regional sports editor J.T. Pedelty:

Do you have any nicknames?

Petty: “T-Roy” and “Cash.”

After a bit of a rough stretch, the team has put together a nice winning streak here recently. What’s been working well as of late?

Petty: We have had a few injuries amongst our teammates, and with that we have had a few younger classmen step into some large roles that have helped us put together some wins.

What three high schools have your favorite baseball fields to play on, and what makes them stand out?

Petty: Our home field is of course my favorite, because playing at home in front of your home crowd is a great feeling. I would have to say that Seneca and Dwight would be my other two favorites. They both have very nice fields that I enjoy playing on.

How old were you when you first started playing baseball, and where was your first league?

Petty: I was around 5 when I first started playing. My first league was in Ottawa.

It’s the seventh inning, bases loaded, two outs in a tie game. Would you rather be on the mound or stepping up to the plate to hit in that situation?

Petty: I would 100% rather be on the mound. I am confident in my ability to be able to get the out in that situation.

What is your go-to pizza order, and from where?

Petty: My go-to is a pepperoni pizza from Fire on Fifth.

Dogs or cats?

Petty: Dogs. I have a golden retriever named Dallas.

Is there a fact about you that might surprise people who only know you through sports?

Petty: I was born in Rochester, Minnesota.

What goals do you have for yourself this season, both as a team and individually?

Petty: As a team, the goal of course is always to win a state title, but also improve game by game as a team. As for myself, my goals are to get wins on the mound and have quality at-bats at the plate.

Do you have any college plans yet? If so, do they involve sports?

Petty: I plan on attending Elgin Community College in the fall, pursuing a career in business and playing baseball.