MERRY HILL – Lawrence Academy bid goodbye to their 2005-2006 Athlete of the Year when All Conference quarterback and two time All State shortstop Dusty Todd graduated.

In August he joins the freshman class at Elizabeth City State University.

During his senior season, Todd hit over .400 with three homeruns.

He was second on the team in homeruns and RBI’s; included in both totals is a game winning grand slam against Tarboro High School in the Tarboro Easter Classic.

&uot;He can hit,&uot; Robert Kravitz, Todd’s baseball coach at Lawrence, said.

&uot;He’s got a beautiful swing.&uot;

Todd brings more to the diamond than just his swing, however.

He is a multi-tool player who brings speed, hitting, and defense to a team.

Beyond the physical package, Todd listens to his coaches and works well with his teammates.

&uot;Dusty has a good arm,&uot; Kravitz said.

&uot;He’s good on the double play.&uot;

Three other colleges looked at Todd but he decided on ECSU after meeting the coach.

&uot;He will teach me a lot about baseball,&uot; Todd said.

College is a time for learning, and natural talent combined with good coaching can take a player a long way.

Kravitz believes Todd has the ability to play baseball after college with some work and luck.

&uot;He’ll have a good coach who’ll help him improve,&uot; Kravitz said.

Passionate and competitive, Todd may have to learn to tune out the negative aspects of competitiveness in the coming years.

&uot;I can get frustrated when I don’t produce like I expect myself to,&uot; Todd said.

Of course, it is hard to fault a player for being competitive and spectators and coaches alike love to see a passionate player full of competitive fire.

Sometimes, frustration at a poor performance can drive a player to improve his game, inspiring teammates to new levels too.

College will require adaptation to practices earlier in the year and a longer season but Todd has the chance to be an impact player his freshman year.

&uot;Dusty is one of the best players in the area and has been for the last few years,&uot; Kravitz said.

&uot;He can jump right in and start and be a top three [in the batting order] hitter.

He’s got a chance to be the conference rookie of the year.&uot;