Huntingdon’s Odom chosen to play in Valley League

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Huntingdon catcher Joseph Odom has been selected to play in the Valley League in the summer of 2012.

Odom will play for the Winchester Royals.

"It's exciting. This is something I've wanted to do," Odom said. "You look at Winchester's roster and we've got guys from Penn St., Michigan and all over. There are 12 teams in the league that have the same caliber of talent.

"It's a great opportunity to compare my skills, play in front of scouts and gain some more experience. It's going to be a fun time."

Odom, a sophomore from Vestavia Hills, was the Great South Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2011. He batted .333 and led Huntingdon with six home runs, 41 RBIs and a .535 slugging percentage.

"He's not only one of our best players, he's a leader and one of the hardest worker on the team," Huntingdon coach D.J. Conville said. "Since the first day he arrived on campus, he's had great leadership skills. To have the leadership ability, the skills and the work ethic he had as a freshman is a rare combination."

Conville said he expects Odom to make the most of this opportunity.

"The Valley League is one of the premiere summer leagues for prospects," Conville said. "When you look at the rosters, there are a handful of Division III guys but the majority of the rosters are filled with players from premiere Division I programs. The league tries to bring in the best talent available.

"This is an opportunity for him to challenge himself and improve as a player. He's going to put himself against some of the best competition in the country and see how he matches up. He wants to use this time to make himself a better player."

The Valley League formed in 1923 and has been a wood-bat league since 1993. A member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, the league has produced more than 1,000 professional baseball players.

The league consists of 12 teams in three conferences. Each team plays a 44-game schedule from early June through the start of the playoffs in late July. The playoffs culminate with the league championship in early August.