Hartsville hurler joins Patriots' staff

Right-handed pitcher Patrick Mincey has transferred to Francis Marion University and will join the Patriots' pitching staff for the 2010 campaign, according to FMU head coach Art Inabinet.

A native of Hartsville and a product of Hartsville High School, Mincey will have two years of eligibility at Francis Marion.

The 6-3, 182-pound righty pitched two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist College.  Last spring, he was named the NJCAA Region X Relief Pitcher of the Year after posting a 1-1 mark with 13 saves and a 1.37 earned run average.  He averaged more than a strikeout per inning, while allowing only 14 hits in 26.1 innings.  He helped lead the Pioneers to the Region X and Eastern Division championships, a school-record 55 wins, and a fifth-place finish at the NJCAA Division I World Series.

As a freshman, he compiled a 4-0 record with nine saves and a 0.96 ERA.

Mincey was a three-sport athlete at Hartsville High School, and was selected to play in the 2007 North-South All-Star Baseball Game.

Francis Marion, ranked 12th in the preseason 2010 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Top 40 poll, will open its 2010 season on Feb. 2 at Barton College.