09/11/2024
We mourn the passing of Alex Van Pelt from Danville, Virginia. A standout RHP/INF from Chatham High School, Alex played for the Dirtbags organization for 4 years. He was enrolled at Mount St. Mary’s University on a baseball scholarship, he was 18 years old.
Alex was not only a local baseball player who played for the Dirtbags, he was my nephew. Growing up Alex was always a fierce competitor! His story of hard work, dedication and competitive nature is how we will remember him. Losing at anything was not something he was good at!
As Alex grew older and into his high school years he became an absolute beast in the gym and on the baseball field. As a senior this past season, Alex led his team in most every statistical category, including home runs and batting average. He tallied 117 strikes outs with a fastball that ran up to 94mph. He was named District and Region player of the year and All State as a senior.
Alex was an excellent student, he worked jobs on the side and volunteered at youth practice at Elite Performance Academy many times. He was well liked by everyone in the community. Everyone knew him as a smart, funny and caring young man.
As a member of the Dirtbags, he played and represented our organization all over the East Coast. Numerous trips to Ft. Myers, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia and everywhere in between! From Maryland to Florida he was always fired up to play and compete with the best. This past fall of 2023 he pitched a phenomenal game in Jupiter for our Dirtbags Scout team!
Alex will be greatly missed by his loving parents, Christy and Joey, his teammates, all the many coaches over the years, and all of his friends and family.
We love you Alex. ☠️⬆️
-Jon Walker (Dirtbags Virginia Director)
