
Hyannis Harbor Hawks outfielder Devin Mitchell barely had time to get settled into his new uniform when he got the word from manager Mitch Karraker that he was going into the game.
Jason Walk was dealing with a stomach bug and had to depart in the fourth inning of the Hawks’ 6-2 loss to the Orleans Firebirds on Friday night. Mitchell, who had arrived the same day, was thrust into action not long after arriving in Hyannis.
“Devin got thrown into the fire right away,” Karraker said.
In his first Cape League at-bat in the sixth inning, Mitchell drove a full-count pitch from Orleans hurler Truman Pauley over the left field fence, which cut the Hawks' deficit to 4-2 at the time.
Not a bad way to introduce yourself to your new team.
“Talking with my coaches before I came here, they told me to just hit the fastball,” Mitchell said. “I got a 3-2 fastball, smashed it, blacked out, do not really remember much after that.”
Mitchell, who announced his transfer to North Carolina State University after two years at Florence-Darlington Technical College, is coming off a hugely successful season for the Stingers.
In 57 games, Mitchell amassed a .374 batting average, .477 on-base percentage and .583 slugging percentage, mashing 27 doubles to go with four home runs and 70 RBIs while walking 30 times and stealing 25 bases.
Across two years with the Stingers, Mitchell has a .386 average, .483 on base percentage and .637 slugging percentage, hitting 16 home runs and 36 doubles to go with 42 stolen bases and 121 RBIs.
When Mitchell gets to the plate, he focuses on getting hits up the middle and in the outfield gaps.
“(I) think middle, gap-to-gap, right side, and get the barrel out,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell, who is making a sizable jump from junior college to the Atlantic Coast Conference with NC State, believes playing with the Hawks will help him adjust to facing better pitching on a daily basis when he plays for the Wolfpack.
In (junior college), we do not see these types of arms every day,” Mitchell said. “Coming out here, being able to see this every day is really beneficial to me heading to NC State.”
If Mitchell keeps having games like his first one, the Harbor Hawks will be greatly benefiting from his stint with the team as well.