CLEVELAND, Tenn.- Over the past five seasons Dylan Standifer has earned the title of "Mayor" on the Lee University baseball team. "Being from Cleveland (and a former Bradley Central High School football and baseball standout), it did not take long for all the guys to give me the nickname," Standifer said with a chuckle. "Every time any of us would go out in town to eat or something, we would always see multiple people that recognized me and would come up to speak. Usually, they spoke about my high school playing days. After a couple of weeks my teammates began calling me the mayor as a joke, but it ended up sticking and we all love it."
The mayor is ready for the Gulf South Tournament which gets underway in Oxford, Alabama on Friday. "Being a leader is something I take pride in. I think my days of playing quarterback (in high school) helped instill that type of mindset in me," noted Standifer. "I would not say I am your traditional leader though, regarding someone that just yells and is extremely vocal. I believe in leading through your actions, by doing everything right, every single day. There are times when I need to speak up, and I do, but most of the time our entire team has a great mindset and attitude," he explained.
Said Sandifer, "During my high school days, I always thought it would be cool to play both sports (football and baseball) in college, but I knew the odds were low for that to happen. I thought baseball would be the most successful route for me, and it has been to this point. I had more interest from college football coaches than baseball. Coach (Mark) Brew and his staff at the time were the only college baseball program to reach out to me. Lee was the only official offer I received from football or baseball, and I am forever grateful for Coach Brew and his belief in me."
As a baseball player in high school Sandifer was a pitcher and catcher. Coach Brew had other ideas for the talented athlete. He has been used as an outfielder, third baseman and second baseman. "Honestly, I really do not have a favorite position to play, "he confessed. "I believe in my abilities to play anywhere on the field, and I have always felt this way. My favorite part of playing baseball is hitting and scoring a lot of runs!"
Said Coach Brew, "Dylan may be one of the best combos of player/human I have ever coached. He is going to end his career as one of the top players statistically to wear a Flames uniform. More importantly, he is one of the best combos of people/leaders our program has had.
"He may be the most consistent person I have ever coached and the example he sets for our team is impressive. He always "shows up" and is one of the most trustworthy people out there. He is the heartbeat of our team and has selflessly moved to the leadoff spot this year, a place he is unfamiliar with and not best suited for, but it has allowed our team and line-up to flourish while he continues to have his best year in a Flames uniform," the coach concluded.
Heading into the GSC Tournament, Standifer will have played 227 games for the Flames. Over the past three seasons his batting average has consistently been around .350. He owns the career at-bats record of 858, breaking Andrew Shavers' mark of 847, and is within two RBI of tying the career RBI record held by Kevin Young at 194. On March 19, he tied a single game homerun record with three against Christian Brothers.
Standifer has also been a star in the classroom. He has already graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness, K-12, and carried a 3.50 GPA. He has been listed on the 2021-22-23 GSC Honor Rolls and in 2022 was Second Team All-GSC/All-South Region 2nd team.
It has already been an outstanding year, (23-7) in winning the GSC regular season championship for Standifer and the Flames. The team will take an overall mark of 36-14 into the tournaments (conference and region). "It is always our ultimate goal to win the National Championship. Anyone that does not have that in mind should not play the game in my opinion. However, we understand that there are things you need to accomplish prior to that even being a possibility," he stressed.
"We like where we are and feel confident heading into the postseason. We want to compete the best we can each day, both in games and practice. There are eight teams going to Oxford that are fighting for a bid to the regional, and we want to do everything we can to win the Gulf South and solidify that bid."
There are always those who step forward to help athletes deal with their athletic and academic careers. "There have been countless people that have impacted my life and journey to this point, but my parents (Brian and Ginger) are the ones that have made it possible. They had my brother at a really young age, and I came along a few years later. Since those days, they have sacrificed everything revolving around their lives for me to do what I love which is play baseball," said Standifer with special praise.
Like the mayor, this Lee baseball team is blessed with support from their parents, relatives, and friends. They will be on hand to support the Flames when the first pitch is thrown on Friday evening in Oxford, like they have been doing during the entire 2024 season.
