WCU will have 27 practices through fall off-season
Notes: Was drafted in the 23rd round with the 710th pick overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft as a college junior ... Joined the WCU Coaching Staff as an undergraduate assistant coach prior to the fall of 2012 .. Will work alongside former WCU teammate, volunteer coach Brandon Johnson, in working with the Catamount pitchers in the bullpen.
WCU Playing Career Bio:
2011 (Redshirt Junior): Made 13 relief appearances on the season tossing 16.1 innings ... Struck out 22 against 15 walks ... Struggled with control early in the season after returning from off-season surgery, walking seven with four wild pitches in his first five appearances ... Only one of his seven hits allowed on the season went for extra bases ... Recorded at least one strikeout in all but three of his seasonal appearances ... WCU won six of the 13 games he pitched in ... His final two appearances of the season were his best, tossing 2.2 innings of one-run, one-hit relief in a 16-inning game against Furman (5/13) before keeping top-seeded Elon (5/25) off the board through a career-long 4.1 innings with a career-high six strikeouts in the epic 20-inning game against the Phoenix in the conference championship event.
Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Walters State ... Played for Florence in the Coastal Plain League in the summer, where he had a 3.00 ERA and .161 opponents batting average in 36 innings pitched over 12 relief appearances and 1 start; he had one save, 35 strikeouts ... Signed with Clemson out of high school, red-shirting his freshman season ... Was the winner of shuttle run and 5-lapper in Omaha Challenge ... Was a three-time all-conference selection and an all-region pick in his final two seasons ... Named an all-state selection as a senior at Chapman High, where he was coached by Kevin Carr ... Was named to the Impact Baseball South Carolina Dream Team.
Personal: Full name is Patrick Kyle Deese ... Is the son of Ricky and Cheryle Deese.
Career Game Highs: Innings Pitched: 4.1, vs. Elon (5/25/11) Strikeouts: 6, vs. Elon (5/25/11) Walks: 3, MOREHEAD STATE (2/18/11) Consecutive Scoreless Innings: 4.1 (5/25/11)
