DAPHNE, Alabama—Baldwin County baseball was well represented on the national stage when three local players contributed to the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship for the University of West Florida Argonauts June 4 in Cary, N.C.

UWF sophomore Ryan Day (Spanish Fort High), junior Josh Huggins (Baldwin County High) and senior Greg Pron (Daphne High) helped the Argos and head coach Mike Jeffcoat to a school-best 52-9 season on their way to UWF’s first-ever national crown in baseball. Huggins and Pron were named to the all-national-tournament team.

A 2007 DHS graduate and a four-year UWF starter, Pron finished his college career doubling up on a dream come true earning a national title and a job title: National Champion/Professional Baseball Player. He was selected by the New York Mets last week in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft just five days after the D-II title.

The speedy slugger holds Argo career records in hits (291), RBIs (187) and steals (77). He hit .423 in 2011 with 10 homers, 69 RBIs and 28 steals and was named a first-team All-American. The right handed right fielder also earned a Regional Gold Glove with a 100 percent fielding score. But that’s just one of the things Pron’s head coach at DHS, Joe Hutchins, finds remarkable.

“Greg is an outstanding young person,” he said. “The numbers at West Florida that he put up this year were ridiculous. The most impressive one was zero errors. That shows what type of respect he has for the game. I am happy to see that he has an opportunity to play in the Met’s organization. I told him his junior year in high school that he would have the opportunity to play professionally. I don’t think he believed me then. I knew how competitive he was, and how gifted an athlete he was becoming. I admired his vision to achieve high goals and his discipline to follow a plan.”

In transit from a training-camp session in Florida to a short-season single A team in Tennessee, Pron said by phone he had his doubts too, but focused on improving while holding on to a classic boyhood dream. “As long as I can remember, I wanted to play as long as I could and at as high a level as I could,” he said. “I’m just thankful for all the people who believed in me and supported me. My family especially. And everybody at West Florida. It’s just been a blast. I just tried to get better and work on my game. Getting drafted by the Mets, it’s pretty sweet and to get a paycheck, too. That’s awesome.” Pron said winning the national title was “Pretty awesome,” as well. “That was our goal this season and to get to go out with a victory like that is cool. I hope they can do it again next year and the next. It’s just a great experience. Crazy great.”