Tunstall senior will pitch for Hokies

Tunstall senior left-handed pitcher Joe Mantiply, seated, center, announced that he has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Virginia Tech on Monday afternoon in the high school library. He is flanked by his mother, Trenace Mantiply, and father, David Mantiply. Standing, from left, are Tunstall assistant coaches Lane Woods and Mark Austin, head coach Barry Shelton, athletics director Ed Newnam and principal Barbara Brown.

By: Jason Wolf | GoDanRiver
Published: November 18, 2008

DRY FORK — Joe Mantiply recently became the latest in a string of Tunstall baseball players to join Division I programs when the senior left-handed pitcher signed a national letter of intent to play at Virginia Tech. He received a partial scholarship.

“I just felt like it was the best fit for me,” Mantiply said at the high school Monday afternoon. “At first they weren’t really one of my top schools, but as soon as I got up there, I didn’t want to go any other place. I just felt like that was the place I wanted to go.”

The 6-foot-5 Mantiply, the reigning Piedmont District Player of the Year, verbally committed to the Hokies before his junior season. Virginia Tech posted a 23-32 overall record and a 6-24 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play last season.

Mantiply has amassed a 22-1 record, a 1.12 ERA and 239 strikeouts in 169 innings spanning his three-year varsity career. He is a two-time first-team all-district selection and was a first-team all-Region IV and a Register & Bee All-Metro selection last season, in addition to being named a second-team all-region pitcher after his sophomore year.

In only his fourth varsity start, Mantiply earned the victory while pitching the Trojans past Northside in a Group AA state semifinal, catapulting Tunstall into its third consecutive state championship game appearance.

“When he won that game, I think in all of our minds, that kind of told us that he was going to be a great pitcher,” Tunstall coach Barry Shelton said. “I could not ask any more out of Joe than what he’s put into being what he is. He’s worked pretty much year-round the last three or four years. … I think when a kid puts everything into it, this is what can happen.”

Mantiply is the sixth Tunstall baseball player in the last five years to go on to play Division I or professional baseball. Justin Thompson and Ian Haynes will play for Virginia and James Madison, respectively, this season, and Jeff Jefferson is entering his second year with Liberty. Will Inman, who attended Auburn, is in the San Diego Padres’ farm system and Jacob Thompson, who played at Virginia, signed with the Atlanta Braves this past summer.