Ian Dotson
Ian Dotson has coming into his own on the baseball diamond this summer for the Sedalia Travelers Post 642 American Legion team.
Before going down with a partially torn left hamstring, Dotson was ripping the ball all over the lot and was throwing out baserunners, going from first to third from his rightfield spot.
“I think it’s funny because I’m seeing a lot of coaches putting up the hold sign for runners coming around second now that I’ve thrown some out,” said the 17-year old Dotson.
Dotson credits his grandfather with his hitting success.
“My grandfather didn’t like tee ball,” Dotson said. “He was actually pitching to me when I was five years old.”
Dotson played three years in the Sedalia Little League system, played with the Sedalia Braves traveling tea, for four years, spent three seasons with the Sedalia Junior Bombers, two years with the Rick Ball Ford Junior Legion and is in his first season with the Travelers. That is in addition to having played three seasons with Smith-Cotton.
“I’m a one-sport man, baseball all year round,” he said. “I play fall ball, spring ball and summer ball and its pretty much year round with the batting cage at Lamy’s downtown.”
Dotson is a good student with a 9.9 grade point average on an 11. scale and will take the ACT in August. He was not able to find his academic ranking in his senior class.
He hopes to go to a junior college and play baseball after high school. He is also considering Mizzou because he wants to major in anthropology or possible Missouri State University in Springfield.
He took weighted course English III as a junior and plans on taking Advanced Placement English this year as well as dual-credit courses Public Speaking and American Government through State Fair Community College.
Dotson is a past member of the S-C Student Council and FCCLA.
“Academics are more important in the long run,” said Dotson.”Academics can take you places that sports probably can’t. But sports do teach you things like leadership.”
Dotson came up with an athletic highlight quickly.
“I was last year in the districts, I hit the go-ahead home run that gave us a 5-4 lead over Lee’s Summit West. They came back to beat us on a walkoff homer.”
In his spare time, Dotson enjoys playing the guitar, which he has learned from his computer, and hunting and fishing.
Dotson has one brother, Jace Dotson, age 1, Sedalia and three half sisters: Carlee Overton, 15, Sedalia; Steona Overton, 16, Sedalia and Paige Overton, 8, Sedalia.
Dotson is the son of Marci Dotson, Sedalia, and former S-C football player Steve Overton, Columbus, Ohio.
