Baseball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach/Co-Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- dortonww@cofc.edu
Dorton has transformed the Cougars’ pitching staff into one of the best in the nation as the program’s pitching coach over the last five seasons. Under Dorton’s tutelage, the Cougars have ranked amongst the top 30 in WHIP in four of the last five seasons as well finishing in the top 20 in ERA in three of the last five.
During his time with The College, Dorton has helped eight pitchers get drafted or signed professional contracts with Major League Baseball organizations. Evan Sisk (16th round 2018, St. Louis Cardinals), Griffin McLarty (8th round 2019, Baltimore Orioles), Nathan Ocker (29th round 2019, Cleveland Indians), William Privette (13th round 2023, Texas Rangers) and Jake Brink (11th round 2025, Cincinnati Reds) have been drafted. Jordan Carr (2021, Minnesota Twins), Caswell Smith (2022, Arizona Diamondbacks) and Daniel Brooks (2025, Atlanta Braves) have all signed professional contracts. Two-way player Cole Mathis also became the program's highest draft pick, going 54th overall (2nd round) to the Chicago Cubs in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Dorton helped the Cougars win the CAA regular season title in 2024 for the second time in three seasons and reached the conference tournament championship game. The pitching staff finished ninth in the country and 4.05 ERA and fifth with six shutouts. Closer Davis Aiken ranked sixth nationally with 11 saves. Charleston's .745 winning percentage was good for ninth among Division I programs while the staff's 3.11 walks allowed per nine finished eighth. Aiken and Alex Lyon finished first and second in the conference in appearances, making 30 and 28 appearances, respectively, while all three starting pitchers recorded 7 wins with Jake Brink and Connor Campbell both earning eight victories.
Charleston collected back-to-back CAA Pitcher of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023 with William Privette and Ty Good earning the honors. Privette was also named the second consensus All-American in program history and a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year. In 2023, Cole Mathis was named NCBWA Second Team All-American.
2022 saw Charleston capture its second CAA regular season championship with a 19-3 mark in league play. The pitching staff ranked 20th nationally with a 4.12 ERA and 26th with 8.33 hits allowed per nine. The Cougars also paced the CAA with 8.7 strikeouts per nine. William Privette led the country with a 0.91 ERA, 4.70 hits allowed per nine and 0.78 WHIP. His 0.91 ERA was the lowest single-season mark in both league and school history. CofC equaled a program-record with 14 All-CAA selections in 2022. Charleston defeated No. 2 Texas, 8-4, on March 15 for the program's third-ever win over a top-two team. The Cougars also tied the program-record for home winning percentage (.833), finishing 25-5 at Patriots Point and finished the regular season undefeated at home in league play for the first time in program history
During Dorton's first season on the coaching staff, CofC led the nation in strikeout to walk ratio (3.68) and walks allowed per nine innings (2.32), while ranking second nationally in WHIP (1.11), fourth in ERA (3.06) and ninth in shutouts (9). The staff tied a single-season program record with seven shutouts. Evan Sisk finished the season ranked 10th nationally in wins (10), posting a 10-3 record with a 2.96 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. Reliever Carter Love ranked third in the nation in ERA (1.38). Charleston went 6-1 against Power-Five schools including a series sweep of Georgia, posted back-to-back shutouts to open a series at Kansas State and blanked South Carolina, 9-0, in Coach Holbrook’s return to Columbia.
Prior to returning to The College, Dorton spent one season as the pitching coach at Florence-Darlington Technical College. Dorton helped lead the Stingers post a 42-19 record and make the program’s first appearance in the NJCAA World Series. The pitching staff shaved 2.6 runs off its ERA from the previous season under Dorton’s guidance and they led the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (11.27) and ranked third in shutouts (11).
Dorton began his coaching career as the pitching coach for the Camden American Legion Post 17 and was promoted to head coach after only one season. Post 17 won 52 games and made the program’s first-ever appearance in the state tournament during his tenure. Dorton then spent one season as the pitching coach at Hanahan High School in Hanahan, S.C. and one as the pitching coach at Blythewood High School in Columbia, S.C.
Dorton graduated from College of Charleston with a bachelor's degree in middle grades education. He was a four-year letter-winner in baseball and football at Lugoff-Elgin High School in Lugoff, S.C and helped Lugoff-Elgin to a baseball state championship in 2010. After his season year of high school, Dorton was drafted in the 15th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds and was named the Southern Conference Top Incoming Freshman by Baseball America after committing to CofC.
