Article reposted from MILB.com
Author:John Vittas
Myrtle Beach Pelicans athletic trainer Toby Williams was named Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society Trainer of the Year for the Carolina League, the PBATS office announced Tuesday.
Williams has helped the Pelicans to a 71-55 record and a tie for the division lead in the second half of the season. This is Williams’ first season in Myrtle Beach and third as a member of the Chicago Cubs organization.
Born in Thailand, Williams spent a year in the Atlanta Braves’ organization in 2013 after earning his MEd in Kinesiology from Auburn University. The native of Richmond, Va. served as a graduate assistant at Auburn for three years after earning his B.S. in athletic training from Samford University (Ala.).
PBATS honors one trainer every year from each of the 16 leagues in Minor League Baseball. Williams and the other 15 winners are now eligible for the prestigious Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year award, voted on by the full memberships of PBATS. That award will be given at the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings in Washington, D.C.
The Pelicans open a three-game series with the Carolina Mudcats at 7 p.m. in Zebulon, N.C. Tuesday. Trevor Clifton (6-7, 3.05) makes the start for Myrtle Beach against Enderson Franco (5-10, 4.75) of Carolina.
The 2016 season is the 18th season for the Pelicans franchise and second as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2016, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail info@myrtlebeachpelicans.com, or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last five seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last five years and the best in the Carolina League for five straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made nine postseason appearances behind 11 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, as well as five Southern Division titles, most recently in 2015. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing Info@MyrtleBeachPelicans.com