This Dash is a winner for Columbia Fireflies

Dash Winningham has a name Columbia Fireflies fans won’t forget.

Last week, Mlb.com’s Cut 4 named Winningham, the Fireflies’ starting first baseman, as having the second-best name in minor league baseball. Winningham’s name ranked behind Lynchburg’s Sicnarf Loopstok of the Cleveland Indians organization and ahead of former South Carolina standout Joey Pankake, an infielder for Lakeland in the Detroit Tigers organization.

“There’s not any real meaning to my name. My parents just thought Dash Winningham sounded cool, so that is what they named me. There isn’t anything to it,” Winningham said last week.

Dash isn’t the only one in his family with a memorable name. His older brother is named Moose.

But it’s his power hitting ability, not his name, that’s one of the reasons the New York Mets took him in the eighth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft. He hit 23 homers during his high school career at Trinity Catholic in Ocala, Fla., and helped the Celtics to their first state title in school history.

That power has carried over in his two seasons in the minor leagues. He hit five homers and drove in 36 runs in 52 games with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Mets. His five homers were the most by a Mets prospect in the GCL since 2008.

Last year at short-season Kingsport, Winningham led the team with 12 homers and 51 RBIs and raised his average to .266. He also was second in doubles with 19 and third in slugging percentage at .479.

“It was a good year power-wise. I had a much better idea at the plate and was more patient,” Winningham said.

This season, Winningham’s off to a slow start, hitting .200 with no homers and one RBI. But Winningham should benefit from the short right field at Spirit Communications Park, measuring 319 feet to the corner.

The new ballpark made a big impression on Winningham and the rest of the team when they practiced in it last week.

“It is a whole different atmosphere here as far as the stadium and stuff,” Winningham said. “It is going to be exciting. The expectations are high and I feel like we have a pretty talented team and good chemistry.”

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 9:11 PM with the headline "This Dash is a winner for Columbia Fireflies."