Shallywags players bonding with host family

SHALLOTTE, N.C. (WWAY) — With the number of summer baseball teams in the Cape Fear tripling in 2025, the need to house the athletes skyrocketed.

Bill Clegg responded to the Shallywags’ request for host families and now has a pair of players sharing his home.

Tate Morris and Ryan Yaroshuk are playing for Shallotte in their inaugural season, which coincides with Clegg serving as a host for the first time.

“It’s fantastic,” Clegg said. “They’re very entertaining. Come in and talk once in while. I meet them outside and talk to them about the games and whatnot.”

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

Yaroshuk has been with a host family before, but finds his current situation better than last year.

“He’s a great host,” Yaroshuk said. “He always comes out to see us even if it’s raining. He walks out sometimes, he tells us if we had a good game or not. He’s always at the game. You can hear him cheering for us. Last year the family had kids my age, so they kind of did more things with telling me ‘let’s go on trips and stuff.’ It’s nice this year that we get to go in and out with each other since we live with each other.”

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

Morris and Yaroshuk are also teammates for Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Alabama and room together during the school year as well. The former is in his first year with a host family and finds it to be a welcome experience.

“When I met him, I thought he was a really nice guy,” Morris said. “Appreciative of what he’s doing for us. I thought it was a really easy process. He kind of lets us do what we want and some host families are a little over the top with interaction. I think he does a great job at letting us be in and out of the house and whatever. He comes and we talk whenever he gets the chance. There’s no pressure with it.”

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

Clegg says that the athlete’s actual families are grateful for what he is doing for them.

“I think it’s nice that the families know that they have a son who is in a stable environment,” Clegg said. “I’ve met some of the families here. I’ve met the parents of them. Both of them have said ‘thank you for hosting my child while they’re there.’”