Clayton High class of 2024 graduate Dominic Pegues was recently awarded the prestigious Sam Narron Baseball Award. The award celebrates a Johnston County high school senior baseball player who demonstrated a love for the game through determination, dedication, and sacrifice.
Pegues is the 28th recipient of the award, receiving a $500 scholarship and a recognition plaque. Additionally, his name will be placed on a plaque with past recipients, which hangs in the Evander S. Simpson Building in Smithfield.
Pegues is a standout student-athlete who excels academically and athletically. As a student, he was an active member of the National Honor Society, a Student of the Month honoree, and an Outstanding Senior Award recipient to name a few. Athletically, Pegues is a star baseball player at Clayton High, where he has become well-known for his skills and abilities in baseball. He will attend Guildford College in the fall, where he will continue his educational journey, majoring in psychology, and playing baseball.
The award is named in honor of Sam Narron who was raised in the Emit community near Corinth Holders. In 1934, Narron, using most of the money he had, purchased a ticket to Hot Springs Arkansas to attend the first-ever baseball school.
The award’s namesake played and coached professional baseball for the Saint Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was part of two World Series Championship teams in a career that spanned from 1936 to 1964.
Narron is a member of the Johnston County Athletic Hall of Fame.