Former Desert Hills standout pitches in minor league All-Star game

Dylan File was a standout for Desert Hills High School and, as shown in this file photo, Dixie State University before signing with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He pitched in the Midwest League's All-Star game last month., St. George, Utah, Apr. 2, 2016, | File photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Dylan File has had plenty of highlights during his baseball career but being selected to the Midwest League All-Star Game earlier this month ranks near the top.

File, who pitches for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, said he learned of his selection when the team alerted him on his phone via Twitter. “I was lying in bed when the phone rang. That was cool. That was pretty awesome.”

File pitched for Desert Hills High School and played his college ball at Dixie State University, where he is the school’s all-time leader in wins (20), strikeouts (193) and innings pitched (245). He was drafted by the Brewers in 2016.

In the All-Star game, he faced two batters, striking out one and getting the other to ground out.

After spending his rookie season with the Helena (Montana) Brewers in the Pioneer League, he advanced to Class A with the Milwaukee Brewers minor league team this season.

This season, he is 6-3 while recording 55 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 61.5 innings.

File said his best pitch is his curve ball. He noted his fastball tops out around 93 mph but his curve drops to 76.

The ability to throw the curve over the plate has impressed his coach, Matt Erickson.

“Dylan File is a guy that can really spin the baseball,” Erickson told a Wisconsin publication. “Often times, when you’re talking about pitchers, especially young pitchers here, you’re talking about arm strength and power guys, but he’s not really that guy. He’s a guy that jumps off the charts as far as his breaking ball and secondary pitches, and has to learn to command his fastball a little better. And I think he’s done that well, at least well enough to earn a spot on the All-Star team, which is a credit to him.”

The highlight of this season was Mother’s Day when he pitched eight shutout innings with 10 strikeouts.

“That was cool,” he said, “My mom flew out for Mother’s Day and she was in the stands for that game.”

File said he is enjoying playing in the Midwest after growing up in St. George and playing for the Montana team last year.

“It’s flat here, there’s no mountains. Everything’s really green,” he said about his current hometown of Appleton, Wis. “It’s a lot different than St. George for sure.”

However, in addition to the scenery, he said he is enjoying the people just as much.

“It’s great to see new places and meet new people and build relationships with people I never expected to meet,” he said.

He especially enjoys interacting with the youngsters at games.

“It’s fun to be looked up to,” he said. “Seeing the kids smile when you sign something for them or throw them a ball as a professional is cool. I know, because I was like that when I was young.”

Even though he is playing 1,000 miles from home most of the time, File has plenty of fan support back home. His mother, Susan Larson, and fiance Jamie Saunders live in St. George and his father, Mike, lives in Kingman, Arizona.

“They’re my biggest fans,” he said. “They follow what I’m doing all the time.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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