Levale Speigner

Levale Speigner began his Thomasville High School career as a two-sport athlete in football and baseball. But it was on the baseball diamond that this Bulldog would shine. Through this dominant pitching, Speigner led his 1999 Bulldogs baseball team to the AA state title. In the state championship series against Harlem, he pitched back-to-back shutouts (2-0 and 12-0) to clinch the title. His senior season saw him hit .449 at the plate and went 13-1 on the mound with a sparkling earned run average of just 1.08. He was named Georgia Dugout Club’s AA Player of the Year in 1999.

An All-Region and All-State performer for the Bulldogs, Speigner received the highest honor when his jersey number ‘16’ was retired by THS in 2009.

Speigner would go on to have a standout career at Auburn University. After going 3-3 his freshman season, he would become the #1 pitcher in the Tiger rotation his sophomore season, a role he would continue until his senior year when he was asked to better serve the team by becoming a dominant force out of the bullpen. Speigner led his Auburn squad to a #4 national seed in the 2003 NCAA tournament. He finished his senior campaign at Auburn with a 10-0 record and 2.42 earned run average. Over his college career, Speigner finished with a stellar 28-12 pitching record, with two saves, while playing in one of the toughest conferences in America.

Continuing his career professionally, Speigner would land with the Washington Nationals organization where he made his big-league debut in 2007. After retiring from pro ball, he would return back to Opelika, Alabama where he has kept his hands in the game he loves, working as a pitching coach for the Opelika High School Bulldogs. He also actively works with the youth of Opelika as a baseball coach.

Levale and his wife Perri have two children, daughter Campbell and son Grant. Levale Speigner, a true role model for kids, and one of the greats to ever wear the Thomasville red & gold.