Local athletes sign National Letters of Intent on signing day, a few local athletes earn spots at ECU
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – National Signing Day with local high school athletes signing college scholarships to play at all divisions. East Carolina keeping locals home on Wednesday, including two pitchers from the area who will play baseball for the Pirates.
Greene Central’s Braden Burress signed his letter to join ECU today in Snow Hill.
“It feels really good,” says Burress, “You know growing up here, Cliff came here, so it means a lot being able to follow in some footsteps and head to ECU and play there.”
D.H. Conley’s Riley Williams signed with the Pirates a short time later in Greenville.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – National Signing Day with local high school athletes signing college scholarships to play at all divisions. East Carolina keeping locals home on Wednesday, including two pitchers from the area who will play baseball for the Pirates.
Greene Central’s Braden Burress signed his letter to join ECU today in Snow Hill.
“It feels really good,” says Burress, “You know growing up here, Cliff came here, so it means a lot being able to follow in some footsteps and head to ECU and play there.”
D.H. Conley’s Riley Williams signed with the Pirates a short time later in Greenville.
Tanner Duncan had heard about ECU’s club baseball team and thought it would be a great way to keep his dream alive. He converted from shortstop to pitcher during that first season. Duncan’s goal was to work as hard as he could and try out again the next season.
“The guys on our club team were just special. They work their tails off in every practice and every game and wanted to win a championship.”
A championship didn’t come and neither did a spot on the team after trying out again the following season. But Tanner wasn’t going to stop.
“My parents always believed in me,” said Duncan. “They told me anything was possible if you were willing to work at it. So, I kept working.”
During his junior year, Tanner Duncan and the ECU Club baseball team made it to the World Series but lost in the championship game to Nevada. In 2017, the team was back in the World Series and entered as the number one ranked team in the country.
Tanner had an amazing season on the mound. He won nine games, only losing one. He pitched 75 innings, striking out 132 batters and garnered a stunning 0.84 earned run average. That means every time he pitched the opposing team averaged less than one run per game.
“The ECU Club Baseball program was a blessing for me,” Duncan said. “I am so appreciative to the folks in Campus Recreation and Wellness, the club sports organizers and everyone that helped this team win a championship.”
And so after the MLB draft, Tanner Duncan thought the end of his baseball career may be here. Then, while sitting on his couch contemplating his future, the phone rang and he was offered a chance to pitch in front of professional scouts.
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