It was an exciting afternoon at West Greene High School as friends and family gathered to watch Ethan Carpenter sign his letter of intent to play baseball at Bryan College.
“I’m excited, and I fell blessed to be able to play after high school,” Carpenter said. “This is something I’ve wanted for a long time. I could not have done this without my teammates and coaches who have pushed me to get better every day.”
Bryan is an NAIA a program located in Dayton, Tennessee that competes in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. The Lions are 27-23 this season, and after an impressive run to the AAC Tournament championship game they have qualified for the NAIA National Tournament.
Bryan is led by first year head Jordan Day, who graduated from the school in 2012 and has been on the coaching staff since 2013.
Carpenter has a had a couple years to get familiar with the school, and one of the big draws of heading to Dayton was that his sister, Madison, is on the Bryan Softball team.
“My sister goes there and that is what go me interested,” Carpenter said. “I went to their prospect camp and loved the program and campus, and that got me really interested. It’s special to go to the same school as my sister. She is someone that I can always go to if I need something.”
Carpenter has been true utility player in his time at West Greene, starting at seven of the nine positions in the field over the past four years. He is hopeful that his versatility will help him get on the field with the Lions.
“I think that will help me going to college,” Carpenter said. “I feel like I’m prepared to play any position because that is what I’ve done here. I’m comfortable in the infield, outfield or pitching and playing multiple positions in the same game.”
While his college plans are now settled Carpenter is not done at West Greene. He is part of a senior class that has advanced to the region tournament all four years, bringing the program to new heights. The Buffaloes will begin Region 1-2A play on Friday against Pigeon Forge on the road.
“Me and teammates have worked hard every year and it’s a big deal to get back to the regional. We want to get as far as we can. I’m really excited for this weekend,” Carpenter said.
